Letters From Everest Read online

  The other types are a 30 lb. ‘closed circuit’ type developed by Tom Bourdillon and his father. It consists of a mask and back pressure valves and hopes to conserve the moisture and warmth normally dissipated when breathed out. The set is heavy and complicated – if it works it’s the best idea of the three – but if it doesn’t you’re a dead duck.

  The third is an idea of Secords using the chemical called ‘something’ tetroxide which gives off oxygen when breathed on by carbon dioxide. The Swiss had this and found the oxygen flowed off too quickly and was lost or wasted. So Secord is developing a Heath Robinson idea of a bladder lined waistcoat that collects and inflates with the oxygen given off by the chemical breathed upon. When the chemical is exhausted the container is thrown away and the waistcoat full of air supplies the climber. This is not yet ready and little faith is placed in the system.

  … 1st March.

  In two hours I’ll be aboard the express and heading for Lucknow. The English boys arrived yesterday and although I had met none of them – they were like meeting old friends. Wylie and Ward I took an immediate liking to – the others are quieter. Noyce is reserved, slow of speech and probably the most ‘prosaic’ and undemonstrative – a master at Charterhouse school – married – 35. Westmacott is just on 28 – a statistician – whatever that is. This is his first Himalayan trip – done a lot of Alpine ascents and looks a good type. George Band is the baby – 6 ft 2 and 24 years old. Still a student at Cambridge (geology) and counted as by far the most outstanding of the youngest generation in Britain. All are super rock climbers with a fair experience of snow-craft. Stobart is 6 ft 3 and 14½ stone – a giant blonde. He’s the cameraman – been to the Antarctic and nearly every country in the world – except N.Z. – age 38.

  Names will be a problem because there are two Toms; two Michaels; two Georges; and two Charles. This is rather an amazing number of duplications amongst 13 people.

  Yesterday everything went smoothly. The baggage (454 pieces) was unloaded and transferred to a special wagon – 8 tons in all. All details of entry were settled and we had a fairly easy day.

  Last night was this big party – seventy people at the show – in one of the beautiful and fashionable homes on Pali Hill. The supper was a work of art. The most outstanding creation was two great dishes with whole cooked fish – each about three feet long (the fish) and adorned with the fanciest of colours, with patterns of tomato and cucumber setting them off. Today we spent the morning swimming on Juhu beach and the afternoon chatting over tea in a very cool garden. And now we are off on the tedious rail journey to the border.

  I have sent two parcels from Bombay, one contains a book – ‘Annapurna’ and the other trinkets that I would like you to hold on to – namely 2 coconut shell dishes, 2 small vases, a sandal wood elephant and a book on Victoria, Australia. Enclosed is a cutting from today’s paper.

  Love to all the folks.

  Smiles, George.

  British Embassy, Katmandu

  9th March 1953

  Dear Betty,

  Five of us left Bombay by train on 1st March and after five days on the Indian railways we reached Rapaul on the Nepal border and after two more days of truck and walking we reached Katmandu along with the eight tons of baggage that goes with this expedition. The journey was a tedious drag and the shepherding of the baggage made for a lot of worry and delay. It’s all here now and while the boys that flew in are receiving and checking the loads we are having a well earned spell.

  It’s a beautiful day here in Katmandu. Cool and fresh like a spring day at home, birds singing and carefully tended spring flowers blooming in the Embassy garden. This is a wonderful place after the stinking hot Indian plains and the sultry sweating in Bombay.

  The train journey across India – from Bomaby to Lucknow – was the usual hot, changeless, half sleeping two days. Two things of note – the first, we stopped at a deserted place on the line and on enquiry found that the engine had blown the cylinder-head off. A relief engine rescued us 3 hours later. The second thing was personal – and much more lasting. I had dysentery for five days and the journey was very miserable. I had violent stomach pains, a feverish temperature and some very uncomfortable moments. I lost 7 pounds in weight and went right off food. Michael Ward (the party doctor) was with me and with his nursing and sulphur drugs I came round O.K. I was feeling rather weak but managed the 24 mile walk into Katmandu yesterday. It is not surprising that I am ravenously hungry now and quite stiff in the muscles after the two months of boat and hotel living. Of all the times and places to suffer this infliction I think I would pick a train journey. If it had happened after the expedition had left I would have been left behind.

  But, in Lucknow, I was not so sick that I could not drag to a car and go and see the ‘Residency’. This is the historic ruins – a collection of towers, keeps and heavy brick buildings – all roofless and aged with scars and holes made by cannon balls. The Residency is the scene of the famous Seige of Lucknow 1856 or thereabouts. The scene too of “The Pipes of Lucknow” and the doings of the highland regiments during the Indian Mutiny. The place where these unfortunate people (2,000 odd Europeans and faithful Indians) decided to withstand the attack of the mutineers is quite fantastically vulnerable. Yet with straight out blind courage and desperate bravery they defended this spot. About 900 survived after 7 months which must have been hell. After seeing this place and hearing a little of the episode I am really impressed with the effort. The Indian Army keep the place as a great park with masses of bouganvillia and petunias in flower. I took a few colour photographs and expect they’ll be good.

  We stayed overnight in Lucknow with the local manager of Burmah-Shell – he’s a Public School boy of English pattern. He was wonderfully kind and smoothed the way for us – two cars at our disposal and his home. Most of this party are ex Public School types – Marlborough, Shrewsbury, Gordonstoun and Charterhouse – and the old school tie spirit keeps them all together like a Masonic craft. I thought it was very good to see.

  The zoo in Lucknow is a good one. It spreads over a huge park area and we drove around looking at lions, rhinos, tigers, hyenas and all number of fowl and birds. The lions were rather wild and most impressive.

  Returning to Nepal was not without its pleasure. The sickness was leaving me and I got a certain kick out of crossing the border into this place again. The baggage came in over the mountains on the famous aerial ropeway. This is about 20 miles long and loops across the deep valleys over 2,000 feet above the valley-floor. It must be 1½ miles between the pylons on the longest stretch. Everything seems to have arrived intact so one of the major tasks of the expedition has been accomplished.

  Yesterday I got my first view of the snows. We crossed a little pass on the walk in – the valleys are full of green spring growth – and then Michael and I spotted simultaneously the peaks; incredibly high and blurred by haze away behind. The outline of these Nepal peaks is quite fantastic. There are no rounded mountains here. They jut and sweep up with quite exciting angles – always fluted with ice channels and looking from a distance quite impossible. It is a thrill to look at these hills. If I came 20 times I would still get a kick out of the looking.

  Tea is about to be served. I have had a quiet hour – with the Ambassador’s radiogram and microgroove records. First a series of carols and now a Beethoven Piano Concerto. All very suitable for a Sunday don’t you think. I may add to this later if there is time. Thanks for your letters Betty – I received two (one from Ed) along with 10 others. Lucky aren’t I. I hope to reply to them all on the march in. Thanks for the numerous cuttings – especially of Enid Westermans daughter and all. Enclosed is an invitation we received to a Bombay party and two photos taken in Poona – plus a French stamp. There’s lots more but it will have to wait.

  Regards to all the family and everybody, George.

  P.S. Tuesday, 10th March. We’re off today – in a few minutes in fact. It’s been a rare rush but I’m glad to be off. Have had no ti
me for more letters and our personal kit this year is very limited – too limited at present.

  More anon.

  Love to all, George.

  On the March

  12th March 1953

  Dear Betty and all,

  It’s dark, the sun sets early here now, about 6.15 p.m. and I’m holding a torch in one hand as it’s too early to go to sleep and the kerosene light is too weak to read by. We had completed the third day’s march by 1 p.m. today and I have been sun-bathing, sleeping and catching butterflies since then.

  Last night we camped on the river bed of the Sun Kosi river. It’s winter here and the water is icy cold. The night is perfectly clear. I slept on my eider-down bag as the night was warm. At 5 a.m. we got up and after a mug of tea set out at dawn – 6 a.m. Today we climbed out of the steep Sun Kosi valley up to 7,000 ft and now we are camped high above the valleys and it’s only two minutes walk to a great view of the high peaks (we’ve identified Karyolung, Numbur and Gauri Sankar). On the way up the ridge we had several wonderful views all down the valley. There were flowering peaches and perhaps some flowering almonds and just a few rhododendrons.

  In Katmandu we were issued with and fitted with our oxygen masks and urged to wear them on the march in. I put mine on today during the steep uphill and found that when I was hurrying and breathing really hard I forgot that it was on my face and nose. It’s an ugly looking thing – a big rubber mask covering the mouth nose and chin. To keep the fitting tight it is necessary to shave, which may cause some bother later with sunburn and even cold.

  This evening three of us went for a stroll and looked at the cloud rolling over the range. Later John Hunt and Mike Westmacott came up with butterfly nets and began chasing butterflies. They are collecting specimens for the British Museum. It was fun watching them stalking up to a shrub with a net poised – it seemed incongruous that these hardy mountaineers should be such crack-pot looking butterfly catchers. Later on we joined in the game and found that the hunt was really good fun. We caught some big jet black beauties and some smaller yellow ones. John Hunt seems to know something of the different varieties and has a collection of his own in England.

  At sunset the clouds over the peaks rolled away and we ran up to see the peaks turn gold in the setting sun. We ate curried rice, cauliflower, peas, tinned steak and boiled potatoes in the big communal tent and now that it’s dark I’m writing this. Most of the boys have taken their lilos and sleeping bags outside and a group of them are identifying stars and planets. George Band seems to be the expert on names and settings – I must knock off or I’ll strain my eyes.

  … 13th March.

  Today is another clear warm day. Ahead of me are the blue ridges and on the skyline are the snow-covered peaks. It’s breakfast time and we’re sitting on a grassy knoll with ferns and rhododendrons all around. The Sherpas are cooking porridge, bacon and eggs. The butterfly catchers are out again – there are thousands of moths, beetles and butterflies in this forest but the most striking of all are the birds – auriols, shrikes, chats, various finches and of course mynahs and crows. Earlier this morning John Hunt, George Band and I were together and we sat down to listen and watch a bird like a blackbird – perhaps bigger – with two tail feathers at least 15 inches long. It had a bright orange beak and a strident call. As we sat quietly two animals came out of the ferns and crossed the track. They were about 3 feet long with very short legs covered with brown fur. None of us had any idea what they were.

  Nearly all of this morning’s walk has been over a sort of high rolling moorland covered with grass, thorny bushes, azaleas (not in flower) and dwarf trees. After breakfast the track drops into a deep valley about 2,500 ft downhill and then climbs out of the other side.

  It will be another week before this is posted and I hope to keep adding a piece each day or so until the day comes for John Hunt to send his ‘Times’ despatch.

  … 15th March.

  Tomorrow John Hunt is going to send a runner with a Times despatch and I’m hurrying before dark to add some more. First, with the help of a book on Indian animals we identified the brown animals as martens – a variety of weasel and stoat only bigger than our home variety. This evening we are camped overlooking the foothills and looking onto the main peaks of the Gauri Sankar range of the Himalaya, about 23,000 ft. The photographers have been busy but now it is very cold and everybody is putting on jerseys and coming into the tent.

  By the time you get this I expect we will be up at Thyangboche – our first base camp. We expect to be there on the 27th or 28th March. After two days there we are breaking into sets of 4 men each and going off to climb and practice with our oxygen equipment for eight or ten days and then return to discuss the results and split up and climb with others practicing with oxygen for another 10 days. So I expect it will be some time before you hear reports of us attempting Everest. That won’t be until after the middle of May. With this oxygen equipment we have optimistic hopes of success but if we miss in the Spring there will definitely be an Autumn attempt. There are at least four reserves in England organising and waiting for news of this attempt and they will come out and join Hunt plus those of this party who are still fit enough to be of use. Going to high altitudes will exhaust some and they presumably will not be asked to stay, nor is it expected that they will be of use. This is all high conjecture and should not be made too public.

  I guess that’s all for now. It has been suggested that the expedition address be altered to: c/o British Embassy, Katmandu, Nepal, which I’m sure will be faster and more efficient than New Delhi.

  I am looking forward to the next mail delivery which won’t be for another two or three weeks. Kindest regards to the people of Heretaunga Tramping Club and all the other interested folks. And to Mum and Dad and all the family. Everyone here is well – Ed is his usual self and until next post,

  Cheerio, George.

  P.S. Could you let me know to whom you are sending a copy of my letters? I think there were four English addresses and I hope you can share the postage for a copy each, otherwise the letters will never get round fast enough. At present I am planning to go on to England in July and have tentative ideas of a return early next year – say March 1954.

  Could you let me know how much my bank account is holding at present? It will be mid-May before you hear any news of us on Everest so by that time you’ll be impatient, I expect.

  Bye, Geo.

  Ed and Tenzing share a joke as they stop for lunch on the trail. Marching in the warm sunshine, many of the team wore shorts and tennis shoes.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Dudh Kosi Valley

  21st March 1953

  Dear Betty,

  Everest is in view with a huge snow plume blowing away to the East and from here it towers over the Lhotse Nuptse wall (a wall over 25,000 ft high). Now we are walking through the most beautiful part of Nepal. Perhaps I’m biased in favour of alpine scenery but even so the flowers are everywhere, whereas before there were none. There are gushing mountain streams with fern and moss clinging whereas before there were dry gullies.

  I’ve been collecting flowers to really photograph them, but not very successfully. There are the usual blue primulas – whole paddocks of them. I tried to photograph a type of violet that grows in the moss by the waterfalls; and I picked some of these violets, but they died within a few hours. On the hillsides there are plenty of pines and growing amongst these we found a giant daphne, a bush about five or six feet high, entirely without leaves as yet, but with a few blooms that are exactly like our daphne at home, with the scent and all. I wish now that I knew more about botany and could collect and classify some of these flowers. The flowers are far more beautiful this year, mostly because we are a month earlier than last year. This is our twelfth day of the walk in and every day has been hot and windless.

  Yesterday we crossed a 12,000 ft pass and although there were patches of snow and pockets of frost in the shade, we crossed in tennis shoes and shorts, and with our shirt
s off. Every day I’ve been bare to the sun and am browner than I’ve ever been in my life. I’ve never experienced such uniformly perfect weather and it seems more amazing when you consider that 30 miles away Everest is trailing an arctic snow plume.

  In five more days we will have reached Thyangboche monastery (13,500 ft), where we intend splitting into 3 groups and going off with oxygen to try the sets up to 20,000 ft and to get acclimatised to altitude before we approach the mountain. The first acclimatisation period will last for 7 days and then we return to Thyangboche and change our parties around and confer on the effects of the oxygen experiments and then off for another ten days practice while one party explores the Khumbu ice-fall and prepares a route for the big weight lift into the Western Cwm. Here, diagrammatically, is what we have been doing since leaving Katmandu – crossing the ‘grain’ of the country by going over a ridge and down a valley.

  Tomorrow the mail is going out, but we won’t be getting mail back until about three weeks. I am looking forward to hearing news of home and seeing how you are all getting on.

  Love to all, George.

  Namche

  25th March 1953

  Dear Betty,

  Today we reached Namche after seventeen days walking. I had often thought before about Namche with its fluted peaks, with a view of Everest at 29,000 ft and down to the Dudh Kosi river that flows through pines at 9,000 ft. I had thought that perhaps my memory of it had glamourised the wonder of it, but it was not so. Today as we walked up the river and through the gorge of the river and then under the overhanging rock walls that hide the Namche track, I decided with Ed and Charles Evans that it was far more impressive than we had ever dreamt. Just after we left the river at only 9,000 ft we got a view of Everest only twelve miles away with the usual snow plume blowing away. It was a terrific size, even though it was twelve miles away, and it was difficult to believe that it was 20,000 ft above us. Oddly enough for this time of year, there is very little snow on the top parts of Everest and we expect some heavy falls in the next few weeks.