Letters From Everest Read online

  Camp III the second day in 2½ hours and rest

  Camp IV the third day in 3½ hours and rest and the descent can be made in one day. They came down the same afternoon in a great blizzard.

  They waited at Camp IV for the return of the Lhotse Face reccy on the 2nd and they all came down to Camp IV quite done in. The closed circuit produces a lot of heat and they were terribly handicapped by the sweating and heat that enveloped them. The weight of the closed circuit is much greater – about 40 lbs and this they found at 23,000+ was an exhausting factor. The open circuit with a light alloy cylinder will give 3 hours supply at 4 litres per minute. Weight only 18 lbs, a negligible weight for the advantage it gives. And if bottles can be spread between camps the open circuit may be the best set to use. But we will have to await the results of the full closed circuit tests. The closed circuit reccy boys told Ed that the Lhotse Face climb was far more difficult than they had anticipated – and now the reccy aim was not to get above the South Col but merely to reach and place Camp VI on the Lhotse Face.

  The Lhotse Face will require many days work before loads can be lifted to the South Col. A lot of steps will have to be cut (how? at 25,000 feet), several fixed ropes put on the traverse to the South Col and the route marked with bamboo poles and flags.

  The next letters will probably be staccato affairs from Camp IV or above as I expect to go up on to the Lhotse Face in the next week. By the time you get this the final shot for the summit will probably have been made. I wonder what the outcome will be?

  We’ve been here 3 days now and everyday we’ve been expecting the Dak Wallah (mail-runner). Each day we’ve walked down the track and looked down the valley for the two scraggy figures that carry our bag to Katmandu and back. The round trip takes nearly a month. Yesterday we really expected him and the whole day went by and he hadn’t come. Snow began, lightning and then the Sherpas served up by kerosene lamp our yak stew. Stew was half finished and we were all disgruntled and angry at the Dak runner. Talk grew rough and threatening. Someone muttered – “The rotten bugger is probably sitting out of the snow”, another, “Lazy bastard’s drinking chang in the lower villages”, another “He’s three days overdue now, I wonder if snow has blocked the route? He needs a good kick in the arse and I’m just the one to give it to him.”

  Then at dusk, cold, snowing and really bleak, the Dak runner pushed his head in the tent with a toothy grin, powdered with snow and pinched with cold. “Salaam Sahib!” – “The Dak Wallah! Hooray!”

  “Shabash” (the Hindi for ‘well done’) and our anger was melted. All threats forgotten in the surprise and pleasure he brought. We slapped his shoulder and smiled at him – and began sorting the bundle of letters, joking and throwing off at one another if we thought the handwriting on the cover was from a girl.

  The arrival of the Dak Wallah at the expedition base is a great occasion. Now with 16 letters I’m as happy as a sand-boy. I haven’t a hope of answering them all before I go back up hill – but I’ll have them to sort over and re-read and answer, I hope, in the tired times at the end of a high camp day.

  [Dear Mother, Please excuse the direct reporting of this account. We’re not bad at heart, but that is how it is in verbatim speech. It seems much worse in writing, but to clear out the profanity would make the account untrue. Still, perhaps we shouldn’t write all the things that happen!]

  I am slightly worried about the cyclostyling of my letters. The circulation is wide and may tempt someone to publish bits. Could a note about this be appended to the reproduction? The consequences are rather severe – a personal account to the ‘Times’ and a £1,000 fine to the expedition.

  The local joke here is on Griff Pugh, the physiologist, an absent minded scientist who was going up to Camp IV to observe the effects of oxygen and oxygen lack on the reccy party. He set off with a box that he thought included his apparatus for alveoli samples and various air tests. The first day he just reached Camp II. The second day he got to Camp III with a great struggle and suffering from altitude. He had occasion to check his gear and found that his physiological box was not what he thought – it was an identical box that was filled with bottles of chutney! Griff came down then without doing his experiments and rather suspicious that someone organised the swap.

  More anon, George.

  Camp III

  8th May 1953

  Dear Folks,

  For a day or two I am based alone, with 14 ‘high altitude’ Sherpas doing the load lift to Camp IV. Camp IV is to be our Advanced Base in the Western Cwm – it’s approx 22,000 ft and III is about 20,500 ft. I came up here a few days ago to run the Cwm lift with George Band. George did the lift on the 6th – a fairly tough day and then went sick with sore throat, cold and a bit of altitude. He lay up yesterday and did not improve so went down with the ‘low altitude’ Sherpas today.

  I should explain our set-up. A separate Sherpa team of 14 escorted by Sahibs works from Base Camp (18,000) up to Camp II (19,500) the first day and up to Camp III (20,500) and down to Base the second day. These are L.A. (low altitude teams).

  The H.A. team (high altitude) works from Camp III (20,500) to Camp IV (22,000) and does the trip every day escorted by a Sahib. Tomorrow the H.A. will split and one team will work III to IV and another under Ed Hillary will work IV to V (Camp V is at 23,000 ft at the foot of the Lhotse Face). The L.A. escort is the one everyone dislikes but has to take several turns. I’ve done 4 or 5 and done my share. It consists, as I said before in one letter, of a nerve-racking two days in the ice-fall and lately several serac falls have spewed over the route and several more logs are needed over widening crevasses – [This isn’t a line. I’ve just had to have the ink bottle thawed over the primus to fill my pen – I had it in my boot thinking it may have escaped the cold – temperatures at night here are recorded at -30°F. It’s 2 p.m. now after a hot day!]

  When I came up to III the other day I came up with ‘Greg’ who is escorting L.A. teams at the moment. About 7.30 a.m. at II on 6th the glacier gave a terrific crack and just outside the tent a crack of over a foot opened and just below camp there was a subsidence over 100 yards area. This is the first time I’ve ever seen a sudden move in an icefall – and we realise now how the ‘Atom Bomb’ area below II changes so often and is so unstable. The ‘Atom Bomb’ is a shattered, fairly level area that wobbles when you walk on it, and odd falling blocks drop hundreds of feet and then rumble and shake the whole mass. Easily one of the most eerie places ever.

  Advance Base at Camp IV was established in early May, about a mile from the foot of the Lhotse Face.

  A Sherpa team moves supplies up through the icefall. They are crossing the ladder bridge at ‘Nasty Crevasse’ just above Camp II.

  Everyone likes the release from L.A. run, and I was really glad when John put me in charge of the build-up to IV and V. Yesterday was my first day. What a day, what a thrashing we got. I had 13 Sherpas with 45 lb loads – 5 oxygen (soda lime canisters, one open circuit set, several light alloy cylinders, 11 lbs with 850 litres at 2,800 atmospheres) and a few R.A.F. cylinders (20 lbs with 1,400 litres at 3,300 atmospheres), several boxes of composite army ration, 2 boxes high altitude ration, 6 manilla ropes for Lhotse Face fixed ropes, 7 gallons kerosene and one gal. meths. – it sounds a lot, but it is but a fraction of the 2½ tons that we are expecting to put there!

  Every afternoon we’ve had snow and the weather report from India told us that a depression was following the westerly disturbance. On 6th May it snowed heavily as George Band came down and snowed most of the night. However with a struggle I got the Sherpas loaded and away on 7th at 8 a.m. The snow was 15 to 18 inches deep, and I plugged trail for them. At 9.30 it began to snow. We had crossed the 18 ft crevasse by the duralium bridge (we should get a good photo of this – I think it’s the same one the Swiss had trouble with – it’s very sensational looking into the depth between the ladder rungs – we all crawl and are thankful for the four leg position). Soon after the 18 ft crevasse is another that you
have to go down into and out the other side. After that the route is a long winding walk back and forwards across the crevasses, gradually climbing, until there is a straight forward grind up the last mile to IV. The route is marked with flags on 4 ft bamboo poles every 60 yards and every crevasse crossing.

  From 9.30 a.m. the snow fell heavily and I thought I was well nigh exhausted when IV appeared in the mist at noon. I had been plugged in calf-deep snow without a real halt and I welcomed the idea of following the four ropes of Sherpas back to camp. We had only 10 minutes there and they set off down the deep rut of our up route at a great pace. The snow increased and wind began to drift the top powder. After the first mile the tracks had completely gone and the weather was so thick that the flags disappeared. The Sherpas naturally looked to me and I began plugging again searching for the flags, unable to see the line of crevasses even ten feet away. I grew desperately tired – everybody was covered with ice and glued into haggard expressions by the cold. Things were grim when Topky on my rope went through a huge masked crevasse. He didn’t go more than three feet but was scared considerably – so was I.

  For a while we couldn’t get the next flag and soft snow avalanches were pouring into the mist about 40 yards to my left. Immediately right was a great crevasse and the Sherpas were near to panic. I began thinking of Captain Scott and his plight – and thought what a bleak time he must have had. Kunsha saw the next flag and we took a long time to reach it with snow now nearly knee deep. No one suggested a spell but we all lay round the flag as if it were a rest centre and shelter. The snow lifted later and we sighted the next flag and recalling the lay of the country we flogged on and crossed the down and up crevasse, the bridge, and although it was from there about 400 yards to camp it took us quarter of an hour. It was 4 p.m., the snow was lifting slightly, as we fell into the tents.

  We were all so flogged that we requested a rest day today – and by wireless John ordered a complete rest and requested that George Band descend and recuperate. John and Ed will be up today to relieve me on this lift while I go ahead to V with two Sherpas to cut steps and fix ropes on the Lhotse Face above and below Camp VI and shift the site of VI to the Swiss camp VI, about 24,500 feet.

  Tom Stobart, our cameraman, came up here last week but felt ill after one night and went down. The doctors were in the Cwm at the time and didn’t see him for three days and when they did inspect him they confirmed that he was already recovering from pneumonia! Poor Tom, he was very ill and will be a week before he gets about again. In the meantime I have been getting as much movie stuff as I can and I’m sure I’ve got some good shots of the icefall route between Base and III. I shall be lugging a light 16 mm. colour camera up to IV, V and VI and hope I have the energy and clearness of mind to get a record of the Lhotse Face work. Up here, although you think you’re smart, you continually forget to correct the lens stop as the light changes – or alter the focus after a close-up shot. All little things that you think you’d never forget. Even when well acclimatised to this height the lack of oxygen shows itself in many little ways.

  I am including one of John Hunt’s Memos. It illustrates how energetic and careful he is in planning. For every change of plan and every camp there is a stream of written orders that are clear and appreciated. He has his mind on everything and everybody. He is easily the most conscientious man that ever led an expedition. We think he’s amazing – if organisation counts for anything Everest is already conquered. I hope John is the leader of the successful team – he’s certainly deserved it. He makes everyone else rest and conserve themselves – but never does himself.

  John and Ed will soon be here and I must check the loads for tomorrow and see that the tea is ready for them. It’s snowing again now – it has done so every afternoon since 12th April! I wonder if it will stop for the attempt.

  The Lhotse Face will take at least a fortnight from now – I think anyway – so the ‘big crack’ won’t be for a while yet.

  More anon – John will be telling me tonight of the detailed assault plan – on closed and open circuit oxygen.

  Cheers to all, George.

  Camp VI, 23,500 ft

  15th May 1953

  Dear Betty,

  There is such a lot to say and such a lot been doing in these five days that I’ll never be able to capture it all. Ed is going to take this to Camp V soon and from there I expect it will eventually filter through.

  The big moment has arrived – the plans are announced and the date is set. The big move begins on the 20th May. Let me work downwards. The summit pair on open circuit oxygen are Ed and Tenzing, backed up to Ridge Camp, to be placed as near 28,000 ft by John Hunt and ‘Greg’ Gregory with five Sherpas all using open circuit oxygen who will then descend leaving Ed and Tenzing to spend the night and make the attempt. The day before Ed and Tenzing leave the South Col, Charles Evans and Tom Bourdillon on closed circuit will make a reccy from the South Col to South Summit and beyond if their oxygen and strength lasts. They are to report to summit party on the conditions above South Summit.

  The carry to S. Col will be made by 14 Sherpas escorted first by Wilf Noyce, on open circuit and next day by Charles Wylie on open circuit. Where does George fit in? By that time I’m supposed to be exhausted having spent a week making a route up the Lhotse Face without oxygen – I’m halfway through the job now and still going strong (I hope) on the most terrific ice-climbing I’ve ever done.

  The crux of the whole matter is the climbing of the Lhotse Face which leads to S. Col. This face was at first taken too cheaply and two or three days were allowed for the climbing and placing of Camp VI. Now Camp VI is established and Camp VII, some 12-1500 ft above and we still have a good thousand feet to go to the South Col.

  The Lhotse Face was such a tough problem that to use any of the potential summit or S. Col team that the chances were great of exhausting them. That’s where I came in – an expendable quantity with Mike Westmacott and George Band to make a route up the Lhotse Face without oxygen to prepare the way for the assault parties.

  Camp VII, 24,600 ft

  18th May 1953

  Everything is moving so swiftly and the times for writing are so short that I can only summarise my doings. My doings have been the spearhead of the assault for the last week, and if I jot down roughly the day to day I may catch up something. I haven’t written a diary even, so I’ll try to catch up here.

  Sunday, 10th May. To Camp IV with John and Ed and 19 Sherpas. A wonderful morning and did a lot of movie work among the crevasses. Snow began at midday, but after tea and talk I took four Sherpas on to Camp V which we occupied for the first time. With us we had 400 ft Beales line and 30 pitons and piton hammers to fix ropes on the Lhotse Face. The Sherpas I had were good, Da Tenzing, Ang Nima, Ang Namgyl, Gylgen. During the evening meal (Swiss biscuits, cheese and pemmican soup), I told them our job was to make an excellent route up the Lhotse Face and carry and place Camp VI as high as we could get it.

  Da Tenzing made an impassioned speech in Hindustani with the other boys giving frequent “Here here’s”. He said, “With Sahib in front we will smash a route up the hardest places and we Sherpas will help until we drop – we will carry loads and stamp and cut until a wonderful route is made to the S. Col – then after five days we will all be “cuttum hogin” (‘had it’) and we will collapse at Base and rest and rest and rest, while the others go to the top.” – “But what if I fall sick, or the altitude gets me?” “Nay Sahib, will be all right – if not we will kick him and push and pull him until the route is good – in five days all will be finished.”

  It was quite a session parliamentary – old Da Tenzing is a wonderful character, voluble and expressive with his hands and after this everyone felt the Lhotse Face was done! Little did we know!

  It blew and snowed heavily that night – in fact snow has fallen daily since April 11th until May 14th. It is quite impossible to imagine what a handicap this daily snow is, and how every day climbing after fresh snow makes the going tedious
.

  On 11th May I set off with Ang Nima, with Da Tenzing, Ang Namgyl and Gylgen to follow later with our bedding, food and chattels. Gylgen suffered badly from altitude headache (we were at 23,000 ft) I gave him A.P.C. and he gamely came on later. Ang Nima and I plugged off from V and at 11 a.m. struck the first steep ice pitch and found a Swiss fixed rope there. I cut up this, but at midday it began to snow. We cut and cut up ice walls and over bulges and finally at 3 p.m. we came to the foot of some very steep cliffs and found again a Swiss fixed rope. It was too steep to climb without step cutting and taking turns we slugged on – soaked with snow, cold and desperately tired. The rope was 400 ft long and anchored every 50 ft by ice pitons. It was the steepest ice climbing I had been on and finally we came to a tiny ledge and pitched a tent and called it Camp VI. The three Sherpas followed us up valiantly, and while Ang Nima and I sagged in the tent they went back to V.

  We slept like logs and were late away on the 12th (9.30 a.m.) – which brought a sharp note about early starts from John. From VI we pushed up only about 800 ft in four hours. The snow was knee and thigh deep in drifts and between were ice walls of hard green and blue ice. We cut several hundred steps and fixed four ropes with pitons and went down. The view from VI was superb and the evening, clearing after snow, showed us the jagged top of Nuptse (someone said “like a razor blade looked at through a microscope”). Pumori was level with us – Cho Oyu and Gyachung Kang were there too! I tried to photograph it but it was smack into the evening sun. The tent platform was so small that we could just anchor the guy ropes into the ice wall. A platform of snow 3 ft x 3 ft was all that was flat outside the tent opening. The 400 ft fixed rope was anchored under the tent and climbing began one step from the door!

  On 13th John said he was coming up (wireless communication every day at 5 p.m.) to see the progress and would we improve the route downwards. We started step cutting from the door at 9 a.m. and in four hours had a wonderful stairway down the 400 ft of fixed rope. Most of the ice angle is agreed by all as over 50°. John announced his proximity by screaming from below, “Stop that cutting or you’ll kill us!” We sat and waited and he arrived with every sign of extreme exhaustion and I sat with the movie camera taking an 8 second burst every now and then, as he laboured up until his twisted face filled the whole view-finder. As I filmed, scuds of wind-blown snow swept over him and I hope it will film as it really was. (It’s wireless time, 5 p.m., and I must report our day’s doings to Advanced Base) – The wireless was a cold session, because the aerial is attached to the box and has to be outside the tent and now a full gale is blowing.