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Letter to Ruth Mallory from 'Gnatong’

He had been stupefied by a cold and the repetition of last’s year’s march was not as exciting as the new sensation of seeing Sikkim. The landscape was disappointing and not at its best as no rain had yet fallen, the sense of bursting growth was absent. The previous day should have been the day of rhododendrons but only a few of the lower ones were out and the magnolias were disappointing as there were only white ones. However it was an enjoyable journey and everyone was cheerful and happy, particularly General Bruce. It was exhilarating to feel the high clean air again and to sleep above 12,000 ft and except for some cold and cough lingering he felt fit enough. Longstaff wasn’t fit yesterday and had a bad headache.

He kept company with Noel, who was filming and taking photographs and who was very pleased with a film of him bathing.

The air was quite clear as they were above the valley haze. He planned to start early the next day and get up a peak and see what should be an amazing view of the Sikkim mountains, Kangchenjunga.

He thinks of her and home and wishes they could meet once a month so he could hear her tell him about everything.

Letter to Ruth Mallory

Brief Summary
Most of the party was ill or injured with frostbite. Feeling in the camp was more discontented. He, Finch and Somervell were contemplating a third summit attempt. Thought Finch would annoy him. Opinion on what went wrong with 2nd attempt. Weather was worsening. If they did make a 3rd attempt he would be delayed in coming home.

Detailed Summary

Wishes he could be enjoying the first blush of early summer with her. Has been re-reading her letters and says her time in Wales sounds full of enjoyment and so unlike this. The North Col was a wonderful place for a camp as it was sheltered from the west wind behind great battlements of ice.

He finds a difficulty in writing to her because she will have heard of events that have not yet happened before she receives his story. She will know the results of their final attempt, which they will begin tomorrow or the next day. Despite mixed feelings about another venture it would have been unbearable for him to be left out. Until yesterday morning he felt there was no chance of going up. Longstaff felt they were all ill since they came down and strongly believed the Expedition had done enough and had better shut up shop. Longstaff reported him medically unfit due to his finger and his heart. However, Wakefield had made a careful examination yesterday and pronounced his heart perfectly sound and he trusted his judgement. He did risk getting a worse frostbite by going up again but felt the game was worth a finger and he would take care.

Norton had not been fit since they came down [from 1st summit attempt] and there was no question of his going up again. For Wakefield and Crawford the limit was the North Col and Geoffrey Bruce’s feet would require a month to recover. Only Finch, Somervell, and himself were left. Finch appeared done when he came down in spite of the liberal use of oxygen, but was fit enough. He was afraid Finch would get on his nerves a lot before they were done, but hoped they would manage the climb without serious friction [anticipating 3rd attempt in 1922].

The weather was getting steadily worse which would settle the affair. It seemed much windier than last year. He feared getting caught on the ridge in a bad gale. Finch and Bruce had made a strong effort on the last day but in some ways managed very badly. Assessing the 2nd summit attempt he felt it was an initial mistake to go to a fresh camp at 25,500 ft instead of moving to the one they had established and they had put it on the wrong side of the ridge exposed to the wind. By some mismanagement there was a shortage of supplies both at the North Col and 25,500 ft. Porters were sent up from the North Col at 4 pm and they did well to get back there at 11 pm. The idea of porters wondering about up there in the dark with none of us to look after them filled him with horror. The story of the Gurkha orderly was pretty bad too. The plan was to take him on from 25,500 ft carrying 6 cylinders of oxygen for 1,000 ft of 1,500 ft by which time it was supposed he would be exhausted. He was to then sent down by himself drinking oxygen from one cylinder. Finch seemed to have a different standard of caring for the porters than him. He was determined they would run no risks with their lives during the next venture.

The new attempt would impact plan for his return journey. Strutt, Longstaff, and Morshead would be going back to Darjeeling as soon as animals arrive, in 4 or 5 days. Norton and General Bruce would be going over to Kharta at the same time (he was to have gone with them). The main body would follow to Kharta after they had finished with the mountain. He would aim at catching the Treista boat from Bombay on 1 August but she wasn’t to count on that.

[Continues later] - He had escaped from the camp to write the letter. In the past 3 or 4 days it had seemed to be a less serene, rather a discontented place. Morshead suffered from his fingers continually and he [Mallory] feared he would lose the first joint of six of them. He bore it well but was not a cheerful figure. Norton was even more depressed. Strutt was more than usually full of curses. Crawford and Wakefield who were last down from the mountain were not very pleased with the prospect of going up again so soon. Longstaff was far from well with indigestion and sleeplessness and was at present in one of his moods of bustling activity, when he became tiresome, interfering, and self-important. The General, who had been tied to camp almost the whole time by a sore foot, showed a better temper than anyone. Bruce and Strutt both hated the wind and they had had no more than one windless hour.

Letter to Ruth Mallory, from ‘Rongbuk Base Camp’

Brief Summary
Change of plans. He and Somervell to go to No. 3 Camp. Longstaff ill.

Detailed Summary
Was distressed to hear she was ill and hopes she’ll be able to take a planned trip to Wales.

The Tibetan porters had suddenly deserted and so the whole problem of fixing the camp was altered. General Bruce’s new plan was for Mallory and Somervell to go straight to No. 3 Camp (the one below the North Col) and cut steps up to the col, establish a camp and then get as high up the mountain as they can. He thought this would be a tremendous undertaking at this stage.

Was sending her pages from his diary which would explain some of their plans though not quite up to date. The reconnaissance party had found a good route to No. 3 Camp. This was located about where the 21,000 contour hits the North peak, on good moraines at the corner and only about an hour before the slopes leading up to the col. Strutt, Morshead, and Norton came back yesterday but Longstaff, who wasn’t well spent the night at No. 1 Camp and was due to come down that day on a stretcher. Feared he had strained his heart, and also had some throat trouble.

Is sorry he can’t write a better letter when hers are full of love. Wants to show how much he thinks of her and wants her with him to talk to. Is content that she is at home and he has her and the children to return to which makes a happy background to his life here.
Most of his news is in the diary. Feels Somervell to be his very good friend. Young Bruce was also coming up with them to No. 3 Camp. He had been very fit and cheerful. His tummy was slightly out of order today, has little doubt it will be better. Still hadn’t received any new shoes by the mail.

[Postscript up the side margin] - Asks her to tell his Mother that he had been prevented from dealing with the mail and consequently from writing to her. Asks her to thank Clare and Berry for their letters.

Letter from George to Ruth Mallory from Tinkye Dzong

Full transcript

Darling Ruth,

This is only a hurried line at the end of a full day - to tell you (1) that my tummy is in perfect order again, & I feel as fit as possible. It was a funny go altogether & quite inexplicable. Naturally there was a small appendicitis scare as the tenderness was on the right side, but Somervell was practically sure from the start that I was free from that.

(2) Beetham came on with us. It was Somervell’s decision on the very morning of leaving Kampa Dzong – that is to say S [Somervell] had to decide that B [Beetham] would get better; & no doubt he is right. But it is one thing to have no more dysentry & another to get really fit again after all that when living at this altitude. At present B [Beetham] looks years older in much the same way as Raeburn did in ’21, only at a younger stage & has quite lost all kick & there was no one more energetic earier. Still he may be a useful reserve climber in the end.

(3) I’ve had a brain wave – no other word will describe the process by which I arrived at another plan for climbing the mountains;-
(a) A. & B. with 15 porters (about) starting from IV (North Col) establish V building emplacements for 4 tents at about 25,500 & descend.
(b) C. & D. gassless party go to V with another 15 porters of whom 7 carry loads & descend, the other 8 group without loads practically speaking & sleep.
(c) C. & D. proceed to establish a camp VII at 27,300 (about) with these 8 porters carrying up 6 loads.
(d) E. & F. gas party on the same day as (c) start wthh 10 porters (about) from IV, go without loads to V & from that point E. & F. using oxygen they take on the stores & gas previously dumped at V about 1,000ft higher to VI at 26,500.
(e) Then the two parties start next morning & presumably meet on the summit.

You will readily perceive the chief merits of this plan; - the mutual support which the two parties can give each other; the establishment of camps without waste of reserve climbers (A. & B. will not have done so much that they can’t recover); the much better chance this way of establishing VI without collapse of porters. And then if this go fails we shall be in the best possible position to decide how the next attempt should be made; four climbers we hope will be available & the camps either way will be all ready.

This plan has such great advantages over all others that Norton has taken it up at once & this evening we had another pow wow & everyone has cordially approved. I’m much pleased about this as you may imagine - if only for this it seems worth while to have come; for Norton’s plan was fundamentally unsound I’m sure & might have had very bad results; & in this one there is much greater safety. It is impossible yet to say who the parties will be. N [Norton] & I have talked about it; he thinks Somervell & I should lead each one of these two parties; he puts himself in my hands as to whether he should be one of them – isn’t that generous? We shall have to judge as best we can of people’s fitness when we reach the Base Camp. Odell has not been showing up well; but either he or Irvine must be of the gas party.

We have stayed one day here for transport, as against 3 last year when Longstaff was ill; & we hope only to stay one day at Shekar, & so we should be two or three days up at the Base Camp.

No mail yet – one should have arrived today.
Much love to you.

Ever your loving, George

I didn’t tell you that I bought a pony at Kampa Dzong, a very good animal, though too thin.

Letter from to Ruth Mallory, from ‘Tinkeye Dzong’.

Brief Summary
Delayed because Longstaff had been unwell. Photographed Gyanka mountains with Morshead and Somervell but it was cloudy. Finch gave oxygen demonstrations. Details of evening routine. No thought had been put into how they were to carry oxygen cylinders up and down. Outlined their plans for camps when they reached Everest.

Detailed Summary
Wonders what she is climbing with their good friends at Pen y Pass and is annoyed that he won’t know for a long time due to the time it takes for the mail to reach them.

Their journey had passed happily enough in warmer weather but they had to stay a second day because Longstaff was unwell. Thought Longstaff was ‘alarmingly frail’ but looked better today. He liked Longstaff very much but he didn’t have the physique for this job although he did carry it all through with his tremendous spirit.

The repetition of aesthetic experiences was not very stimulating. The march in sun and wind and the camp had a somnolent effect and he felt too much like an animal. However these two days had been full enough.

He had gone on a little expedition with Morshead and Somervell to photograph the Gyanka mountains but the clouds had spoilt the plan which was a disappointment and after the previous four days which had been marvellously clear (could distinguish details on Everest with the naked eye from Kampa Dzong over 100 miles away). He put on an amusing show when teaching the porters how to use the rope by tumbling down a little slope and pretending to fall into crevasses. He walked nearly an hour to visit some rocks where they had a strenuous little climb.

Finch gave oxygen demonstrations after tea largely for the benefit of the novices which showed up several weaknesses which had developed in the apparatus which they had used for practice on board the S.S. Caledonia. It could be adjusted but showed how many chances were against its working perfectly.

The evening routine consisted of dinner which was always an early meal (not later than 7pm) and they usually sat talking until 8.30pm when the party began to break up and he was usually in bed by 9pm or soon after. He was trying to learn a little Gurkali - enough to get on in some simple fashion with the porters, a matter which may be of some importance when they come to fix a camp on the North Col.

They talked a lot about the organisation for climbing Everest. General Bruce was under orders to try the oxygen but it was an interesting result of the haste in which the expedition had been equipped that no calculations had been made as to how they were to carry the whole weight of the oxygen cylinders and apparatus (8-900 lbs) up and down. He and Longstaff had been going into the question of organisation as General Bruce wanted to be ready with a plan when they fixed the base near the Rongbuk Glacier. From his past experience Longstaff knew more about this sort of thing than anyone else and he was very glad to find they were in agreement.

Thought it would take a fortnight to establish a camp on the North Col (my mid May) which would leave a month for operations. That sounded good but it would take another fortnight to get the oxygen to the North Col and they would also have to consider the next stage to a camp at about 25,000 ft. Thought the main trouble was a shortage of men to take supplies up to the different camps. They would also be hampered by insufficient tents and sleeping sacks and wouldn’t be able to leave them in the established camps and would have to carry the sleeping sacks at lease up and down. Didn’t want her to pass on this criticism of the equipment as he thought it had been remarkably well done.

Thinks he may have provided details which she would find difficult to follow. He wasn’t pessimistic. He wouldn’t write much more as the ink was trying to freeze. The party was getting on very well but he found Finch rather tiresome as he was always talking about science as practiced in his laboratory or about photography.

Letter to Ruth Mallory from ’17 Carlyle Rd, Cambridge’

Brief Summary
George left America after this lecture tour in March 1923. This letter is written in October to Ruth ahead of their move into Herschel House in Cambridge, where Ruth would receive news of George’s death 8 moths later.

Most of this letter concerns plans for moving into Herschel House, including logistics and decorating and furniture choices. The end of the letter is about plans for another expedition to Mount Everest in 1924.

Detailed Summary
They could get into Herschel House on Monday 29th after he had been to a Climbers Club Committee meeting. He had arranged for furniture from the Holt to be cleared on the Saturday morning. Wondered if he should be there for the packing but doubts if it was worthwhile. If he went by car he could take a few plants if there were any she hadn’t already taken.

They would have to wait to make decisions about getting more paper from Jeffries’ for the hall etc.

He had seen Uncle Lawrence and arranged not to have the mantlepiece at present. He had the address of a firm who supplied Dutch blue tiles but he wanted the address of the firm her father had recommended.

He would make out a list of plants he wanted for her guidance and asks if she will inform Westbrook when they would want the stuff from there.

The sale at Herschel House would be on Tuesday 30th in a tent in the garden but there was so little it wouldn’t interfere with their moving in but wondered if they should go to the Elliot’s until it was over. There would be a good new bed in the sale and thought her bargain with Marby [Ruth’s sister Marjorie] wasn’t a good one as it would mean an extra mattress but he would leave it to her.

He would write to Alex Turner to ask their advice about what fixtures they could take from the Holt such as electric light fittings and curtain rods.

They would wait to decide about curtains although he inclined to the new zig zag stuff for the study.

Sealing wax paint couldn’t be used. Could they do a design in a simple colour, white or yellow or umber on the doors and some simple affair on the staircase? He was veering toward brown stain again. As they weren’t going to spend money on the drawing room mantlepiece they could spend more on the staircase.

[Letter continues later] – he had a very tiring drive back last night with a lot of mist. The committee meeting had been long but good. Farrar wouldn’t turn up as he was angry about turning down Finch. Bruce had been in a hotel in Switzerland where Finch had been and was asked whether it was he who was helping Finch to arrange the next expedition [to Mount Everest].

They had to contradict tales about a shortage of funds. Longstaff had heard of it and thought it was very wrong of Farrar as it wasn’t true. Had dinner with Longstaff. Hinks had written to Cranage about his going and he brought up the question with Longstaff although Hinks’ letter hadn’t turned up. He had not turned it down definitely, but he didn’t think they would hear of this going. It would be a big sacrifice for him either way.

It was wretched not being able to talk to her about. She must tell him if she couldn't bear the idea of him going again and that would settle it.

Letter to Ruth Mallory, from Chevremont Darjeeling.

Brief Summary
Journey across India from Bombay to Calcutta and the Darjeeling. Norton in hospital. Plans to travel onward. Finch and Crawford to stay behind and wait for delayed oxygen cylinders. Looking forward to seeing flowers in Sikkim.

Detailed Summary
Journey across India passed well enough. Describes the heat, dust, dry plains, and that about half the trees were green, either a sombre green or the brightest imaginable sort. There was much that was worth seeing but they were glad to get to Calcutta.

Their baggage weighed 2 ¼ tons plus a lot of personnel in the train and they paid over 600 rupees to Calcutta and 150 more for handling at Bombay. They were met in Calcutta by the A + N Stores agent who did everything for them. The stores and railway fares cost about £200 from Bombay to Darjeeling.

Norton was in hospital in Calcutta with bad piles after riding but it was not necessary to operate. Norton planned to go with them to join Strutt but he hoped that Norton would be persuaded to join them later.

They next travelled in a rail motor which was a much cleaner ride than the train. They got to near Darjeeling quicker than expected and met Bruce coming up the road in a car who made great cheer at seeing them. The country looked very different now to how he had left it being much browner due to the weather being particularly dry which he thought was a good thing for them.

Immense quantities of stores were on their way to or already at Phari. It was possible to save a march to Kalimpong, which was the second stage on the journey the year before, as they were going by a special train, a journey of 5 to 6 hrs to Kalimpong which they could do quite easily in a day.

After Kalimpong they planned to split into two parties. He would be in the first party going to Phari. Then an advance party of about 8 of them (himself, G. Bruce, Strutt, Longstaff, Wakefield, and Noel) would go onwards taking a limited amount of stores with them while the rest would follow gradually behind. Finch was staying with Crawford to bring the oxygen when it arrived [the cylinders hadn't yet reached Calcutta].

He was looking forward to seeing the earlier flowers in Sikkim [he was here about a month earlier in the year then he was in 1921] and details magnolias in full bloom. He compares the expedition leaders Howard-Bury (1921) and the current leader General Bruce and says he read the proofs of Howard-Bury’s chapters coming up from Calcutta which were worse than he had expected. Morshead would also be joining the expedition which he was very glad about [Mallory and Morshead were the only two returning from the 1921 Everest Reconnaissance Expedition].

Realises Ruth may be in Wales and sends his best wishes to the party.

Letter to Ruth Mallory, from ‘Shekkar Dzong’.

Brief Summary
Storm had covered them in dust inside and outside their tents. Describes morning routine. Enjoyed much of the country. Somervell, Norton and Longstaff liked Tibet. Outlines plans for camps at Everest. Delayed so attempted to climb most northerly peak in Gyanka Nampa range. Description of attempt. On return to camp they then had 18 mile march. First view of Everest. Detailed description of a monastery they visited en route.

Detailed Summary
A violent wind had blown fine dust into the tent and everyone and everything was covered with it. Dust was by far the worst of their discomforts at present. This was the second whole day of inactivity but tomorrow they would be marching again and would soon be in the mountain valley where dust wouldn’t blow. Still hadn’t received any mail.

Daily routine - started in crisp sunny air about 7.30am or 8am at the latest. Weather was warmer and the sun very hot until evening. Usually started with a walk for a good stretch, and then joined about six others for tiffin (cheese and biscuits and chocolate). There was an enormous mess tent which preceded them and was waiting at the end of their day’s march providing shelter which he thought was a good arrangement. Strutt’s voice could be heard in each new place cursing.

He enjoyed much of the county on seeing it again. There were only signs of green things though it was spring but the hillsides were often highly coloured with red and orange. Somervell, Norton, and Longstaff also liked Tibet’.

Planned to go to the first base camp made by him and Bullock in the previous year in four days and on the fifth day to take the yaks on as far as they could up the right bank of the Rongbuk glacier. Presumed this would be beyond the comfortable pace of their second base camp, which was ¼ hr below the glacier. This plan would mean an uncomfortable camp but it would ease the marches higher up, so that if their base was near the junction of the East Rongbuk stream with the main glacier three early stages should take them to the North Col. He didn’t think everyone would find them easy. They planned that the first operation from base camp would be to fix the exact positions of two camps between the base and the North Col and determine the best line up the East Rongbuk Glacier – Strutt, Longstaff, Morshead, and Norton would make up a reconnaissance party for that purpose.

Delayed at Gyanka Nampa [mountain range] (two marches before Tinkeye [Tinki]) so he and Somervell planned to climb the most northerly peak of the Gyanka range (20,490 ft). Finch and Wakefield joined them. It was a considerable distance from their camp at Gyanka and more than 7,000 ft above so it was necessary to take light tents about 5 hrs walk up towards the mountain. Somervell made quite a good sketch. They marched for nearly two hours in the dark. He, Finch, Wakefield, and Somervell shared a Whymper tent, lying head to tail across it. He was sleeping in the door and a wind blew in and it was bitterly cold. They left soon after 4am next morning but Finch was mountain sick and couldn’t continue. He and Somervell had a good climb but it got too late so they had to turn back only 500 ft from the summit. Got back very tired and headachey at 1pm and were at Gyanka at 4.30pm. Somervell had more trouble with the wind and felt the height more than he did but he liked him as a climbing companion. He was a thoughtful sensible person and quite perfectly modest, although that wasn’t his first impression when he and Herbert met him on the Matterhorn.

On returning to Gyanka they had to face the unpleasant prospect of an 18 mile march including fording a river and crossing a sandy plain where there were quicksands for the unwary and bad walking on the dunes. It was nearly 5pm before they set out and after 5 miles they had to leave one of the ponies. Then realise they couldn’t reach the ford before dark. He knew the path to the ford. Approaching it they saw some lights, presumably from Tibetan fires. Near the ford they were hailed by a Tibetan who crossed the river to meet them and them and carried him across. A few minutes later they came to the lights and found their own people in a comfortable camp with a hot dinner for them.

Next morning they had a clear view of Everest which was ‘...more wonderful even than I remembered and all the party were delighted by it - which of course appealed to my proprietary feelings’.

He had spent most of that morning in the monastery which fascinated him from an architectural point of view. It had deeply shaded little courts at a hundred different levels and mysterious interiors. Describes monastery in more detail. The temple was ‘even more amazing’ with an alter with half a dozen life-size Buddhas and up in the roof another enormous, gilded Buddha.
He thought that the next time he would write they would be established at the Rongbuk base camp. Still had received no mail and he wanted to hear from her very much. ‘I think of you most when I get to bed at night and summon up your image and want you near me’.

[Postscript] - ‘I don’t think this letter is worth circulating’.

Letter to Ruth Mallory, from Base Camp

Brief Summary
First summit attempt without oxygen and waiting to hear about Finch and Young Bruce’s summit attempt with oxygen.

Detailed Summary
Had received mail from her and read news of Pen y Pass. Four of his fingers on the right hand had been touched by frost bite but only the top joint of the third finger gave him any trouble and he didn’t think there was any danger of losing any part of it. Poor Morshead was a very different case and they didn’t yet know what the damage would be. Thought it was stupid or careless of them to be caught out as it was easy enough to keep hands warm with gloves if you weren’t doing too much with them. He took the lead over from Morshead and cut the steps as quickly as possible for fear the porters would be done in by the cold and refuse to continue. Morshead was insufficiently clothed and didn’t know his fingers were caught until the following night. He had wrecked himself cutting the steps and when they were pitching tents hardly had the strength to lift a stone. The night at 25,000 ft was miserable and he didn’t expect to go on.

Somervell was the reserve man all through and was particularly useful in cooking at the high camp. Norton went first on the final day and was very nearly done at the end and was climbing very slowly. They could have gone further but turned back to allow time for the descent. On a fine morning they would have started 2 hrs earlier and reached the N. E. shoulder.

He lead on the descent except where they had to cut steps. He and Norton shared the cutting as he judged he would be quicker than the others. He felt pretty strong on the descent. The slip was nearly a bad business. He hadn’t realised how shaky Morshead was and had cut rather poor steps. Norton and Somervell must have been caught napping. He didn’t have the rope belayed round his waist as he was on the point of cutting a step. Hearing something wrong behind drove in his pick and belayed and was ready in plenty of time when the strain came. Morshead must have made a very fine effort coming down the steps of the snow slope as he appeared to tread quite safely; but the moment they were on easier ground he collapsed. He didn’t like the idea of being out after dark above 23,000 ft. It was a very trying and anxious time.

Next morning there was a lot of hard work cutting steps down from Chang La [North Col] and they weren’t down to Camp 3 until after noon. They walked down to Base the next day and were a very tired party, and all except Somervell, had remained tired. The rest of the party were very pleased with their performance. Thought that the three of them were out of it now. Norton’s ear and his finger were frostbitten and Longstaff wouldn’t hear of them going up again until they were healed. It was annoying as he wanted to make one more try from a camp at 26,000 ft.

They were a perfectly happy party at Camp 3. Apart from the anxiety he had enjoyed it tremendously.

Thinks he won’t have answered all her questions. Says he is still feeling stupid and it was a great effort making a narrative for the press. Wonders what people at home think of them.

[Continues later] - Had just received 3 letters from her and also letters from all his family. Comments on her time in North Wales and hopes she is better for her holiday. Of Pen y Pass he says he knows nowhere that one comes away from feeling so strong. Had a very nice letter from David [Pye] about Pen y Pass. It was almost certain that they would be leaving Everest on her birthday and should be in Darjeeling about 7 July at latest, and hoped to be home by early August. Thought he might take a week to travel through India and then take another week coming round by sea to London. He hoped for one spell of walking with her before October, mentioning the good places they still had to visit together, Teesdale in late spring, a Yorkshire dale, golden in September, and Derbyshire, or the west country again.

[Continues later] - He had been dictating to Morris [General Bruce’s secretary] while he typed up a narrative of their climb. He had worked out she ought to get news of their climb very near the date of her birthday and this letter should reach her on 4 July, and on the same day he should arrive in Darjeeling.

Details future travel plans as he wants to see something more of the world. He may see the Bullocks on his way home as he had heard from him the other day full of questions about the expedition. They had both been ill and asks Ruth to write to Mrs Bullock as she would be glad to hear from her. He had written a note to his mother and had received one from his sister Avie and hoped she was really better.

He had been thinking of a plan for them to meet in the Alps on his way home but felt she wouldn’t come because of the expense, but if she did it would be easy for him to meet her there. He didn’t know whether Geoffrey Young had secured the Tyndall chalet but if so they could go there which would make a great difference. Tells her how to get there and what costs would be involved.

[Continues later] - they were waiting for news of Finch and G. Bruce’s attempt to summit using oxygen. Thinks they would certainly break their record as they have had very good weather but he didn’t expect them to have reached the top at the first attempt. It all depended on whether they succeed in dumping cylinders ahead of them. He didn’t feel jealous of any success they may have. Getting up with oxygen was so different from their attempt that the two hardly enter into competition. He chaffed because his finger kept him in camp and Longstaff had no idea how bad it was. It was extremely sensitive to cold and if he went up again he would get a real bad frostbite so he had to be patient.

Norton was responsible for collecting flowers with Longstaff’s help. As Longstaff had to go back in a hurry Norton had asked him [Mallory] for help and what they found the previous year. He could easily do this without much loss of time but would be a week later reaching Darjeeling. The idea of seeing seeing the early flowers between there and Kharta and near Kharta too attracted him.

Letter to Ruth Mallory, from 'Kalimpong’.

Brief Summary
Split into 2 groups. Plan to beat height record without using oxygen. Training by Finch on use of oxygen. 40 men selected which wasn't enough. Travelled by train up the Teesta Valley. Finch and Crawford left behind to wait for delayed oxygen cylinders. Description of flowers.

Detailed Summary
They had split into two parties with himself in the first group and travelled to Phari following the previous year’s march. General Bruce had wanted to travel all together with 300 animals. Describes Bruce and the management of the advance party moving stores, fixing camps, and he expected to share his opinion about the condition of the snow when the time came. During the expedition they planned that a party of three would try to beat the height record without using oxygen. They had been provisionally selected - Morshead, Norton, and young Bruce.

Finch was insisting on oxygen training and had declared that a man should have a fortnight’s training with the apparatus and that unless he had it he wouldn’t be responsible for anyone’s safety when using it. Thinks two days would be ample training. If this rule held good the three he named were excluded from the possibility of getting to the top with oxygen, because there wouldn’t be a fortnight to spare for training them. He didn’t expect the plan would work out exactly according to intention as he thought General Bruce wouldn’t be rigid on the matter.

There were only 40 porters in the party which was quite inadequate. They were good men selected from 150 Nepalese and among them were 14 who had climbed with him the previous year. He reckoned they would have to make about four journeys to the North Col and two journeys up from there to 25,000 ft which he thought was asking too much. Bruce had been short on time and couldn’t gather more men worth taking or equip them. He planned to save them as much as possible on the journey and possibly gather a few Tibetans.

He was enjoying the venture hugely as it wa the jolliest of parties and everything was well arranged. General Bruce, Wakefield, Strutt, Noel and himself were going down to Siliguri while, ‘young Bruce’ had gone ahead to look after the luggage. He had returned after dinning in the station to find their beds already set up and arranged with mosquito nets which he thought was the proper way to travel, although the net wasn’t very effective and he was bitten and had to use iodine and prophylactic quinine. He hoped to escape fever.

They had travelled up the Teesta Valley to railhead with General Bruce putting his head out of the window most of the time, brimming over with joy and waving his handkerchief at passers-by, and Noel had used his cinema apparatus [film camera]. He describes the heat, and of arranging stores before going up to Teesta Bridge. From there the General walked up about 4,000 ft.

They came round by train to save 300 rupees but the rest preferred to start early that morning motoring out from Darjeeling about 8 miles and then walking. His companions from there would be Bruce, Norton, Longstaff, and Noel. Finch remained behind at Darjeeling with Crawford to bring the oxygen. They would probably be about 10 days behind them which he felt was rather hard luck for them. That night he was sharing a room with Longstaff and he thought they would get on together very nicely.

He would describe his time in Darjeeling, but it would be largely of idleness. He had been walking with Wakefield, Norton, and Somervell but the mountains were not at their best. Describes specific flowers and their glorious colours, but thinks they were not as loveable as English blossoms. Everything seemed to be in waiting for the first rain showers. He did not expect to see as many flowers in Sikkim until they came to the rhododendron zone.

He had ordered Curtis to give her a book which should be useful in identifying wild flowers and thought perhaps she could collect some flowers with Clare.

Letter to Ruth Mallory, written on ‘Mount Everest Expedition’ Letterhead [first page missing, reference to a hand drawn map in the surviving letter which may have been on the first page]

Brief Summary
Outlines plans for reconnaissance with Bullock including setting up an advanced camp. Describes Everest. Had taken photos of Everest with Bullock. Howard-Bury and Herron had arrived at Base Camp. Had been cutting steps. Climbed to what they believed was the 2nd highest peak ever climbed (23,500ft). The tent and bedding were uncomfortable and it was cold. Describes what he wears to keep warm.

Detailed Summary
They planned to explore westwards to the W.N.W. cwm and refers to a hand drawn map [missing]. They planned to make advanced camp with Mummery tents where only two peaks had been mapped or observed before. They had to explore eastward for a view of the great east arete of Everest. He describes the general shape of Everest assessing the possibilities of climbing it - in the south was a fierce rock arete, the snow col, the west cwm, the summit ridge, the east face had steep hanging glaciers and from a distant view looked impossible. Describes the East and North aretes and concludes that the approach to the col from the west looked bad and they would have to explore the other side. The N.W. arete looked very formidable with much steep rock about 23,000 ft. Unless the face on the other side provided easy ways to turn the difficulties they didn't have much hope here. The west face had very steep rocks towards the summit.

Everest was immeasurably bigger and higher than any mountain he had seen in the Alps. From a mountaineer’s point of view no more appalling sight could be imagined. He reports on the reconnaissance so far and of establishing the camp. He followed a clean stream and wanted to go further in their search for water and then saw a little lake’. They crossed a glacier the next day [again referencing a map, perhaps on the missing first page]. He had an interesting expedition with Bullock and the porters. It was remarkable that the descent was always very tiring.

The next day he tried to get high up on a ridge and take photos with Bullock, reaching their maximum heights. He had been cutting steps at 21,000 ft. The following day's plans were interrupted when they received news that Howard-Bury and Heron had arrived at Base Camp. They had enjoyed a pleasant slack day and made plans to select a main camp location. He and Bullock took photographs of Everest and some of its neighbours. He describes the challenges of climbing, and cutting steps in the ice. They reached the top registering 23,500 ft. They thought this was he second highest peak which had been climbed. He refers to the climbing records of [Tom] Longstaff and the Duke of Abruzzi. When they were better acclimatised and could start from a higher camp they would be able to go a great deal higher.

[The letter continues later] - All the driving power came from him. The tent was cramped, the bedding was uncomfortable and the evenings were cold. Describes his clothing in detail. He kept warm enough. He was looking forward to the trek back to Darjeeling and drawing nearer to her. He was not depressed as it was an exhilarating life on the whole and he was wonderfully fit. There would be something to be told even if they didn't climb Everest, which he didn't think they would.