Showing 26 results

Brief Summary
Reconnaissance to find a route to the North Col and therefore a route to the summit of Everest.

Detailed Summary
On the first page Mallory gives a very brief summary of events on each day.

2 August – Elaborate preparations to leave Kharta. Took same mountaineering stores as they had from Tingri but left behind the primus stoves and a bundle of sleeping sacks. Thought they were in easy reach of the base of Kharta and could send for them later. Main problem was rations. Porters had decided they didn’t have enough to eat. Howard-Bury had accused Gyaltzen of making money out of them. Needed to devise a way of providing rations so Gyaltzen was not involved buying them. It was decided he would buy food on credit during the march and the Colonel would pay later.

It was a hazardous adventure but the prospects seemed rosy. The great glacier stream joining the Arun just below them was presumed to come from Everest and the left branch from the North Col. They expected to be on the North Col within a few days. However, the start from Kharta was dilatory. The Sidar was up late and hadn’t organised anything. The loads had been counted wrong, they had no animals and had to leave three loads behind. In Shikar Kharta [Kharta Shekar] they were received by the Dzongpen [governor] and had tea and biscuits. There was an argument with the porters about rations and they had to be urged to continue. They stopped at a house to drink and admire the rugs that were being woven. Then they came to a monastery where one porter refused to continue on. The porter put up the tents at the junction of the valley after only ½ days march.

3 August – As they had stopped after so short a march the day before they had a long march on the second day. They had a rise of 4,000 ft to the pass. They pitched tents on a yak grazing ground above the valley. Flowers very good on both sides the pass and he found the blue primula. No sheep or goats.

4 August – Clouds had not lifted and they had a descent of 800 ft to river bed. There was rich vegetation which he describes. Heavy rain cam e down and they decided to set up camp although it was early. Thought they were going in the wrong direction and wanted clouds to clear to make sure. Discussion with Headman and was assured a route did exist up the valley

5 August – Clouds began to clear so they could see Everest. Reconnaissance out from the camp and up a final low peak showed no easy way existed which could take them round to the end of East ridge.

6 August - Fine morning and pleasant walk up the right bank of the glacier. Fine show of gentians. A steep rise of about 800 ft lead to a very small lake where we camped. Snow fell almost continuously in afternoon and evening. Clouds broke to give a wonderful view at sunset.

7 August – Later start than planned. Cook was ill and everything was covered with snow but they got off at 4.10am. Their objective was the conspicuous sharp show peak, third from the N.E. Arete of Everest. Describes the trek to the col which they reached at 8.45am. Had a hearty meal and took two photos. Not possible to see the head of the glacier north of them. They climbed up and it was clear that the glacier head was a snow col. He insisted that the peak ahead must be climbed in order to try and see the north col. The next section was very steep. The east face in front of them had to be avoided. The south face was separated from them by a broad gully. Snow was very deep and he was constantly thinking of the danger of avalanches. They managed to get onto the steep south slope. The porters (Nimya, [Nyima] Alugga, Pema, and Dasno) learnt much about using the rope. They reached the far edge at 12:15 pm and looked across directly to the east ridge of Everest although still couldn’t see the North col. The party lay down to sleep while he took photos and ate some food before trekking the final slopes. He then went on with Nimya [Nyima] and Dasno. They abandoned their snowshoes at the foot of a very steep snow face. Dasno then abandoned them. As he thought the snow was in too bad a condition. It was a place to fear an avalanche. It was exhausting and he disn’t get a clear view as a reward. Bullock led down, very slow in the steep snow. He had a baddish headache by this time and felt unwell. When they got back at about 4.30pm he felt exhausted and feverish and in spite of warm clothes couldn’t prevent himself shivering.

8 August – Porters were delayed in arriving so they prepared to move without them. He felt weak walking. Met up with porters and heard Howard-Bury had arrived at Base Camp. Reached Base Camp at 11.15am. Howard-Bury was out photographing. He went to bed. Discussed rations again and decided to give the porters a share of the balance and they were happy.

9 August - Felt slack with swollen glands in the neck and a sore throat but was fitter to walk. Collected flowers and seeds on the way down. Howard-Bury decided to go back to Kharta by another pass. Had to stand and wait ½ hour for the clouds to thin so he could take 2 photographs of the summit. He saw a beautifu lblue gentian which he had never seen before in the Alps. He realised he wasn’t carrying his woollen waistcoat. Retraced his steps but couldn’t find it. Offered a reward to any porter who could find it. They looked but couldn’t see it.

10 August – Saw a tiny yellow saxifrage which Wollaston hadn’t got. Continued down hill and was pleased he could leave Bullock behind going downhill as well as up. The meadows in the valley were delicious and very warm.

11 August - Bathed in the stream. Had been promised yakmen were coming but they didn’t arrive. Managed to get hold of two yaks and left packs for porters to bring. He felt unwell and the porters were slack. Gorang lied by saying there was no water higher up. Had to persuade the porters to continue. Found water and a good sheltered spot for the camp.

12 August: A days rest and fuel collecting. He kept to his bed.

13 August - feeling feeble with a sore throat and swollen glands. Morshead arrived with a note from Wollaston and Bury which cheered him a good deal. Bullock sent a note in the evening with depressing news that the valley was ‘no good’. This mean fresh efforts of reconnaissance. Was a comfort to have Morshead.

14 August – they searched for a possible approach and had been mistaken about the topography of the expected valley. Hoped two more days would settle the question.

15 August – He and Morshead followed a shelf but found no exit to their glacier and had to stop, camping at a place with just enough room where the ground was not too sloping to pitch the three tents.

16 August - Best chance of a clear view was to go up. Doesn’t know why he went one except he was so miserable he wanted to reduce the rest of the party to a like state of mind. Bullock lead down the glacier badly doing little to avoid the crevasses which were covered by snow. They discussed plans at some length. A sketch map had arrived from Wheeler the day before showing a glacier [East Rongbuk Glacier] of enormous dimensions running north from Everest and draining into the Rongbuk valley but it’s inaccuracies had made them discount Wheler’s conclusion too much. He showed no East ridge to the North Peak. He thought wheeler had mistaken that ridge for the N.E. Arete of Everest (which he showed S.E.). He had little hope it would be of service to them. It could only be so if it drained on to the Rongbuk valley as Bullock thought probable. Either Wheeler must be right or the North Col was lower than they thought and the cwm high enough to push its glacier near it. They agreed he would descend to the north to see if there was a glacier in that direction.

17 August Gives three causes of the failure of rations supply.

Letter to Captain [J. P.] Farrar [copied by Ruth from George's original letter]

Everest was a colossal rock peak plastered with snow with faces as steep as he had ever seen.

He and Bullock were at 1st Advanced Base Camp and he describes the North ridge, the glacier and the slopes of the first peak beyond the col which were impossibly steep. He describes the west side of the cwm, and the difficulty in reading his and Bullock’s aneroid heights, giving a reading of 18,650 ft. He thinks the face of the mountain may be completely unassailable.

He describes the summit as rock at a moderately easy angle, and further details possible access points from different directions. He had the dimmest hope of reaching the top, but they would proceed as though they meant to get there.

He estimates his own fitness as well as that of Morshead, Bullock and others. They couldn't pretend they can go on as they did in the Alps. He had found the descents difficult and had been forced to adopt a deep breathing system going down as well as up. Any exertion beyond an even, balanced pace demanded more of one’s organs than they were inclined to give. Wondered how well they could acclimate at elevation. Sets out the plans for the following day and describes the sight of the glacier.

[Letter seems to end abruptly. There may have been another page which is not in the Archive]

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, written from Mountain Base Camp on ‘Mount Everest Expedition’ Letterhead

Brief Summary
The weather had kept them at advanced camp and he had spent the time taking and developing photographs. Describes Kharta and the movements of other members of the party. Had fallen out with Howard-Bury especially over stores. Was getting on better with Bullock and liked Morshead. Was hoping the weather would clear as every day reduced the opportunities for attempt on summit. Was missing her and the children. In the postscript he asks her to buy him a suit.

Detailed Summary
He had received no news of her for five weeks and her last letter took six weeks to reach him. He had no news to report as the weather had kept them at advanced camp. He had been passing the time with photography and was pleased with the photos he had taken. To print successfully took a lot of time and care and he had been learning about ‘telephotography’ which was useful as well as interesting but the science of it was very complicated. He describes the correct exposures to apply to snow subjects expressing his frustration that he had to wait for the clouds.

There was soft weather at Kharta but it was not a good place to live. Describes the activities in the sahib’s kitchen and living at very close quarters. The men were dusty and hardly clean, and he and Bullock had shared a small tent where there was no room to make comfortable arrangements. Howard-Bury and Wollaston were going southward, leaving them four with Heron and Morshead. Three days before they left Wheeler replaced Heron. He can’t get over his dislike of Howard-Bury. They had argued about stores. He and Bullock were providing meat and tea for the porters out of their own money as Howard-Bury would allow them nothing outside their base rations.

They were at 17,500 ft which felt very cold after Kharta. He felt more happy than usual that evening as he had been getting on better with Bullock. That day they had been talking together much more friendly and cheerful than usual. He liked Morshead who was a considerate, unselfish, and helpful sort of person, and says Morshead and Wheeler would come together to use the camp for surveying and Wheeler would try and help them in their work at the same time. He thought Wheeler would find it difficult. He didn't look fit and wouldn't be trained to the extent of him and Bullock. Howard-Bury and Wollaston were coming up too and intended to get as high as they could, at least to their North Col camp.

It was getting dark and they were very short of candles. Morshead had an oil hurricane lamp and in the tent they had a miserable little oil dip which filled the air with smoky fumes. Wonders how many more damp sunless days they would have to wait through before the weather cleared. Every day delayed his meeting her again and decreased their chance of climbing the mountain by shortening the days and increasing the cold nights. There was to be an Everest show in the Queens Hall on 20 December - a very small affair with royalty present. He expected Howard-Bury to lecture, and hoped they would ask him to tell the mountain story.

He was missing the children and hadn't realised before how much they were part of his life. Asks her to tell them he was thinking of them and loved them and wonders what he might bring them home from the East mentioning the bazaar in Calcutta. He hoped to spend a couple of nights there on the way back and also to break the journey through to Bombay seeing several of the show places on the way. He had gone off his idea of returning to England with Nimya [Nyima] to be their servant. Asks if any of his friends ever think of him.

[Postscript] - 2 September - asks her to choose him a really tidy town suit from ‘Bran and Pike’ and to have it ready for trying on by the time he is home.

Letter to Ruth Mallory, from 'Kampa Dzong’

Brief Summary
Describes trek so far and outlines plans to get home from India.

Detailed Summary
It gave him a certain pleasure to write this address as it meant he was getting towards home. Their trek had not gone perfectly so far and he compares their progress to his and Bullock’s the previous year. The three of them had 20 animals this time to care for and stores etc. for Somervell and Crawford to stay a fortnight in the Lhonak Valley. They hoped to get over the Naku La, the next pass to the west of the one he and Bullock had crossed the previous year, and so into the valley the day after tomorrow but thought there might be difficulties.

He had decided to catch the Narcunda on 5th August and so would be 4 days later than if he went on the Trieste line to Venice as it would be less expensive. The extra days in India would just allow him to see Delhi without undue hurry. He hoped to meet Hugh Aeber Percy there. Hoped to see her again around 26 August.

He had received two good letters from her and one from Avie [his sister]. His was glad his father had received the honour of being made a Canon as he had been rather missed out before. Comments on Ruth's letter saying she was splendid to take on so much and was very glad she was managing to keep the gardens going too. Her news about flowers coming out interested him greatly. Understood from her remarks that John [their son] was tremendously admired. What thrilled him most was to hear of his great purple-faced rage!

He wouldn't be able to stay with the Bullocks at La Havre on his way home but thought they could do it later as it would make a delightful and cheap holiday to go to Rouen for a few days and stay 2 or 3 nights with them en route.

Tibet was much more attractive now than when they came out. He, Somervell, and Crawford made a happy little party and he had been enjoying the days since they left Teng. Would probably stay again with the Morsheads in Darjeeling. The last news they had of him was rather better and Longstaff thought all his toes and the fingers on his left hand would be saved.

He was sitting in the last sun which was shining brilliantly on the Dzong, a glorious sight from the lovely green meadows where their tents were pitched. The men with whom they were arranging their transport for the next day had just arrived.

[Letter continues later] - Had a terrible argument with the Tibetans as they didn't want to go their way. But he thought they would give in. Their dinner was delayed as their cook was also their interpreter.

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 to Ruth Mallory, written on ‘Mount Everest Expedition’ Letterhead [two pages missing]

Brief Summary
Had been feeling weak with a sore throat and Bullock had continued to search for the valley without him. Morshead had joined him in camp after Bullock had left. Bullock sent message that he was on wrong track. Next day feeling better so he and Morshead set out to join up with Bullock. Continued their search for a route taking photographs on the way. Had to send back to base camp for more rations but there was a shortage.

Detailed Summary

[Letter starts on page ‘3’] - Three days march to a new mountain base camp. [Aug 11 written in the margin]. Hoped he was feeling fitter as he had been feeling abdominally weak and had a sore throat.

13 August [written in the margin] - Bullock had gone on alone to find the valley. It was a depressing moment after all his work to reconnoitre Everest as it seemed like he would miss the climax. He was sorry he had to hand over the responsibility of deciding the line of assault. On the same morning that Bullock left, the surprise arrival of Morshead brought companionship. That evening he had received a chit from Bullock saying that the valley he was following ended too soon in a high pass. He was on the wrong track.

14 August - He was feeling stronger and went with Morshead to follow Bullock up the valley. They were lucky with the weather and were able to see both Everest and the North Peak. The topography was difficult to make out but there was a continuous way from the valley to the high snow col which they had seen the other day from their peak (21,500 ft) and it was possible to advance. He thought this was the right way to Everest.

15 August - They trekked through the valley with their lighter tents and met Bullock’s party at the valley junction. Due to bad weather they could see nothing of what lay in front of them and came to a stop short of the point he had wanted to reach. Snow was falling and there was cloud cover.

16 August [written in the margin] - They had proceeded up a stony hillside to the ridge above them for a better view. They followed the ridge to a summit of 20,500 ft or 1,700 ft above their camp. There was a splendid view point from where they could see where they should go. They had paused for nearly an hour taking photos in all directions. He describes their decent nearly a thousand feet and of crossing a crevasse. They had been in clouds for two hours and could see nothing. He was feeling far from well with a headache and he was inclined to go no further which was shared by the rest of the party. He went down the glacier and completed a valuable piece of reconnaissance by finding the shortest way back to camp. They had a late night. Rations had to be summoned from base camp. Two sahibs and three porters with two days supplies were sent to reach their snow col and look over into the cwm of the N.W. of Everest to see the glacier running down northward and follow it wherever it might go and thus solve the mystery of its exit.

17 August - The porters returned from the base camp and told them there were no rations there. He suspected some trickery on Gyalzen’s part. They established a higher camp on a shelf under an ice cliff (19,900 ft). Snow continued into the evening. The porters returned from base camp before dark with barely a day’s supplies and so they had to abandon their plans of going down the unknown glacier. Morshead’s men were able to spare enough food for one porter, so they took young Nimya [Nyima] Sherpa and sent the others back down.

18 August - Made preparations for an early start but were held up by Morehead’s cook. They wore their snowshoes to cross a glacier by the last of the moonlight and despite the lingering mist they could see the peaks and steer on a solid mountain side. After dawn it was difficult to see and impossible to make out the snow surfaces and the ascents and descents were equally unexpected. Crevasses forced them to the right until they were confronted by the icefall and had to climb rocks covered with 2 or 3 inches of snow and cold to the fingers but not difficult to climb. While they breakfasted the mist thickened and they went on about 9.20 am with Bullock leading. The heat returned like a furnace. He had been able to maintain an even rhythm even on the steeper parts by exhaling and inhaling once for each step but now he had to proceed rather differently. Describes how he paced himself with his breathing on the steeper slopes and the difficulty of walking in snowshoes, once causing him to ‘capsize completely’. They reached the col and he describes what he could see through the mist.

[Letter ends, no sign off].

Letter to Ruth Mallory, from ‘Kampa Dzong’

Brief Summary
Had planned shortcut but went further south by mistake. Very cold and tired. Warm start next day but then a bitter wind. All felt affects of marching at altitude. Next camp was 3-4 miles from Ta Tsang, warmer night. Warmer next day, bathed in a stream. Country was beautiful. Been reading Balzac’s Le Cure de Tours. Hair cut very short. Describes what he was wearing.

Detailed Summary
Too much repetition of experiences. Real difference was that it was earlier in the season than the previous year. Planned to take a short cut involving four marches instead of six with 100 animals, while 20 yaks and donkeys took the longer journey but this depended on the grazing available. Morshead had gone to fix the gaming ground. About 5 miles from Phari they diverged from last year’s course and mistakenly went further south. It was bitterly cold but they following the transport to some place the mule-men knew of. Halted in the afternoon with many of the men demoralised. Just about got the tents up to provide some shelter for those who had been knocked out by cold and fatigue. Some sort of a meal was produced before they turned in. He went to look at the animals standing in untidy rows with the snow lying on their backs. The mule-men were squatting round in a circle behind some sort of shelter cheerful and contented. A little later he heard the jangling of animals bells and saw through the tent door some bullocks which had started late, following a figure in his Tibetan garment hitched up round the waist and red Tibetan boots.

They had a cheerful start. He preferred riding mules over ponies. He was the only one to have secured a mule at Phari and they had mostly been ridden by the men servants and Gurkha orderlies. He had brought a saddle and bridle and his beast was shared among four of them, though it was too cold to ride unless he was nearly exhausted. On the second march, they halted at a pass for a mild tiffin. The sun was warm and they were out of the wind. Coming onto another desolate plane the wind caught them. It was a more trying march than any of last year’s although they did very well under the circumstances. Norton organised a hot meal and he had shared an 80 lb tent with Strutt and Morshead. The march had been too long for this stage in proceedings. May not feel the altitude when they were doing nothing but they had all felt it on the march of 22 miles between 16,000 and 17,000 ft. The effect on him was stupidity and his head was invaded by a slight headache and a dull torpor.

The camp was in an attractive spot 3 or 4 miles from Ta Tsang [town] where they had camped the previous year. They had to rest so had a whole day of idleness. The night was warmer. The temperature had been down to zero the night before.

The next 20 miles did not seem too long and Kampa Dzong seemed to have a milder climate but the west wind had been strong and quite cold. The yaks were expected to arrive and then they would be off again following the old stages.

His letter was not a very cheerful account. They had a warm day and he enjoyed bathing before breakfast in the little stream. The country was often beautiful, more beautiful than last year. Believed there was more moisture in the atmosphere and more colour in the landscape. The view from the dzong [fort] above the camp of the two arms of the plain stretched away to the snow mountains [the Gyanka Range - Everest beyond was not visible]. Made him feel that Tibet after all was somehow friendly.

Had been reading Balzac’s Le Cure de Tours. Morshead’s servant, who accompanied him again this year cut his hair with clippers so he had very little left.

Had been writing the letter in the mess tent for the sake of a high chair and a table for his ink pot. Describes the clothes he was wearing - silk and wool underclothes, a flannel shirt, a sleeved waistcoat, my lambskin coat, a Burberry coat overall – below plus fours and two pairs of stockings under sheepskin boots. He was just sufficiently warm except in the fingertips which touch the paper.

Postscript: He was still very fit in spite of fresh cold at Phari.

Letter to Ruth Mallory, written on ‘Mount Everest Expedition’ Letterhead

Brief Summary
Asks if she wants a holiday with him on his way home. Makes suggestions as to where they could meet, when, and how they would pay for it. Outlines an idea to return with Nyima (one of the porters) who would live with them as a servant. He had fallen ill with sore glands and throat and Bullock had to continue the reconnaisance without him but was unsuccesful. Morshead joined him in camp and as he felt better they joined Bullock.

Detailed Summary
Says he has two projects to discuss. First is whether she would like a holiday with him on his way home. Suggests meeting in Rome or Marseilles, and perhaps touring Provence and walking with rucksacks to Bordeaux. Or they could go to Tours, Chartres or Paris. Then suggests the two could meet in Gibraltar and tour Spain together and take a ship back from Lisbon. Then mentions the Riviera and staying with the Busey’s or would she enjoy Italy more. Asks her to make the plans and says his dates are quite uncertain.

He hopes to get to Darjeeling by 1 October but says there may be delays. He wants to spend two-three weeks in India. She should come supplied with information as he would know nothing about the trains in Europe. If they go to Spain or Italy she must be responsible for the language. Makes suggestions as to who she should contact to make arrangements. Wants to spend some of their £500 War Savings Certificate on giving her a really lovely holiday. Discusses the logistics of train tickets and advises her to consider the relative prices in different countries. She must telegraph him via Bullock in Darjeeling to let him know in what town he should meet her. Gives more detailed instructions and discusses the clothing he may need. He will wire her the date of his departure from India and the name of the ship so she can find out the date of his arrival.

The second project is his idea to bring back one of the expedition porters as a servant. He describes the hypothetical scenario at length detailing the duties in the house he would undertake and asking how he would fit in with the other servants. He suggests Nimya [Nyima] a boy of about 18 who had a perfect temperament and was one of the most helpful people he had ever seen. Details potential wages, dietary requirements, transportation costs. He would have to come for at least two years and then probably return to India. Wonders if he would be happy and whether the other servants would like him. Describes his appearance.

[Letter continues later] - Says he has become ill at a critical moment after a two day trek with sore glands and throat and it wasn’t worth the risk of going up the valley as he must save himself for the big attack. Bullock had gone on alone and sent a chit reporting that the valley didn’t lead to the north col, but ended in a col between two peaks 23,800 and 23,400 N.N.E. of Everest. He was cheered by the arrival of Morshead.

14 August - Feeling better so he went with Morshead up the same valley as Bullock which was very interesting. He planned to camp and reconnoitre. He and Morshead were out for 8 hrs and he had gone to bed as soon as they came back and was no worse. He was tremendously excited as the day after tomorrow they may have their line of attack fixed and if they did it would be a very good one because they would be able to get a very long way without camping on ice.

Letter to Ruth Mallory, written on ‘Mount Everest Expedition’ Letterhead

Brief Summary
Responds to news in her letters. They had been in the same camp for two weeks. He had spent some of the time at the advanced camp climbing with Bullock. Snow had put an end to their climbs and Howard-Bury had ordered them to leave camp and return to the lower one. Bullock carried a pink umbrella on the marches. Didn't think much of Howard-Bury's official accounts of their climbs. Describes other members of the party and their physical fitmess. Was still hoping to attempt to summit but it would depend on the weather.

Detailed Summary
They had received two mail deliveries and everyone in camp spent a long time silently reading their letters. He responds to news in her letter mentioning Bob Morgan, photos of the children, the Keynes, O’Malley, the Fletchers, the Brocks, the Trews [?], and thanks her for being very diligent about circulating his news. He feared his letters had been very dull but had been writing partly for himself as a record which he otherwise wouldn't have made.

He had received a letter from Avie and David who had both enjoyed their visits to Ruth and he had enjoyed hearing about her from them. He had also heard from his mother and father who were very happy after visiting her. His father seemed to be greatly impressed by John [their son]. Mentions Miss Walround, Edith Stopford, the Reads, and that it was nice to hear that Geoffrey Young was anxious to hear his news. Was delighted by photos of the children. Asks in detail about the state of the garden, her upcoming plans, and whether she is going to Westbrook [Ruth's father’s house].

They were still in the same place as over a fortnight ago. Describes working on the upper camp (1st Advanced at 20,000 ft) with supplies, attempting to stay up there, trekking with Bullock and of pitching a tent in the usual snowstorm. Describes the fine granular snow of high altitudes. After a good night’s sleep he had woken to see the roof of his tent hanging inwards and a white world outside and conditions for climbing were entirely hopeless.

He had a Kodak camera to take snapshots of the porters and their snow-bound camp and a quarter-plate to take photos of the mountains. Spent the morning sitting on a rock taking six photographs before a porter arrived bearing a chit from Howard-Bury who had nothing more to say than to urge the obvious. After a debate with Bullock they had packed up the tents, covered the stores and prepared to go down to Howard-Bury’s camp. Bullock had a pink umbrella which he invariably carried on the march.

He had told her little of the movements of the others as he trusted she would have been informed by Howard-Bury’s articles. These were not very informative and he wasn't impressed by them.

They were all together for the first time since Kampa Dzong. Raeburn on his arrival was almost a broken and heart-breaking figure, and when Howard-Bury and Wollaston arrived on 6 September they sketched over some difficulties about stores and had settled down quite amicably. Wollaston was a rather solitary bird who was always jolly and friendly to talk with, but he had the impression that he was more tired of the expedition than the rest of them.

He was happy but thought the month was too late already for their great venture and they would have to face great cold. Feared his hopes and plans for seeing something of India on the way back wouldn't be possible.

The interest remained for him and he felt that when they returned to Darjeeling he wouldn’t leave without regret. He’d like to undertake a few other ascents, less ambitious but perhaps more delightful. He was looking forward to seeing her again.

Wheeler had been taking photographs and Morshead had been keeping him company. There was a shortage of tents due to Raeburn’s unexpected arrival, so Morshead had slept in the tent with Bullock and himself [Mallory]. It was a disorderly but happy arrangement. Wheeler came in to eat with them while the rest had their meals round a table in a pukka mess tent. There was plenty of talk and good cheer but he still thought Wheeler was not a fit man. He Morshead and Bullock made a good trio. Heron had arrived yesterday as cheerful and good natured as ever and he promised him a bit of rock from the summit of Everest.

17 September [letter continues] - the weather had changed and they had woken to find the sky clear and remaining clear. The day before he had enjoyed a good walk with Morshead and Bullock and were rewarded with a beautiful view of Everest. That day he, Morshead and Howard-Bury had ascended a snow peak on the boundary ridge and seen a glorious view. He could see Kangchenjunga [third highest mountain in the world] and all the higher mountains to the East. Makalu straight opposite across the valley was gigantic and Everest at the head of the valley was very fine too. The snow was not melting as it should; above 20,000 ft or so it was powdery under a thin crust and it was impossible to get along without snowshoes, and fears they’ll have to pack up at once if the snow didn't melt properly on the glacier. Morshead was going badly and he [Mallory] was feeling the height a good deal. Altogether his hopes were about zero.

He had been thinking about the children and asked her to kiss them and show them the lozenges below [see drawings at the bottom of the letter] which were meant for special birthday kisses. Tomorrow they were going up again so he was busy.

Letter to Ruth Mallory written on ‘Mount Everest Expedition’ letterhead

Brief Summary
Describes their continued trek, the food, the views of Everest, and taking photos.

Detailed Summary
15 June - Left early from Trenkye [Tinki]. Had climbed and taken photos, was disappointed by mist blocking the views of the mountains, and joined with Morshead and his surveyors. Morshead was outwalking him as neither Guy [Bullock] or him were feeling well. Next day they followed the river, were entertained by the brother of the Phari Dzongpen [governor], complained of the curious food. On following day's march he rode ahead with Bullock, following the river whose course was unmapped.

20 June - They forded a river, entering the southward valley Arun proper, between the Sikkim peaks and Makalu. They were penetrating a secret as no European had been there before. They continued their march and he looked westward from Kampa Dzong seeing that Makalu and Everest had peeped over the top in the distance. Complains of the cloud coverage. They were in suspense waiting for a good view of Everest when ‘suddenly our eyes caught a glint of snow through the clouds and gradually, very gradually…visions of the great mountain sides and glaciers and ridges…appeared through the floating rifts and had meaning for us…for we had seen the whole mountain-range… until incredibly higher in the sky than imagination had ventured to dream, the top of Everest itself appeared. We knew it to be Everest’. Describes the shape of Everest and the connecting cols dividing the great mountain from its neighbours. They were reunited with the porters and the greater party who were shivering in their tents, while sunset brought views of Everest to the south.

22 June - It was a great joy to see Everest and he had taken photos. Everest had become more than a fantastic vision, it haunted his mind.

Discusses photography and problems with a telephotographic lens. He had taken a photo of camp. Describes fording the Arun River with Bullock, a sudden immersion, the fear of quicksand, and manoeuvring their beasts up a sand cliff, which was far from easy. He describes the view, mentioning Makalu, the Arun gorge, Tinki Dzong, the North of Everest, the steep ascent during the sunset, and seeing some animal tracks. He and Bullock had struggled with their ponies.

[Letter continues in the evening] - gives facts about his reconnaissance trip with Bullock, and how when fording the river his pony was nearly drowned, he lost his mackintosh cape and waterlogged his glasses. He had a glorious view of Everest and was very pleased with his physical condition. He had a plan to explore the N.W. faces of the mountain with Bullock and 10 porters. He was worried about the monsoon. They had stayed in an old Chinese fort. Wollaston re-joined the group, but they were still waiting for the mail and he hoped to get another letter from her. The photographs were developed and he was greatly delighted that 5 rolls of his taken with a small kodak were very successful. Wet days were expected and he intended to fix a base camp and a further high camp at about 20,000 ft.

Letter to Ruth Mallory, written from Government House, Darjeeling

Brief Summary
Had attended a dinner party given in honour of the Expedition Party. Describes his first impressions of members of the expedition party. Describes Darjeeling, the journey on the mountain railway and the disappointing views of the mountains due to the weather.

Detailed Summary
Had received news of her up to 27 April [almost three weeks prior] and was glad she had received his letters from Port Said. He knows there is a coal strike in England. Her letters gave him joy and it was very nice to feel that the children thought of him. He was sending Clare beads sent on to him from Calcutta. He was having a restful time staying in the Guest House, but they had not escaped the pomp and circumstance. He attended a dinner party given for the Expedition by the Ambassador.

They would be two days late when they started the next day. He describes Wollaston, Howard-Bury, Wheeler, Morshead [a very nice man], Heron and Kellas [who he loved already]. He had drawn the outline of Kellas’ head. Howard-Bury seemed to be quite good at the organisation and got on with Raeburn who was very dictatorial.

Darjeeling was a wonderfully beautiful place. The journey on the mountain railway was lovely with very steep foothills, densely wooded except where cultivated. The train wound among the ridges and hillsides and continually gave them great views over the plains opening through the forest. What most delighted him was the forest itself.

The views of the mountains had been disappointing. The mules which they were to follow later were loaded up and there were torrents of rain overnight. He expected to start forth rather a grotesque figure. He lists his equipment together with a silk cover, rucksack, and sun umbrella. There would be fairly frequent news updates and tells her to take the Geographical Journal.

Was concerned for her in relation to the coal strike. Sends his love to the Clutton-Brocks. Left it to her to decide about sending round anything he wrote.

Letter to Ruth Mallory from Camp 3.

Full Transcript

I write to you on the eve of our departure for the highest we can reach - just because I shall feel happier in case of difficulties to think that I have sent you a message of love. The difficulties will be such as we know in all human probability; our endurance and will to go on taking precautions are less known factors - but with such good people as these are I feel sure that we shall all be anxious to help each other and that after all, provided competent mountaineers is the great safeguard.

I have very good hopes with the coolies fit and cheerful that we shall establish a camp well above Chang La [North Col] the day after to-morrow- you realise I except that Norton and Morshead who came up the day I wrote to you last have joined S. [Somervell] and me, the four of us will be sleeping at the North Col to-morrow night and we hope about 25,000 the following night – and then!

I can’t say that I feel stronger for the days here (since the 12th) or weaker either for that matter. S [Somervell] says he went better up to Chang La [North Col] yesterday than on the 13th. Well it’s all on the knees of the gods and they are bare cold knees. We shan’t get to the top; if we reach the shoulder at 27400 it will be better than anyone here expects.

Dearest one, you must know that the spur to do my best is you and you again - in moments of depression or lack of confidence or overwhelming fatigue I want more than anything to prove worthy of you. All my love to you. Many kisses to Clare and Beridge, and John. Ever Your loving, George.

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 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, written on ‘Mount Everest Expedition’ Letterhead

Brief Summary
Pleased with his photographs and hopes to make some money giving lectures on his return home. He had been unwell and stayed in camp when Bullock had gone on alone but was unable to find a way through the valley. Morshead had arrived and the next day he el better so they joined up with Bullock. Describes their clims, camps and troubles with rations. They were successful in finding the route to the North Col and therefore the route to the summit.

Detailed Summary
He was pleased with his photography efforts and printing which would make excellent slides for lectures. Asks her to keep the prints very carefully. He had written to Hinks suggesting he should give some lectures during the winter. He would let the Committee consider the financial arrangements. Asks her if she would like an American tour. They had received no English mail since 21 July [one month prior] and wonders if floods in Tibet had caused the delay. Says he was no longer in poor health and suspects he had tonsilitis.

Bullock had gone off alone reconnoitring and Morshead had arrived the same morning. He had received a chit from Bullock explaining that the valley would not lead to Everest. He spent the day in bed feeling weak, but the next morning was feeling much stronger. Describes his walk up the first valley to the left with Morshead. He didn’t expect to find a valley leading directly to the north col at the foot of the ridge they wanted to climb. He judged they might find a good way to Everest in that direction.

15 August - Continued trekking with Bullock, met the porters, brought down the tents, and took them a long way up the valley which he and Morshead had reconnoitred. There were complications in the march which caused delays and they ending up short of where he wanted to be with no view of their way. They had an uncomfortable camp perched on a stony hillside with snow falling persistently all evening.

16 August - They followed the ridge above them to the top of a small peak (20,500 ft) which was a 1,700 ft rise in an hour an a quarter. They had a good view point and had a clear hour for photography. They had vague hopes of reaching their objective which was a distant snow col in direct line with the north peak, but then had to descend nearly 1,000 ft and it was bad going over a big glacier. There was thick mist all round them and he felt very, tired with a nasty headache. As it was clearly hopeless they turned back. They reached camp late and it was snowing persistently but they knew where they wanted to go and how to get there.

17 August - A very hesitating move with much discussion of what they might and might not do. The rationing arrangement had broken down badly and they were short of food. He blamed it on the incompetence of the sirdar [sardar] at their base camp. They decided to go on next day with only one porter and sent the rest down to the camp below. They hoped to reach their snow col while the snow was still hard but it was a dim hope because they knew fresh snow had fallen and it was always difficult to estimate how much. They needed their snowshoes despite them being heavy on a long march and having to lift a considerable amount of snow on the snowshoe and it being worse for the leader than anyone following.

They reached the col where there were snow covered rocks above the icefall. It was not an agreeable way of passing time. For most of the time they were enveloped in a thin mist which obscured the view and made, one world of snow and sky.

Morshead, who knew the hottest heat of the plains in India, had said that he had never felt any heat so intolerable as this. They continued plodding on and needed a tremendous and continually conscious effort of the lungs. Up the steep final slopes he found it necessary to stop and breath as hard as he could for a short space in order to gain sufficient energy to push up a few more steps. Bullock and the porter had struggled on behind him and Morshead fell out near the top but re-joined them on the col. The clouds hid the peaks when they got there but the expedition had been a success. As they suspected there was a glacier running north from a cwm under the north east face of Everest. He wished it had been possible to follow it down and find out the secret of its exit. He describes the head of the glacier and that across it lay their way, across easy snow up the other side of the cwm where the approach to the north col, the long wished for goal, could not be difficult nor even long.

As they came down his thoughts were full of this prospect and this success. He didn't know when he had allowed himself so much enjoyment from a personal achievement. This success brought their reconnaissance to an end as they had found the way and they were now planning the attack.

These thoughts were needed during the hours that followed to stimulate the mind as it was the most dismal of processions. Morshead had been cooked going up to the col and later was in a state of collapse. The porters had all left their high camp, leaving three tents standing but they were cold and without provisions so they continued to the base. When daylight failed they missed their way and were compelled to make an arduous ascent up a steep rough hillside. A faint misty moonlight made it possible to step from boulder to boulder but Morshead was compelled to rest at frequent intervals. They continued until 2 am. He came in as fit and strong as ever after a long day in the hills and ate a hearty meal in my dry warm sleeping slack before lying down for untroubled sleep.

He organisation the camps and fuel supply before they went down to the expedition base at Kharta and waited on the weather while organising their push to the summit. He had been told that the monsoon should break at the end of the month and a fine spell should set in with September. [Bad weather ultimately delayed any progress for almost a month].

He was happy and full of the object in front of him although there were many times when his mind was full of her and home.

The expedition was short of candles and a little oil lamp constructed out of a vaseline pot was his light.

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 ‘Chevremont, Darjeeling [Letterhead]’

Brief Summary
Somervell and Crawford were to stay in the Lhonak Valley for 2 weeks. Describes his onward journey without them. Morshead was mainly recovered and his fingers and toes were recovering.

Detailed Sumary
Is concerned about the mail and missing letters from her. What was more serious was letters sent off by him from Kampa Dzong - evidently hadn't got through. Correspondence seemed a hopeless business. He would be later than previously discussed and so should meet in London. It would be best to meet at the docks but doesn't want her to wait for hours.

Describes his journey since he had left Somervell and Crawford in the Lhonak Valley in the north of Sikkim. As she hadn't received some of his letters she might not know the three of them came through the short way from Kharta together leaving the others to come round by Shekar Dzong and Phari, etc. Their way was the same as his and Bullocks the previous year. Could she follow the route on her map? It was difficult to get the Tibetans to go that way and they had to go to Kampa Dzong for transport and waste a day there.

A land slip had rendered the pass down to Laachen unusable and it had fallen out of use until the jungle had covered it over. He believed a bridge had broken too. The others were to spend a fortnight or so in the upper part of the valley, so he made the march eastward to Tango. He started with two yaks and ended about midnight with one. He stayed 3 nights at Tango collecting his baggage from the Lhonuk La and then came through without delay, though in the last stages he had to leave his kit and it arrived a day after him. Sikkim was much less wet than expected. His memories of Sikkim were chiefly of rushing swollen streams and leaches.

Morshead was well and cheery and his left hand had practically recovered. Three fingers at the right were still bound up. One big toe still gave him trouble but was healing up well.

He wouldn't write more now as he had several jobs to do. Hopes they wouldn't be quite ruined by the time he reached home as attractions in the shops were irresistible. Apart from a large bag he had hardly touched the £200 to his credit with the bank there.

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 from ‘Kampa Dzong’ on ‘Mount Everest Expedition’ Letterhead

Brief Summary
Describes events of 1- 5 June and the difficulties faced on their journey, culminating with the death of Dr Kellas.

Detailed Summary
Dr Kellas had died that afternoon after his condition had worsened. Describes events leading up to his death including being carried from Phari, telling of his, Bullock, Heron and Wollaston’s efforts to aid and comfort Dr Kellas and plans for burial the next morning.

Describes his own fitness and that they had reached 17,500 ft in elevation, describing the views and the wind. Shares a tent with Bullock and was sleeping well.

[Letter continues later] - provides a recap of the last few days, 1-5 June. They are in the tableland of Tibet and the first stage of their journey was done. Sikkim was a formidable country to travel in. The government mules performed poorley so they had hired Tibetan mules. He describes crossing the Jelep La where he was mountain sick despite all his Alpine experience, the Chumbi Valley, the change of scenery from a tropical to a drier climate, the flowers which covered the hillsides, and seeing Tibetans and houses, as well as stopping at the English trading station at the village of Yatung. Describes the plains and mountain valleys, and of being surprised by the sight of a steep snow mountain traversing up alone at an incredible distance away. Phari proved they had come to a new world. Describes the town, its shops and animal inhabitants, its living arrangements at close quarters and how he slept in a bungalow outside the town.

When leaving Phari the real difficulties of transport began as they turned westward to Kampa Dzong and had to haggle with local herdsman for donkeys. The next stage of travel was dreary, yet he felt fortunate there was a snow mountain to be looked at. Mentions his thoughts on the appearance of Chomolhari (about 24,000 ft). The country was beautiful, but their great enemy was the wind.

No one would give much for their chances of getting up Mount Everest. He evaluates the physical conditions of those in the party, including Dr Kellas [written before his death], Wheeler, Raeburn, Heron, Howard-Bury, Bullock, Wollaston, reporting they had all been better since they had opened their stores at Phari. They planned to meet Moreshead at Kompa Dzong on about 5 June.

Letter to Ruth Mallory, from Phari.

Brief Summary
Details journey. Had a cold. Was in charge of climbing equipment. Had helped Noel develop photos and cinema films. Was awaiting new boots. Low opinion of Howard-Bury's book about the 1921 Reconnaissance expedition. Opinion of Wakefield and Strutt. Glad to have received money from RGS.

Detailed Summary
He had received two of her letters and was now in bed, alone in a 40 lb tent after having stayed in a bungalow, which was made to hold four and there were eleven of them. There was an inch of snow on the ground outside but he was warm in his sleeping bag and well wrapped in his lamb’s wool jacket.

Tibet was less disagreeable than he expected. When they entered the plains there was no fierce wind and the sun was warm, and the night air was no colder than it was nearly two months later the previous year. He was surprised to experience a friendly feeling towards this bleak country on seeing it again. He still had the cold with which he had left Darjeeling. He felt the height a bit at Gnatong after the 10,000 ft rise and none of them were at their best there, but coming up again after the two days at Yatung (9,500 ft) was exhilarating.

They had a busy day sorting stores and it was his job to look after all the climbing equipment. They had about 900 packages so it was not easy to lay hands on any particular one. He was able to help Noel with developing photos, some of which were very good and had also helped with the cinema films. He describes Noel’s camera equipment and developing process in detail.

[7 April] - English mail had arrived and he had received a copy of the Manchester Guardian Weekly, but had not got the shoes that were promised. He was wearing out his climbing boots so had written to Farrar to hurry them up. The second lot of proofs of the Everest book had arrived containing the end of Howard-Bury’s story which was worse if possible than the second part. There were quite a number of remarks pointing to their weaknesses and he provides specific examples of what Howard-Bury wrote involving Wheeler, himself and Morshead, and Bullock, without mentioning the ultimate success of their expedition. On the larger issues of the reconnaissance he had not been unfair to him but he didn’t like sharing a book with that sort of man. Asks her to subscribe to a Press Cutting Agency as he would like to see the reviews.

He was going to postpone giving a complete account of the various members of the party as he hoped that may come out in degrees. They all got along very nicely with the possible exception of Wakefield. Despite having some criticisms Wakefield was a really good man. Strutt was much too easily put off by petty discomforts and he doubted if he would turn out to be a helpful person, although he did get on with him very well. Norton was one of the best. Morshead was naturally more his friend than anyone.

It was extraordinarily difficult to settle down and write at length with so much bustle going on and continual interruptions and he had wasted some part of the morning taking photos. He liked her letter very much and provides responses to the topics in her letter, mentioning Stuart Wilson, concerns for Clare, and is sorry that Clara isn’t back with her yet to cook.

[8th April] - glad the Royal Geographic Society had paid a debt. Had heard that the lectures brought in £1800 which was more than expected and he hoped there would be some more for him as £400 was too small a share.

Refers to her account that Avie [his sister] was unwell and that she had taken in Molly, Mrs Smart and Drew. Sends his love to her family, the Clutton-Brocks, and the Fletchers.

Letter to Ruth Mallory, written from ‘Kampa Dzong’ on ‘Mount Everest Expedition’ Letterhead

Brief Description
Dr Kellas had been buried. Raeburn was declared unfit and had returned to Sikkim and so there was no-one left with experience of climbing in the Himalayas. Describes Bullock, Wheeler and Herron and outlines their plans. Talks about the food they eat. Describes his first view of Everest from 100 miles away.

Detailed Summary
Dr Kellas had been buried in sight of the three great peaks he had climbed Pahonri [Pauhunri], Kinchenjan [Kinchenjhau] and Chomiomo [Chomo Yummo]. Raeburn had been pronounced unfit to proceed and Wollaston had taken him to a place in Sikkim to recover. Wollaston had then returned to reach Tinki Dzong. This was a disaster as they were are now left without anyone who had experience in the Himalayas. Morshead had limited experience and Mallory had criticisms of Raeburn. They planned to see the N.E. side of Everest and hoped to see the N.W. side to solve a big problem of topography. He was still hopeful of attacking Everest that year with Bullock and Morshead, but that goal seemed a very long way off. Evaluates Bullock, Wheeler, and Herron. Kampa Dzong had been pleasant change. They had supplemented their food with sheep, gazelle, gammon, goose, fish, and half-cooked vegetables. Hoped to find eggs at their high elevation of about 15,000 ft.

He was feeling extraordinarily fit and was much moved by the prospect of a nearer approach to Everest. He describes his first view of the mountain from 100 miles away, ‘It is colossal even at this distance - a great blunty pointed snow peak…with a much steeper north face than people have made out’. He thinks that the N.W. side of the mountain, facing the Arun river, up which the monsoon cloud came had the bigger snowfall. He describes the landscape of the Arun valley and that he was sorry they wouldn’t see the east side of the mountain.

[Letter continues later] - It had been a jolly day. He now had a better mule after giving his up to Raeburn. He and Bullock were surveying the country.

Letter to Ruth Mallory, written on ‘Mount Everest Expedition’ Letterhead

Brief Summary
Describes his and Bullock's reconnaisance. Initial misunderstanding about he two Chomolingas. Describes troubles with rations, taking photographs and the landscape and flowers.

Detailed Summary
There would be reports in The Times about the expedition which had been extraordinarily exciting and interesting in the last week. Their idea was to follow a great valley north of Everest where they saw the pass of their desire between Everest and the first peak to the North, but after three days travelling in the clouds they found they were cut off from the north col by an impassable barrier. They were disappointed. They were retracing their steps and this misadventure was part of the reconnaissance.

Describes their first day’s march, getting rations at a village, and being told by locals that the way to Chomolungma [Tibetan name for Everest] was to the left but they soon made disconcerting observations that they were not going the correct way. On the second days march they went up 4,000 ft seeing lovely flowers, two pretty lakes and grazing ground for yaks.

Then headed south west but from Kharta their direction should have been due west. Their local guide told them there were two Chomolungas, they guessed the other was Makalu. Explained they wanted to go to the one which was to the right. On the following morning's march there was a steep valley bed, a stream, a rickety bridge, lovely meadows, the end of a glacier, and a steep hillside running up to a tremendous cliff. They were following a valley from Makalu to Everest.

Reports on rain, Tibetan tents, and feeling baffled as they wanted to be to the north of the east or north east ridge. There was another valley running east and west ending in the col between Everest and the North Peak.

They saw the great east face of Everest and assessed that all the lower slopes were impossible from a climber’s point of view. Describes the east ridge and landscape. The following day they pushed on toward an advance camp to about 18,000 ft in poor weather.

Woke on 7 August to a cloudless starry sky. Describes the colours of the mountains. The whole range of peaks far exceeded any mountain scenery that he ever saw before.

He waited to take photos at sunrise and if they didn't come out well he would cry. Their objective was to get up a pass and a big glacier that blocked their view to the north col. Had a hurried breakfast, took more photographs and pushed toward the third peak from the east ridge of Everest.

They could see clearly that Everest joined other peaks and wanted to see more. Bullock thought the next section would prove impossible and it was stiff work. Whilst the party lay down and slept he took photographs and examined the north peak. As the desired view was still hidden he took two volunteers to the top with him. It was only a matter of 500 ft, but the snow was very deep and lying at a terribly steep angle and they had a struggle. They got to the summit of that peak and he could see a high snow cwm under the north east face of Everest. The next objective was to find the outlet.

The next day’s march would take them through an undiscovered country. For the first time he was not feeling perfectly well. The glands of his throat and most of the muscles were affected but that could be nothing to do with the exertions of climbing.

There had been trouble about the porters' rations. Wollaston and Morshead were at Kharta and Wheeler was not expected for another fortnight. Describes the flowers he had recently seen and thought they might be a new discovery. Was disappointed when Howard-Bury told him Wollaston had made an earlier discovery.

Was sorry he couldn't share his photographs with her. The bad ones were hardly worth sending and Howard-Bury had sent some photos home to the Royal Geographical Society. Suggests she find a way of seeing them there.

Letter to Ruth Mallory, written from Trenkye [Tinki] Dzong, on ‘Mount Everest Expedition’ Letterhead

Responds to contents in her letters from 6-10 May mentioning the Hodges, Clare, Bridget’s son, Mary Ann and Stephen. He was feeling happier. He had been nailing the porter's boots. He had planned a two day expedition with Bullock to climb up to about 20,000 ft and see the N. E. face of Everest and had avoided telling Howard-Bury. Morshead had now joined the group. Describes a hill walk and a fragrant flower which he enclosed in the letter hoping it still had some of its scent.

He planned to take photos of the mountain range as they were now in a country which no European had previously visited. The rest of the party were quite cheerful. The food provisions were not proving expensive. Tells her not to be hopeless about the expedition as they may yet do very well. He would think of her on her birthday tomorrow.

Letter to Ruth Mallory describing the Avalanche in which 7 porters were killed.

Full Transcript

My dearest Ruth, I will answer what I imagine to be your first thought - it was a wonderful escape for me & we may indeed be thankful for that together. Dear love when I think what your grief would have been I humbly thank God I am alive.

/ It’s difficult to get it all straight in my mind. The consequences of my mistake are so terrible; it seems almost impossible to believe that it has happened for ever & that I can do nothing to make good. There is no obligation I have so much wanted to honour as that of taking care of these men; they are children where mountain dangers are concerned & they do so much for us; and now through my fault seven of them have been killed. I must try to tell you how the accident happened. But remember dearest one, not that I can imagine for a moment you would be harsh in your judgement that though I may have been mistaken I was neither reckless about the whole party nor careless about the coolies in particular.

When we started from the Base Camp on June 3 the clouds were thickening & it was evident that very soon the monsoon would be upon us; but none can say how soon in such circumstances the monsoon will make climbing impossible. I walked up half despondently with Finch to No 1 Camp; he was clearly quite unfit & could barely reach the camp. Next morning he went back to the Base leaving Somervell & me for the high climbing with Wakefield and Crawford to be back us up.

During the night of the 3rd snow fell heavily & continued on the 4th. We spent a cold day in the poor shelter at Camp 1, a little hut with walls about 3 ft 6 in high built of the stones that lay about there & roofed with the outer fly of Whymper tent. The white snow dust blew in through the chink & one wondered naturally, Isn’t it mere foolishness to be attempting Everest now that the snow has come? It was clear that if we were to give up the attempt at once no one would have a word to say against our decision. But it seemed to me too early to turn back & too easy - we should not be satisfied afterwards. It would not be unreasonable to expect a spell of fair weather after the first snow as there was last year; this might give us our chance at last, a calm day in the balance between the prevailing west wind & the south east monsoon current. And if we were to fail how much better I thought to be turned back by a definite danger or difficulty on the mountain itself.

On the 5th will too [many crossed through] much cloud still hanging about the glacier we went up in one long march to Camp 3 - a wet walk in the melting snow & with some snow falling. At the camp not less than a foot of snow covered everything. The tents which had been struck but not packed up contained a mixture of ice, snow, & water; more than one was badly rent in putting it up. The prospects were not very hopeful.

There was no question of doing anything on the 6th, the best we asked for was a warm day’s rest. We had a clear day of brilliant sunshine, the warmest by far that any of us remembered at camp 3. The snow solidified with amazing rapidity; the rocks began to appear about our camp; and though the side of Everest facing us looked cold & white we had the satisfaction of observing during the greater part of the day a cloud of snow blown from the North Ridge. It would not be long at that rate before it was fit to climb.
The heavy snow of the 4th & 5th affected our plans in two ways. As we should have to expect heavier work high up we should have hardly a chance of reaching the top without oxygen, & in spite of Finch’s absence with his expert knowledge we decided to carry up ten cylinders with the two apparatus used by Finch and G. Bruce to our old camp established on the first attempt at 25,000 ft; so far we should go without oxygen; in taking up the camp (one of the 2 Mummery tents & the sleeping sacks) another 1000 ft we might find it advisable to use each one cylinder; in any case we should have 4 cylinders each to carry on with us next day.

Our chief anxiety was to provide for the safety of the [‘coolies’ crossed out] porters. We hoped the conditions might be good enough to send them down by themselves to the North Col; & it was arranged that Crawford should meet them at the foot of the ridge to conduct them properly roped over the crevasses to Camp 4; there they would remain until we came back from the higher camp & all would go down together. Crawford was also to arrange for the conduct of certain superfluous porters who were to come up to Camp 4 but not stay there across the steep slope below the camp, the one place which in the new conditions might prove dangerous. With these plans we thought we might move up from Camp IV on the 4th day of fine weather should the weather hold, & still bring down the party safely whatever the monsoon might do. A change of weather was to be feared sooner or later, but we were confident we could descend the North Ridge from our high camp in bad weather if necessary, & three of us, or if Wakefield came up, four, would then be available to shepherd the coolies down from the North Col.

But the North Col has first to be reached. With the new snow to contend with we should have hard work; perhaps it would take us more than one day; the steep final slope might be dangerous; we should perhaps find it prudent to leave our loads below it & come up easily enough in our frozen tracks another day.
We set out from Camp 3, Somervell Crawford, & I with 14 porters at 8 a.m. on the 7th. A party including four of the strongest porters were selected to lead the way over the glacier. They did splendid work trudging the snow with loads on their backs; but it took us two hours to the foot of the great snow wall & it was 10.15 a.m. when Somervell, I, one porter, & Crawford, roped up in that order, began the ascent. We found no traces at first of our previous tracks, & were soon crossing a steep ice slope covered with snow. It was remarkable that the snow adhered so well to this slope, where we had found bare ice before, that we were able to get up without cutting steps. In this harmless place we had tested the snow & were more than satisfied.
Higher up the angle eases off & we had formally walked up at comparatively gently angels in the old snow until it was necessary to cross the final step slope below Camp 4.

Now we had to content with snow up to our knees. Crawford relieved Somervell & then I took a turn. About 1.30 p.m. I halted & the porters following in three parties came up with us. Somervell who was the least tired among us now went ahead continuing in our old line & still on gentle slopes about 200 ft below some blocks of fallen ice which mark the final traverse to the left over steeper ground. I was following up in the steps last on our rope of four when at 1.50, I heard a noise not unlike an explosion of untamped gunpowder. I had never before been [knew crossed out] near an avalanche of snow: but I knew the meaning of that noise as though I were accustomed to hear it every day. In a moment I observed the snow’s surface broken only a few yards away to the right & instinctively moved in that direction. And then I was moving downward. Somehow I managed to turn out from the slope so as to avoid being pushed headlong & backwards down it. For the briefest moment my chances seemed good as I went quietly sliding down, with the snow, Then the rope at my waist tightened & held me back. A wave of snow came over me. I supposed that the matter was settled. However I thrust out my arms to keep them above the snow & at the same time tried to raise by back, with the result that when after a few seconds the motion stopped I felt little pressure from the snow & found myself on the surface.
The rope was still tight about my waist & I imagined that the porter tied on next one must be deeply buried; but he quickly emerged near me no worse off than myself. Somervell & Crawford too were quite close to me & soon extricated themselves, apparently their experiences were much the same as mine. And where were the [rest crossed through] porters, we asked? Looking down over the broken snow we saw one group some distance below us. Presumably the rest must be buried somewhere between us & them. No sign of them appeared; and those we saw turned out to be the group who had been immediately behind us. Somehow they must have been caught in a more rapid stream & carried down a hundred feet further than us. They pointed below them; the others were down there.

It became only too plain as we hurried down that the men we saw were standing only a little way above a formidable drop. The others had been carried over. We found the ice cliff to be from 40 ft to 60 ft high, the crevasse below it was filled up with the avalanche snow & these signs enough to show us that the two missing parties of four & five were buried under it. From the first we entertained little hope of saving them. The fall alone must have killed the majority, & such proved to be the case as we dug out the bodies. Two men were rescued alive & were subsequently found to have sustained no severe injuries; the remaining seven lost their lives /.

There is the narrative - the bare facts, on separate sheets for your convenience - not my letter to you but a more impersonal account explaining our plans & their fatal conclusion. I hope it will suffice to let you understand what we were about. You may read between the lines how anxious I was about the venture. S. [Somervell] & I knew enough about Mount Everest not to treat so formidable a mountain contemptuously. But it was not a desperate game, I thought, with the plans we made. Perhaps with the habit of dealing with certain kinds of danger one becomes accustomed to measuring some that are best left unmeasured & untried. But in the end I come back to my ignorance; one generalises from too few observations & what a lifetime it requires to know all about it! I suppose if we had known a little more about conditions of snow here we should not have tried those slopes – [but crossed through] and not knowing we supposed too much from the only experience we had. The three of us were deceived; there wasn’t an inkling of danger among us. //

Writes again on ‘June 14’ [one week after avalanche] – In the interval since I began writing we have packed up our traps and are on our way down - actually I am sitting in a sheltered nook above that little patch of vegetation by the stream above Chobu [village], & it is raining softly which many account for some curious mark on the paper. I don’t want you to think dearest that I am in perpetual gloom over the accident. One has to wear a cheerful face & be sociable in a company such as we are. But my mind does go back very often to the terrible consequences of our attempt with great sadness.

I think it would be a good thing to send a copy of my narrative to a few climbing friends. Claude, to show to his climbing party, David & Herbert Reade. It won’t be of great interest to people who aren’t climbers I should suppose, but one might be circulated to my family too if you think they would like it. I have written to my father & to Geoffrey Young, Younghusband (very briefly) & Frank Fletcher. Please also send the account to Farrar asking him to read it and send it back to you (I don’t much want it to become an official document in the A.C., or at least not yet). And in circulating the narrative you will quote my remarks on p. 7 between marks //.

I don’t know whether you will have got the hang of our plans & arrangements. The reason for going to Kharta is really that the General wants to see that part of the country; the excuse that we want to collect flowers & birds & beasts. I had the chance of going back straight from here, but the chance of seeing the early flowers over the other side was too good to be missed & I’m still hoping to get back after a week or ten days there by a short cut through the corner of Nepal which would be a very interesting journey though extremely wet & should land me in Darjeeling before the middle of July. However that depends much on transport arrangements & I want to get someone to come with me who understands these lingos- perhaps Norton. My possible dates for leaving Bombay are 22nd, 29th July and 1st and 5th of Aug. I shall avoid the 29th if possible as it is a small boat P&O & I would sooner take the Trieste boat on the 1st & come overland. The 22nd is too early in all probability & the 5th (also P&O) is the best boat they have which is a consideration when meeting the monsoon. If I come by P&O I shall probably come to London; anyway I’ll wire giving simply a date (i.e. that of leaving Bombay) and write or wire again from Marseilles or Venice. I’ve been thinking much since your last letter dated April 22 etc. what we would like best to do in early autumn. PyP [Pen-y-Pass] is always attractive & it would be a very pleasant little party; I think we must wait to fix that if we feel like it. Prima facie I’m more in favour of breaking new ground & Richmond in early September might be perfect if Mill [Ruth's sister Mildred?] wants us. I suppose Bob has a job at Catterick; lucky man; he might teach me to fish in those dale streams. I’ve always wanted to go to Richmond.
I’m glad you like the book on botany & find it helpful; we shall be too late to make much use of it together this year, but it’s a thing we must do together sometime – I mean to learn much more about flowers for our children’s sake if for no other reason. But there is another reason; - there is a little shrub in front of me now most prettily blooming with a pink flower, not unlike a rather stiff & thorny rosemary, only the flower is more chartered - which I should much like to introduce into our garden but I can’t tell it’s species.

We are in much reduced company now - Strutt, Longstaff, Finch, & Morshead went off to Darjeeling retracing our steps, about a week ago, & Norton, G. Bruce to Kharta, where we shall rejoin them. I’m much distressed about Morshead’s hands. I fear he’s certain to lose at least the tips (i.e. 1st joints) of 3 fingers on the right hand; & he had a good deal of pain too. G.B. [G. Bruce] writes that his toes are troublesome, but no great harm was done there, & Norton, who was quite knocked out by our climb & a dispirited man after it he has now discovered that what he thought were bruises in the soles of his feet are really frostbite & bad enough to prevent him walking seriously. My finger has almost recovered except for a black nail, so I got off very lightly.
I must finish this off for a mail which is to go off at once. Please give my love to your Father & Marby [written up the side margin:] and make the understand as far as possible about the accident. Many hugs and kisses to the children and endless love to you dearest one. Your Loving, George.