Item 13 - Letter from George to Ruth Mallory, 15 May 1922

Letter to Ruth Mallory, from ‘Camp III’.

Brief Summary
Description of his and Somervell's recconnaisance to find a route from the North Col to Everest.

Detailed Summary
It was 7.30 am on a bright and almost windless morning and he was sitting on a box outside of the tent awaiting breakfast - tea had just come. Still freezing in the shade but the sun was trying to be warm. Explains why he was up so early and that they had eaten their evening meal early for the sake of their cook, and had been lying in the tent ever since. He and Somervell had slept well.

He had The Spirit of Man, a volume of Shakespeare and a pack of cards so there was no real difficulty about passing the time agreeably. He had found Will’s pamphlet from last mail in his pocket. Gives his thoughts on it.

On 10th they left Base Camp and slept at Camp I and on the two succeeding days came on to Camp III quite easily. Most of the porters were to go straight back to No. 1 Camp, rest for a day, and then bring up more loads again. They were expected that day. Two porters and a cook had remained with them. First objective was to establish a route to the North Col. Did this on 13th which was an interesting day. Problem was to get up without cutting lots of steps in hard ice. All the lower part of last year’s route was ice. Hard work to make a staircase and that route would have been unsatisfactory for porters as most were untrained. Instead they chose a route to the left, straight up to the point where they had to cross a very steep snow slope. Was very hard work with a lot of chipping and kicking of steps. One porter came with them (the other was sick). Took ice pegs and rope and the porter carried a Mummery tent, which was the first tent to reach the North Col. Almost midday when they reached the snow shelves below the edge. Wind was blowing up the snow and the great broken cubes of ice above them were wonderfully impressive. He and Somervell proceeded along the shelf intending to reach the lowest point of the col and look over the other side, just as he, Bullock, and Wheeler had last September.

They were roped together and afraid of the wind. Their way was blocked by a crevasse just too wide to jump. The main edge joining Everest to the North Peak was on the other side of this gap not more than 10 ft wide. There seemed to be a way to the left but a few moments later they were up against an obstacle not to be climbed without a ladder and there was no alternative. Faced the prospect of a longer job than anticipated they. They ate four sweet biscuits and some mint cake. Saw a gap where a steep ice slope came down from the North Peak. Continued along the shelf in that direction, turned the flank of an ice gendarme and were able to work up steep snow to the ridge and look out over the westward view. Everest was still to be traversed. The true North Col up on which the N. Arete of Everest springs up was at the south end of that ridge. The slopes on the west side were fearfully precipitous and they had to expect broken ground. They had to leap two crevasses in the first 50 yards. Then found it easy going and reached a minor snow summit. The view to the west was opening out and they sat down to look at it and for a time they completely forgot their quest. Started again and saw a clear way ahead, so they can get to Everest by way of the North Col. The distance of Chang La [North Col] from this camp was not as great as it appeared on the map or on a photo taken from Lhakpa La [high mountain pass] last year. The only trouble was the labour of getting up to the pass but this would be easier now the steps were prepared. They were back in camp about 5.30 pm, each with a bad height headache and too tired to eat a meal.

The porters arrived that day with Crawford, hopefully with enough rations to allow a party of them (8 to 12) to stay there. If so they planned to take a first lot of loads up to Chang La [North Col] tomorrow 16th. Rest on 17th, to Chang La [North Col] with 8 porters, and sleep there 19th, to the highest point we can get loads, say 25,000, with 3 or 4 loads on the 19th, porters returning here, others sleeping again at Chang La [North Col], and then on 20th or 21st up to their highest camp and on next day.