Conquering Everest | British Expeditions

‘We are about to walk off the map'.

These books are the remarkable stories of the British expeditions which reached the summit of Mount Everest. The first expedition in 1921 was led by Lieutenant-Colonel C Howard-Bury, with a second attempt being made in 1922, a third in 1924, and a fourth in 1933.

It all began in 1921 when the Mount Everest Committee was formed by the Alpine Club and the Royal Geographical Society. Their aim was to fund a successful British expedition to reach the summit of Everest, however in the end they financed all of the British expeditions including the successful 1953 expedition.

The first British expedition was led by Colonel Howard-Bury in 1921 and included the well-known Scottish mountaineer Harold Raeburn, and the ill-fated George Mallory. Conceived as a reconnaissance expedition with the aim of discovering an accessible route to the summit via the North side of the mountain, Mallory had to take charge of the exploration and navigation following the collapse of Harold Raeburn's health.

This was uncharted territory; Mallory wrote ‘We are about to walk off the map’. To Mallory's experienced eye, the route up the North ridge intersecting the NE Ridge and from there to the summit looked long, but feasible for a fresher party and so in 1922 another attempt was launched led by General Bruce (another prominent mountaineer) with Mallory again included in the party. This was a determined attempt to reach the summit and they managed to climb higher than 26,000 feet on the mountain – a mountaineering record. Bruce managed to climb above 27,000 feet using oxygen for the first time and they even used oxygen to sleep.

In 1924 the third expedition was launched – this time led by Lt. Col. Norton, with Bruce and Mallory again included, with Mallory promoted to climbing leader. This expedition was full of drama and tragedy. On June 2, Mallory and Bruce set off to make the first summit attempt, but extreme wind and cold, exhaustion, and the refusal of the porters to go any further towards the top defeated them and they had to return to base camp. A couple of days later Norton and Somervell attempted to reach the summer without oxygen in perfect weather. However ill health and the weather defeated them and they stopped 900 ft short of the summit. Then tragedy!

On June 8, Mallory and Irvine left their camp to attempt the summit, using Irvine's modified oxygen apparatus. Odell, climbing in support below, wrote in his diary that at 26,000 ft he ‘saw Mallory & Irvine on the ridge, nearing base of final pyramid’. It was the last time the two were seen alive, and it is still up for debate whether they ever reached the summit or not.

When Hugh Ruttledge led a major expedition in 1933, everyone was convinced that this time that they would succeed, where previous expeditions had come so close. Unfortunately they too were defeated, due to ill health, lack of proper preparation, and their failure to use oxygen (even though they had it with them). Lawrence Wager and Percy Wyn Harris had intended to climb the North Eastern ridge but they were unable to do so due to weather conditions.

However, it is worth noting at this point that there are three steps on Everest near the summit all of which are prominent rocky ledges, named: FIRST STEP, SECOND STEP and THIRD STEP. Considered to be serious obstacles, they are described as being located in the ‘Death Zone’ (near the summit), indeed Wyn Harris actually described the second step as unclimbable.

These volumes contain remarkable stories and despite the lack of success are a testament to man’s endurance and courage. As Mallory said ‘we are about to walk off the map’.