Evening star., 1936-03-29
BY ERIC E. SHIPTON.

failed to reach the summit, 1t seemed
unlikely that we should be able to
renew the attack for many years to
come.
The Tibetan government pursues a
strong policy of isolation and have a
very natural antipathy to large ex-
peditions travelling for considerable
distances through their country.
The late Dalai Lama had graciously
permitted four expeditions to go to
the mountain, and it seemed unrea-
sonable to hope that such generous
hospitality could be extended again.
The death of His Holiness. who had
long been a true friend of the British.
seemed to reduce our chances still
further.
Learned in Failure.
That we we're not able to renew the
assault at once was unfortunate; for
although our failure had taught us
much that could be handed on to
others, the really important thing vas
to be able to send out men whose
ability to climb at great attitudes had
been proved. and above all men who
had first-hand knowledge Of the
unique problem which Everest pre-
sentS.
1t was with considerable qualification,
therefore, that last Spring the Mount
Everest Committee Unexpectedly re-
ceived permission for an expedition
to operate in Tibet for the period of
q year-from June, 1885, until June.
1886. 1t was too late in the yea for
a pre-monsoon attempt in 1885. but
there was a great deal of work to be
done and the committee decided to
send out a reconnaissance expedition
with the following objects in view;
/. To collect data about monsoon
snow conditions at high attitudes and
to investigate the possibility of a mon
soon or post-monsoon attempt.
2. To examine the feasibility of al
tentative routes to the west. Two
alternatives had been suggested. First.
the northwest ridge. which rises from
the head of the Central Rongouk
Glacier. and. secondly, the PRACTICAL
ly unknown Western Cwm.
Determine Apparatus.
3. To report on present ice forna-
tions on the North Col. This would
be of use in deciding what apparatus
will be necessary for the main expedi-
ton this year.
4. To try out new men as possible
candidates for the main expedition,
and to secure for them some prelim-
mary acclimatization and first-hand
knowledge of the problem.
5. To make physiological ohserva-
tons and to test new ideas for pro-
visioning high altitude expeditions.
In this latter connection, I secured
great assistance from DR.. Zilva of the
Lister Institute.
Lastly, We planned a stereo- photo
grammetric examination of the north
ern aspect and valleys OF Mount
Everest. For this purpose the COM
mittee invited Michael Spender TO join
the expedition as surveyor.
Northwest Wind Dangerous.
With regard to the first of these
objects; there has been a very con-
siderable body Of opinion which held
that the correct time for an attempt
on Mount Everest was during or i'm
mediately after the monsoon, and there
was much to be said in favor of this
view.
Probably the most serious. and
certainly the most dangerous. obstacle
which climbers have met with on the
mountain has been the terrible north
west wind. which is such a constant
menace before the breaking Of the
monsoon; a wind which sometimes
renders any movement. up or down,
impossible, and threatens to tear the
climber and his puny camps from the
mountain side.
When the southerly monsoon winds
are established there follow some
months of comparative calm and
warm weather. But unfortunately the
heavy snow which falls on the noun
tain during the monsoon forms a fresh
obstacle, about which We had very
little data.
The disastrous avalanche on the
North Col In 1922. and the impasse
with which the Bavarians under Herr
Bauer had been faced as soon as they
had left their ridge in 1881. we're in
dications that monsoon snow at great
attitudes forms at least a temporarily
impossible barrier.
Trial Crew Selected.
Whether or not there occurred any
period during the warm monsoon
weather when this snow was in a
manageable condition was a question
needing an answer.
Five men were selected to take part
in the trial: H. w. Tilman, who
had been my companion in the ex-
ploration of the Nanda Devi Basin
in 1884; L. v. Bryant, who brought
with him from New Zealand a con-
siderable reputation for toughness and
mountaineering skill, reputation
which he endorsed over and over
again last year; Edwin Kempson, who
has some IL years of Winter and
Summer mountaineering in the Alps
to his credit; Dr. Charles Warren,
who had had previous Himalayan ex-
perience as member of Marco Pallis'
expedition in 1888. and E. H. L.
Wigram. a medical student at st.
Thomas, the youngest member Of the
party.
The selection of a team for an
Everest expedition is an extremely
difficult and unpleasant task. There
is no room for sentimentality or ia
voritism. The choice of personnel
for this years effort has cost our
leader. Mr.. Ruttledge. months of
anxious thought. sitting and resift-
ing the claims Of hundreds of candi-
dates. There can be no question of
the impartiality Of his judgment.
Acclimatization Vital.
The team will receive its usual
quota of criticism, but the man who
has been chosen to lead must have
the final word in the choice of his
followers. For my part can only
lament the fact that the two best