Everest 1922 by Mick Conefrey

Author:Mick Conefrey [Conefrey, Mick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Allen & Unwin

7

We May Be Gone

Some Time

They were a remarkably homogenous group – middle-class professionals in their thirties. All four were public school educated: Mallory and Morshead at Winchester, Somervell at Rugby, and Norton at Charterhouse, the same school where Mallory had worked for several years. Two had gone to Cambridge – Mallory to study History, Somervell to read Natural Sciences. The other two had gone to military college – Norton to join the Royal Artillery, Morshead the Royal Engineers. All of them had served in the First World War, with Morshead and Norton both winning Distinguished Service Orders. Two were already married with children – Morshead and Mallory; Somervell and Norton would each be wed within a few years.

Like many men of their class, Mallory, Norton and Somervell had been introduced to climbing in their teenage days. Mallory had begun at Winchester supervised by Robert Irving, the schoolmaster and author of The Romance of Mountaineering who had also introduced Guy Bullock to the sport. Somervell had grown up in Kendal, surrounded by mountains; he was inspired by a book by George Abraham, the well-known Lake District climber, and joined the local branch of the Fell and Rock Club. Both Mallory and Somervell climbed in Britain but also holidayed in the Alps, where Edward Norton had learned the ropes – literally. His grandfather Alfred Wills owned a chalet near Chamonix where Norton and his brother were introduced to climbing.

Henry Morshead was the exception. Before the 1921 Reconnaissance he had never been involved in recreational mountaineering, but his job with the Survey of India had turned him into a very able mountain traveller.

Climbing wasn’t the only passion for any of them. Mallory read widely and dreamt of one day becoming a writer; Somervell was the team’s Renaissance man, who in addition to being a highly regarded surgeon was a gifted artist and enthusiastic amateur composer; Norton was a great sportsman but was also very dedicated to his sketchpad and a keen ornithologist. Again Morshead was the slight exception, having no particular hobby of note, except perhaps exploration which was in a way an extension of his day job.

As they left camp at 8.45 a.m. on 19 May, accompanied by nine porters, they were confident that even without oxygen they would still be able to get high up on Everest – and one way or another would make history. For Mallory and Somervell it was their third ascent to the North Col and each time it had been easier. For Norton and Morshead it was their second ascent, but they too were in good shape and excited to get on with the attempt.

By 1.00 p.m., after an uneventful climb, they reached the platform below the col. While Mallory and Norton pitched the tents, Somervell and Morshead carried on up, aiming to fix ropes up a difficult section. They had five tents: two for the climbers, three for the porters. For safety’s sake the entrances were positioned facing inwards, towards the ice cliff that split the col in two, to protect sleepwalkers and anyone who had to get up at night.

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