1955-10-22 — Page 6

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1955.

ADVENTURE ON A SHOESTRING, CHAPTER THREE

A CEREMONIAL MEAL ON TOP OF PINGARO

T

HE Cunningham-

Mclanes Himalayan Expedition was staggeringly gallant

failure, since it did not climb

Everest. But it was 1 HU- cess and

a gallant success, too, in the climbs it actually tried.

CLIFF HANLEY continues the story of the Cunningham- McInnes "tuppence-hapenny" expedition to the Himalayas. The two didn't get to climb Everest, but did scale two high mountains in Sola Khumbu, the Valley of Fifteen Peaks. They got to within 900 feet of the summit of Pumori when a storm stopped them. But in the second at- tempt they went to the top of Pingaro, a giant of 20,000 feet.

The big Himalayan ex- peditions have their course

what we were doing. We bad well mapped and their equip mone exactly three miles in this ment well tested, regardless these three days, and

potatoes of expense. With pathetic rate we had enough equipment and no stores to to du another inite or

There was nothing else to do but come back

speak of, Cunningham and McInnes didn't really map

out a

course ill they had

50

had a look at the avilable ble prak' and headed toward

mountains. Then, they were game for practically

thing the Himalayas Were prepared to offer.

Alter

-We skirted this nice never-

Everest. Most of the tinte wo

the found ging enstre but not alwnys enY

✰

"AI

1 OCHT

ONEL

leaving their monastery, they saw what Cunningham sub describes as “a nire peak."

.

"It looked nice and acversalse, and we decided to have a go at to warm up: We took m fresh supply of pintuities and aunde Draught for Bay mountain

"Well,

1- peak wouldn't have been to difficult, but we found oursives, in the approach. scrambling 1283 boulder-filled Rully with thick jungle each side,

"We stuck to Arst till

it became totally in

Then we cut off into passable. the Jungle and cut our way up the side. Soon the jungle be- came completely impassable too,

And

We movech the gully.

The gully

Al

*

mit at least making a friendly visit to th world's highest mountain.

"We made il visit to the Everest hose rainy and spent

the night there.

thl;

**kt * |* weren't

We made a with Everest.

the Um connaissance

#incler, and travelled further than we should have. Suddenly we alisest that darkness was fall- missed ang. and that we had ony bearings somewhere.

nished

re-

re-

we had to mountain each 16.00n feer high. These were passes, 1+141 cach higher than Most Hiane, and thus is a 2008). dication of the sheer Humalayan eliming.

exter

wia

1:1-

AL 16,000 feet, we wallend and For really climbed hi short high

altitudes.

costume wiht to be shorts WOED OVE bing underpants, because 1 itad only one pair of Trousers, and I wanted to save these for our

You like to look big climb. respectable when you're plant- in the fag.

"Haunish are I can't climb

They was really m Everest. point in trytou by the time we arrived, for the Hunt expedi Tưon had already beaten us to 1. Our original plan was to move in after the Inilure of Culonel Hunt's

attempt and Save weight anct money by using Jii። discarded stores-

discover

**WI beonitox] around on the ree, but didn't take long to

ttl pirtely host. Luckily, we were Just Together.

wo were co}})=

"Whe the happens, there's we only one thing to do, atul did it. We gave up the search and bodded down for the night on the glavier. it was cold."

They were travelling in the monsoon season because of their previous plan to follow the Hunt Pomori expedition up Everest.

was the first mountain on which

They made a serious attempt.

For stores, they bought their second sheep and back out into

auck of potatoes, They

the bought sheep on the hoof, and were faced with their

first problem. The .22 rifle with which they had shot their first sheep now had no bullets.

hacked

Wo serabled anal and sweated mur way up inch by inch, moving from the gully to the jungle ind back to the

Ilme after Kully

weid tume,

The time In hoping all the going to open up for UN.

"We did this for three days, Then

good book

we hur

M

al

there are tons and tons of fusi

Everest left by previous elimbers, and this would have solved one very big problem

"But we couldn't And VELT- seivds in Sola Khumbu, the Valley of Filteen Peaks. with

Give

In their casual way, they had also contrived to lase most of the cutlery they

out had sel with from incliu. Their only offensive weapon WES a very blunt table knife.

The unexpected difficulty suddenly made the whole ideo

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13

of killing the sheep distasteful, but they hund to have food, and preferably meat, for the fough climb ahead of them.

Hamish Anally solved the problem by using his nylou climbing rope to Karotte the sheep.

Immediately set about skinning it and cutting it up with the blunt knife,

and

☆

eliming for Pingaro Is black, bleak, bere rak.

£

M

BINKIE' BEAUMONT'S

SHOW BLUES

By John Barber

London, Jeon, one-time Dublin architect

R HUGH BEAU and his first big show, MONT had 10 Lon-

19

Jack Waller Is casting £35,000 musical version of Barrie's "Little Minister,” to ba called "Wild Grows the Heather."

of Max

Са

don shows running

"The Remarkable Mr Penny- a year ago. Today he can

packer" (New) is the third hit Donald Albery is planning a Beerbohm's three in the in row from Donnk You might call

good count only

Albery, musical Scottish peak magnified six West End. I exclude one wine connoisseur and ex-Sadler's "Zuleika Dobson." A brand-cew times, and the pair approached that is coming off. None is Wells manager, the man who manager of 38 from America, It just like that

backed Graham Greene's "The Toby Rowland, Invades the secre a bright or new suocess.

Living Room" and John Van with new plays and, ku prospect, McInnes Ja an experienced For Power In the theatre is

Druten's "I Am a Camera"--and a musical version at the recent rock climber: Cunningham cer- dramatically chain Binkies who made Dorothy Tutiu a etar. Elinor Glyn biography. for

Note all these plans The

40-year-old tainly one of the best, and per-

nicknamo (the haps the very best rock-climber Beaumont

*

musicals, the most expensive in Scotland ́ today,

shows Welsh for "darkle"), a courtly

(ack rewarding) and taut-nerved show-man of "All For Mary" (now on tour),

mount. A sure sign that the impeccable taste, has fed a do- rocent London success, de independents have big money minating syndicate of theatre 400 percent profit for Her to spend, and confidence in their in London and the provinces Sherek, mountainous--but slim- own survival,

Regular with

a constant stream of hits.

offler under Lord Rarely in this decade have there been

than fewer

15 Beau- 12 to

མས་ mont

in shows town. At the blushiest theatres. By the cleverest authors. With the brightest stars.

As good members of the Craig Dhu Club in Scotland they started off at Craig Dhu time-no-rising-at-down sense, but 10 am.

non-

classines the Cunningham cland as a "sovere," and they had a difcult time, but at first they climbed unroped,

madc come After they hadt

Hamish height, however. McInnes slipped. There was a horrified

moment that looked ke the end of the expedition defentent A storm

Their at-

Un Cummingham got a hold on Tempt on Pumori when they had

pulled him and his partner 900 feet at ascended to within

back. the top

Fur three days they were trappest in their tent, and during three days they ate the entire

something like sheep and hundreweight of potatoes. rockfall on the mountain also tent completely. ruined their and from then on right back to

་།

A

India they traveflect without mur,

It

After three days they managed to get off the mountain, feeling their fallare bitterly. was wretchedly cold and wet. near and they lost their way

Now the base.

they had zes in the wet sleep out properly and the cold.

This was probably the nadir

of the point

Cunningham- Melted Himalayan expedition, But they survived it. And they of had more climbing ahead them.

And

MS

The man who from assis-

manager

rosc

trix t

the

Cardiff, to

of

Playhouse,

مرا

play-

group

M. Tement

After this they cllanbed ruped

lending. boss of the world's together, Cunningham

biggest The ridge of Pingaro Cunning- hum described

"Just dif- Pracing. fleuit. with some chimneys."

is off on holiday. Routinding became difficult as a snowstorm sprang up, and the Afteen-pound rope became a nuisance to carry too.

ming-former

"The

Army

Montgomery ("TIR I went wrong --- stow busi- Into neas"), who now £30,000 in- has

vested

Ja Scven

now shows.

And four money- splaners from the three oldest show

men:

(Stoll) Inusical Days"

"Klmet"

the

"Saind

(Vaude-

ville) aru put on by 03-year-old Jack Hylton,

the Lancashire ind. Reluctant Debutante"

To forget the first nights he (Cumbridge) is a new hit for E. P. (Paul) Clift, a veteran hates, the limelight he shuns,

•

EXPLANATIONS

What has happened to the showman who so recently mounted "The Sleeping Prince," The Deep Blue Sea," "Seagulla "The Little Over

Sorrento,"

Hut," and "A Day By The Sea"?

The talk of Shaftesbury Avenue is that "Binkie" has lost his nerve. Look deeper. Three explanations emerge:--

BEAUMONT no longer dares, after last your's public cul- cry, to put on many shows free of inx, a device which enabled "aim" him to keep theatres and stirs at his beck until he could use both for his profi making company.

BEAUMONT has had a long of perfectly pornal theatrical bad luck: mars falling , shows flopping and swiftly withdrawn,

To forget that a year ago he who has recently sold this piny run had Nocl Coward, Tercoce to M.G.M. for filins and the New Rattigan, Laurence Olivier, York stage.

"Sailor Beware!" (Strand), an- John Vivien Leigh,

Gielgud. other sucess Ralph Richardson, Syull Thorn-

★

the

This

way,

dike, Edith Evans, Ashcroft

00

followed Cunningham ridge as the easiest way. meant, for much of the taking two steps up and three down.

The two travelled light on this peak assault. Their stores were a turnip cach, which must be admitted they had had to sto

bur of chocolate, and the tin of pate de foie gras they had bought from Nepalese,

make

a

Nothing can dim the glory of the final ascent on Everest by

They reached Sherpa

the peak as Edmund Hillary

Like the four-minute darkness fell. They had no flag Tensing. inle of Bannister and Jaguar's to plect. but they

twenty-four ceremorial meal of the stores. hours at Le Mans, it is a "first" "Never tasted folo gras before," that may be equalled or even Cunningham improved, but never supplanted lovely."

The history of achievement.

100-mile-on-hour

told Inc.

"It's

is

now has none of them.

To forget that today every top-drawing show in town financially promoted by an dependent munagement.

THE POWERFUL for violin-play-21

"

group Jack Waller, the Peggy ing

which controls 60 percent of his payroll and Away, Clouds" song-writer, London's theaire seats has seen monocled little gnome with a that by favouring one play-

The theatre is the medicine betes wicked-uncle

smile who says: producing manage they have

hia rivals strangling that

keep me young."

whom they need for a healthy, have talked to most of these varied supply of shows. At one showmen in the last few days,

time Jack Waller ("They tried This is the story they tell of to squeeze me out, old man") the newest theatre trood.

nearly quit the business. Others were driven out.

ex-

REVIVALS

HAPPIER

Survivors new admit that the new situation of Tennent's has made

business their

casion, happier, sounder,

Undoubtedly, Beaumont has

lately lost his grip.

But never say he is "finished." greatest Irapresario

THE HITS Who are the new masters of

Stars today are caster for Shaftesbury Avenue? Look at

them to get. Theatres today are the big hits now ruining.

"The Mousetrap" (Ambassa- eager for their shows. And new dorsi, by Agatha Christic plays, noe so hard to find, are Landon's longest run-is put on tumbling on to their desks in by Peter Saunders, the slow shoals with every post.

-voiced gravel speaking, journalist also behind "Spider's

HOW DIFFERENT from Just Web," with Margaret Lookwood (Savoy), the new A. P. ilerbut- year, whoo Hugh Beaumont's Vivian Ellis musleat The Water long list of hits meant that his Glpsies (Winter Garden), and companies took eash at nearly the New York smash-hit, "Wil all the smartest box-offices, Fur England's ness for the Prosecution."

today, such favoured playhouses has more taste, more nair than

rave

rival. Theatregoers OWO as the Haymarket, the Apollo, any and the Criterion (for long his him lovely shows, want as many "Sephroto Tables" 5.

regular houses)

are let to the more. But it was time his too- James's), Rattigan's two-plays- "Independients."

mighty wings were clipped. ain-one smash-hil, is presented by HOW DIFFERENT from last I hope he never again co- Stephen Mitchell, quiet unob year, when Beaumont can an- trols the cream of the theatres, trusive, Aberdeen-born bachelor- nounce only two new plays, and and all the 22-carat names. of-law, now runcing a California relying on revivals of For today old and new in- for dollar millionaire "Hamlet" and "Charley's Aunt." dependent atowmen are back Huntington Hurtford. His other For today, it is the independents injecting the theatre with a recent

London

Tiger

at the who have the exciting plans. long-lost variety and enterprise, Gates," with Michael Redgrave, Henry Sherck's seven-play And the resuit 19 that opens in New York,

programme Includes dramas their shows will be packed. "The Boy Friend" (Wynd; about the Caine Mutiny and business is booming. By rappelling, Cunningham | ham's), the musical triumph of the Mayerling story and a play The public stase and rejoice And the experience of end McInnes scrambled and London and New York, is the by (and starring) Hermione in a new situation which few Cunninghain and Melance has swung down through the dark- baby of shy, slim Cervare Fer- Glagold, “Abracadabra."

But the tuppetce-bapenny trek of John Cunninghani and Hamish Melines Ariu the Himalayas Is a Brst in its own right too. And if glory consists lurge achievement with nothing but human sinew and courage and the puntest of equipment, Cunningham und McInnes deserve #place in history too.

17)

The Himalayan night found the two of them right on top of Pingaro, bub they went down very fast indeed, In darkness, by rappelling.

In this system, you drive metal peg into the rock, hoog rope over it, and let one end of the rope out with the other end fastened to your body.

When the rope is paid out,

down, drive ku you pull it new peg

or piton, and repeat the process,

some significance for uny news t they reached home Himalayan expedition. When base at 2 nm,

man has to fight nature he fights

It most nobly with his bare hands, and this to practically what the Scottish climbers did.

Modem climbers can call in several branches of selence to give them extra strength and extra mobility.

But without anything much in the way of scientiße help, Cun- ningham and McInnes discovered that by adapting themselves to their environment they could dispense with science's help.

Thoroughly neelimatised to Himalayan heights, they found they could march from_14,000 test to 19,000 to visit Everest base camp without distress.

This was their last serious climb in the Himalayas, but it was not the end of the glory.

Since tho happen

the

to be around at

climbed. But Cunningham and McInnes had

realised drenm-by penetrating to Himalayas and climbing.

theatre

*

The Bear In The

o To

the the

By Peter Kirk

have yet understood.

Middle East

they would maintain absoluic

the British view this

"L cnly we had more

the British Foreign In this explosive situation the Only when it failed as a bær potatoes at the time," Cunering-

Office, the announce-

Western Powers have been de gaining counter to get more ham recalls thoughtfully, "we would have

termined to damp things down as arms, and particularly jet air- had a go atment that the Russians are much as possible by retaining craft, from Britain' did Colonel Nuptse, a 25,000 foot beauty selling arms to Egypt was strict control over the supply of Nasser turn to the Russians in and stil unglimbed.

the most disturbing news arms to the area,

earnest, placing with them an order for large supplies of arms, didn't|for years. potatoes

In a Three Power declaration including jets, tanks and heavy There are two reasons for in May 1950, Britain, France artillery. right time, Nuptse is still un- this anxiety. The first is and the United States said that

In one that Russian intervention in parity between the two sides, so development can only lead to an disturbed Palestinian for as arms were concemed. intensifled arms race between situation may well upset main

Britain has always been the the Arab States and Israel. They had also lost or discoid- the balance of power there, area, and has done her best, for newal of the war.

suppiler of arms to that which may well lead to a re д large portion of their and spark off the Arab- the last five years, to make sure origital small equipment in the Israel war all over again. that no one side dominated the process. Cunningham's journal Not that the war hus ever other. At 22,000 feat Cunningham's of the trip is lying around really stopped. Time and time. praise-rate was normal at 60 to somewhere near Everest to this again, since the Armistice of the minute, Melnner's normal day,

1940, there have been flare-ups at 58. In the monsoon season And without, for instance, along the artificial frontier that they failed to reach the peak tent to their name, they had a separates Jew from Arab. of Pumori, but no more miser-

journey of some hundreds of ably than well-equipped

miles ahead peditions have failed Himalayan and

of them to India EXPLOSIVE POSITION a strange uncomfortable climbs.

never admit shortage of money on which to The Arabs will

even the existence of Israel, let do it,

(COPYRIGHT)

alone her present frontiers.

*x*

They set out 10- Pingero, at 20,000 feet, not one of the greatest in this district of giants, but a big climb in any langu- for two age, and tailor-made Scottish climbers wise in rock-

ed

Their Most Frightening Experience

MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN

14

150

I'VE WARNED YOU FOR THE

LAST TIME / GIVE ME THAT

CAREFUL! HIS WEAPON IS TERRIBLE.

Ω

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GADGET SO

THAT WE

CAN LEAVE

AT ONCE.

[REPEAT,WARDEN. THE TOURIST CANNOT LEAVE UNTIL HE TALKS TO OUR POLICE.

And peace and stability · ta the Middle East form the key to British foreign policy.

The polley has never satisfed The second reason for alarm the Arab States, particularly is that, for the first time, there Egypt, which, since the revolu- 15 a Rusalan incursion tion that threw out Farouk, has Middle Eastern affals, had hankerings to bulld itself up

Tuto

to a dominant position in the "GOODWILL” MISSIONS Middle East.

By deliberate policy the Bri- And matters were 'not im-fish Government has always proved by the French supplying tried to keep the Russians out Mystere jets to Israel,

of the area.

And the Jews, inflated by their comparatively easy victory over The Russian offer of arms was But now the Kremlins seven Arab States, lose no oppor- made some months ago, but making a strenuous attempt to tunity to show the Arabs how Egypt did

Decept It establish its influence there. much better. the Israeli army is. unmediately."

EVEN IF THEY ARE FROM THE FUTURE, HYPNOTISM DOESN'T CHANGE. IT SHOULD WORK ON THEM.

not

By Lee Falk and Phil Davis

IT DOES!

(COPYRIGHT)

EVEN

MAGICIANS Cant Carlsberg