1936-03-18 — Page 18

THE HONGKONG TE

LEGRAPHI, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1 8, 1986.

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1933 AND 1936

DEFENCE

here

Everest (centre) and its mighty neighbours, Llotse (on the left) and Makalu (right). Everest i showing its plume of loose snow blow- ing off the summit, which means, says. Lord Conway, that there is a storm

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The

Hongkong Telegraphı.

WEDNESDAY, MAR. 18, 1936.

BRITISH NAVAL

PROGRESS

"

Now that a fifth expedition is In any case this side has so leaving England to try its uncompromising an appearance fortune on Mount Everest, the that it is extremely doubtful moment seems opportune for a whether it could be ascended. description, in some detail, of the It is far steeper than the north dificulties which have hitherto face, but has two points in its proved an impassable barrier to favour: first, the strata dip from youth to north, so that more ac the summit.

commodating ledges might be expected than exist on the north face; secondly, it is protected from the terrific north-west wind which relentlessly sweeps the north face.

These difficutlics may con- veniently be summarised under the heads of

Geographical situation, Mountaineering obstacles, pure

and simple, Meteorological

And Altitude.

phenomena,

The list is perhaps the most important of all, but let us take Two most reassuring facts them in the order named, concerning the efficiency of the

*

*

British Navy, were revealed MOUNT Everest stands on the border between Tibet and Nepal. For political reasons we are not allowed to enter Nepal, and are therefore unable to ex- plore the south face of the moun

mons.

during the debate on the naval estimates in the House of Com

The first is that, thanks to the remarkable development of ships' anti-aircraft batteries, the battleship still remains

tain.

supreme at sea; the other, that NOTES OF THE DAY

Britain has devised an almost

ensures

obstinate become.

bred in the deserts and which bore ever.

*

**

STILL, so long as these rocks remain free from snow, they can be crossed without undue But a fall of snow difficulty. renders them dangerous, for at this altitude it will not be of the kind that gives support to the foot; it will be dry and powdery, enseading off at a touch.

In these conditions the climber can only proceed by laboriously of now before he ventures on- clearing each sloping foothold

to it.

the ascent.

hundred feet are free from difficulty.

climbed while the north-west wind is still strong enough to falls of blow any occasional snow off the slabs. In anything like a normal year we must ex- pect climbing to become impos- sible somewhere about June It will therefore be realised. 15. that our season is a very short

one.

*

Not many years ago it was artificial supply of oxygen could not live at all at above 25,000 feet; at that height the supply of oxygen in the air is only about one-third of that available at sea level. We now know that men can climb unaided to over 28,000 feet and return in safety, but we do not know whether they can reach 29,000 feet and survive.

H

1/2

cham-

APART from the question of artificial oxygen supply, we have to consider the problems of acclimatisation and deteriora- tion. It is generally accepted now that very little useful ac- climatisation can be obtained above 21,000 feet.

think this may be described as our greatest enemy, for there are not many mountains which cannot be climbed on at The mountain, standing as it

The great couloir or gully least one of their faces or angles does near, the eastern end of the

which separates the

resolute final by a compotent and great chain of the Himalayn, is exposed to a wind which has Pyramid from the rest of the party whose strength has not travelled practically the whole north face always has a certain been impaired by prolonged length of the chain, acquiring a amount of snow in it, and has to work in a rarified atmosphere. very low temperature in the pro- be treated with the greatest. caution. Having reached its cess; on its north face the day- western wall, the climber is thought that a man without an light, even in summer, is com- paratively short, the sun being face with what are almost cer- on the wrong side of the mountainly the greatest difficulties of tain for us; and lastly, the mon-

It is impossible to ascend 500n air currents from both the Arabian Sen and the Bay of directly upwards, for the rocks Bengal, especially the latter, there overhang; the climber's attack Mount Everest in full only hope appears to be to make force and render the climbing a diagonal upward traverse along Reason of very short duration.

the west wall of the couloir to. wards a amalt subsidiary gully

Unfortunately, experiments which leads up on to the face of DURING the early stages of the final pyramid. This probably made in decompression

the various attacks on Mount means some 400ft of difficult, bers cannot reproduce all the fool-proof anti-submarine de- WISDOM OF THE EAST

Evereat it was thought that, in and certainly dangerous, climb- data required. In order that vice which

British

the assault parties may have technical mountaineering ing. While Europe' bickers and scarls, a security from this form of at-and treaties and pledges seem to sense, the mountain was easy; have lost their potency as preserva- unfortunately, it has been found

A careful observation of all every possible help, a great at- tempt is being made this year tack. It is therefore clear that, tives of peace. Wisdom is at. work that the higher we go the more available photographs, including to carry oxygen apparatus to on the the defence those taken by the Houston the highest camps does despite the decline in British in the Near and Middle East.

A Pan-Arab Federation, re-

Mount Everest flight of us and mountain. naval strength-now, happily, miniscent of the ideal expressed in

by Mr. Shipton's reconnaissance Up to the foot of the worth party of last year, giveş reason- It is extremely dimcult to de- to be made good-there has been Colonel Lawrence's "Seven Pillars of Wisdom," may be a direct out-

the vise an apparatus which will | no ̄neglect-of-measures-to-en-core-of-the-East-African-conflict, Col, at a height of about 21,000 able assurance that, once sure the fleet being able to give The Bierce, old hatreds which were It, there are no difficulties what western wall of the great couloir-supply oxygen for the period re- has been climbed to the top of quired for the final climb and a good account of itself should fruit in many a bloody war and The ascent to the North Col the little gully at about 28,400ft, which will, at the same time, be

climbers. the necessity ever arise. Much heartless massacre, may be buried involves competent and generally the general slope of the moun light enough to be carried by the

For with nations of Europe build- has been going on behind the ing mighty fleets and armies and very laborious ice work, for we tain cases off. But there are scenes in technical develop-seeking new lands to conquer, Asia are dealing with a steeply falling bands of steep rock across the has awakened to the danger beset- glacier. This, of course, changes face of the final pyramid above ments, and there is thus good ting its frontiers.

its form from year to year, and this, and it would be unwise to This is one interpretation to be each succeeding expedition has assume that the last six or seven reason for believing that in this

placed upon the significant dipio-to find its own route of ascent. respect Britain has kept wellmatic activity in the East. Turkey In 1933 about 40 feet of prac

are leading thetically vertical ice wall had to be

There appears to be a choice abreast of the times. There and Persia

with moves towards closer political has latterly been considerable and economic co-operation. Atten- surmounted, and this threw a of three routes, and a party at divergence of viewpoint in navaltion must also be given to the pact very heavy strain on the men this stage of the climb may have of non-aggression recently nego-who made the first ascent. to make its decision on the spot.

This process implies the mul circles regarding the size of tinted between Turkey, Persia and When all the necessary steps had- Particular care will have to be tiplication of red corpuscles in blood, with consequent battleships, but the conclusion Irak, by arrangements for a visit been cut, and a rope ladder fixed, taken on the descent; it is hoped the

of the Shah of Persia to Baghdad the ascent presented no serious that an assault party may be power to absorb what oxygen Unfor- to have been reached to sign the treaty and iron put difliculites to the rest of the able to fix pitons and very light there is in the air. appears

One of the

the most difficult, tunately there acts in, pari that this type of vessel need not frontier differences.

salient points of this accord is that party and their porters.

sections, in order to steady passu with acclimatisation, a be of mammoth dimensions. On it aims at bringing both the But these slopes have always

their return.

very definite deterioration, shown mainly in loss of this point, a well-known naval powerful Hediaz and the Afghanis to be treated with the greatest tan peoples within its scope, and respect; after a fall of snow they

cular tissue and of power of writer recently, expressed the that Yemen and Transjordania may.

IKE all great mountains, mental concentration. view that in the event of other be drawn in later. The Arabs are may be swept by avalanches, and drawing closer together. And with this face is peculiarly liable to

Mount Everest to some ex- nations constructing huge their unity the fusion of the insidious "wind sl Jorma Lent makes its own weather; but Cold, wind, discomfort, lack battleships-far greater than Moslem world is ne goed as accom-tions, which may break away it is also, owing to its position. of sicep and loss of appetite all anything Britain песіз for plished, according to authorities. with little or no warning, some- subjected to conditions which play their part in this process;

as well as altitude itself. This, if it is nothing more, is times probably owing to sudden, make the climbers' tasks addi- security in home waters-we a sign for would-be cenquerors in jerky movement of the glacier tionally severe.

far, no means has been dis. should not follow suit, but | Afriča and elsewhere to step itself.

covered of keeping this de- should be content to strike out cautiously for fear of trending on have to form an accurate judg The cold air of Tibet, rushing terioration at bay, though it on our old lines, as of yore. The some Moslem toe.

ment of the conditions on each violently southwards to replace varies in degree in different in- rest of the naval world, he

successive day.

the hot air rising from the plains dividuals. The upshot is that, of India, produces 'extremely whether we use oxygen or not; we must proceed as quickly as -relief were that line to be not be served by the building of serious mountaineering difficul- violent winds, rising at times to followed, and the good sense of any more Treaty abortions, such ties are met with until a height hurricane force. There are or possible once the 21,000ft. level the American people would soon as have been built since the war of about 27,000ft has been reach- casional lulls, succeeded at the has been passed.

shortest notice. by tremendous.

The great thing is to prevent. call a halt to a policy of the to suit other countries, but that ed. What is called the #yellow gusts which are a very real deterioration from destroying "Biggest Ever."

The position we should build to our own re-band" begins at that height, and danger to parties on the exposcil the muscular condition of the

is considerably steeper than any north face. is aptly summed up in the words quirements once again, in

elimber. It is practically cer- that it is absurd to go on build-accordance with the considered thing below, but at its eastern Up to about May 20 the cold tain that no man is capable of end it provides a series of fairly ing monstrosities which wo do views of the nation's naval ex-well-defined ledges, on which on the upper part of the moun- going very high on Mount Ever- not want at a price we cannot af-perts. Admittedly, divergencies ordinary mountaineering precau tain is probably too severe for an eat more than once in a given

ascent; from that time, we have season. The crying need of of opinion will continue to tions will insure safety, Britain, according to 'well-exist on certain points, but it As the climber travels west- Informed circles, is for cruisers. seems clear that the time for wards towards the final peak, Seventy is said to be the ac- clear-cut, policies has arrived, however, these ledges become cepted minimum, compatible and it is something to feel that, less and less accommodating: with our worldwide respons- with the technical advances the strata dip more and more

steeply outwards, until the effect so bring about a deposit of snow I, for one, am very hopeful bilities, and at present we are made and with the prospect of is somewhat like that of a steep on the north face; and once this that, if only the weather will woefully short of this number. greater naval strength in the

slate roof. As on a roof, there has happened the mountain be give us, the chance which wo These vessels should be as small days ahead, British security la are no handholds, and the comes unclimbable.

were denied in 1983, possibly as possible consistent with their being built upon firm founda-climber has to proceed in careful Our one definito certainty is two of our very strong party

balance.

that Mount Everest must be will reach the summit. sea-keoping, duties. The view is tions.

thinks, would breathe a sigh of held that British interests will

ford.

Parties working here

Above the North Col no

rope

***

**

#

mus-

So

constantly to keep an eye lifting I have not made this state- for the advent of the warmer air ment of our diffeulties in any currents from the Bay of Ben- spirit of defeatism. We have gal, bringing up the monsoon. now. a clear view of our pro- These in time overcome the blem, and intend to do our best. north-west wind, but in doing to overcome it.