mount-everest-the-reconnaissance-1921-howard-bury

First Australasian edition of this sought after account of the the first official attempt to climb Mount Everest. ….

Sydney, 1922, 4to. blue cloth gilt, uncut, a little rubbed, offsetting to end papers as usual, light spotting to leaf edges otherwise in good condition. 356 pp. XII, 33 bw ill. and 3 fold out maps, all in good condition.

Led by Colonel Charles Howard-Bury, with Harold Raeburn as mountaineering leader, and included George Mallory, Guy Bullock and Edward Oliver Wheeler. It was primarily for mapping and reconnaissance to discover whether a route to the summit could be found from the north side. As the health of Raeburn broke down, Mallory assumed responsibility for most of the exploration to the north and east of the mountain. He wrote to his wife: tWe are about to walk off the map... After five months of arduous climbing around the base of the mountain, Wheeler explored the hidden East Rongbuk Glacier and it’s route to the base of the North Col. On September 23, Mallory became the first person to set foot on the mountain and he, Bullock and Wheeler reached the North Col at 7,020 metres (23,030 ft) before being forced back due to strong winds. 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.