1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,960 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you missed in History class from how 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:18,239 Speaker 1: I'm Holly Fry, I'm Tracy B. Wilson. And uh, it 4 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:20,479 Speaker 1: was not all that long ago that mankind was not 5 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 1: entirely certain of how high it could go without a vehicle. Uh. 6 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: And this is actually much more recent history than people 7 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: may realize. It certainly is more recent than I realized. 8 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: If you had asked me prior to researching this topic, 9 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: I would have guessed that the Summit of Everest had 10 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: actually been reached in the late nineteenth century. It does 11 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: seem kind of like a late nineteenth century story. Well, 12 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: and that's where the seeds are sown. Yeah, sure, but no. 13 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: So today we're actually talking about however, became this ultimate 14 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: climbing challenge and how it was first conquered by a 15 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: beekeeper and a Nepalese guide. So we're first going to 16 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: start off by covering the geography pretty quickly. And I 17 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:03,959 Speaker 1: should also say this is going to be a two 18 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,039 Speaker 1: parter because they were took a lot of time and effort. Yes, 19 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: this is an example often when we have two parters, 20 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: it's something that we didn't intend to have a two 21 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: part episode when we started, but the farther we got 22 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: into it, the more we realized we needed more time 23 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 1: than we had. Yeah, there's just and even so I 24 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 1: feel like, you know, a lot is edited out of this, 25 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 1: Like certainly you could expand probably any one of the 26 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 1: expeditions and make it its own episode, because there are 27 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: these really detailed and intense write ups of each expedition 28 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 1: and all of the various things that happened. But this 29 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: time we're going to mostly be covering the time from 30 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 1: when it was recognized by the British, because certainly people 31 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: that lived near it had known about it much longer 32 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: than that, and how it became an important goal for 33 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: many people, and then we'll kind of get to early efforts, 34 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: and then the second episode we'll do post World War 35 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: two through to the Magic Moment and even a little 36 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: bit after that. So heads up, that's where we're going. 37 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 1: So first, we're going to cover a little bit of 38 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: the geography of the area. Mount Everest is part of 39 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: the Himalayan Range, which separates the Tibetan Plateau from the 40 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: Indian plains to the south, and the Himalayan Wall is 41 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: approximately two thousand miles or kilometers long and about three 42 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: hundred miles or four hundred eighty kilometers wide, so in 43 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 1: terms of like one side of the range to the 44 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: other side of the range, rather than the length that 45 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: it runs. Everest sits right on the border between Tibet 46 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 1: and Nepal, just east of Katmandu, and the Mountain range 47 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:37,640 Speaker 1: was formed by the shifting of the Indian tectonic plate 48 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 1: pushing against the Asian plate, and that process, by the way, 49 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: is ongoing, so the Himalayans get a little bit taller 50 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 1: every year. Still, the summit of Everest is recognized as 51 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: the highest point on Earth. It's just a little bit 52 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 1: higher than twenty nine thousand feet or eight thousand, eight 53 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: hundred meters, and it's going up incrementally each year, tiny bits, yes, 54 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 1: no ters at a time. The climate is anything but hospitable. 55 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: Temperatures can drop to negative eighty degrees fahrenheit, which is 56 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: minus sixty two celsius at the summit. The air has 57 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 1: less than a third the amount of oxygen that it 58 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: contains at sea level, and because of the extremes of 59 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: the climate, it can take more than a month to 60 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 1: climb mountain, and a lot of that is so the 61 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: body has time to adjust to this altitude. High altitude 62 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 1: cerebral edema, which is fluid accumulating in the brain, is 63 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: a serious risk and it can not only make climbers 64 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 1: feel weak and lethargic, it can also cause confusion and 65 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 1: lack of coordination, and climbers have been known to start 66 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: talking gibberish and exhibit really poor judgment. And I actually 67 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: have a personal anecdotal thing about altitude sickness that I 68 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: discovered after I was reading on the notes for this 69 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: which is my dad's career military, his career Air Force, 70 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 1: And when I was telling him about this podcast and 71 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 1: that I was working on it, he started telling you 72 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: about this crazy altitude sickness test that they would do 73 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: when he was in the Air Force, where they would 74 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: take everybody up really really high on a plane and 75 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,119 Speaker 1: you kind of had a buddy with you, and half 76 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: of the guys had to take off their oxygen masks 77 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 1: and then they were given a quick, simple four question 78 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:18,600 Speaker 1: tests and they had to answer it as quickly as 79 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: they could, and if they started getting wonky, it was 80 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:24,480 Speaker 1: their buddies job to put the oxygen back on them 81 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: because they were getting altitude sickness, and he was describing 82 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: to me what it was like to kind of have 83 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:33,360 Speaker 1: that inkling of I know something's not right here. He said, 84 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: You know, you'd write the first two questions fine, and 85 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:38,720 Speaker 1: then the third one your pen would trail off the page, 86 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: but you'd think you were still doing it, except you 87 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: would get a flash of I'm not doing it. Oh no, 88 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 1: I'm doing it. Uh. And it was just sort of 89 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: a fascinating insight into how like your brain is tricking 90 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:50,039 Speaker 1: you as you go to think you're okay, you're okay. 91 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,360 Speaker 1: No you're not okay. No, I'm okay, No you're not. 92 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: I can imagine how frightening that is when you are 93 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:00,279 Speaker 1: feet near well. And I think altitude sickness kind of 94 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 1: gets a lot of the press as far as the 95 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 1: health effects of trying to climb this mountain. Yeah, there 96 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: are so many others, like, oh, yeah, the air is 97 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:11,280 Speaker 1: so dry that people will cough until they break their 98 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: own ribs from coughing. Yeah. I was watching a documentary 99 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:17,279 Speaker 1: while work in this and one guy was talking about 100 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: how his the air was so dry and cold that 101 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 1: even in his boots, the skin on his toes started 102 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,800 Speaker 1: to crack open and expose the bone underneath. There were 103 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: other very gross things won't go into. You can go 104 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: to the Mommification podcast for gross. But yeah, I mean 105 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:37,360 Speaker 1: the body is just really put through its paces when 106 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 1: you're getting up at these altitudes. Um Just reaching base 107 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 1: camp on the Nepalese side of the mountain can take 108 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: about ten days and then normally climbers will make a 109 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: series of stepped climbs, like they'll go up a bit 110 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 1: and then they retreated a little bit, and uh, that 111 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 1: will repeat kind of as part of this altitude um 112 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,359 Speaker 1: acclamation and they keep doing that and before there's like 113 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 1: the big push moved of the summit. Yeah, it didn't 114 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: get its famous name until eighteen fifties six, when it 115 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 1: was named after Sir George Everest, Surveyor General of British 116 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:13,080 Speaker 1: India from eighteen thirty to eighteen forty three, who, by 117 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:17,599 Speaker 1: the way, never actually saw Everest the mountain. The people 118 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 1: living around it, of course, had known about it for 119 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 1: a long time before the British put this moniker to 120 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,479 Speaker 1: it and considered it holy. So the people living on 121 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 1: the Tibetan side of the mountain it was Chomo Langma, 122 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:31,359 Speaker 1: which means Goddess mother, and then the Nepalese people to 123 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: the south of it called it Sagarmata. Prior to being 124 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 1: named Everest, British called it Peak fifteen. And I think 125 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:44,040 Speaker 1: this to me is why I this this feels like 126 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: a late nineteenth century story to me, because it has 127 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:50,919 Speaker 1: this whole thread of British colonialism going through it in India. 128 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 1: Uh especially Yeah, I mean, as I said, its roots 129 00:06:55,600 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: are definitely there, and it really sort of loue in 130 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 1: British consciousness in terms of the um the surveyors that 131 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 1: we're doing this for quite some time. Uh. And it 132 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 1: really was that sort of empire mentality that kind of 133 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: I think fostered the It planted the seed and fostered 134 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: the initial ideas of we're gonna go after that thing. Uh. 135 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 1: Even the Shrpa people who lived at the base of 136 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 1: the mountain had never tried to climb it prior to 137 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 1: the British fascination with it. But once Everest had been 138 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 1: identified and named, its Alayre became completely irresistible to explorers. 139 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: As mountaineering, which was still in its infancy in the 140 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: late nineteenth century, grew in popularity among thrill seekers and 141 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: people who sort of had this desire to see what 142 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 1: they could do and what they could conquer. In thirteen, 143 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: Captain John Neal, who was building on the work of 144 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: previous explorers who had been trying to unlock the secrets 145 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 1: of this mountain, got closer to it than any outsider had, 146 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: allegedly coming within forty miles of it. There were a 147 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: number of political issues going on at the time. A 148 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 1: revolution had just ended China's Qing dynasty and Tibet was 149 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 1: making a move for independence, while Russia and Britain were 150 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: engaged in what was called the Great Game as they 151 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: made strategic moves for power in Central Asia. All of 152 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: these complex relationships among nations made it difficult for British 153 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: expeditions to get close to Everest, and Noel was allegedly 154 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 1: shot at by a Tibetan guard. After a survey and 155 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: expedition report was given to the Royal Geographical Society in 156 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 1: London in March of nineteen nineteen by Captain John Noel. 157 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:37,959 Speaker 1: World War One had actually delayed the presentation until then, 158 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: so there were several years gap between when he actually 159 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 1: went on this expedition and when he was able to 160 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: really meet with them and discuss it. In detail, and 161 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 1: in this report he detailed the size and the scope 162 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 1: of the mountain as well as the cultural and political 163 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 1: landscape immediately surrounding it. And as a consequence of all 164 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: of this information, the Mount Everest Committee was founded. And 165 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:01,680 Speaker 1: this committee, which was undon and staffed as a cooperative 166 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 1: effort primarily between the Alpine Club and the Royal Geographical Society, 167 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: which were both British organizations, was focused solely on ascending Everest. 168 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:13,320 Speaker 1: Like even though it had been talked about kind of 169 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:18,200 Speaker 1: in adventurer circles and in the Geographical Society, this was 170 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 1: like the first time that they really there was pen 171 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:23,320 Speaker 1: to paper, there was a plan, there was a committee founded, 172 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 1: We're going to Everest. In nineteen twenty, the m EC 173 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: negotiated with His Holiness the thirteenth Diali Lama, who gave 174 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:36,440 Speaker 1: special permission to the committee so climbers could access the 175 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 1: north side of the mountain via Tibet. And throughout the 176 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 1: early history of Everest assent attempts that m EC was 177 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:45,679 Speaker 1: frequently in talks with Tibet to try to get permission 178 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 1: for each of their climbs and expeditions to climb the 179 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:53,320 Speaker 1: mountain began almost immediately after they got this permission. So 180 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 1: when the Mount Everest Committee launched their ambitious campaign, the 181 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:59,439 Speaker 1: highest the human had ever climbed was twenty four thousand 182 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:03,360 Speaker 1: feet just uh seven thousand, three fifteen meters in the 183 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:06,800 Speaker 1: Karacorum Range, which sits at the border of China and Pakistan. 184 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:10,960 Speaker 1: No one actually knew if anyone could survive the conditions 185 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:13,600 Speaker 1: beyond that height, so they kind of knew they were 186 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:16,960 Speaker 1: throwing people into they didn't kind of know. They knew 187 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:19,479 Speaker 1: they were just throwing people into a potential death situation. 188 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 1: So before we get to really the big expeditions, do 189 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: you want to take a moment and to have a 190 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 1: word from our sponsor? Sure, alright, alright, So getting back 191 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:34,520 Speaker 1: to Everest, we're going to start with the first official 192 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 1: British mission and this is and this first expedition was 193 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 1: really reconnaissance only. Uh. The effort was led by Brigadier 194 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 1: General Charles Granville Bruce, who was a man who had 195 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 1: actually first discussed this idea of climbing Everest several decades 196 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:54,000 Speaker 1: earlier at the Royal Geographic Society. Bruce, who went by 197 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:56,720 Speaker 1: the nickname Bruiser, was a veteran climber and he was 198 00:10:56,720 --> 00:11:00,200 Speaker 1: a fluent Apoli speaker. So the team mapped a coach, 199 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: reached to the mountain and climbed it to about twenty 200 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:06,040 Speaker 1: three thousand feet which is about seven thousand meters, but 201 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:09,720 Speaker 1: that they had no intention of trying to get to 202 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:12,840 Speaker 1: the summit at this point. Yeah, I mean they really were. 203 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:16,679 Speaker 1: As much as there was this um desire and you know, 204 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: passion to get to the summit, they were going about 205 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:20,640 Speaker 1: it in a pretty methodical way. They were trying to 206 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:23,200 Speaker 1: be very careful and gather as much information as they could. 207 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 1: So uh. In ninety two. The next year, an expedition 208 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:30,760 Speaker 1: that was led by George Ingle Finch made the first 209 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 1: real go at Everest and George Finch had been born 210 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:37,000 Speaker 1: in Australia but raised in Switzerland, and he had attended 211 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:41,400 Speaker 1: Geneva University while studying the physical sciences. Thanks to his 212 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:44,880 Speaker 1: chemistry knowledge, Finch was actually a pioneer in developing the 213 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 1: oxygen that was used not only on his climb, but 214 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: on many many expeditions after it. Major General John Jeffrey Bruce, 215 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:57,320 Speaker 1: who was cousin to Charles Grahamville Bruce accompanied Finch, although 216 00:11:57,320 --> 00:11:59,959 Speaker 1: he wasn't a mountaineer and had never made a climb before, 217 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:03,960 Speaker 1: and this trek, as well as many after its, traveled 218 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:07,680 Speaker 1: along the Tibetan Plateau and followed the East Wrongbuck Glacier, 219 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:10,840 Speaker 1: attempting to ascend Everest from what's called the North Cole. 220 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:14,880 Speaker 1: Despite Jeffrey Bruce's lack of experience, this team set a 221 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 1: record by ascending to twenty seven thousand, three hundred feet, 222 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 1: which is about eight thousand three although they did not 223 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 1: get to the summit. After they returned to London, uh 224 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:28,240 Speaker 1: Finch actually had a falling out with the Mount Everest 225 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:31,400 Speaker 1: Committee and he never climbed in the Himalayas again. He 226 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:34,559 Speaker 1: did remain involved with mountaineering, though, and he eventually became 227 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:36,839 Speaker 1: president of the Alpine Club, which is one of the 228 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:41,080 Speaker 1: groups that originally formed the MBC. The nineteen twenty four 229 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: Mallory and Irvine expedition is famous, in large part because 230 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:48,680 Speaker 1: of the tragedy associated with it. Two lives were lost 231 00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 1: in this quest for the summit. George Herbert Lee Mallory, 232 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 1: who was thirty eight at the time, was an extremely 233 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 1: accomplished climber. He had been on the previous Mount Everest 234 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:02,319 Speaker 1: Committee expedition, and he was considered the most skilled climber 235 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 1: of their group. On the other hand, Andrew Comban Irvine, 236 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:09,480 Speaker 1: who went by Sandy, wasn't terribly experienced as a mountaineer, 237 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:12,559 Speaker 1: and he was also very young. He was only twenty one. 238 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 1: He was really fit and agile, however, and he was 239 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:19,679 Speaker 1: originally chosen for the mission to assist the oxygen officer 240 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 1: Noel O'Dell. And O'Dell served as geologist as well as 241 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 1: oxygen officer on the expedition, and he was actually the 242 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:31,640 Speaker 1: last to see Mallory and Irvine alive. Despite Irvine's lack 243 00:13:31,679 --> 00:13:34,559 Speaker 1: of experience, due to his physical fitness, he was chosen 244 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:36,880 Speaker 1: by Mallory it's a partner with him on this final 245 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:40,720 Speaker 1: upward surge. Irvine's other skill that made him the perfect 246 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:44,560 Speaker 1: partner was his knowledge and dexterity with the oxygen tanks 247 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:46,960 Speaker 1: that are used on the mountain. Yeah, we'd think of 248 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:49,280 Speaker 1: oxygen tanks now, I think is being this thing that 249 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 1: gets shipped to you and it's main in factory and 250 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:54,600 Speaker 1: they're they're well made, and they really were very fiddly, 251 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 1: particularly at this point. They would have problems with the lines. 252 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:00,120 Speaker 1: They would you know, need to have things replaced on 253 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:03,840 Speaker 1: the go well, and even modern tanks, they don't make 254 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 1: it equivalent to being anywhere near sea level. It's like 255 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:13,600 Speaker 1: barely taking the edge off of the whole oxygen deprivation situations. Yeah, 256 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:16,280 Speaker 1: and they had to be extremely careful with their use 257 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 1: of it because they had limited amounts that they could 258 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:25,360 Speaker 1: carry with them and limited time in which they could 259 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 1: just physically make it up and down the mountain, and 260 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 1: they had to kind of meet out their oxygen usage 261 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:33,240 Speaker 1: to try to perfectly align with what they were going 262 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 1: to need as they went. Uh. And it's worth noting 263 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 1: that on previous expeditions Mallory had been against the use 264 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 1: of oxygen. He wanted to summit without aid, but he 265 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: really began to change his mind this time around. Irvine, 266 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 1: who as we said, was expert at dealing with the 267 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 1: notoriously problematic and heavy tanks, had also found a way 268 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 1: to revise them to make them five pounds lighter. I 269 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 1: think I read a thing and I didn't put it 270 00:14:57,040 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 1: in these notes that that was basically a change of 271 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:01,520 Speaker 1: they had been their five pounds and it brought them 272 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 1: down a thirty. So it wasn't like they were, you know, 273 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: light and breezy to carry that's still a lot of 274 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:10,680 Speaker 1: weight when you're exhausted and can't breathe very well. Yeah. 275 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 1: So already two pushes to the summit without oxygen tanks 276 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 1: by the expedition had failed, reaching only twenty eight thousand ft. 277 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:24,840 Speaker 1: So they tried this third attempt aid aided with oxygen 278 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 1: uh and in the early afternoon on June eight, Noel O'Dell, 279 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: who was trailing the two men in a support position, 280 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 1: saw the pair near the base of the summit pyramid, 281 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 1: and this is the last time that they were seen alive. 282 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: A snowstorm blew in and Odell fell back to the 283 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 1: north coal and kept watch for movement from above, and 284 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:49,640 Speaker 1: after two days with no sign of Mallory or Irvine, 285 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 1: he climbed up to the tent they had left to 286 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 1: make their summit charge, but they weren't there, and there 287 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:57,240 Speaker 1: were no signs that they had ever made it back 288 00:15:57,240 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 1: to the camp. O'Dell thought they had been sure to 289 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:02,840 Speaker 1: summit when he saw them last, as they were going 290 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 1: very strong when he spotted them, although we do not 291 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 1: know to this day for certain if they ever did 292 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 1: reach the top of the mountain. The other thing that 293 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 1: most people remember about this expedition is a famous quote 294 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 1: from Mallory. While touring the United States on a fundraising 295 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: tour for the trip. In three a New York Times 296 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:23,280 Speaker 1: journalist asked him why he wanted to climb ever Everest, 297 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,680 Speaker 1: and his response was because it's there. And that's usually 298 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:29,720 Speaker 1: all you hear. I mean, that's famously quoted. Well, and 299 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:32,240 Speaker 1: when you said, you were doing these notes about how 300 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:34,640 Speaker 1: horrible it is to try to do it, and you're like, 301 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 1: why do people do this? And I said, because it's there. 302 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:39,600 Speaker 1: Because that's one of the sort of sound bites that 303 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 1: we've heard through the years. Uh. And the quote has 304 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 1: been criticized as everything from being callous, ecocentric, flippant, and 305 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: even as evidence of this mindset of ongoing British imperialism. 306 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 1: It's pretty much impossible to talk about this whole thing 307 00:16:55,760 --> 00:17:02,400 Speaker 1: without acknowledging how routed it is in British imperiods. Yeah. Uh, However, 308 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,119 Speaker 1: there was actually more to this response. That isn't the 309 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 1: only thing he said. It wasn't like he dropped the 310 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 1: mic and walked out. It does sound like a mic 311 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:13,640 Speaker 1: drop kind of quote. Mallory went on to say Everest 312 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:16,160 Speaker 1: is the highest mountain in the world, and no man 313 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:20,119 Speaker 1: has reached its summit, its existence as a challenge. The 314 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 1: answer is instinctive apart I suppose of man's desire to 315 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:28,840 Speaker 1: conquer the universe. So still a little eccentric, but also 316 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:31,080 Speaker 1: you could see the route that it's he's kind of 317 00:17:31,119 --> 00:17:34,880 Speaker 1: acknowledging that there's this psychological drive that we have when 318 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:38,159 Speaker 1: you can also make the same kind of arguments for 319 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:42,360 Speaker 1: exploring things like space and the ocean. Exactly. I keep 320 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:44,440 Speaker 1: in mind at this point that both of the poles 321 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:47,280 Speaker 1: had already been reached and virtually every corner of the 322 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:52,439 Speaker 1: world had been explored, so to explorer adventurers who you know, 323 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:57,280 Speaker 1: we're definitely a type of person that was very much 324 00:17:57,280 --> 00:17:59,880 Speaker 1: in the public eye at this point. Everest was really 325 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 1: the last unturned stone on the globe. Yeah, they forgot 326 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:05,879 Speaker 1: the ocean. I know, That's how I keept thinking, like, 327 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 1: but what about below? But they weren't as excited about 328 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:11,000 Speaker 1: the water. I guess I am really excited about the ocean. 329 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:13,960 Speaker 1: I wish they would be a big ocean exploration. Well, 330 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:16,119 Speaker 1: there's lots of them. Perhaps we'll talk about them in 331 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 1: the future. In nineteen seventy five, a Chinese climber found 332 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:24,480 Speaker 1: a body at twenty seven thousand feet which is eight thousand, 333 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:27,840 Speaker 1: two hundred thirty which may have been Irvine. And then 334 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 1: an expedition in May of nineteen ninety nine found Mallory's 335 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: frozen corpse on the mountain at twenty six thousand, seven 336 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:38,399 Speaker 1: hundred sixty feet, which is eight thousand, one one hundred 337 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 1: fifty seven. So at this point they've been on the 338 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:44,560 Speaker 1: mountain for seventy five years, and there have been recent 339 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:49,000 Speaker 1: expeditions in twenty eleven to search for Irvine. Those have 340 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:52,680 Speaker 1: not been successful. Yeah, they want to confirm whether or 341 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:56,360 Speaker 1: not that Chinese climber actually found the body of Irvine. Uh. 342 00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:58,879 Speaker 1: And there's also a camera that the pair took with 343 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 1: them that was borrowed from another member of their team 344 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:06,000 Speaker 1: that still sits somewhere on Everest Uh. If it were 345 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:08,520 Speaker 1: to be found, it could be the piece of evidence 346 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:11,480 Speaker 1: that people need to determine whether or not they ever 347 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: reached the summit. Yeah, and there's been a lot of 348 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:15,640 Speaker 1: theorizing about whether they did or didn't based on where 349 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:20,400 Speaker 1: their body were, like where Mallory's body was found. Yeah. Um, 350 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:25,120 Speaker 1: you know, Mallory's body was definitely injured, although found so 351 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,800 Speaker 1: late that any number of things could have transpired in 352 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:31,680 Speaker 1: the the various years, so it's still a bit of 353 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:33,800 Speaker 1: a mystery, and one that if you look at any 354 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:37,440 Speaker 1: like Everest message boards or discussion groups or anything, is 355 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 1: still hotly debated, which is kind of love. Um, before 356 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 1: we get to the next expedition, we're gonna take a 357 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 1: quick break and hear from a word about our sponsor. 358 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:50,760 Speaker 1: So let's return to our subject at hand. So in 359 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:55,919 Speaker 1: ninety three, expedition headed by Hugh Rettledge was unsuccessful at 360 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:59,280 Speaker 1: reaching the summit. Retledge, and he was in his late forties, 361 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 1: was kind of an an usual choice for the team leader. 362 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 1: He wouldn't really be able to make any summit pushes 363 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 1: and he walked with a limp from an old injury. 364 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:12,679 Speaker 1: To summit attempts were made during this expedition uh and 365 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:16,280 Speaker 1: reached a height of twenty twenty feet or eight thousand, 366 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:19,560 Speaker 1: five hundred sixty fives and a third go at the 367 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 1: summit was actually abandoned pretty early on. They realized that 368 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:25,440 Speaker 1: conditions were not going to be successful, so that pretty 369 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:28,960 Speaker 1: much wrapped up the whole trip. Another year later, in 370 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:32,959 Speaker 1: ninety four, an expedition that was not mounted by the 371 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:39,119 Speaker 1: MBC was undertaken by Maurice Wilson. Wilson pretty foolishly tried 372 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:43,600 Speaker 1: to summit Everest alone, despite having no experience in glacier climbing, 373 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,439 Speaker 1: and you can imagine how that ended. He died on 374 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:50,679 Speaker 1: the mountain. Yeah. The night before Wilson left for this 375 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:54,879 Speaker 1: Everest adventure, a British paper called his plan quote an 376 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:57,800 Speaker 1: elaborate suicide, which turned out to be all too true. 377 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:01,280 Speaker 1: It apparently also really irritated him and he was something 378 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 1: of like a I don't even know if daredevil is 379 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:05,760 Speaker 1: the right word, but he would get a wild hair 380 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 1: and do things he had never done before, like I'm 381 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:10,320 Speaker 1: a fly play across I think the Alps, Like I know, 382 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:13,159 Speaker 1: he he had never piloted. He just jumped in. I 383 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:14,880 Speaker 1: need to fact check all of this, but I mean, 384 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: reading about him, he just did lots of crazy stuff 385 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:19,400 Speaker 1: like that. It does seem a little like he had 386 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:25,160 Speaker 1: a death wish. I don't understand it. I'm like, why 387 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:27,920 Speaker 1: when there's a cozy home well, and I think that 388 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:32,960 Speaker 1: I've seen like the big Imax movie about Everest, which 389 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:36,159 Speaker 1: is about that summer a few years ago when so 390 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:40,080 Speaker 1: many people died um and at the beginning of it, 391 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:42,960 Speaker 1: I was like, maybe I could go home Everest one day, 392 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:46,520 Speaker 1: and within about I know, six six minutes, I was like, 393 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:50,160 Speaker 1: this is never a thing I will forever do. Yeah, 394 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:52,719 Speaker 1: I'm in the same boat. I think it's beautiful when 395 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 1: I understand the allure. But no, No. In ninety five, 396 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 1: Eric Earl Shipton let an other expedition, and he had 397 00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:04,480 Speaker 1: been on many Everest climbs already, and he was on 398 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:07,080 Speaker 1: one of the summit pushes during the nineteen thirty three 399 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:12,000 Speaker 1: Rutledge expedition. In nineteen thirty five, this was another reconnaissance 400 00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:15,080 Speaker 1: mission that was meant to gather information to prepare for 401 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 1: a summit attempt the next year, and according to his 402 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:21,960 Speaker 1: write up, he had several specific goals. Yeah, the expedition 403 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 1: was aiming to collect information about monsoon and snow conditions. 404 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 1: They wanted to look at possible alternate routes to the summit. 405 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 1: They wanted to report on ice formations on the North 406 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:36,080 Speaker 1: Coal so proper equipment choices could be made. They were 407 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:38,879 Speaker 1: going to try out new mission personnel. They were going 408 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:41,640 Speaker 1: to experiment with food and equipment provisions to make sure 409 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 1: they were carrying exactly the right amount, not overweighing themselves, 410 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:46,960 Speaker 1: not being under prepared, and they were going to perform 411 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:51,159 Speaker 1: stereo photogramic survey of the surrounding area of Everest so 412 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:53,399 Speaker 1: that they could expand on the survey work that was 413 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 1: done by the first reconnaissance mission in ninety one. So 414 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:58,359 Speaker 1: at this point they had had several missions and they 415 00:22:58,359 --> 00:23:00,440 Speaker 1: hadn't made it, so they kind of were like, let's regroup, 416 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:05,600 Speaker 1: do some more recon and put together another report. This 417 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:08,960 Speaker 1: expedition is noteworthy for the presence of one of the porters, 418 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 1: tens Ignore Gay, and while the five trip was his 419 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:16,040 Speaker 1: first Everest climb, he would become a hugely important figure 420 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:21,119 Speaker 1: in Everest history. And this expedition also found Maurice Wilson's 421 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:24,399 Speaker 1: body and diary, so the gentleman who went at this 422 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:28,400 Speaker 1: alone was discovered by these people. In nineteen thirty six, 423 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:30,879 Speaker 1: Rutledge led a bid for the summit a second time. 424 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:34,040 Speaker 1: While he had already led one team, the Mount Everest 425 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:36,920 Speaker 1: Committee appointing him as leader was a little bit controversial. 426 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: During his earlier expedition, his leadership had been questioned and 427 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:44,359 Speaker 1: many felt that someone both physically stronger and more assertive 428 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:47,159 Speaker 1: would be a better choice. Although he seemed to be 429 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:50,359 Speaker 1: universally liked. Yeah, everybody seemed to like him. They just 430 00:23:50,359 --> 00:23:52,919 Speaker 1: thought he really wasn't the ideal man to lead a 431 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:56,240 Speaker 1: team going up a mountain that was extremely physically demanding, 432 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 1: needed really strong leadership. It's like, he's a nice guy, 433 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:01,920 Speaker 1: but he's not for this. Uh. And this is also 434 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: interesting because it's the first time that radio sets were 435 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:06,840 Speaker 1: included as part of the equipment. So prior to that 436 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: there had been no radio communications done during any of 437 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:14,439 Speaker 1: the expeditions. This expedition, which once again included sharp Atten signor, 438 00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:18,200 Speaker 1: had to be terminated early because of an early monsoon, 439 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 1: and they didn't make any summit pushes. A nineteen thirty 440 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:24,640 Speaker 1: eight attempt was headed up by Harold William Tillman, who 441 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:27,760 Speaker 1: had also been on the nineteen thirty five reconnaissance expedition, 442 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:31,680 Speaker 1: and despite having had a lot of difficulty with acclimatizing 443 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:34,440 Speaker 1: during that nineteen five trip, Tillman was able to climb 444 00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:36,919 Speaker 1: up to twenty seven thousand feet or eight thousand, two 445 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:40,359 Speaker 1: hundred thirty meters, taking a route along in Northwest Ridge 446 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:44,040 Speaker 1: without the aid of oxygen. As with the nineteen thirty 447 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:46,720 Speaker 1: six expedition. This mission was cut short due to bad 448 00:24:46,760 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 1: weather conditions. Noel O'Dell, the geologist who had made the 449 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:54,199 Speaker 1: last exchange with Mallory and Irvine, was also on this expedition, 450 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 1: and then, uh, world affairs kind of got in the 451 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:03,159 Speaker 1: way of this exploration. World War two really put a 452 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:06,600 Speaker 1: stop to the expeditions, in part because the political landscape 453 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: made permissions to enter the areas you would need to 454 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:13,040 Speaker 1: access the mountain almost impossible to obtain, and also because 455 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:16,440 Speaker 1: British resources were obviously focused elsewhere. So that's where we're 456 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:19,560 Speaker 1: gonna pause. Yeah, we'll come back in part two to 457 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:22,320 Speaker 1: talk about what happened after the war was over. Yeah, 458 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 1: because we haven't gotten to the summit. We really haven't, 459 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:29,000 Speaker 1: in spite of many years trying reconnaissance missions the whole nine. 460 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:33,520 Speaker 1: It's uh so fascinating to me to think of this 461 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:36,159 Speaker 1: ongoing effort of just throwing people at it over and 462 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:39,679 Speaker 1: over trying to get this one thing. And you have 463 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:42,679 Speaker 1: to wonder, like, at some point, I'm sure they were 464 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:44,760 Speaker 1: discussing it, like what did this mean to them? And 465 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:47,639 Speaker 1: why were they so intent on it? But yeah, I 466 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:49,199 Speaker 1: think that answer is probably different for a lot of 467 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,080 Speaker 1: people even today that do it. But do you also 468 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:54,560 Speaker 1: have some listener mail I do. Indeed, this one is 469 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:57,439 Speaker 1: from Ellen and she says, Hi, Holly and Tracy. I 470 00:25:57,480 --> 00:25:59,720 Speaker 1: was pleasantly surprised when I saw your podcast on Crown 471 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:01,920 Speaker 1: Print Sado. I was a bit of of a history 472 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 1: junkie during my childhood in Korea. Sato's tragic fate is 473 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:07,880 Speaker 1: such a popular story in Korea, and it has been 474 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 1: constantly retold with creative license in Korean literature and even 475 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:14,439 Speaker 1: TV series. I thought it might be interesting to hear 476 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:17,040 Speaker 1: your perspective, especially as someone who had not had exposure 477 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 1: to this story before. I thought I knew the story 478 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:22,960 Speaker 1: pretty well, but your podcast was full of surprises. I 479 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:25,720 Speaker 1: may be over generalizing here a bit, but Prince Sotto 480 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:28,160 Speaker 1: is often portrayed in Korea as a victim of political 481 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:31,199 Speaker 1: power play, and some historians even go so far as 482 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:33,880 Speaker 1: to say that Lady Hong was involved in conspiring against 483 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:36,600 Speaker 1: the Prince. But all of the details that you've included 484 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:38,600 Speaker 1: in the podcast really seemed to make the case that 485 00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 1: Soto was a deeply troubled serial killer. It prompted me 486 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:43,639 Speaker 1: to do a little bit more research, and the main 487 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:46,480 Speaker 1: supporting evidence for this conspiracy theory seems to be the 488 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: obituary was written by Jong Joe, Sato's biological son. Here, 489 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:54,720 Speaker 1: Jong Joe portrays Sato as a bright prince who rolled 490 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:57,960 Speaker 1: out good policies and emphasizes that political factions at the 491 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 1: time drove a wedge between Sto and his father, Young Joe. 492 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 1: Prince Sotto was also posthumously given the title of King 493 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 1: Jong Joe in. I just wonder why they would honor 494 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:10,960 Speaker 1: him like that given all the terrible things he's done. 495 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:13,320 Speaker 1: I'm still a bit unsure of how to make sense 496 00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 1: out of all of these theories. But thank you for 497 00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:17,400 Speaker 1: re sparking my interest in history. I had a good 498 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:20,360 Speaker 1: time looking up and evaluating various theories and ideas surrounding 499 00:27:20,359 --> 00:27:22,840 Speaker 1: Prince Sotto. I hope you do more similar podcasts like 500 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:26,280 Speaker 1: this one. Uh. Yeah, it's an interesting story and some 501 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:29,080 Speaker 1: of that came up in my research, where he has 502 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:32,159 Speaker 1: been sort of framed in different ways throughout history, but 503 00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:35,160 Speaker 1: as sort of the evidence has come to pass, and 504 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: as I said, his widows biography was hugely important in 505 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:42,440 Speaker 1: kind of revealing what was really going on, which I 506 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:44,680 Speaker 1: don't even think is entirely at odds with the way 507 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:49,560 Speaker 1: she's describing him as being portrayed a lot um. I 508 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 1: don't think he was inherently intentionally a bad person. I 509 00:27:55,119 --> 00:27:57,360 Speaker 1: think he was just mentally ill, and it was two 510 00:27:57,440 --> 00:27:59,800 Speaker 1: sides of his psyche that we're fighting against each other 511 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:05,240 Speaker 1: at all times. It is. It's also just fascinating and 512 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:08,080 Speaker 1: I love hearing about Asian history, and so it was 513 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 1: nice to get the perspective from someone that grew up 514 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:14,360 Speaker 1: in Korea and spent time with the story from uh, 515 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:17,000 Speaker 1: the childhood perspective on up, which is really cool. So 516 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:20,119 Speaker 1: thank you, Ellen, because that was awesome. UH. If you 517 00:28:20,119 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 1: would like to write to us, you should do so. 518 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 1: You can do that at History Podcast at Discovery dot com. 519 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:27,640 Speaker 1: You can also connect with us at Facebook dot com, 520 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:30,879 Speaker 1: slash missed in history, on Twitter at misst in history 521 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:34,840 Speaker 1: at misston history dot tumbler dot com, and on pinterest 522 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:38,120 Speaker 1: dot com slash missed in History. If you would like 523 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:41,600 Speaker 1: to learn more about what we've talked about today, you 524 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:43,920 Speaker 1: can go to our website and enter the word Everest 525 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 1: in the search bar, and one of the things that 526 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:48,360 Speaker 1: will come up is are their dead bodies on Mount Everest? 527 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:52,040 Speaker 1: The short answer is yes, yes, so many talked about 528 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:53,840 Speaker 1: a couple of them, but there are many, many more, 529 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:55,920 Speaker 1: and a lot of other stuff too. Oh yes, we're 530 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:58,920 Speaker 1: gonna talk about that in episode two. Uh so, we 531 00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:00,760 Speaker 1: hope to see you back here in the meantime. 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