Mount Everest Attempt. Our expedition had as members Jan van Banning, Willem ten Barge, Eelco Dijk, Geert Geuskens, Gerard Jansen, Ronald Naar, Mathieu van Rijswick, Gerard van Sprang, Johan Taks, Han Timmers, Bart Vos, Robert Weijdert and me as leader. Local transport and all further arrangements were in the hands of the Chinese Mountaineering Association. Their fees are stiff in comparison with those in other countries such as Nepal and also some of their services will have to improve, but their spirit of cooperation was excellent and we were, on the whole, very satisfied. We planned to climb the traditional route of the pre-World War II expeditions. We made the following Camps: Base Camp (4 miles south of the Rongbuk Monastery), I, II, III, IV (on the North Col) and V at 17,000, 18,375, 19,700, 21,325, 23,000 and 24,950 feet on August 16, 18, 22, 25 September 16 and October 5 respectively. The delay in establishing Camp V was due to a serious avalanche accident on September 29. One member escaped with bruised ribs, but Dijk broke eight ribs, suffered a punctured lung and was dramatically saved after a bivouac at 22,300 feet, thanks to all expedition members available and the strong support of Tibetan “high-altitude assistant climbers.” He has now recovered. Our high point of 25,750 feet was reached on October 7. In August the mountain was whiter than we had seen in any photograph published before. The conditions leading to the North Col were correspondingly dangerous and led to the accident and a number of narrow escapes later. The traditional approach lines were rejected and a moderately steep (45° to 55°) line was fixed to the left of the sérac zone of the normal way. In the middle of September the monsoon ended, but instead of the usual northerly circulation, fierce southwest winds established themselves. The snow was blown off the mountain in less than a week, leaving no scope for alternative routes. When the winds and temperature of – 35°C continued, the expedition was broken off on October 10. The mountain was absolutely free of cloud most of the time and looked harmless from Base Camp, but above the North Col the wind made life downright dangerous.

Alexander Verrijn Stuart, Koninklijke Nederlandse Alpen-Vereniging