Hell for Leather The report says that the expedition is
being criticised in Russia; the critics maintain that its equipment was too heavy and that it was foolish to dispense completely with the services of Tibetan porters during the ascent from the base-camp. One count on which it can hardly be criticised is the speed of its movements. The leader, Dr. Deschnolian, flew forty men and their equipment from Moscow to Lhasa, marched them 300 miles to the Rongbuk Glacier, established a base-camp and began the ascent all in one month; and less than four weeks later he and his assault party—carrying all their own gear, including a portable wireless set which gave them daily contact with Moscow—had established Camp 8 within 2,000 odd feet of the summit before being, it is feared, overwhelmed by an avalanche. The Russians must have moved at a spanking pace; but they can scarcely have gone so fast as to be invisible to the naked eye, and it is odd that Sir John Hunt's party, approaching later from the other side of the mountain, heard nothing of them, for there is a continual trickle of news over the Himalayan passes. The fact that Russian official sources have made no mention of the expedition is presumably due rather to modesty than to chagrin; for its achievements were in many respects fabulous.
Previous page
