White Limbo: The Classic Story Of The First Australian Climb Of Everest

by Hall, Lincoln

  Our boots were Koflach Ultra Extreme doubles—a plastic shell with Aveolite inner boots. We had Supergaiters glued and stapled to the welt. We wore thermalactyl socks underneath woollen ones. Geof wore vapour barrier socks, which he found good. I used Serval Thinsulate overboots which were very warm but had the disadvantage of not being able to hold cable crampons. The boots which I lost in the bergschrund were large Ultra Extremes with Supergaiters. I had transformed them into triple boots by having the plastic shell heat-stretched and wearing a felt inner between the shell and a smaller Aveolite inner. Since my frostbite in 1978, cold feet had always been a problem. It seemed that these triples were the solution until the avalanche stole them.

  We had Chouinard-Salewa non-rigid crampons and Lowe Footfangs. The Chouinard-Salewas worked better for the small amount of rockclimbing we did, but were less secure on ice. The disadvantage of Footfangs was their weight—a factor not quite compensated for by the ease of fastening and removing them, and their superior holding power. On low-altitude mountains weight is not the major consideration; it is, however, when climbing Everest without oxygen. The crampon which Andy broke on the Yellow Band was one of a pair of old-style Salewas I had bought ten years before and brought along as spares. Ironically, I had not worn these crampons since I was frostbitten on Dunagiri.

  On our heads we wore balaclavas of silk, wool, fibre-pile or Damart thermalactyl, depending on personal choice. Helmets (made by Daylite in New Zealand) were essential protection from the ice which fell down the lower part of the Face. At that time of year the danger from rockfall was minimal. To cut down the weight we carried, none of us wore helmets above Camp III.

  In the selection of our climbing equipment weight was again a very important consideration. Our harnesses were the lightest available, made by Aspiring in New Zealand. Greg had unintentionally tested the strength of these by falling 100 metres while wearing one in South America in 1980. The ice-axes lost in the bergschrund were of titanium alloy. During the short time we used them we found their only drawback (a minor one) to be the extra effort needed when using one to deball snowed-up crampons by tapping them. After their loss we used Chouinard axes with carbon fibre or bamboo handles. Our North-wall hammers were Lowe Hummingbirds which we found to be very good indeed in spite of their weight—very secure and easy to use. Their sliding wrist loop system would probably be valuable on steep frozen waterfalls, but for our purpose it was only a nuisance.

  Our other ice-climbing equipment was fairly standard—snow stakes of different lengths; and an assortment of ice-screws, mostly Chouinard, Snarg and a few Warthogs. Our small rack of rock gear consisted of a few blade pitons, a few nuts and several Friends. We had found the Friends to be very good on the appallingly bad rock of Annapurna II, and the same applied on Everest.

  All our rope was manufactured by Beal. Our lead ropes were 50-metre lengths of 8.8 mm Everdry, and the fixed rope reels of 7 mm static. Past experience had shown that while 7 mm rope is adequate for fixing ice and snow, thicker rope is preferable for rocky ground. On the whole, the Petzl ascenders we used were good, though slightly small for mittened hands. Towards the end of the trip one of Greg’s jammed and was useless. We chose figure-of-eights as our descenders because they are foolproof—an important consideration for oxygen-starved minds.

  For stocking camps up to Camp II we carried our loads in Lowe Expedition packs. They were very comfortable but the shoulder straps had the annoying habit of slipping through their buckles when the pack contained a heavy load. For climbing above Camp III we had special lightweight packs made to my specifications by the New Zealand company, Macpac. Both of these packs were excellent for their different purposes.

  Each of the climbers had two sleeping bags. For use up to Camp I we took Verglas Eggerlite bags from off the rack. On the mountain we had the special bags which we tested on Annapurna II. The shell was made of very lightweight ripstop cut widely (for wearing a down suit inside) and very long with a reinforced foot section (which provided space for keeping our boots and water bottles unfrozen in extreme cold without tearing the lighter fabric of the rest of the bag). The hood was large and the quality of down very high. There was no zip, in the interests of warmth and weight. The filling of down was less than factory textbooks would suggest, but when used in combination with a very light, close-fitting Goretex bivvy bag, extra air was trapped, and it was a very warm place to sleep for a combined weight of 2.4 kilos. Only at Camp IV did we need to sleep in our down suits.

  When we slept on snow or ice—that is, Camp I and above—most of us used two full-length closed-cell-foam Karrimats to sleep on. The extra warmth of two was very noticeable.

  Lowe Super Diamond dome tents provided our shelter from Base Camp to Camp IV. As extra insurance against Everest’s gale-force winds we added four extra guys at the points where the poles crossed. A velcro tab on the inside of the fly held the fly to the crossed poles. On other dome tents the metal poles had occasionally broken at these points in exceptionally strong winds. We also used two Wild Country Quasar tents—it was one of these that was avalanched at Camp 1.8. The other we reserved for high on the mountain, but when Geof turned back, we decided to cram the four remaining people into a single dome and thus save weight. The Lowe Alaska tents which we used up to Camp I proved unsuitable for heavy snowfall.

  The large car-camping tent given to us by the Sydney firm of Goodearl and Bailey proved to be weathertight even when collapsed under thirty centimetres of snow. The giant pyramid tent which was our kitchen and mess tent at Advance Base weighed several yak-loads but was very strong and weatherproof, and roomy enough to provide a comfortable refuge for all of us on bleak days. At Camp I the North Face North Star which we used as a mess tent was cramped with twelve people inside, but very cosy and strong.

  For cooking we used large kerosene stoves at Base and Advance Base. At Camp I we used kerosene in Optimus and MSR stoves, and at Camp II MSRs. The kerosene provided by the Chinese Mountaineering Association was of high quality and we had few of the problems caused by dirty fuel which were familiar to us from Nepal and India. At Camp II and Camp IV we cooked with Camping Gaz stoves (Bluet 200S) with special high-altitude cartridges containing a 60/40 mix of propane and butane. Having used these stoves on Annapurna II, we knew that they had a number of limitations. No other available propane fuel stoves were light enough, and we soon learnt that industrial safety regulations prevented other brands of stove or cylinders from being altered. We took the French Gaz stoves because they were the only stoves which came close to fitting our needs. Having accepted their limitations, we used them satisfactorily at Camps III and IV. When our stoves had difficulty operating because of lack of oxygen, we felt better about not firing on all cylinders ourselves.

  For travel on the snow-covered sections of the glacier we had a choice of cross-country skis and snowshoes. Most of us used skis—metal-edged Kharhu Bearclaw stepped skis with Telemark bindings and Asolo double boots. The worth of the boots was demonstrated when Tim wore them to the summit, having lost his Koflachs in the bergschrund. Equipped with lined Forrest overboots for extra warmth, and Footfangs to provide rigidity, they were a workable solution. Our ski stocks were Raimer Extendables, which could be joined together to make avalanche probes. Because the extended pole tapered at each end and was thick in the middle, it was not easy to probe with—it either jammed or froze if left deep in the snow.

  Our Bollé glacier glasses were excellent in both sun and storms. The leather nose guards were used by some, but were found to be a nuisance by others. High on the mountain we replaced our glasses with goggles to provide protection from the cold as well a the glare. Both Andy and I had prescription lenses made for our glacier glasses. I managed to find a cheap pair of goggles which took prescription lenses—these were not very comfortable, and one of the lenses popped out and rolled down the mountain.

  To send our gear to China we packed breakables in plastic barrels and non-breakables such as tinned food, tents, rope a
nd clothing in kitbags or polyhessian sacks. Everything was first put in plastic garbage bags. Our skis were bundled together and sheathed in kitbags, and these were the only things to suffer more than superficial damage during the long journey to Tibet.

  TIM MACARTNEY-SNAPE

  On a mountain, even more than in normal life, food becomes central to one’s existence. There, one’s supplies must satisfy both psychological and nutritional needs. Food surreptitiously rules one’s life and becomes the raison d’etre for all feelings, negative and positive. High altitude also breeds a serious disinclination to eat, and fussiness about what is eaten increases in direct proportion to the altitude. Not only must food be good nutritionally; more importantly, the climbers must believe it to be good. Any doubts about a food’s worth will render it unappetising to the point of inedibility at high altitude. On a high-altitude climb, food can therefore make the difference between success and failure.

  Our main ethic regarding food was that it should be as natural as possible. Excessively processed, preserved and coloured foods have no place in the diet needed for prolonged periods of constant exertion and mental anxiety that are so much a part of Himalayan climbing. Luckily, the Expedition as a whole had homogeneous tastes and it was not difficult to persuade those who were not vegetarian to become so for the duration of the climb. The difficulty of digesting meat is exacerbated at high altitude and my belief is that it decreases the general efficiency of one’s digestion. Meat also needs more time to cook, so more fuel must be carried; it is difficult to preserve and, if not dehydrated, it is heavy.

  I believe that, from a humanitarian and environmental viewpoint, modern meat production is one of the most deplorable aspects of human development. The Expedition’s success is definitive proof that vegetarianism works in the toughest imaginable conditions.

  Proteins were provided in our diet by cheese, milk powder, a varied selection of nuts, legumes and other seeds, egg powder, and to a lesser extent by grains such as wheat, rice and oats.

  In terms of quantity, carbohydrate was the most important item in our diet, and we relied heavily on sugar, muesli, dried biscuits, chapattis, pasta and potato powder. Rice was the dominant carbohydrate lower down but, because it required pressure-cooking, we did not use it above Camp I.

  Fats were less obvious in our diet but, contrary to popular belief, I believe they have an important role in the perfect high-altitude diet. The fats from nuts, cheese, chocolate and butter act as long-term sources of energy during periods of continuous climbing. Marine lipids, which we took as a dietary supplement, dissolve fats in the bloodstream with the result that blood flow, particularly cardiovascular, is improved.

  An important role was also played by other dietary supplements in the form of organically bound minerals and vitamins, garlic oil and herbal extracts. We are indebted to Bioglan Pty Ltd for providing the Expedition with these supplements.

  Last but not least in our diet was water. Survival at high altitude depends on a high intake of fluids. A minimum of five litres per day is essential, but more is preferable. The main problem is that all water must be melted from snow, an endless and tedious task since snow occupies six to ten times more space than the same weight of water. To entice ourselves to drink more we had a range of beverages: coffee, chocolate powder, soya milk, orange and lemon powder and a variety of teas (of which the tangy ones were most popular high up).

  The form that our food took was determined largely by cost and weight. Weight is critical in the mountains as all supplies have to be carried. Wherever possible, therefore, we used dehydrated food. Freeze-drying preserves food quality best, but on previous expeditions we found that pre-prepared freeze-dried dishes soon became unappetising. On Everest we chose individual products such as vegetables and fruit, and combined them with our own spices and carbohydrate base such as rice or noodles. We found this system to work very well, as we could cater to our varying tastes rather than being forced to eat the unvarying flavours of packaged meals.

  Air-dried foods were cheaper, so we used many of them lower down the mountain. We are grateful to Sanitarium Health Foods for providing us with ample quantities of dried fruit and nuts.

  Fresh food is always best but its availability is limited in the Everest region. The high points of our diet were the fresh vegetables—potatoes, cabbage, carrots, cauliflowers and onions—that we brought with us from Lhasa. The supply ran out towards the middle of the Expedition and only a small quantity of potatoes were available locally.

  We took a few luxury items for boosting morale and stimulating our altitude-jaded tastebuds. Delicacies such as tinned fruit, cream, plum puddings, muesli slices (four hundred of which were generously donated by Buttercup), lots of chocolate and even humble mayonnaise kept us healthily salivating.

  Typical menu for one day at low camps

  (Base Camp, Advance Base, Camp I)

  Awakener

  Milky sweetened tea

  Breakfast

  Porridge and muesli

  Cheese omelette

  Tea, herb tea, chocolate drink or

  instant coffee

  Lunch

  Milky sweetened tea

  Flat bread—chapattis, parathas or

  puris

  Potato and pea curry

  Peanut butter, honey, tahina, jam

  Roasted nuts, cheese

  Teas or coffee

  Afternoon Tea

  Sweet biscuits and tea

  Dinner

  Soup—dehydrated packet soup

  without preservatives

  Rice or noodles with potatoes,

  cabbage, onions, garlic, ginger,

  dried peas or beans

  Tinned or dried fruit with custard

  Hot drinks

  Typical menu above Camp I

  Breakfast

  Tea

  Porridge or muesli

  Tea, herb tea, soya milk or hot

  powdered-orange drink

  Lunch

  Chocolate, nuts, muesli slices

  Water or fruit drink

  Dinner

  Tea and biscuits

  Soup with quick-cooking noodles

  and onions, spices, dried

  mushroom, peas, beans or

  parmesan cheese

  Stewed dried fruit

  Hot chocolate drink

  DR JIM DUFF

  The Expedition’s health was approached in a variety of ways. A sufficient supply of drugs and surgical equipment was carried to treat most medical and a number of surgical problems (Appendix A). As well, acupuncture needles and homoeopathic remedies were used to treat illness in the early stages to reduce the need to resort to possibly debilitating drugs.

  The climbers were nourished by an essentially vegetarian diet which proved acceptable to all. Dietary supplements were taken regularly by all the team. These were chosen for the following reasons and taken in high dosage.

  Vitamin C: Non-healing cuts and abrasions. Cracks at corner of mouth. Cracked lips. Fatigue. Viral infections.

  B complex: Stress. Insomnia. Increased haemopoeisis.

  Evening primrose oil and Marine lipid: Increased blood coagulation.

  Iron: Increased red cell production.

  Calcium: Osteoporosis.

  Various minerals: Decreased immune response. Increased red cell production. Fatigue. Insomnia.

  Acupuncture was used for muscle injuries, back strain, sinus catarrh, headache, cold feet, haemorrhoids and cough.

  Homoeopathic remedies included: arnica for strains and bruises; bryonia for bronchitis; coca for altitude headache; drosera for cough; pulsatilla for catarrh; staphysagria for infection; and rhus. tox. for strains.

  Prior to the Expedition everyone was asked about his previous medical history and allergies to drugs. Blood count, group and antibody testing were performed in order to facilitate blood transfusion between members of the Expedition.

  Eleven Expeditioners spent 65 days at Advance Base Camp (5400 metres) or ab
ove. Most of the time was spent at Camp I (5700 metres). At first the weather was mild with heavy snowfall, gradually becoming colder with less snowfall but more wind. The clement temperatures during the monsoon were a very helpful factor in acclimatising without losing fitness due to cold and wind stress.

  Weight loss varied from three to nine kilograms. Only two of the eleven did not suffer from one or more symptoms of mountain sickness (headache, nausea, insomnia, shortness of breath) on flying from sea-level to Lhasa (3500 metres). (While we were in Lhasa a tourist died of acute mountain sickness following this abrupt ascent.)

  Three people (at least) suffered further symptoms of mountain sickness at Base Camp (5200 metres) after a four-day ascent from Lhasa.

  Colds and diarrhoeas settled soon after achieving the isolation of the mountain.

  Minor ailments included insomnia, diarrhoea, bronchitis, headache, sunburn, rampant dandruff, snow-blindness, cough, back injury, haemorrhoids, cold sores and cold feet.

  Serious illnesses were pulmonary oedema (Expedition interpreter), cerebral oedema (Geof Bartram), frostbite (Andy Henderson) and retinal haemorrhage (Tim Macartney-Snape).

  A case of cerebral oedema (a type of acute mountain sickness) occurred above Camp II at 7300 metres. Symptoms started abruptly and consisted of severe headache, nausea (followed by vomiting), dizziness and mild visual disturbance. All symptoms cleared rapidly on supplementary oxygen at Camp I.

  Equipment failure (metal fatigue, probably cold-induced, in a crampon) necessitated a climber removing his outer gloves at 8500 metres in the shadow of the mountain. Frostbite occurred to most digits but was not recognised immediately and the climber continued to 8800 metres. Rewarming was purposely delayed till the climber had descended the Face. Oxygen, intravenous fluids and large doses of Vitamin C were given. An antibiotic was commenced for the journey home and oxygen administered on the high passes traversed by truck between Base Camp and Lhasa.