Master and Fellow of Magdalen College, Cambridge
In June 1924, a British mountaineer george lee mallory And young engineering students Andrew “Sandy” Irvin He set off for the summit of Mount Everest and went missing. So far he has lost more than 300 lives and his only casualties were two. Mallory is a graduate of Magdalen College, Cambridge University, which maintains a collection of personal correspondence between Mallory and his wife Ruth. The university has now digitized its entire collection and made it available to the public.You can access and download the letter here.
“It was a real honor to work on these letters.” Katie Green, archivist at Magdalene College, said:. “Is he writing about George’s wife Ruth posting plum cakes and grapefruits in the trenches (he said the grapefruits weren’t ripe enough), or his poignant ending where he says he might climb Everest? 50 to 1 against us.” It provides an interesting insight into the life of this famous Magdalene alumnus.”
As previously reported, Mallory I trusted the man. In response to a question about why he repeatedly risks his life to climb Mount Everest, he uttered the famous line, “Because it’s there.” Mallory, an avid mountaineer, had already visited the mountain twice before the 1924 expedition. The first time he climbed it in 1921 as part of a reconnaissance expedition to create the first accurate map of the area, and again in 1922, his first attempt at a serious ascent. He was forced to turn back on all three attempts. On the third attempt, a sudden avalanche killed seven Sherpas, sparking accusations of poor judgment on Mallory’s part.
Undeterred, Mallory returned to 1924. Fateful Everest Expedition He called off his first summit attempt, but on June 4, he and Irvine departed from Advanced Base Camp (21,330 feet/6,500 meters). They reached Camp 5 on June 6, Camp 6 the next day, and summited on June 8. Team member Noel O’Dell reported seeing two people climbing the first or second stage around 1 p.m. There are clouds again. ”
No one saw Mallory and Irvine again, but their used oxygen tank was found just below the First Steps. Climbers also discovered Irvin’s ice ax in 1933. Mallory’s body was not discovered until 1999, when an expedition sponsored in part by Nova and the BBC discovered it on the north face of the mountain, at an altitude of 8,157 meters (just below Irvin’s axe). was found. The name tag on his clothes read “G. Lee Mallory.” Personal artifacts confirmed his identity, including an altimeter, a pocket knife, snow goggles, a letter, and an invoice for climbing equipment from a supplier in London.Irvine’s remains have never been found despite the best efforts of the National Geographic Expedition in 2019, detailed in a fascinating 2020 documentary I got lost on Everest.
Master and Fellow of Magdalen College, Cambridge
This collection makes for interesting reading. Mallory lived her adventurous life. One of the highlights of the Magdalene College collection is Mallory’s last letter to Ruth before she attempted her fateful final ascent.
“Darling, I hope your fears are resolved before the best news arrives. It will also be the quickest. The odds against us are 50-1, but we will still beat and we will be proud.” Much love to you, George.”
Three of the letters were found in Mallory’s jacket pocket when her body was discovered 75 years after her disappearance, and were in excellent condition. Other letters detailed his experiences at the Battle of the Somme during World War II. The first reconnaissance expedition to Everest. Seven Sherpas lost their lives during the aforementioned second Everest expedition. On a lighter note, there are letters describing his adventures during a 1923 trip to Prohibition-era America. (He would ask for milk in the tavern and have the whiskey served through a secret hatch.) Also, letters from Ruth (including the only surviving letter to Mallory during the Everest expedition) and Malory’s There is also a letter from his sister Mary Brooke.
