Chapter 27 Chapter 24 Orgasm

The day of success or failure has come.On June 4th, before the sun went down, Norton and Somerwell, or one of them, would be on the summit of Everest, or else they would be frustrated again and must withdraw.The weather couldn't have been better.There was almost no wind and the sun was shining brightly.Alas!Now the weather is favorable and the man is exhausted.If they could have started fresh from the first battalion, walked leisurely on the glaciers, gradually acclimatized to the high altitude environment here, and let others do the hard work, then they would be different people now.Before the expedition left England, Norton did argue that a few more climbers should be invited.At that time, if the sensitivity of the Tibetan government had not been considered, a few more climbers would have been sent here.If there are four more climbers, among other things, the number of animals transporting supplies will increase a lot, and the Tibetan government has long been suspicious of the scale of this annual expedition.

At any rate, Norton and Somerwell got up hopeful.In the beginning, however, a small accident occurred that troubled the traveler: the thermos bottle was corked and the much-demanded hot drink was lost.So, they have to do the tiring job of taking snow and heating it up to make another hot drink.In theory, Everest expedition leaders should watch over the thermos corks, but even on the most disciplined expeditions, accidents do happen. Norton and Somerwell set off at six forty-five, turning right, slanting southwest, along the north face to the summit; A hundred-foot crow.They could have fought their way up the ridge and along it, but they preferred to walk under its shelter; the wind might be too strong on the ridge.The downside of this path is that, in the beginning, they walk in the shadows when they most want the sun.They staggered slowly up a broad rocky couloir, striving toward a patch of sunlight.They walked panting, sometimes slipping from the gravel under their feet, so they were often forced to stop to catch their breath.Finally, they finally got sunlight and began to feel warm.

They crossed a small patch of snow, Norton leading the way with a heroic, beautiful little step, and about an hour after leaving camp, they reached the bottom of the broad yellow band of rock.From a distance, the yellow band of rock is the striking feature of the summit; it is about a thousand feet thick and offers climbers a safe and easy path across a diagonal There is an accumulation of ledges, some more than ten feet wide, all parallel to its general direction, and broken enough to allow climbers to climb from one ledge to another. They are doing well.The weather was perfect.However, when they reached an altitude of 27,500 feet, they began to feel extremely tired.Norton said he felt the freezing cold.They rested countless times along the way, and when he sat down in the sun on one occasion he was still shaking so violently that he suspected malaria.However, he was well clothed with a set of heavy wool bodysuits, a heavy flannel shirt, two sweaters, plus a windproof gabardine pantsuit, which itself was lined with lightweight flannel, and the bottom Stretchable cashmere wool leggings, leather boots with the usual alpine crampons studded sparsely on the soles; Quality windbreaker.Fur was not used due to weight considerations, but it seemed like he should be enough to keep a person warm.To see if he really had malaria, he took his pulse, which surprised him: only sixty-four beats; his pulse was usually low, and this was only twenty beats more than his normal.

Note ① Barbary Burbsys: The brand name of raincoat and waterproof cotton cloth.Annotation Note ② Shackleton shackleton: Irish explorer, born in 1874 and died in 1922.At the age of 27, he began to participate in Antarctic expeditions. He once opened up Antarctic glacier navigation routes and found evidence of Antarctic volcanic activity.Annotation In addition to this cold sensation, Norton also began to experience eye problems.Now, the images he sees are double; sometimes he doesn't even know where to put his feet on difficult sections of the road. Somerwell was also in trouble.For weeks, he had been suffering from a sore throat.Now, from breathing in the dry, cold air at this altitude, the depths of his throat seemed to be burning, which had disastrous consequences for his already bad throat problems.He has to stop and cough from time to time.

The altitude also began to show its power to the two of them.At about 27,500 feet, there was an almost sudden shift, Somerwell said.At a little lower, they were able to walk comfortably, breathing three or four times with each step, but now, with each step forward, they take seven, eight, or ten deep breaths.Even at this slow rate of progress they had to rest for a minute or two every twenty or thirty yards.Norton said that he had ambitiously set a goal: to walk up twenty steps in a row without stopping to rest, that is, to bend his knees and put his elbows on his knees to breathe.However, he does not recall ever reaching that mark.Thirteen steps is the closest achievement to the goal.

Near noon they were at an altitude of about 28,000 feet; by then their endurance was nearing the limit.Where they were, they were just below the upper edge of that band of yellow rock, and were entering a great canyon which cut vertically down the mountain and cut through the majestic north-western ridge the base of the ultimate pyramid.It was here that Somerwell finally succumbed to his sore throat.At this time, he was about to die of a sore throat; if he went any higher, he would surely die.He told Norton that he would only get in his way if he went any further, and suggested that he go up to the summit alone, while he wanted to lie on a sunny ledge and watch him climb.

But Norton itself is far beyond the scope of his ability, so there is not much room for further efforts.He followed the upper edge of the yellow rock belt, which sloped up at a very slight angle, turned into the huge canyon, and traversed it again.But in order to reach the canyon, he had to go around two more projecting buttresses that hang vertically from the mountain face.Here, the march becomes much harder.The slope below him was so steep that the ledges he could stand on were only a few inches wide.As he entered the hollow of the great canyon, a mass of fine snow hid the unreliable foothold.This entire face of the hill is made up of lithographic rocks that look like roof tiles, and the angle of inclination is also very similar to roof tiles.Twice he had to pick up his own steps and turn back, following another layer of rock.And the cliff wall of that huge canyon itself was covered with fine snow, and when he stepped on it, he sank to his knees, or even his waist; if he slipped, the fine snow might not be able to support him.

Out of the canyon, the situation continued to deteriorate.He found himself stepping from tile to tile, each smooth tile continuing downward at a constant angle; he began to feel that he was relying too much on the friction of the crampons against the smooth rock surface .Norton reported: "It's not technically a difficult walk, but it's a dangerous situation for a solo climber without a rope, because if the sole of the foot slips, you will fall 100% to the bottom of the mountain." . The cautious and tense upward movement was beginning to overwhelm Norton, and he gradually felt physically exhausted.In addition, his eye problems were getting worse and becoming a serious handicap.He may have to overcome another two hundred feet of such treacherous travel before he ascends the northern face of the ultimate pyramid and enters the safe, easy path that leads to the summit.But it was one o'clock in the afternoon, and he was going too slowly. Since leaving Somerwell, he had only ascended a hundred feet during the three hundred or so yards; he would have no chance of ascending another eight hundred and seven Sixteen feet, if he wanted to get back safely.So he turned around and walked back.The turning point was later determined by theodolite to be 28126 feet above sea level.

Within three hours of their ascent, Norton and Somerwell had to give up their summit goal.There it was, less than half a mile away, but one by one the climbers were turned back.Eternal glory was almost in their hands, but they were too weak to grasp it.Yet their weakness is not weakness of courage.There is no man in the world with more courage and indomitable spirit than Somerwell, and no one with more tenacity and poise than Norton.They finally reached the end of their resources, and the real reason was best said by their old comrade, Dr. Longstaff, who, in addition to his professional knowledge, had special Himalayan mountaineering experience.

He himself climbed to an altitude of 23,000 feet.He had participated in the Everest expedition in 1922, ascended the 3rd Battalion at a height of 21,000 feet, and knew Norton and Somerwell; he knew the conditions under which they worked; In December 2005, in a speech to the British Mountaineering Association, he said these words: By the time Norton, Somerwell, and Malory set off to the North Col to rescue the four provocateurs, they were exhausted.The harsh weather and rough work of the 3rd and 4th Battalions had eaten them away.Their only chance was to get back to base camp to recuperate.Not only did they not do this, but they even engaged in the extremely sinister and dangerous work of saving lives.That was the number one reason why this whole project fell short.As long as Somerwell can go straight down the mountain to rest, his throat may heal. Norton's visual duplication has nothing to do with his subsequent snow blindness: it is a symptom of central nervous system dysfunction caused by lack of oxygen.But I don't think it's purely due to the altitude they're at, but mostly because they've been overworked for weeks, like a runner who passes out at the finish line.It was the road they had traveled that slowed them down in this final sprint.What they did in such harsh conditions leads me to believe that they would have made it if it had been in their favor.

In short, it was the extra misery of rescuing the four provocateurs, beyond the usual misery of the wind, snow, and bitter cold, that derailed Norton and Somerwell. Through this rescue operation, they reaffirmed the noble comradeship that all mountaineering skills must be based on; but because of this operation, they lost the great feat that was originally at their fingertips. But at least they've accomplished this: They've shown the world that climbing Everest is possible.What they have accomplished under such unfavorable circumstances leaves no doubt that man could have climbed that mountain under normal circumstances.The height they reached was about the same height as the peak of the Kangchenjunga Mountains. Anyone who has seen that world-famous mountain knows how amazing it is. Everest climbers don't go to that mountain for the view.However, those of us who haven't been up there do wonder what the view looks like from above.Coincidentally, both Norton and Somerwell were artists.What do they say?not much.In that exhausting condition, they were unable to have the deep emotions which are necessary for the appreciation of beauty.But their observations are still valuable. Norton said: "The view from that great perch is rather disappointing.From a height of twenty-five thousand feet there is a certain grandeur in the snow-capped mountains, the tangle of winding glaciers in between, and the rutted boulders that run parallel to each glaciers.But now that we are above the tallest mountain in sight, everything below us is flat and many of the beautiful skylines are gone.Looking to the north across the great Tibetan plateau, as far as the eyes can see are endless short mountains. Looking at it like this, all the sense of distance disappears, until the snow peaks protruding like small teeth are reflected in the sky. Only the eyelids can comprehend how far away the beholder is.That day, in the place with the clearest atmosphere in the world, the weather was extremely clear, and those infinitely distant mountain peaks hidden by the horizon sparked my imagination in my heart. Somerwell writes: From the highest point we have come to, I should say, the vastness and splendor of the sights we have seen along the way are beyond words to describe.Gechungkang Peak and Cho Oyu Peak, two world-class mountains, are more than 1,000 feet below our feet.Around them we see a sea of ​​unmistakable pinnacles, all mountains of mountains, and dwarves beneath our feet.The dome of Pumori, the most exquisite satellite of Everest, is but a small embellishment in the vast array of overlapping mountains.Looking across the Tibetan Plateau, a mountain range shimmers two hundred feet away.These landscapes are really hard to describe. Looking at it, I just feel that I am looking at everything in the world from above the world, almost from the perspective of God. Almost God's Vision Sommerwell said.But what if he climbed to the top of the world's tallest mountain?So far he had only seen one side of Everest, and the summit was nearly a thousand feet above him.From the top of the mountain, he could see everything around the mountain; his field of vision was truly God's field of vision.At that moment, Everest humbly fell at his feet, and the superiority of human beings over mountains was established. Insignificant human beings can behave greater than mountains!If he climbs to the top of the peak, he can overlook his vast and far-reaching territory beyond the Indian plateau and the Tibetan plateau, and he can also look along the ranks of many world's highest peaks in the east and west. An honor he would have won largely by the efforts of others and the loyalty of his comrades, but also by his own astonishingly independent struggle.On that cone of the world, in his hard-won glory, the vision he beheld will surely inspire many to climb to their own pinnacle in every field. Such a vision did not entitle Norton and Somerwell, though they were well qualified.They missed it because they had risked their lives for their companions.But they must have always harbored that desire ever since they marched through Tibet, when Everest came into view for the first time; ultimate motivation. How do they feel now that that glory will never be theirs and they must go home?Fortunately, the same external conditions that had dulled their ability to struggle upward now also blunted their sense of disappointment.Norton said he deserved to write about the gut-wrenching disappointment he was supposed to feel, but he couldn't in good conscience say he felt that way at the time.Twice he had to retreat when the weather was nice and success was near, but both times he never experienced the emotions he should have felt in that moment.For this, he believes that it is the psychological impact of altitude.Thinking about it, the ambition and will to conquer seemed to be sluggish; when I turned around and went down the mountain, there was no other feeling except the tension of climbing up and the feeling of relaxation at the end of the struggle. However, that feeling of disappointment still came on the same day.When they got back to the North Col, Malory and Ordell welcomed them, and they kept congratulating us on our estimated 28,000-foot altitude, but we ourselves, apart from being disappointed at our own setbacks, didn't know what to do, he said. There is no other feeling. They were disappointed but did not regret having made the struggle.On June 8, Somerwell wrote from Base Camp: In general, we were both pretty exhausted, but we were lucky to have had such good weather and a good chance to fight our opponents.Nothing to complain about.We have established several camps; the provocateurs have done well.Even at an altitude of nearly 27,000 feet, we can fall asleep.We had a luxurious climbing day: almost no wind, bright sun.However we still could not reach the summit.So we have no excuse. We were beaten in a fair fight; by the height of the mountain and by our own shortness of breath. But the fight was worth it; every single time.