Copy-cat Everest climb successful

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

An international team of mountaineers has climbed Mount Everest using equipment designed in the 1920s.
...
The team says its success shows that George Mallory and Andrew Irvine may have been the first to climb the peak.

They say that it adds weight to the theory that the pair may have made it to the top in 1924, 29 years before Hillary and Tenzing's historic feat.

"Early this morning (Thursday) the expedition team removed the ladder which was bolted to the Second Step , allowing two climbers to free-climb this 100ft rock wall, the last obstacle blocking their route to the summit," a statement released by the Altitude Everest Expedition said.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6752731.stm

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There is, of course, a slight difference between equipment designed in the 1920s, and equipment manufactured in the 1920s. It's thought that one of the reasons Irvine was selected for the final climb, despite his relative inexperience, was that he was good at getting the unreliable oxygen equipment working again. It would be interesting to know how reliable their oxygen equipment has been this time.

[northzax]

1. as to Mallory...

there's the thing about climbing, I personally consider the descent to be part of any successful climb, does it matter if you die on the way up, or the way down, if there is no evidence which one it is? you might say that Mallory ascended Everest, but I don't think you can say he successfully climbed it.

[BootinUp]

3. agreed

but the story of what happened to Mallory is still very interesting, he was a great climber nonetheless.

[shain from kane]

2. Asked the reason for the climb, the members replied, "Because it is there there."