Hard days and harder nights for the Expedition

8th May 1924

When Capt. Bruce arrived at Camp II on May 8, he expected to meet only the cook and a couple of porters, instead of which he found it fully occupied. Norton was there as well and it soon became clear that there had been some kind of major breakdown in the line, and morale was low. While Norton was devising a new plan, Sandy was still up at Camp III, which had been affected by high winds and low temperatures.

Odell and Somervell considered the weather too inclement for a further foray towards the North Col so they remained in Camp III where they were all joined by Bruce, Norton, Mallory and a few porters at lunchtime. The porters in Camp III were in a worse state than ever. Bruce’s reserve porters were, however, much fitter, and they set about helping their friends and proving themselves to be invaluable in raising spirits. 

Meanwhile the climbers all lay down in their tents as the wind got up and the blizzard intensified. That night there was little sleep for anyone. ‘Had a terrible night with wind and snow. I don’t know how the tent stood it, Sandy wrote, ‘very little sleep and about 2"" of snow over everything in the tent'.  Norton, realising what a toll the six nights at Camp III had taken on Mallory and Sandy, decided that in order to conserve fuel and to give the two a respite they should descend to Camp II. Sandy was suffering not only from an altitude-induced headache but from severe dehydration.

He had neither eaten nor, more importantly, drunk sufficient quantities for several days and the result was that when he and Mallory set off down the glacier towards Camp II he was very close to collapse. But the storm continued, and it became obvious to Norton that there was no other course open but to retreat. The temperature at night plummeted again to —21° F (—30° C) and sleep was impossible. The next morning Camp III was evacuated, the tents were collapsed and Norton and Somervell made lists of what was left in the camp.