Another retreat for Mallory

1st June 1924

Mallory and Bruce succeeded in establishing Camp V about 200 feet higher than the 1922 site, but the wind got up considerably. In addition, Bruce had strained his heart retrieving a rucksack which had been left below the camp. They spent the night at Camp V but were unable, the next morning, to persuade the porters to carry loads higher in order to establish Camp VI. Mallory decided that they had no option but to retreat, a bitter decision for him.

He told Odell when he arrived in Camp IV that he was upset by the porters’ refusal to go on. Despite this comment, it would appear that at some stage before he came back down from Camp V, Mallory had already resolved to make an attempt with oxygen, returning to his initial climbing plan.