Orsonab
Member
When the conversation around the Christmas pud and mince pies lags on Monday, feel free to discuss the following gleaned from a recent British hiking magazine:
"Eccentric British Everest adventurer Maurice Wilson died on Everest apparently with a number of items of ladies underwear in his backpack. Characterised as a tough guy, comic book hero and possible transvestite, he'd originally left his Yorkshire hometown to run a women's clothing shop in New Zealand. He returned to the UK in the 1930's where he became a fervant Buddhist and announced he was going to fly to Everest, crash-land the plane on the mountain and climb to the summit (he could neither fly nor had any mountaineering experience). Amazingly, after only two months of lessons, Wilson proceeded to fly solo from England to India in a Gypsy Moth biplane. In India he sold his plane and proceeded to the Himalyas on foot. On 29th May 1934, he left his two sherpas on the East Rongbuk Glacier, and headed for the summit driven by religious fervour. He never returned. A Chinese expedition in 1960 claimed to have seen his tent at 8500 meters (only 350 metres below the summit) which has fuelled rumours he may have reached the summit.
Wilson's body was discovered in 1935 by an expedition led by Bill Tilman and Eric Shipton (amongst whose sherpas was Tenzing Norvay on his very first Everest climb). They buried the corpse in a crevasse, salvaging Wilson's diary. The last entry, dated 31st May, read: "Off again, gorgeous day!". Wilson's body continues to surface as the East Rongbuk Glacier makes its way down the mountain..."
...now, Grandma, could you pass the brussel sprouts?
For more info try here: http://www.mounteverest.net/story/stories/WhoclimbedEverestfirstJun262003.shtml
"Eccentric British Everest adventurer Maurice Wilson died on Everest apparently with a number of items of ladies underwear in his backpack. Characterised as a tough guy, comic book hero and possible transvestite, he'd originally left his Yorkshire hometown to run a women's clothing shop in New Zealand. He returned to the UK in the 1930's where he became a fervant Buddhist and announced he was going to fly to Everest, crash-land the plane on the mountain and climb to the summit (he could neither fly nor had any mountaineering experience). Amazingly, after only two months of lessons, Wilson proceeded to fly solo from England to India in a Gypsy Moth biplane. In India he sold his plane and proceeded to the Himalyas on foot. On 29th May 1934, he left his two sherpas on the East Rongbuk Glacier, and headed for the summit driven by religious fervour. He never returned. A Chinese expedition in 1960 claimed to have seen his tent at 8500 meters (only 350 metres below the summit) which has fuelled rumours he may have reached the summit.
Wilson's body was discovered in 1935 by an expedition led by Bill Tilman and Eric Shipton (amongst whose sherpas was Tenzing Norvay on his very first Everest climb). They buried the corpse in a crevasse, salvaging Wilson's diary. The last entry, dated 31st May, read: "Off again, gorgeous day!". Wilson's body continues to surface as the East Rongbuk Glacier makes its way down the mountain..."
...now, Grandma, could you pass the brussel sprouts?
For more info try here: http://www.mounteverest.net/story/stories/WhoclimbedEverestfirstJun262003.shtml
