British explorers put George Mallory’s 1920s Everest kit to the test,
Two British explorers have put George Mallory’s 1920s Everest kit to the ultimate test by wearing it up a Himalayan mountain.
Identical twins Hugo and Ross Turner, 37, summited Nepal’s 21,250–feet (6,476m) Nera Peak.
While Ross was fitted with the latest gear, Hugo completed the feat wearing an exact replica of Everest pioneers George Mallory and Sandy Irving’s kit.
Hugo even wore custom replicas of Mallory’s boots, complete with double–lined leather, yak felt insulation, and an extra upper layer added by Mallory himself to improve the waterproofing.
The unfortunate twin was bundled up in seven layers of silk shirts and woollen jumpers under his gaberdine jacket, alongside three pairs of leggings under his trousers – as well as a weighty ice axe made of old–fashioned wood and steel.
Overall, the replica 1920s kit came in over 3.5 kilograms heavier than the modern alternative.
Amazingly, monitoring revealed that there were no major differences in stress or cognition levels between Hugo and Ross.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Hugo said: ‘The clothing was flawless and created zero issues for me, so they definitely knew about clothing back in the day!’
Mallory and Irving attempted to make the first ascent of Mount Everest in 1924, but the expedition came to a tragic end after both men were lost on the mountain.
It would be almost 30 years before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made their successful climb in 1953, and whether Mallory made it to the summit remains one of mountaineering’s most hotly debated questions.
Ross and Hugo wanted to help settle part of this mystery by investigating whether Mallory’s 100–year–old kit could have prevented him from reaching the peak.
Hugo told Daily Mail: ‘We wanted to understand the performance of Mallory’s kit.’
Their expedition was closely monitored by scientists from the University of Portsmouth’s Extreme Environments Laboratory, who gathered data on the twins as they climbed.
Initial testing took place in a lab, where the twins exercised in their gear and then stood in a cold chamber set to a freezing –25°C (–13°F).
Happy that Hugo wouldn’t freeze to death right away, the twins set off to Nera Peak, the highest trekking mountain in Nepal, for the final test.
As they climbed, researchers measured the twins’ temperature, cognitive performance, dexterity, and levels of cortisol – a chemical associated with stress.
Surprisingly, the researchers found that there were no major differences in stress or cognition levels between Hugo and Ross.
Dr Joe Costello, a researcher who conducted the research, told Daily Mail: ‘Our observations were that the old and the new kit were very similar in the conditions we tested.
‘This expedition and investigation offer a rare comparative insight into how gear may have affected Mallory’s chances of survival and summit success in 1924. In the extreme environments area of research, this is one of the key questions which remains unanswered.’
Hugo says that the biggest difference between the 1920s gear and modern equipment was weight and thermal performance.
While Ross’ kit from the British brand Montane weighed just 8 kilograms, Hugo’s vintage gear weighed 11.5 kilograms.
Hugo says: ‘The Mallory boots didn’t have as much grip as expected on the snow conditions we had on the mountain, so this added to my energy expenditure while climbing.’
Additionally, the twins were fitted with temperature monitors for their final summit push, when temperatures fell to –20°C (–4°F).
The readings from Hugo’s chest and boots were about 2°C (3.6°F) lower than Ross’, while his hands were 3.5°C (6.3°F) colder.
However, the twins believe that these old–fashioned methods still work well enough for all but the worst conditions.
‘Mallory shouldn’t have been held back, given the snow and weather conditions were favourable,’ Hugo said.
That suggests clothing and equipment alone might not have prevented Mallory and Irving from reaching the summit.
By comparing the data from two genetically identical individuals, scientists can get a very clear view of what difference the kit itself makes.
Previously, Hugo and Ross tested Mallory’s equipment by climbing the 18,500–foot (5,642m) Mount Elbrus in Russia.
The pair have also tested the gear worn by explorer Ernest Shackleton in 1914 by trekking across the polar ice cap in Greenland.
