Comments on Mallory’s note to Noel

Table of Contents
Introduction June 5, 1924 June 6, 1924 June 7, 1924 – Comments on Mallory’s note to Noel – Comments on Mallory’s note to Odell – Some notes on the oxygen question – Some notes on Mallory’s equipment list – The sleeping bag issue	June 8, 1924 – Mallory & Irvine’s ascent to 8500 m/28,000 ft. – Mallory & Irvine’s ascent beyond 8500 m/28,000 ft. – Climbing the Second Step – Is the Mystery finally solved? Beyond the Second Step – Hypotheses & Considerations Where is Andrew Irvine? Conclusions Expedition Waste

In various sources it has been suggested that the place Mallory wanted Noel to start looking out for
him & Irvine referred to the Second Step, and that Mallory & Irvine were therefore almost 5 hours late
when last seen by Odell the next day. The first interpretation of the note in this way occurred already at
C3 on June 7th, when an entry in the camp diary by Geoffrey Bruce states, “[The porters] brought a
very optimistic note from Mallory saying that Noel should look out for them at the base of the final
pyramid at 8 a.m. to-morrow” (emphasis added).

Yet there is no indication in the note for this assumption. The note rather seems to indicate that
Mallory had at this point not totally ruled out Norton’s route as an alternative to the ridge – so he
couldn’t say whether he and Irvine would be traversing the Yellow Band (which eventually means
crossing both rock bands below the final pyramid) or emerging atop the ridge crest by 8 a.m. (not p.m.)
the next morning. Expecting an early start, say at 5 a.m., and using oxygen, it was not unreasonable
for Mallory to assume he could reach the crest in 3 hours from C 6. 

Odell seems to have followed a similar way of thinking initially: ”I was surprised […] to see them so late
at this, namely, 12.50, at a point that, according to Mallory’s schedule, should have been reached by
10 a.m. at latest.” (Odell, p. 268, emphasis added). This indicates that Odell, too, had read Mallory’s
note to Noel as saying he and Irvine had intended to reach the crest of the ridge at 8 a.m., and Odell
deduced they would then have reached the Second Step 2 hours later – again not unreasonable,
given the scant knowledge at the time of the true difficulties of the ridge. In the official account,
however, he assumes from Noel’s note that Mallory had hoped to reach the Second Step by 8
a.m. (Norton 4, p. 130).