Excelsiorski Undismayed by the calamitous outcome of their attempt to
climb Everest last winter, the Russians (according to 'the Tribune de Geneve) are preparing another expedition for 1954. Once more the mountain will be attacked from the North, and once more no Sherpas will be employed during the ascent. The 1952 expedition, of whose remarkable exploits some account was given in these notes a few weeks ago, was criticised for being too cumbrously equipped. Next year's party will use, besides a " so far unknown type of ice axe," oxygen equipment weighing less than half as much as any so far pro- duced in the West. In view of the fact that the Soviet moun- taineers propose to carry with them busts of Lenin and Stalin with which to embellish the summit, this will hardly be thought to give them an unfair advantage. This week the Russians revealed the fact that they invented 3-D in 1941, and I am sure that in due course we shall be told the year in which they did climb Everest. The failure of their Tress to make any mention of either last year's or next year's expedi- tions shows pretty clearly that they are only, so to speak, playing the bye and do not intend these efforts to be taken seriously : which is possibly just as well.
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