Alpinist Magazine | Everest Reflections on the Solukhumbu

The Alpinist magazine is presently running a series of seven posts comprising of photos and text from our book Everest Reflections on the Solukhumbu.

This week as part of the #alpinistcommunityproject, we're sharing work from Sujoy Das, a photographer, Alpinist contributor and founder of South Col Expeditions, which runs treks and photo workshops in the Himalaya. He has spent more than two decades in the Chomolungma/Everest region and is the co-author and photographer of a number of books. His latest book, “Everest: Reflections on the Solukhumbu,” is a collaboration with writer Lisa Choegyal, who has made Kathmandu her home since 1974 and has been deeply involved with Nepal tourism and conservation. Their book is focused on the majestic scenery and reality of daily life in the Solukhumbu region that lies in the shadow of Chomolungma. A foreword by leading mountaineer Chris Bonington, preface by cultural scholar Dr. Lhakpa Norbu Sherpa and drawings by artist Paula Sengupta add depth to this unusual book about a familiar destination. Bonington writes in his foreword, “This is not just one more book about Everest, but a special celebration of the haunting beauty of Solukhumbu and its people.” The book is available online at Amazon and Vajrabookshop.com. More information about Das can be found at www.southcol.com.

This is his first post.

Book cover of "Everest: Reflections on the Solukhumbu." [Photo] Sujoy Das.

“On a monsoon morning in June 2018, I was in the village of Khumjung to photograph the Dumji Festival. As I walked to the monastery, thick clouds swirled around the mountains and the village was ensconced in fine mist. Suddenly, as I neared a chorten (memorial), the sun appeared through the clouds and this amazing backlit view of Ama Dablam, possibly the most beautiful mountain in the Khumbu region, presented itself. I got about 20 seconds to take some photos before the clouds had blanketed the mountain once again. This photograph is part of an essay titled, ‘The Himal—No Bird Can Fly Over it,’ about the high mountains of the Chomolungma region.” [Photo] Sujoy Das @south_col @lisachoegyal @vajra_books #sujoydas#everest #chomolungma #southcolexpeditions

This is his second post.

This week as part of the #alpinistcommunityproject, we're sharing work from Sujoy Das, a photographer, Alpinist contributor and founder of South Col Expeditions, which runs treks and photo workshops in the Himalaya. He has spent more than two decades in the Chomolungma/Everest region and is the co-author and photographer of a number of books. His latest book, “Everest: Reflections on the Solukhumbu,” is a collaboration with writer Lisa Choegyal, who has made Kathmandu her home since 1974 and has been deeply involved with Nepal tourism and conservation. Their book is focused on the majestic scenery and reality of daily life in the Solukhumbu region that lies in the shadow of Chomolungma. A foreword by leading mountaineer Chris Bonington, preface by cultural scholar Dr. Lhakpa Norbu Sherpa and drawings by artist Paula Sengupta add depth to this unusual book about a familiar destination. Bonington writes in his foreword, “This is not just one more book about Everest, but a special celebration of the haunting beauty of Solukhumbu and its people.” The book is available online at Amazon and Vajrabookshop.com. More information about Das can be found at www.southcol.com.

For a look at the rest of the posts do visit https://www.facebook.com/Alpinist/

George Mallory and Andrew Irvine | 8th June 1924

Last photo of Mallory and Irvine leaving for Camp VI 1924 expedition

"And yet as I gazed again another mood appeared to creep over her haunting features. There seemed to be something alluring in that towering presence. I was almost fascinated. I realized that no mere mountaineer alone could but be fascinated, that he who approaches close must ever be led on, and oblivious of all obstacles seek to reach that most sacred and highest place of all." 

Noel Odell gazing at the North Ridge of Everest June 1924 after Mallory and Irvine were lost.

"Higher in the sky than imagination had ventured to dream, the top of Everest itself appeared"

On 8th June 1924, two men left  Camp VI (26,700 feet)  to make an attempt on the summit of Everest. Camp VI  was the highest camp of the British 1924 Everest expedition.

On the same morning, another British climber, Noel Odell, was making his way up from Camp IV to Camp VI. Odell was a geologist and he was collecting fossils from the slopes of Mount Everest. Odell recalls that it was not the perfect morning to climb Everest. " Rolling banks of mist" were sweeping  across the mountain and covering the north face. Neither the face nor the summit ridge could be seen by Odell. There was also a sharp wind which was making climbing very difficult.

Suddenly at 12.50 pm the mist cleared and Odell spotted high above on the ridge, a black dot climbing a rock step, which Odell at that point identified as the Second Step. Soon after Odell saw another black dot following the first black dot. But before Odell could be sure that the second black dot had joined the first,  the mist rolled in and blanketed the mountain and this fantastic vision was lost forever.

The two dots that Odell saw were George Mallory and Andrew Irvine "going strongly for the summit of Everest". Mallory and Irvine were never seen again.

But even today, ninety five years after the disappearance of Mallory and Irvine, the legend of Mallory is still alive. Books are being written about Mallory, expeditions are being planned to find Andrew Irvine and his camera because Everest experts believe that the camera will unlock the secret of Mallory's last climb.

In this post we take a look at some photographs and other memorabilia from the Everest expeditions of 1921, 1922 and 1924.

“It was a prodigious white fang, an excrescence from the jaw of the world.”

Everest view from the Pang La pass in Tibet

The 1924 Everest expedition members

Andrew Irvine working on oxygen cylinders

"I cannot tell you how it possesses me"

Mallory's watch found in  1999 by Conrad Anker and the team

Mallory had no compass on his last climb

"Again and for the last time we advance up the Rongbuk glacier for victory or final defeat "

Letter from George Mallory to his daughter

1924 oxygen cylinders at the Planters Club Darjeeling


"...some day you will hear a different story..."

Everest Reflections on the Solukhumbu | Book Launch Kathmandu

Everest Reflections on the Solukhumbu was launched in Kathmandu at Dwarikas Hotel on May 28th 2019. The large format book has photographs by Sujoy Das Text by Lisa Cheogyal Drawings by Paula Sengupta Foreword by Sir Chris Bonington and Preface by Dr Lhakpa Norbu Sherpa.
The book is published by Vajra Books Kathmandu Nepal.
The book is available on line as under:

Amazon India

Amazon USA

Vajrabooks Kathmandu


Some photographs of the launch