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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to the Daily News
DARJEELING, Saturday, Sept. 9.
Our advance guard attacked the southwest face of the mountain, and reached easily an altitude of 21,000ft.
Unfortunately, at this stage some members of the party decided to return. I solemnly warned them against the folly of descending late in the evening over “avalanchy” snow. However, a party of six, closely roped together, started, set going an avalanche of snow, and all fell.
Pache [Alexis Pache], who commanded the rearguard, and three natives were killed, the doctor [Jules Jacot Guillarmod] and De Righi [Alcesti de Righi] slightly injured, and Reymond [Charles-Adolphe Reymond] was rescued. The latter had to cut the rope to release themselves. The bodies of the dead are buried under many feet of snow and are being searched for. As the avalanche was neither large nor steep, I am of opinion that if a rope had not been employed the accident would not have happened.
In consequence of this loss of life, I declined to assume further responsibility, and returned with the remainder of the expedition. I am not altogether disappointed with the present results. I know enough to make certain of success another year with a properly equipped and disciplined expedition.
Notable features of the climb have been the warmth, persistent fog after eight o’clock in the morning, a total absence of wind, flowers growing at an altitude of 20,000 feet, the excellence of properly treated coolies, the comparative infrequency of large earthquakes, and the unseemly reluctance of nature to correspond to the published maps of Kinchinjunga.
The only trouble I experienced was in the form of headaches, caused possibly by the glare.
Allister [sic] Crowley
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