1922 - A Letter from Base Camp

George Ingle Finch was one of the prime movers behind the use of oxygen on the 1922 climb. He was also actively involved in photographing every step of the expedition, as he relates in this letter to C B Taylor, of the Magadi Soda Company in Kenya:

Camp 17,000 ft, about 11 miles N of Mt Everest
8th May '22
Dear Taylor,
I thought you might like to have a brief line to let you know how we are getting on. We left Darjeeling over five weeks ago and arrived here on the 1st inst, after a month’s hard trek across Sikkhim and through Thibet. It has been very cold, as the season is early & for the most part we have been traveling at an altitude of 14,000 to 17,500ft. My photography has so far been very successful. I have taken and developed over 600 quarter-plate snapshots, most of which satisfy my, perhaps not very critical, taste. There still remains a stock of 1000 negatives for me to expose, so that I hope when you are next in Town there will be something for you to see. At present I am busy getting the equipment of the actual high-climbing party in order – a devil of a job because everybody has different ideas, though mine are the only one that can be let to pass. The route is going to provide some slap-up climbing, but I have great hopes that with our oxygen equipment the job will be done. The weather is still very uncertain, and the cold is pretty formidable – two factors that may count for much as serious obstacles. I enclose a snap of our Camp with Everest in the background (see previous page), also one of myself (see above, Finch 'GIF' is pictured together with CJ Morris) – well protected against the cold, which however still manages to cramp my style as far as writing is concerned. If you should ever wander in Thibet don’t go in for metal pencils! Good luck to you & mind you come & see Bubbles & me in town just as soon as ever you can.
Yrs ever
G I Finch
Return address: Captain Finch, Everest Expedition, c/o Postmaster, Darjeeling, India/