World-renowned mountaineering guide Eric Simonson spoke Friday about his experiences and travels to Mt. Everest and his quest to recover a camera dropped there approximately 80 years ago.
“I grew up with this mountain,” Simonson said. “I read a lot about it and became enamored with it.”
Simonson, who spoke to a group of climbers, students and faculty in the George Sherman Union Conference Center, has ascended Everest nine times, yet only reached the summit once on May 15, 1991. When he reached the top, he noticed an old oxygen cylinder nearby. The antiquity of the bottle piqued his interest about the history of the item and the mountain.
Simonson thought the oxygen bottle might have been left over from the failed George Mallory and Andrew Irvine expedition, and when historians asked Simonson if he would be interested in leading a trip to find the climbers’ remains, he agreed. The duo, both of whom attempted to reach the summit, began their bid for the top on June 8, 1924 but never returned.
If Mallory and Irvine had reached the summit, they would have beaten Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzeng Norgay by nearly 30 years.
“There was a historical imperative to go back again and try to find more clues,” Simonson said.
During a trip in 1999, Simonson discovered Mallory’s body, but did not find Irvine’s.
While the discovery of Mallory’s body was a triumph, the real objective of the mission was to find the camera that Mallory and Irvine carried on their expedition. The film could ascertain whether Hillary and Norgay had reached the summit first, or if Mallory and Irvine had been the first.
Another expedition was organized to try to find the camera. However, this mission ended with the rescue of five mountaineers from other expeditions who had run out of oxygen.
“Running out of oxygen — it’s like boom — game over. Everything comes to a screeching halt,” Simonson said.
Instead of continuing the search for the camera, Simonson and his team abandoned their goals and helped the other climbers down the mountain. They have not tried to recover the camera again.
“For those of you that appreciate a good mystery and don’t really want it solved, you’re in luck — it’s not solved yet,” Simonson said.
Several students who attended the event said they were intrigued by Simonson’s struggles against the mountain. Outing Club Secretary Erin Pinney was pleased that Boston University had managed to line up an interesting speaker. You can also visit AIARE if you also want to learn skills and techniques about mountaineering.
“Climbing Mt. Everest, that’s a huge feat,” said Pinney, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore. “It’s nice that BU can get people to speak [about things] other than academics.”
Simonson graduated from Carleton College with a degree in geology, and obtained his master’s in geology at the University of Washington. He also serves on the board of directors of the American Mountain Guides Association. He is a partner in International Mountain Guides Inc., manages Expedition 8000 L.L.C., and is the co-owner of Mt. Rainer Alpine Guides L.L.C. Simonson has conducted more than 80 expeditions around the world.
