Swiss Himalayan Expedition 1952

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Mount Everest movie poster 1952

The aim of the 1952 Swiss Himalayan Expedition was to explore the access to the south saddle of Mount Everest . Raymond Lambert and Tenzing Norgay reached a height of about 8,600 m on the southeast ridge and thus set a new height record in climbing, opened a new route to Mount Everest and paved the way for successes for subsequent expeditions.

Attempts to climb

Until the middle of the last century, attempts to climb Everest were a purely British matter. The advances were made from Tibet, as the kingdom of Nepal, which borders Everest to the south, did not allow foreigners into the country. After the Chinese reconquest in 1950, Tibet was closed to foreigners. Nepal had just opened up and only issued one climbing permit per year.

The Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research (SSAF) had been planning a Swiss Everest expedition since 1940. Thanks to good contacts, Nepal granted Switzerland an expedition permit for the spring of 1952.

Participant spring 1952

The SSAF entrusted the Geneva mountaineering club “L'Androsace” with the expedition. The so-called "Geneva Expedition" was carried out in the spring of 1952 under the direction of the Geneva doctor Edouard Wyss-Dunant . The other Swiss members were René Dittert, Gabriel Chevalley, Jean-Jacques Asper, René Aubert, Léon Flory, Ernest Hofstetter, Raymond Lambert and André Roch . The city and canton of Geneva supported the expedition financially, and the University of Geneva provided the scientific contingent.

  • Edouard Wyss-Dunant

  • Tenzing Norgay (1953)

Accompanying study group University of Geneva

Augustin Lombard (Geologist), Albert Zimmermann (Botanist), Marguerite Lobsiger-Dellenbach (Director Ethnological Museum Geneva )

Ascent route

The ascent route from Nepal was explored in the fall of 1951 by the British, including Edmund Hillary . They made an advance across the Khumbu Glacier , where they almost failed at the top because of a huge crevice.

The Genevans climbed the Khumbu Icefall in the last week of April 1952. The large ice crevice in front of the elongated glacier basin ( West Cwm ) between Camps II and III could be overcome with a simple rope bridge (“Nepal Bridge”). They then crossed the glacier valley and set up camp V at 6,900 m at the foot of the slopes under the south saddle. From there they climbed over the rocky «Geneva spur» named after them over the approximately 1000 m high Lhotse flank to the south saddle 7906 m (camp VI). Now the route led over the southeast ridge to the Everest summit.

After a night at around 8,400 m in a small tent (camp VII) and with almost no material, drinks or food, Tenzing and Lambert reached around 8,600 m with practically no oxygen on May 28 , where they had to turn back due to deterioration in the weather (premonition) and a loss of strength .

  • Ascent routes

  • Khumbu ice breakup

  • «Nepal Bridge» (1936)

  • West Cwm: Valley of Silence

  • West Cwm with Geneva spur

Alpine performance

The Geneva expedition in the spring of 1952 achieved a top alpine performance thanks to will, perseverance and the ability to suffer. There was not yet any knowledge of altitude medicine about the importance of a constant supply of sufficient drinks, the need for recovery phases (regular descents into lower regions) and the symptoms of altitude sickness. The dehydrated climbers had to fight against their increasing decline in strength. The oxygen devices of the time were almost useless because they did not work while walking. These experiences and the exploration of the ascent path until shortly before the summit helped all subsequent expeditions.

Swiss Himalayan Expedition 1952 Autumn: in front of an Air India Lockheed L749 Constellation. Participants: (from left) Raymond Lambert , Arthur Spöhel, Gabriel Chevalley, Ernst Reiss, Gustav Gross, Norman Dyhrenfurth , Jean Buzio (back)

Without the preparatory work and the knowledge of the Swiss from 1952, noted the British expedition leader John Hunt , the British summit success in 1953 would not have been possible. Especially since it was Tenzing Norgay who was at the top with Edmund Hillary from New Zealand.

Autumn expedition

The second Geneva expedition in autumn 1952 took place for the first time after the monsoon season and wanted to build on the success of spring and reach the summit with better oxygen systems. A group with Lambert, Tenzing and others made it to the south saddle, but were forced to turn back after reaching 8100 m on the south ridge due to extremely cold weather .

Participants fall 1952

Gabriel Chevalley (leader and expedition doctor ), Ernst Reiss (mountaineering chief), Norman Dyhrenfurth (film), Raymond Lambert, Jean Buzio, Arthur Spöhel (mountain guide, photographer), Gustave Gross (mountain guide), Norgay Tenzing ( Sirdar ).

Expeditions of 1952 and 1953

A comparison of the Swiss and British expeditions of 1952 and 1953.

Swiss: spring 1952 British: spring 1953
climber 9 12
High mountain sherpas 14th 28
oxygen 20,000 liters 193,000 liters
Weight of supplies and equipment 4½ tons (4570 kg) 7½ tons (7615 kg)
Arrival in Namche April 14th 25th March
Man-days on and over Südsattel 18th 33
Ascent to the Lhotse flank Ice couloir without storage Lhotse glacier with two bearings

See also

Literature and film

Web links

Commons : Swiss Himalaya Expedition  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Expedition supported by SSAF Everest 1952 in spring
  2. ↑ Élodie le Comte: Citadins au sommet. L'alpinisme genevois (1865–1970), Geneva 2008
  3. ^ Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research: Everest Event 2OO6 from April 30, 2006 in the Kultur-Casino Bern
  4. ↑ Jean-Jacques Asper let himself be abseiled in the crevice, was able to reach the opposite wall of the crevasse, climb up and anchor the rope for the rope bridge
  5. ↑ FAZ of May 18, 2016: Alpine race. Switzerland at the top . The Swiss were almost the first to climb Everest
  6. ^ Expeditions with the support of the SSAF Everest 1952 in the fall
  7. ↑ [1] Swisstopo of December 11, 2017: How Mount Everest came to Wabern
  8. ↑ Slatkine 2008: Citadins au sommet. L'alpinisme genevois (1865–1970)