British Everest Expedition, 1922

Charlie Bruce (known as 'Bruiser'), a hard-drinking Himalayan veteran and fluent Nepali speaker, had laid the original plans to reconnoitre Everest with Younghusband in 1893. He declined leadership of the 1921 expedition but consented in 1922 and proved a popular and effective leader, bridging perfectly the cultural divide between sahib and Sherpa and becoming the model for later Everest expedition leaders. His extensive mountaineering experience included climbing with Conway in the Karakoram in 1892, with Mummery on Nanga Parabt in 1895 (for which see lot 280), and with Longstaff on Trisul in 1907. Malaria forced him to relinquish leadership of the 1924 expedition to Norton while he was still en route to the mountain.

Bruce invited his cousin Geoffrey Bruce to serve as transport officer and interpreter on the 1922 expedition. On what was in effect his first ever climb, the younger Bruce achieved the remarkable feat of accompanying Finch to a then-record altitude of 27,300 ft (8,320m), using oxygen. In 1924 Geoffrey Bruce again proved an invaluable climber, carrying loads to Camp V at 25,500 ft (7,770m).