The Second Step

:: The three steps


:: Snowfield above the second step


:: The second step (just one portion of it)

The goddess tests us in various ways. She tests us with the vagary of weather; she tests us with the altitude. And, she also tests us with obstacles. She likes doing that - she ensures that, the people who reach her are not "strong" and with "stamina". For, she ensures through her various tests, that nothing called stamina remains, that the strongest of us break. She ensures that only devotees reach her. Only the fiery passioned and the ones in absolute love can continue toward her after words like strength and stamina lose meaning.

She has put up various such obstacles. On the traditional, 1953, South East ridge route, she has put obstacles like what we today call the "Hillary Step". Imagine, why should that obstacle be there when you have nearly reached the goddess ? It's because she wanted it there.

On the South West side, there is this insurmountable Rock Band. On the North East ride, we have the three Pinnacles.

On the East Side, we have the awesome Kangshung Face (this is what Mallory called he would leave to "other men, less wise.." ..this was there in my ryze page which i have now removed and sent to you...i will paste that quote again : "....that, in short, other men, less wise, might attempt this way if they would, but emphatically, it was not for us...." ). So Mallory looked at the East face and said this was not the route for them.

So then, we now come to the North Face. Mallory saw the three Pinnacles on the North East ridge. And he said NO. He then saw another ridge, the North Ridge, which joined the North East ridge halfway up and continued to the summit. But the good thing he noticed was that the North Ridge joined the North East ridge at a point where the pinnacles were already gone. In short, the North Ridge joined the North East ridge BEYOND the pinnacles.

And he chose this route. Ascend up the North Ride (the North Ridge descends to the North Col) and then meet the North East ridge, look back and wave at the Pinnacles with a smile, and continue up to the summit. But Mallory was only the son. And she was the goddess. What Mallory did not notice was that she has put more obstacles beyond the point where the North and the North East ridge meet. Chomolungma was not one to let anyone reach her without going through her tests, was she....

The goddess has made three "steps" on the North East ridge beyond its confluence with the North Ridge. Like the Hillary Step. Even Mallory didn't know. That is the greatness of Chomolungma.

I am attaching a photograph where you can see the 3 steps. Look at the combined ridge on the left against the skyline and you will see 3 "bumps"...the First and Second step quite close to each other and the Third a little farther up. And the Second Step is the most surmountable.

(See above: The three steps)

It is at the Second Step that Mallory and Sandy Irvine were seen last...by Noel Odell. Noel Odell saw two tiny specks...one moved up and then the other.....And you know what Noel has said about that vision ? He said ..

"It was a clear day, with isolated clouds and it was 12:50 pm. From the site of Camp V, i looked up at the skyline. At a very short distance from the base of the final pyramid, and at the last step but one, i saw a tiny speck highlighted behind gleaming snow. The speck moved. And the other speck a little behind it followed. The specks were moving and going strong for the top. And then the clouds came in, and the vision disappeared forever".

Those clouds took Mallory and, with him, Irvine, into history.

See how close the second step is to the summit. And there is no other major obstacle beyond the Second Step. And it was only 12:50 pm.

What could have possibly stopped Mallory from meeting his goddess ? Many many people believe nothing could have stopped him.

This is the picture of the goddess beyond the Second Step.

(See above: Snowfield above second step)

And this is the Second Step (just one portion of it).

(See above: Second step)

The Second Step is steep. But it got steeped in history because of one man who ascended it. Smile. But then, it has been Mallory's style to carry everything with him into history.

No doubt Mallory would have been surprised to see the Second Step come up on his path as he climbed. Especially since he had tried his best to avoid all of such things. But then, when the Step did come up, he would have looked up at the goddess, and acknowledged with humility that she was supreme, and continued on his way up.

Imagine when those clouds closed in on Noel Odell's vision...when Mount Everest decided that the world had seen enough of Mallory and she needed privacy with her son..

Behind the curtain of those clouds, Mallory reached and achieved his dream. The world only saw a white wall of clouds....but behind it....the mountain and her only son met....and this is what justifies Mallory's quote.....his quote which said.....

"I suppose we go to Mount Everest, granted the opportunity, because - in a word - we can't help it"

-- Sandeep Chopra, 9 September, 2003