Maurice Wilson

[1][2] Often characterised as "eccentric",[3] Wilson wished to climb Everest as a platform to promote his belief that the world's problems could be solved by a combination of fasting and faith in God.Despite the financial success which would eventually make his adventure possible, Wilson never achieved happiness; he became physically and mentally ill, lost weight and suffered repeated coughing spasms.[8] Wilson's illness came to an abrupt end in 1932, when he underwent a secretive treatment involving thirty-five days of intensive prayer and complete fasting.Inspired by press cuttings about the 1924 British expedition and the upcoming Houston Everest Flight, he became convinced that fasting and prayer would enable him to succeed where George Mallory and Andrew Irvine had failed, which would prove to the world the power of his beliefs.[14] Ignoring the Air Ministry's ban, Wilson finally set off on 21 May and remarkably, and in spite of the best efforts of the British government, he succeeded in reaching India two weeks later.Undeterred, he flew on to Bahrain, where he was refused permission to refuel on the orders of the British consulate, which explained as all the easterly airstrips within his aircraft's range were in Persia, he could not be allowed to continue.The airstrip at Gwadar, the most westerly in India, was not actually within his aircraft's range, but almost precisely at its limit; after nine hours in the air Wilson arrived with his fuel gauge reading zero.[15] Having arrived safely in India he continued across the country, but his flight ended in Lalbalu when the authorities reiterated that he would not be allowed to fly over Nepal and impounded his plane to prevent him from trying.[14] After trying and failing to get permission to enter Tibet on foot, Wilson spent the winter in Darjeeling fasting and planning an illicit journey to the base of Everest.Although Karma Paul initially agreed to accompany Wilson to a base camp in Tibet, "as they grew better acquainted a mutual distrust and dislike built up which finally dissolved the partnership".Confined to camp for several days by bad weather, Wilson considered possible routes by which he could climb the icy slopes above, and made a telling comment in his diary.[20]The entry showing how Wilson thought steps cut into the ice the previous year might still be present has been cited as particularly strong evidence of his ignorance of the mountain environment, and of his continuing failure to understand the task before him."[31] Climbing historian Jochen Hemmleb[32] and Wilson's biographer, Peter Meier-Hüsing,[33] have both suggested that Gombu was mistaken about the altitude of the tent and pointed out that his account has not been borne out by other members of the 1960 expedition.