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Graham Hoyland - First on Everest

Not many people know that a Kendal man was on the first attempt to climb Mount Everest: Howard Somervell.

Event Date

17 May 2026

Description

The pioneers who attempted the first climbs of Mount Everest in 1922 and 1924 knew nothing about the mountain other than its height. They had to learn the hard way about the lack of oxygen, the jet-stream winds, the illnesses of altitude, and the vital importance of the Sherpas. They fought cerebral oedema, frostbite, hypothermia, and raging thirst in the cold, thin air. They had to find a route, avoid avalanches, and work out what to do when confronted by an insurmountable rock climb at extreme altitude. Many of them died.

Howard Somervell was George Mallory's closest friend on the mountain during those groundbreaking first ascents. An exceptionally gifted man, his life takes us far beyond the mountain: he was from the famous K Shoes Kendal family, he had a double first from Cambridge, was a talented artist and an accomplished musician. He served as a surgeon at the Battle of the Somme during the First World War and was one of the foremost alpinists of the day when he was invited to join the 1922 expedition. After Everest, he was awarded an Olympic gold medal for Alpinism in 1924. But in India, he will be remembered as a surgeon who dedicated the remainder of his life to healing the sick.

Those early climbers showed us the way. Somervell took part in the first attempt to climb the mountain, and his oxygen-free height record in 1924 stood for over 50 years. And he made Kendal Mint Cake forever associated with Mount Everest!"

Talk with Q&A plus book-signing of "First on Everest", Somervell's new biography with Graham Hoyland

Sir Chris Bonington said that this book: 'Restores Dr Howard Somervell to his rightful place in the story of Himalayan exploration – an unsung pioneer whose courage, compassion, and heroism shaped the foundations of high-altitude mountaineering... Hoyland writes with rare authority, empathy and insight, delivering a vital and beautifully told biography.' – Sir Chris Bonington

1 hour 15 minutes.