The 1921 British Mount Everest reconnaissance expedition had explored all the eastern and northern surroundings of the mountain.

The expedition did, however, establish a new world record climbing height of 8,321 metres (27,300 ft) during its second summit attempt.

The expeditions in the 1920s were planned and managed by the British Royal Geographical Society and the Alpine Club in a joint Mount Everest Committee.

The 1922 expedition can be seen as the start of the enduring question of "fair means" and controversies about using bottled oxygen in the Everest "death zone".

Alexander Kellas was one of the first scientists who pointed out the possible use of bottled oxygen for accessing great heights.

At this time the available technology (derived from mining rescue systems) were, in his opinion, too heavy to be a help at high altitudes.

Few paid much attention to Kellas' innovative ideas, possibly because his scientific work belonged strictly to the amateur tradition.

More attention was paid to the pressure vessel experiments of Professor Georges Dreyer, who had studied high-altitude problems the Royal Air Force encountered in the First World War.

[6] George Finch was responsible for this equipment during the expedition, due to his background in chemistry and his specific knowledge of bottled oxygen.

The expedition participants were selected not just for their mountaineering qualifications but also for their family background, military experience, and professions.

[1][3] The mountaineers were accompanied by a large group of Tibetan and Nepalese porters so that the expedition in the end counted 160 men.

Here they were welcomed by the home's founder John Anderson Graham and the schoolmaster and writer Aeneas Francon Williams.

Then they went to Shelkar Dzong, then north to the Rongbuk Monastery and to the spot where they wanted to erect base camp.

To promote the process of acclimatization the participants alternated their travelling methods between walking and horse riding.

[8] When this expedition was being planned, Everest was only able to be climbed from the north out of Tibet because the southern side in Nepal was closed to Western foreigners.

Mallory had discovered a "makeable" route in 1921 from the Lhakpa La to the north face of the mountain and further to the summit.

A severe climbing hindrance, at the time an unknown obstacle, was the so-called Second Step at 8,605 m (28,230 ft), one of three breaks in slope on the upper northeast ridge.

[9] The British also investigated a route via the north wall flanks of the mountain and to ascend by the later so called Norton Couloir to the Third Step and to the summit.

The Advanced Base Camp (ABC) was erected on the upper end of the glacier below icy slopes of the North Col at 6,400 m (21,000 ft).

The erection and the feeding of these camps was supported by local farmers who only could help for a short time before returning to their own farms.

[8] Longstaff became exhausted in managing the organization and transporting tasks and became so ill that he could not do any real mountaineering activities later on in the expedition.

The following day, the climbers intended to carry only the bare minimum: two of the smallest tents, two double sleeping bags, food for 36 hours, a gas cooking system and two thermos bottles for drinks.

The porters had slept badly the night before, as the tents provided inadequate air flow and let little oxygen into them.

As the effort required to cut steps into the icy slopes was severe because of the hard ice surface they dropped their plan to erect a camp at 7,925 m (26,000 ft).

On 22 May 1922, having reached the highest altitude achieved by climbers up to that time— 26,800 feet (8,200 m)[10]— they started to climb down from North Col at 6 am.

[8] The second climb was done by George Ingle Finch, Geoffrey Bruce and the Gurkha soldier Tejbir Bura with oxygen support.

After Finch had regained his health he stated that no real mountaineer even of lesser ability was available, so searched for others fit enough to climb.

On 3 June Mallory, Somervell, Finch, Wakefield and Crawford started with 14 porters at base camp.

[3] On 7 June Mallory, Somervell and Crawford led the porters through the icy slopes of North Col.

[12] After their journey back to England, Mallory and Finch toured the country making presentations on the expedition.