Maurice Wilson: The Untold Story of the Lone Mount Everest Climber

Consider this: It’s 1933, and a British man called Maurice Wilson is flying a small, rickety airplane over the Persian Gulf. The fuel gauge is perilously low, and he’s thousands of feet up in the air above water.

He’s only just learned to fly for the first time two months past, and now he’s facing laundry list of problems — arrest warrants, peeved British officers and the very real possibility of plummeting into the ocean. But Wilson isn’t worried.

Why? Because he’s on a mission bigger than himself: to ramble his plane into Mount Everest, and then fly climb it — alone.

This is the story of Maurice Wilson, almost madness. So, lets jump into his amazing journey.

Who Was Maurice Wilson?

Maurice Wilson was born on April 21, 1898, in Yorkshire, England, to a middle-class family that operated a textile mill. Had World War I not intervened, he would likely have followed his family into the cash business. But when he was 18, following in his older brother Victor’s footsteps, he joined the British Army.

Wilson also served in France, where his bravery earned him a Military Cross. Under one such battle, his battalion was nearly wiped out, but Wilson’s stubbornness saved the day. But in July 1918, his luck changed: he was shot in the back and the left arm. He did survive, but the injuries caused permanent pain and weakness.

Wilson had difficulty finding purpose after the war. He traveled around the world, married twice, dabbled in all kinds of businesses, but none of it gave him peace. Physically, his war wounds and depression tormented him until he encountered a mystic who prescribed fasting and prayer as a cure. Wilson gave it a shot and, to his surprise, felt better — physically and mentally. The experience left him convinced that almost any problem — big, small, whatever — could be solved through prayer and fasting.

The Everest Obsession

In 1932, Wilson came across a newspaper article regarding the British 1924 Mount Everest expedition, during which George Mallory and Andrew Irvine had gone missing while trying to ascend the mountain. The story planted an idea in Wilson’s mind: he would be the first man to summit Everest — solo, with only his fasting and prayers to lead him.

There was only one catch: Wilson had no mountaineering or flying experience. But that didn’t stop him. He bought a three-year-old Gypsy Moth airplane, dubbed it Ever Wrest and started training as a pilot. His instructor told him he’d never even reach India, but Wilson was resolute.

The Impossible Journey

His plan was as insane as it was audacious: he would fly his plane to Everest, crash-land it at 15,000 feet, and climb the rest of the way on foot. The British Air Ministry, aghast at his callousness, sought to put an end to it. They got authorities in Nepal to refuse him access to enter their air space.

But Wilson was not one to take no for an answer. Instead he ripped the Air Ministry’s telegram in front of the press and defied his instructions at take-off. His path was not without obstacles:

But he was soon released by the police.

• Mishps: Mixup — He mistakenly put water-tainted fuel in his plane, but was able to land safely in Gabes, Tunisia.
• Bureaucratic Hurdles: Negotiating in Cairo, he found his permit to fly over Iran had been sabotaged by British officials.

Unfazed, Wilson flew to Baghdad, purchased a school atlas for children and charted his course to India. He outfoxed British officers in Bahrain by pretending to return to London but actually flying east toward India.

The Final Climb

In March 1934 Wilson reached Darjeeling, India. Since British authorities confiscated his plane, he climbed Everest on foot. Disguised as a Buddhist monk, he slipped into Tibet and made two attempts to reach the summit.

• Attempt 1: Wilson went to the base camp but had to leave because of altitude sickness and lack of training
• Second Try: He and two seasoned Sherpas made it to Camp III. Disregarding their warnings, he forged on alone, leaving behind a note: “If I don’t return in two weeks, assume I’m dead.”

A month later, and with Wilson still not back, the Sherpas came down and reported his death. Eric Shipton’s Everest expedition found Wilson’s body in 1935, near the North Col; his diary’s last entry was “Off again, gorgeous day.”

The Madness And Bravery That Is My Legacy

The story of Maurice Wilson is one of obsession, bravery, and pure madness. He was a man whose introduction to this earth was an act of defiance, a man who dared to defy logic, authority and even nature itself in the pursuit of an impossible dream. Although his mission ended in tragedy, his adventure begging to be done is still inspiring to this day.

So the next time you hear of someone trying the impossible, think of Maurice Wilson — the man who attempted to scale Everest single-handedly, with just a plane, a prayer and unflinching confidence.

Till next time and please like, share and comment if you loved this amazing story! Catch you in the next story.