He tried to climb Everest alone (Image: @ Didier Marti via Getty Images)
However, none of these fatalities is as strange or chilling as the death of Maurice Wilson, who attempted the ascent in 1934 under what can only be called extraordinary circumstances.
Wilson, a Bradford-born British army officer with virtually no mountaineering experience, attempted to climb the mountain solo, convinced that through prayer and, astonishingly, fasting, he would reach the summit safely.
Unlike many contemporary Everest disasters, Wilson’s death was not due to overcrowding, bottlenecks, or commercial expeditions. After all, his attempt took place long before the era of guided climbs, lines for oxygen tanks or social media fame.
Wilson believed that conquering Everest would reinforce his deeply held spiritual beliefs with the public, demonstrating the invincible power of faith.
Maurice Wilson made a fatal mistake (Image: undefined)
After surviving World War I and later convincing himself that he had cured tuberculosis through prayer and fasting, he became fixated on the idea that divine intervention would allow him to triumph where professional climbers had failed.
His plan was in reality completely insane. Wilson planned to fly a small plane from Britain to Tibet, crash-land it high on the mountain and then simply fly the remaining distance to reach the summit, reports the mirror.
Despite his lack of climbing experience, Wilson was a skilled pilot. In 1933, he performed a dangerous solo flight from Britain to India in a second-hand Gypsy Moth biplane, although local authorities subsequently seized the aircraft.
Maurice Wilson had survived the First World War (Image: undefined)
Unfazed, the daring Wilson managed to reclaim the plane by disguising himself as a Buddhist monk. He then sold the plane and illegally crossed into Tibet on foot, eventually reaching the base of Mount Everest, despite his original plan being thwarted.
In the spring of 1934, Wilson boarded alone on the remote north side of the mountain. His diary later revealed a shocking lack of knowledge about glaciers, altitude and ice climbing.
He didn’t bring essential equipment, assumed the steps carved into the ice last year might still be there, and relied heavily on his faith to overcome obstacles.
Despite numerous failed attempts and pleas from two Sherpas who briefly joined him to give up the climb, Wilson remained determined.
On May 29, 1934, he embarked on a solo journey to the North Col. His last diary entry, written on May 31, read simply: “On the road again, beautiful day.”
Tragically, he was never seen alive again.
Maurice Wilson wanted to crash a plane on the mountain (Image: Getty)
The following year, Wilson’s body was found at the foot of the North Col by a British expedition led by Eric Shipton. He was found frozen next to the remains of his tent, probably having succumbed to exhaustion or starvation.
His final resting place was a nearby crevasse where he was laid to rest.
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