White masculinity in the death zone: transformations of colonial identities in the Himalayas

ABSTRACT

The following article examines relations between masculinity and whiteness in the context of the Swiss Everest expeditions of 1952. It shows how in the mountaineering literature of the time, the so-called ‘death zone’ (beyond 8000 metres of altitude) turns into an arena for a hegemonic masculinity in crisis. This crisis encompasses ‘traditional’ elements of hegemonic Western masculinity, which is based on the abjection of the body, the emotional and the irrational. In times of decolonisation, it further comprises the collapse of imperial power and the invention of postcolonial relations between white and non-white men. As this article shows, this novel iconography of male relationality evokes images of partnership while it is still based on racial inequality.

KEYWORDS:

• Himalaya
• Everest
• masculinity
• whiteness
• gender
• mountaineering
• race
• colonialism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. This article draws on research that I have published in Purtschert (2019). I thank Vanessa Näf for helping with the translation and Anukriti Dixit for the proof reading of this text as well as David Atwood and Christopher Driscoll for their helpful comments.

2. On the relation between masculinity, technology and colonialism see Purtschert (2016).

3. Film ‘Mount Everest 1952,’ Archive Alpines Museum der Schweiz (seen 30 September 2012). All translations from German and French into English are made by Vanessa Näf and Patricia Purtschert.

4. Film ‘Mount Everest 1952,’ Archive Alpines Museum der Schweiz (seen 30 September 2012).

5. Film ‘Mount Everest 1952,’ Archive Alpines Museum der Schweiz (seen 30 September 2012).

6. N.N, Advertisment for the film ‘Mount Everest 1952,’ in: Tages-Anzeiger, 20 July 1953.

7. Film ‘Mount Everest 1952ʹ, Archive Alpines Museum der Schweiz (seen 30 September 2012).

8. N.N., Advertisment for the film ‘Mount Everest 1952,’ in: Tages-Anzeiger, 20 July 1953.

9. Wyss-Dunant uses the term ‘fatal zone,’ see Wyss-Dunant (1953), 117.

10. N.N.: ‘Everest Inviolate. Unsolved Problems of Rarefied Atmosphere’, in: Times, 25 July 1952.

11. N.N.: ‘Challenge to Everest. Departure of Swiss Expedition for Nepal’, in: Times, 18 March 1952.

12. On the history of the Swiss Everest expeditions see Purtschert 2015.

13. Cf. Norgay and Ullman (1955).

14. Radio Beromünster, ‘Zurück vom Dach der Welt’, Radio reportage, 8 July 1956, in: Archive Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen SRF, heard on 3 June 2015 at the exhibition ‘Himalaya Report. Bergsteigen im Medienzeitalter’, Alpines Museum Bern.

15. Radio Beromünster, ‘Zurück vom Dach der Welt’, Radio reportage, 8 July 1956, in: Archive Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen SRF, heard on 3 June 2015 at the exhibition ‘Himalaya Report. Bergsteigen im Medienzeitalter’, Alpines Museum Bern.

16. Cf. Rébuffat (1999), 104.

17. Radio Beromünster: ‘Zurück vom Dach der Welt’, Radio reportage, 8 July 1956, in: Archiv Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen SRF (heard on 3. Juni 2015 at the exhibition ‘Himalaya Report. Bergsteigen im Medienzeitalter’, Alpines Museum Bern).

18. Of course, the decision to return was taken by the three sahibs, cf. Norgay and Ullman (1955), 214.