▁British ▁expedition , ▁under ▁General ▁Charles ▁Gran ville ▁Bruce ▁and ▁clim bing ▁leader ▁L t - Col . ▁Edward ▁Lis le ▁Str utt , ▁and ▁containing ▁Mall ory , ▁returned ▁for ▁a ▁full - scale ▁attempt ▁on ▁the ▁mountain . ▁On ▁May ▁ 2 2 , ▁they ▁clim bed ▁to ▁ 8 , 1 7 0   m ▁( 2 6 , 8 0 0   ft ) ▁on ▁the ▁North ▁R idge ▁before ▁retre ating . ▁They ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁humans ▁to ▁clim b ▁above ▁ ▁on ▁a ▁mountain . ▁ ▁The ▁scope ▁of ▁this ▁accomplish ment ▁is ▁reflected ▁by ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁there ▁are ▁only ▁ 1 4 ▁mountains ▁on ▁earth — the ▁eight - th ous and ers — that ▁reach ▁and ▁exceed ▁ 8 , 0 0 0 ▁metres . ▁At ▁that ▁moment , ▁Mall ory ▁and ▁Str utt ▁had ▁exceed ed ▁the ▁sum mit ▁of ▁all ▁but ▁five ▁other ▁mountains ▁on ▁the ▁planet . ▁ ▁A ▁day ▁later , ▁George ▁Fin ch ▁and ▁Geoff rey ▁Bruce ▁clim bed ▁up ▁the ▁North ▁R idge ▁and ▁Face ▁to ▁ 8 , 3 2 0   m ▁( 2 7 , 3 0 0   ft ) ▁using ▁o xygen ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time . ▁They ▁clim bed ▁from ▁the ▁North ▁Col ▁to ▁their ▁highest ▁camp ▁at ▁a ▁phenomen al ▁rate ▁of ▁ 9 0 0 ▁vert - ft / hr ., ▁and ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁clim bers ▁to ▁sleep ▁using ▁o xygen . ▁▁ 1 9 2 4 : ▁Mall