. ▁Besides ▁Che val ley , ▁the ▁team ▁included ▁again ▁Lam bert ▁and ▁T enz ing ▁from ▁the ▁spring ▁expedition , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁five ▁new ▁clim bers . ▁In ▁late ▁November , ▁the ▁team ▁was ▁stopped ▁by ▁bad ▁weather ▁after ▁reaching ▁an ▁alt itude ▁of ▁ 8 1 0 0 ▁metres . ▁▁ ▁Several ▁Western ▁clim bing ▁journ als ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁had ▁launched ▁an ▁attempt ▁from ▁Tib et ▁in ▁October ▁with ▁the ▁aim ▁of ▁reaching ▁the ▁sum mit ▁before ▁the ▁following ▁year ' s ▁British ▁expedition . ▁The ▁alleg ed ▁expedition , ▁apparently ▁led ▁by ▁P avel ▁Dat sch n ol ian , ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁dis aster , ▁resulting ▁in ▁the ▁death s ▁of ▁Dat sch n ol ian ▁and ▁five ▁other ▁men . ▁Both ▁Russian ▁and ▁Chinese ▁authorities ▁have ▁consist ently ▁denied ▁that ▁such ▁an ▁attempt ▁took ▁place ; ▁no ▁physical ▁evidence ▁has ▁ever ▁been ▁found ▁to ▁confirm ▁its ▁existence , ▁nor ▁is ▁there ▁any ▁record ▁of ▁a ▁person ▁named ▁P avel ▁Dat sch n ol ian . ▁▁ 1 9 5 3 : ▁Edmund ▁Hill ary ▁and ▁T enz ing ▁N org ay ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁a ▁nin th ▁British ▁expedition , ▁led ▁by ▁John ▁H unt ▁and ▁organized ▁and ▁fin anced ▁by ▁the ▁J oint ▁H imal ay an ▁Committee , ▁returned ▁to ▁Nep al . ▁H unt ▁planned ▁for ▁three ▁assault s ▁of ▁two ▁clim bers ▁each , ▁including ▁" a ▁third ▁and ▁last ▁attempt "