▁ 2 7 5   m ▁( 9 0 0   ft ) ▁short ▁of ▁the ▁sum mit . ▁Ex ha usted , ▁he ▁turned ▁back ▁and ▁rejo ined ▁Som erv ell ▁for ▁the ▁descent . ▁ ▁On ▁June ▁ 8 , ▁Mall ory ▁and ▁Ir v ine ▁left ▁their ▁high ▁camp ▁( C - 6 ▁at ▁ 2 6 , 9 0 0 - ft ) ▁to ▁attempt ▁the ▁sum mit , ▁using ▁Ir v ine ' s ▁modified ▁o xygen ▁appar atus . ▁Od ell , ▁clim bing ▁in ▁support ▁below , ▁wrote ▁in ▁his ▁di ary ▁that ▁at ▁ 2 6 , 0 0 0 - ft ▁he ▁" s aw ▁Mall ory ▁& ▁Ir v ine ▁on ▁the ▁r idge , ▁near ing ▁base ▁of ▁final ▁py ram id " ▁clim bing ▁what ▁he ▁thought ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁was ▁the ▁very ▁difficult ▁Second ▁Step ▁at ▁ 1 2 : 5 0   p . m . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁last ▁time ▁the ▁two ▁were ▁seen ; ▁whether ▁either ▁of ▁them ▁reached ▁the ▁sum mit ▁remains ▁a ▁question ▁that ▁has ▁rever ber ated ▁through ▁the ▁dec ades . ▁ ▁Back ▁in ▁England , ▁the ▁clim bing ▁establishment ▁press ured ▁Od ell ▁to ▁change ▁his ▁view . ▁After ▁about ▁six ▁months ▁he ▁began ▁to ▁equ iv oc ate ▁on ▁which ▁Step ▁it ▁was ▁he ▁saw ▁them — from ▁the ▁Second ▁to ▁possibly ▁the ▁First . ▁If ▁the ▁First , ▁they ▁had ▁no ▁chance ▁of ▁having ▁reached ▁the ▁top ; ▁if ▁the