Behind Everest embarks on a captivating exploration that intertwines the remarkable life of Ruth Mallory, wife of legendary Everest climber George Mallory, with a parallel journey a century later. Through examining Ruth’s attitude to danger a century ago, Kate Nicholson explores our evolving attitudes towards risk and responsibility.
Kate’s quest to understand Ruth takes her to forgotten corners of archives in the UK and USA, to conversations with the few remaining people who knew both George and Ruth and into private recollections and precious, private collections. Using two decades of research, the author unveils the real story behind Ruth and George Mallory’s marriage, shedding light on George’s relationships with women such as Jelly d’Aranyi, Mary Ann O’Malley, and Stella Cobden-Sanderson. Stella, like Ruth, hailed from Arts and Crafts ‘royalty,’ both women were daughters of strong feminists but only Ruth chose to climb.
Ruth was a natural and accomplished climber, a founder member of the first all female rock climbing club in the UK, the Pinnacle Club. As Kate experiences the challenges and triumphs of rock climbing with that still thriving club, she discovers not only the elusive ‘key’ to George Mallory but also an inspiring and resilient companion in Ruth.
This book goes beyond expeditions to Everest, offering readers a profound glimpse into the ‘real’ story of the Mallorys. Through Ruth’s lens, the book explores the complexities of marriage, the indomitable spirit of early female climbers, and the enduring impact of the First World War, the League of Nations and the Empire on individual lives. This is a non-fiction masterpiece that intertwines personal and historical narratives, inviting readers to scale the heights of human experience.