Text says:
“No one seriously thought of climbing Everest at the time. The mountain was inaccessible as Tibet and Nepal were still closed to Europeans; and mountaineering, or “Alpinism,” was still in its infancy. In Europe, peaks half the height of Everest were still defying the efforts of climbers kitted out only with thick tweeds, stout sticks, and heavy ropes. Even if the climb proved technically feasible, it wasn’t known whether a man could actually survive at such a height.” (Everest: Summit of Achievement, p.30)