author
George Ingle Finch
1888–1970
An adventurous chemist who helped change high-altitude climbing, he is best remembered for his bold use of oxygen on Everest and for bringing a scientist’s eye to the mountains. His life joined laboratory research, wartime service, and some of the most daring climbs of the early twentieth century.
1 Audiobook
The making of a mountaineer
by George Ingle Finch
About the author
Born in New South Wales in 1888, George Ingle Finch became known both as a physical chemist and as one of the outstanding mountaineers of his era. He studied in Europe, built a scientific career that later brought him election to the Royal Society, and also developed a reputation for unusual toughness and originality in the Alps.
Finch is especially associated with the 1922 British Mount Everest Expedition. At a time when bottled oxygen was controversial, he strongly backed its use at extreme altitude and helped prove its value on the mountain. His climbing achievements and technical thinking made him an influential figure in the long early history of Everest.
His life reached far beyond mountaineering. He served during the First World War, worked as a researcher and teacher, and wrote about his experiences with clarity and wit. He died in 1970, leaving a legacy that bridges science, exploration, and the practical problem-solving that helped modern climbing take shape.