Identical twins Hugo and Ross Turner are set to climb Nepal's Mera Peak in October, one outfitted in a forensic replica of George Mallory's 1924 Everest expedition gear and the other in modern equipment, to study the impact of clothing systems on performance in extreme environments.

Portsmouth

British identical twins Hugo and Ross Turner are participating in a scientific mountaineering experiment by climbing Nepal’s Mera Peak. Hugo is outfitted in a replica of George Mallory’s 1924 Everest expedition gear, while Ross uses modern high-altitude equipment. The University of Portsmouth is supporting the study, which will monitor the twins’ physiological responses, including body temperature, dexterity, cognition, and stress hormones, to compare the performance of historic and modern clothing under extreme conditions.

The research aims to generate comparative data for product development and safety guidance in cold weather operations. Additionally, the study may provide insights into the equipment used during the 1924 British Everest expedition, during which Mallory and Andrew Irvine disappeared. Early results suggest that the historic gear may have been more capable than previously thought.

Identical twins climb Mera Peak in mountaineering experiment

These 36-year-old British twins are getting ready to climb a section of the Himalayas for science. What separates the professional explorers will be their kit. Hugo Turner is stepping back in time. He'll be outfitted in a forensic replica of George Mallory's 1924 Everest expedition gear, which includes hand-stitched layers of wool, silk and gabardine. His twin Ross will wear modern, high-altitude gear supplied by Montaigne. Their expedition up Nepal's over 21,000-foot Mira Peak is part of a study that will test clothing performance under extreme cold and low oxygen. The twins, with support from the University of Portsmouth, will collect data as they climb. Researchers will monitor their body temperature, dexterity, cognition and stress hormones. Ross says being genetically identical allows the comparison to be plausible. We like to train in a similar way before these expeditions so we are as identical as possible. Being genetically identical while we're on the mountain allows the science, the study of each kit to be brought together so we can almost look side by side. The study will generate comparative data sets to inform product development and safety guidance for cold weather operations. It also hopes to shed light on equipment factors surrounding the 1924 British Everest expedition, during which Mallory and partner Andrew Irvine disappeared. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay are widely regarded as the first climbers confirmed to reach Everest's summit in 1953, though Ross says it's possible Mallory could have made it first years before. I think from what we've started to understand about this kit, particularly in the cold chamber here at the University of Portsmouth, Extreme Environments Laboratory is, you probably could have. There's definitely question marks over the kit's ability, particularly some of the stuff you're looking at now. But the raw data shows us there's not much to be extremely worried about.

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