IT was at a school assembly shortly after Hillary and Tensing had conquered Mount Everest that the leader of the expedition, Sir John Hunt, was the speaker.

He endeared himself to us by announcing he had persuaded the head to give us all an extra day off. From that day on I have never failed to remember the significance of the event.

True, Everest Pioneer, the photographs of Captain John Noel

by Sandra Noel (Sutton Publishing, £25) doesn't extend to that historic occasion in 1953, but Sandra Noel, the daughter of a pioneer whose photographic exploits must be rated alongside the achievements of the greatest of mountaineers, has managed to capture the daring essence of a man of action.

His aim was not to surmount the peak but to capture on film those who did -- or, in the case of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, whose gallant failure elevated them to a place of honour. Indeed, as Sandra Noel points out, he "held a mystical belief -- a hope perhaps" that "they had in fact been the first to reach the summit".

His notebooks and photographs capture the true nature of the challenge, as well as presenting a fascinating insight into the massive backup, base camps, countryside and local people.

On his first visit to the mountain in 1913 while in the Army, he disguised himself as an Indian tea planter and made his first abortive excursion into Tibet. It was typical of many of the expeditions he was to accompany in later years, ending not because of a lack of courage, but shortage of food, the hazardous conditions, and the fact that the authorities found him.

Noel built himself a cine camera capable of operating in the extreme climate and footage from that and his still cameras, are an important legacy to a world which still admires the daring of those who adventure into the realms others fight shy of.

He accompanied a number of expeditions but none so poignant as the final one which ended in the death of Mallory and Irvine. A note from Mallory pointing out where Noel might get the best photographs as the pair made their final attempt on the peak is a sad reminder of the sheer bravery of the couple at a time when there were no mobile telephones or instant communication in such remote areas.

Sandra Noel deals carefully with the tragedy, not simply the loss of personal friends of her father, but almost a financial disaster as he had staked his all on returning with a record of victory. His recovery was eventually to the benefit of us all -- a panoramic record of historic achievement and endeavour.