Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-04-23
CLIMBING A VOLCANO.

ed-in February last the peak of Orizaba,
Or eitlatepetl, as it is called by the Az
tecs, the star mountain of the Anahauc.
He had previously climbed to the top of
Popocatepetl, and from its summit had
gazed out over sea of clouds to the fro.
zen top of its mighty rival, and now the
position was reversed. Mr.. Richardson
was accompanied by Mr.. Eustace Nor
ply, who, with indomitable pluck, held
out to the last. The point from which
the ascent. of Orizaba is generally under
taken is San Andres Chalchicomula,
pleasant little town which lies directly
under the great volcano, at its south
western base. Here the sulphur miners
and the ice cutters come down to sell
the products of their hazardous industry.
At l o'clock on the 10th of February,
they began their climb up the mountain.
For several hours their path wound up
through the desolate ravines which sep
arate the Sierra Negra from the peak.
Great masses of volcanic rock were OBJ
served in fantastic shapes on every side.
and on the entire face of the country,
half covered with snow, could be read
the signs of the savage convulsions
which some day must have shaken the
mountains to their foundations.
On the morning of the 11th the party
resumed their march at 2 o'clock and
the ascent is thus described to us by
Secretary Richardson:
@Wetwere six alf told, four Indians,
Morphy and myself. No party ever
tried an ascent with better fellows for
guides. They knew every inch of the
ground, were strong and good natured,
and took lively interest in the success
of our enterprise. As we were the first
to 60 up after the heavy storms, we went
prepared to have tough climb. The
Indians said we would reach the top at
10 o'clock, which was giving US seven
hours to do it in. Under ordinary cir
cpmstanoes, and when the snow is in the
best condition. the sulphur miners 60 up
in five or six hours from the cave, but
on the present occasion they had under
estimated the difficulties. The snow was
low down and very heavy, and long be-
fore the sun peeped up over tho murky
horizon we were hopelessly launched up
on the long, glistening slant, one end of
"hi0h seemed reaching out to touch the
stars and the nthA- shot fo v hnlnv ne in
to bank of clouds. Sunlight found US
on the south side of the mountain, on a
level about equal to the height of the
Sierra Negra. The ascent now began to
be very laborious, and for the first time
we began cutting footsteps in the ice in
order to proceed. When half way up
the mountain, the route usually taken is
along ledge of rocks which reaches up
out of the snow like the dorsal fin of a
shark and runs clear to the top. In this
respect, Orizaba differs very much from
its kindred peak, Popocatepelt. Sharp,
jagged points of rock stick out all over
its surface like the spines of porcu-
pine. while the summit of Popocatepetl
is clean, unbroken cone. These rocks
on the slopes of Orizaba are one of the
principal sources of danger in the as
cent. as they often come tumbling down
in great quantities; but at the time Of
our adventure they were all held fastby
the unusually heavy fall of snow. This
was point in our favor but if we did
not have to dodge rocks, there was nc
lack of active operation in other respects
The higher we went the more abrupt be.
came the ascent and the more uncertain
the foothold. Ten o'clock came around
and the summit was still far above US
Every step now had to be cut out of the
solid ice, and the fatigue and light all
were beginning to tell on our uninitiat
ed muscles. At IL o'clock we were al
the foot of what is known as the rocks
of the arrepentimientO. This is the last
grand pull, the home-stretch, and il
could not be more appropriately named
It is probably not over 800 yards to the
top. but it is almost perpendicular
wall of ice. and as it is reached wher
the adventurer is already fainting ant
about ready to give up, it is formida
BILE obstacle. We were three hours il
getting over it, and then almost faintins
and completely exhausted, we threw our
selves down on little shelf of sand a
the top of the peak"
1t was 2 o'clock in the afternoon whel
they reached the summit, just clever
hours after their departure from tn
Cave of Santa Cruz, which is itself N
less than $4,000 feet above the sea
Two of the Indians left the party pre-
ferring to climb the mountain mex
morning to spending the night on it
, top. Mr.. Richardson says that that wa
the most horrible night he ever hopes t
pass. He says:
Shortly after our arrival cold win
} came up that struck us to the very bone
! There was no shelter to be obtained, a
: the descent into the crater was impossl
J BILE, and the excavations from which th