Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1881-03-17
CLIMBING CHIMBORAZO.
MIR. Edward Whymper's Account of his
Ascent--2O,O 200 Feet Above the Sea
Level.
Pail Mall Gazette. I

Pail Mall Gazettel
Mr. Edward Whymper in his lecture last
night to the members of the Alpine Club on
on the ascents of Chimborazo and Cotapaxi,
stated that he took with him from home two
well-known Swiss guides, Joan Antoine Car
rell and Louis Carrell, from thesVue Tour
nanche. The height of Chimborazo, which
he assembled first, was about 10000 feet, and
up to that time no one, as far as he could
learn, had ascended higher than 1900 to
$4,000 feet. He had to provide his own food,
about two tons of the most portable conden-
sed provisions being sent out in tins for the
expedition. His ascent of the mountain be-
gan on the 23d of December, 1879. The first
camp being pitched about $4,000 feet above
the level OF the sea, they afterward ascended
to a height OF 16500 feet, where they placed
provisions enough for three weeks, and fuel
enough for several days, water being obtained
by melting snow. At that height he became
feeble and feverish, and was unableto salts
ty the craving for drink, added to Which he
had bad headache, and gaspingswhen he
was swallowing liquid Under these circum-
stances he used with great benefit chlorate of
potash, which he had obtained by the advice
of DR.. Marcel before starting. The camp
was near rock of trachyte, which rose to
about 49, 500 feet, there being on the east
side Of the ridge conspicuous glacier en-
tirely fed by the ice which fell from above.
When they occupied a new camping place,
about 17,4O0 feet high, his health improved.
On the Sd of January 1880, an attempt was
made to reach the summit, but owing to an
intensely cold wind they were obliged to re-
turn to the camp. Afterward, encouraged by
the weather and continuous sunshine they
made another attempt. Having at length
reached what seemed to be the top, abont
3:45 in the afternoon, they had the mortiti-
cation that it was lower than another eleva-
ton There was then no help for it but to
make for the highest point, and they ar
rived upon it standing up like men, instead
of groveling, as they had been doing
for five hours before, like beasts. The wind
was blowing at the rate Of fifty miles an
hour from the north east, and driving the
snow before it, and they were alicold and
hungry. The temperature was there twenty
one degrees Fahrenheit, which, on being
worked out, gave a height at the siimmit of
Chimborazo of &c, $40 feet They descended
as hastily as they could to the camp before
darkness made descent impossible, and they
got back at o'clock in the evening, having
been out sixteen hours, and ON foot the whole |
time. Altogether he spent II days ON Chin
borazo, at $4,000 feet of altitude, 16hae feet,
and II, 800 feet, and went up three times as
high as 13,5OO0, and when he quilted the
mountain all trace of mountain sickness had
Mr.. Whymper also described
the ascent of Cotapaxi, and said that it was
to conceive more dramatic
spectacle than the vast crater presented IL
Illuminated as it was below with ruddy sub
terranean fires and above by brilliant
moon. The height of it was 10, 500 feet, and
the camp was 130 feet below. They remained
there }6 consecutive hours. He also des-
cribed a second ascent which he made at
Chimborazo nearly five months LATER and
the height, as tested in the manner as before
was i'll this instance found to be 20,459 feet,
being tifty-six feet less than On the previous
occasion, the mean height Of the two being
20,517.