The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-09
Climbing Mi. Ararat.

reputation for inaccesSihihty rather sur
prises one for il does not-at least seen
from the northern srde-look as sharp as
the Matterhorn. or. though il Is in reality
as lofty as Mont Blanc. perhaps because of
the much greater height OF the snow
line in summer. writes Ricaioa4d Coolidge,
who scaled IL this summer.
Ararat has been climbed good many
times in this century. notably by Mr.
Bryce, who has given an excellent &C
count OF his Grip; later by several for
eigners (a-nong others by two American
bicyclists MesSrs, Allen and Sachleben).
and by a number of Russians And yet.
with officers and soldiers on It's slopes.
for months every year. the only person l
could find who made the ascent was an
Armenian guide who declared he had
been up fifteen times but had been able
TO reach the top only three. AT Gs-
lance people speak OF such an enterprise
as very foolhardy and dangerous; nearer
TO, they took more sensible view. though
some were dubious. and all pointed out
how much depended on luck, for even IN
the finest weather in August (the best
month for an attenpt) the summit is al
most always clouded over Just before noon
till near evening. and the morning Itself.
is uncertain enough However, Russian
hospitality 10 the rowing stranger. especial
II pFONtCeQ WIKI d lSllSE W4Lu q SOO0
official signature. produced in my case
the greatest readiness 10 give assistance.
The colonel in command of the post offer
ed a guard. and called for volunteers,
with the result that when / started out
on the morning of August II. besides the
Aremnian guide and four Kurds, to carry
wood, blankets, provisions. etc, found
myself with an escort of five CossackS
Ton FOOT. soon reinforced by nine infan-
trymen. At any rate. it saved one from
the bother of carrying a revolver.
We proceeded slowly enough. with very
frequent rests. the delay coming from the
guide. who early became exhausted and
complained OF age and illness At about
half past four we reached u spot where
there was a general desire TO camp. The
kurds naturally wanted TO stop as soon as
possible. the soldiers thought il would be
cold higher UP. and the guide was tired
out. On the other hand, il seemed abb
surd to halt when there was sill 80 much
daylight, and when II was desirable to
get Wen ahead for the morrow. AS
means of cutting short discussion,
started on, followed with more or less
Willingness by the rest of the troop: and
though we did not go much further. even
a little was a decided gain. The place
where We did camp was respectfully srnoth
e1iAN NAAC 4cAAts CN4AlS ~ NAAC AOl AO.Ac1S az
sence of wind. was not as cold as we had
supposed ii would be- The party. there
fore. slept well; only the guide tossed and
tumbled about, groaning with fever, and
keeping me, mis- next neighbor, uncomfOrt-
ably awake. Luckily I had quinine with
me. and. after filling him up with II. told
him next day to remain behind with the
Kurds and with one soldier, also fever
stricken.
We did not get away until a. m, but
then moved steadily and fast, keeping on
the ledge OF rocks that borders the snow,
and stopping with increasing frequency
only from fatigue and want of breath.
To a veteran Alpine climber it might per-
haps have been chld's play; there was
nothing perilous. nothing difficult about
it; it was only persistent scramble up
wards. To a tourist of sedentary habits,
it was, at least. exhausting. as the way
was very steep. and the rarefield air made
one lose ones breath easily, besides caus-
ing headache. Spiked shoes. and a good
alpenstock. instead of a birch stick with
a sharpened end. would have been con-
siderable help. On We pushed, every man
for himself wasting our strength in anne
teur fashion. but making such continuous
progress that, in just about four hours and
a half, the first three of us, not many
minutes apart. reached the summit which
consists OF two cones one a few feet high
er than the other. and by ten O'Clock all
fourteen were assembled on the top of
the snow.
There are two days in which one can
take the view that spread below us, for
we were fortunate in our weather and
had time enough to get a good look be-
survey the empires of Russia with its
great present and future. Turkey and Per
STA with their great pasts; one can repeat
than the thin stream beneath Is the an
Gent Araxes, one can think of the ex-
PLOTS of famous conquerors, the cradles
of former civilizations. and of Noah's
ark-the scene is one that appeals strong
iy to the imagination. From what we
might call the photographers standpoint
II is less satisfactory. On every side lie
lrnlovely plains, relieved only occasional
~ by a little water or a patch Of green:
beyond them are dull. high mountains all
with the same barren, Scorched look save
for few distant snow-peaks. Perhaps at
a season or on a day when there is no
heat mist dimming the landscape, the
prospect may be more attractive. Some
how, with all its historical associations.
it did not tempt me to linger very long In
the glare, but made me willing to Join
the soldiers in partaking of refreshments
or investigating the box with the names
OF previous visitors. And yet, though the
view left only a blurred outline in the
memory, that outline Is something l shall
never forget or cease being please to own.
The return was easy enough. Three
thousand feet or 50 can be covered IN a
twinkiing by coasting down a great snow
field. and. even il one IS more cautious.
he can descend rapidly through loose
stones, though there is very uncOmforta-
bic chance (as IL takes nothing TO set Il
Ito in notion Of sending them flying at
any time on 10 the men under YOU. Before
sunset the last Of the party was again az
Sadar Bulakh- Here there had been quite
a little element. for much Of our pro-
gress. including the reaching. Of the sum
nit. had been followed Though field
glasses and shots fired from the top had
been distinctly heard: thus we had eye
and ear witnesses of our success Many
were che t0asts drunk that night.
On the whole. K seems 20 me that the
most notable result 81 our climb ls tina:
Il must provoke others. No one. even IN
the vicinity. can now maintain that the
mountain is in accessible or nearly 80. or
course. Ike other such places. Il is danger
Gus to get lost on in storm { a man
died in that way last sunmer}. and scci-
dents can happen anywhere. but there
are countless less celebrated ascents hard
Ct in every way. Some day then IT. fae
future. we may expect 70 see numerous
a ,p@ustocks marked. among other names.
with Nj Ararat."
Ensign PoweiIsoB's Accident