Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1903-12-11
NOT FOR DANGERS SAKE.
True Mountainsers Seek to Render
CHM safe as Possible.


to the true mountaineer. Never does
an expert voluntarily place himself IN
a dangerous situation. When he Is
forced to take such position he does
not like It, What he does enjoy Is to
eliminate by experience and skill all
danger from climb, which, to a
novice, would be hazardous or impos-
sible. The first ascent of Mount
Bryce, one of the lofty peaks of Brit
ish Columbia, was made by James
Outram in August, 1902, accompanied
by Christian Kaufman, Swiss guide
in the employ Of the Canadian Pacific
Railway Company. Mr. Outram de-
scribes the ascent In Frank Leslie's
Popular Monthly.
Eventually, near the apex of the rock
arete or ridge, well over ten thousand
feet above the sea, we came to a Dit
of cliff, about seventy feet In height,
which appeared SO difficult a problem
as to threaten a summary defeat We
stood on the edge Of the arete, which
lowered above US as narrow buttress,
smooth, nearly perpendicular, with few
excrescences to grip or place even the
corner OF boot upon, and of a con
slstency SO rotten that only small
percentage of the existing few would
probably be reliable. We peered round
the angle on our left, and discovered
that we were about midway along
great bare wall, without vestige Of
foothold, sheer in It's rise toward the
summit and In Its drop Of two or three
thousand feet to the glacier at Its base.
There was no escape in that direction.
To the right narrow rift broke the
directness of the rocky face, descend
Ing abruptly. with occasional wicked
looking spikes Of jagged limestone pro-
truding from the surface, and swept by
showers of debris from the cliffs above.
Beyond this, more buttresses as steep
as those confronting US.
So there was nothing for 1t but to
try and scale the escarpment straight
ahead, and Christian immediately led
the way. The first dozen feet were
fairly broken and not particularly YER
tical but then commenced strenu-
Gus conflict with the difficulties Of this
natural outpost, set to bar approach
to the central tower Of the stronghold.
Hold after hold gave way as the
guide tried them one by one, and frag-
ments ratified down the gully and
f, In,
Ing bounds till, lost to sight and sound,
they dashed to final rest upon the gla
cier six thousand feet beneath; most
suggestive journey to those who were
engaged In an attempt to climb that
self-same cliff by means Of very slight
ly more reliable excrescences.
Fortunately Kaufman Is a magnifi-
cent rock climber and 1t was a treat to
watch the skill and science he dis
played in his advance slowly and eau
tiously toward the goal. Now he Is
clinging TO the rough, rounded surface
of the buttress edge; now swinging
into the narrow gully at Its side. Some
times with arms and legs outstretched,
like giant starfish, in Il mild endeavor
to grasp possible support; or punched
together after huge step upward,
where no intervening foothold offered
In an expanse of yard or more A
tiny resting-pla perhaps an inch in
width and two or three inches in
length. on which a portion of a nailed
boot edge can maintain a grip. is hailed
with delight and looked on as a luxury.
The least projection, If happily not
slippery. sutfices for hold, and one
slow gymnastic effort succeeds anoth-
er, as the climber gently draws himself
upward foot by foot.
In due time the tension was over and
the victory was ours. 1t was a period
Of Intense strain and watchfulness.
Scarcely a word was spoken. and not
needless movement was allowed