Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-07
CLIMBING ALTA1 MOUNTAINS.
Remarkable Feat Of an Englishman in
Siberia Last Winter.
From the London Mail.

From the London Mail
A remarkable mountaineering feat has
been accomplished by an Englishman nam
ed s. Turner Of London, who has just re-
turned from an attempt to climb Beluka,
in the Altai mountains, Siberia. The Altai
mountains stretch from Tomsk, the capital
of Siberia. to the Chinese border. south
west Siberia. They are very low at Tomsk.
but after Bijsk they are fairly high. To
reach the highest one leaves the great
Siberian railway at the Obi station and
travels through Barnoul and Bfjsk to Ka-
tunda Obi station Is 1900 miles beyond to
Moscow, on the Great Siberian railway and
Katunda is $40 miles direct south from
the Obi
From the great difficulty of reaching
there 1t Is not surprising to find that no
European has tried to explore these noun
tains, and there is no literature on the sub
ject in England save short translation of
about twenty lines from paper read be-
fore the Imperial Russian Geographical So
ciety. Professor SapozinOkof of the Tomsk
university, with four companions. climbed
IL, 800 feet from the south side of Beluka
during the summer of 1900 and then it was
estimated that the mountain was 1900 feet
high. Mr.. Turner intended to try to con-
firm Professor Sapozinokof s measurements.
1t was in the late sWinter and though the
Russian authorities were 4. helpful they de-
clared any ascent! was sir4lpossible," but
Mr. Turner engaged hunters and crossed
the steppes in intensely. cold wea ther, rid
ing on sledges for three days and two
nights, there being snowdrifts everywhere.
Katunda was thus reached and the journey
was continued on horses past the settle
ment Of friendly Kalmucks. who had never
seen an Englfshman, and through dense
forest to the Aiken valley.
1t was first of all necessary to examine
Beluka Accordingly Mr.. Turner climbed
one mountain II. 800 feet high and did so
alone for the hunters he took with him re-
fused to run any risk and stopped at
lower altitude The following day Mr.
Turner climbed another mountain and then
commenced to scale the object of his visit.
The party moved off at IL O'Clock and after
hours 1t commenced to snow, with the re-
suit that 1t frightened the hunters and they
left Mr.. Turner alone on the mountain on
the distinct understanding that they would
be up at his tent by O'Clock next morn
ing.
It was q lonely afternoon and night. but
the next morning. the hunters not being
visible Mr.. Turner started Of at 8 O'Clock
The snow had stopped and In four hours
he reached the base of the actual peaks OF
BeIuka. There are two peaks and saddle
between Them but he could only gain those
ridges by one very difficult way. 1t had al
so begun to snow again. but he decided to
push on. At the top Of the second ridge
he measured 800 feet and left his name In
Russian and English under large stone
and then continued until he came to an Ice
slope descending from near the summtt.
Owing to the hardness Of the Ice It teak
half an hour to cut one step. and as thirty
were necessary the climber was compelled
to pause and remodel his plans.
He tried to go down the south side Of the
mountain. but the freshly fallen snow ON