The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1905-07-24
Women Are Barred
From Big Climb
AneH pouTlNe m CAMPS OF IptNERs WHEN NEWS or I'M
POSSIBLE coNnroN or GIBRALTAR TRAIL WAS REPORT.
ep-eAMP GOSSIP

'spondents future nightmare Law
ing aside our alpine stocks. which
could not be carried, and tying on
our leather .aovea. We started
around a narrow tV,hce OF siirpesg
rock. eilseine tight b. tse leelaa. ~
cording 10 the nulAe's iftssruetlean,
aud loeepits eur ewes frem the al
most perpendicular drop Of hun
arcds Of feet only two feet and
sometimes less distant from the
ledge Presently even this path
practically ceased. and We found
ourselves fitting our heels and cur
toes into the ereyices and upon the
luttinK rocks Just Vacated by the
feet OF the person ahead. clutehlng
with our gloved hands such rucka
as we found solid above ua and
drawing our bodies upward along
the seams OF cliffs almost perpendi-
cular The increasing altitude and
the exertlun Of the climb was mani
fcstcd by difficulty In breathing AMI
trip hammer heart beats WedEed
IN az third place. with string q
rs professional climbers behind,
your correspondent forged deaper.
ately ahead. having learned that 10
be a squitfers Is the worst crime
one can be guilty 81. aud that 10 de-
lay a procession Of MaEamaa by
hesitation or too much caution II
the unparaenahle sin. For the
linear distance of three blocks We
crept upward in this way. aud here
and there We crossed a saddle
where only half foot from our
crouehing bodies was the rim OF a
sheer preeiniee dropping hundreds
Of feet 70 the canyon below Al
these places a lifeline was passed
along Offering tho only possibility
Of salvation IN case of a mtsEiep.
with the haunting consciousness
that every upward step must be re-
traced with redoahled danger, your
correspondent climbed desperately
on. until al last a triumphant shout
from the leader. a few feet ahead.
announced that the peak had been
reached. 4 feW minutes later We
ali crowded together upon the tea
square feet Of toppllng bouldsfs AZ
the top, and when your correspond
ent found courage 90 look about. the
inspiration that drives the noun
tain climber ON In his desperate
game With chance. against the Gle
mental laws of nature. came nearly
being understood by your CORE
spondaut. All the enchanting
beauty Of The mountains Of Wash.
inxton aud Oregon lay before ~ IN
a great panoramic circle. Tbs snow I.
covered caps ~ NJ. -. Helena and
Nt. Adams iuited no through The
sweeping ranges. each nearly a
hundred miles away, gllateniuE In
the sunshine. and lar away. seen
aimly through the hare that over
hung the IaKFsd line Of the horizon,
I tow-~ed NJ. Hood. across the ore
ron boundary line. while NJ Raj
nler. near If hand. bulked above the
eeAar-claa ridges In tho rear.
Alter twenty minutes on the pcah
We descended. eronchinE low ana
huEglng the Ledge. The descent vas
Accumulated b sitting down. plant
I lnr ones feet In the steps below
Getting the best hand-hold await
able-and sitting down again. ms
time lower than before By eontlna-
ous REPETITION Of this process. varied
here and there By lowering Que
body while hanging BY a finger nall
Mold upon an upper ledge. We vent
back over the trail 10 the foot Of ne
cliff.
This ascsat ard descent h the
Test through which one must 30 be
fore being permitted 10 attempt the
Gibraltar trail on Mt kAtnisf.
when your correspondent aud me
Il other climbers safety reported ai
The foot OF The cliff and answered
the roll call. they were Informed
hat they we're eligible 70 Join the
final climb 70 st. Rainier'a summit
In going up we had trudgsd over
a great white field Of snow. slowly
and with much toll Going down
Ne covered the snowfleld IN the
twlnkIlng Of an eye. tobogganing In
parties nf half a dozen or 50. sitting
flat on the snow In line and form
ing a human chain. We raced over
the snow 10 exhilarating fashion 20