Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-05-26
HIGHEST ASCENT YET MADE.
Two Norweeians Climb To Height
of 23,9OO Feet.

of $500 Feet.
The boldest and most successful
feat of mountaineering in many
day is that of the Norwegians Ruben
son and MonradAas, who late last
wear reached the summit crest of Ka-
bru in the Himalayas. The details OF
their work have just appeared in the
Alpine journal.
They attained a height of $4,000
feet, the highest on record. w. H.
Workman had held the record since
1908 with 23.S94 feet, made far to the
west in the Karakoram branch of the
Himalayas. Graham claimed in 1888
to have reached 23,700 feet on Kabru,
but the fact is disputed by most
mountaineers.
The fact that Kabru, though lit
tie over $4,000 feet high, is ranked
only as No. 49 among the tallest sum-
mits of the Himalayas, gives an I'M
pressive idea of these wonderful
elevations. Just little to the east
rises the mighty mass of Kangchen-
junga, five years ago classed as third
and now as second among the high
mountains; and eighty miles or so to
the northwest is Mount Everest, the
highest mountain in the world.
After climbing to about $1,000 feet
the Norwegians reached the actual
foot of Kabru, on its southeast side.
With a weeks provisions and fourteen
picked coolies they started on the as
cent
The ice and snow gave them little
difficulty up to 19,50O feet and then
came the perils of smooth ice on the
steepest of slopes and of rock and ice
avalanches from far above that test
the mettle of the best men.
For five days they were cutting
steps in the solid ice amid chaos OF
ice needles and crevasses in a frozen
world of the most fantastic forms.
Every danger of climbing in the Alps
and Caucasus is intensified in these
upper reaches of the Himalayan sum-
mits, but the explorers have nothing
save praise for their coolies, VINO
proved after a short training in the
use of the ice axe and rope to be Keen
and effective mOuntaineers.
Half way up this ice slope they
found a flat bit of ground where they
pitched camp and rested two days.
They were now 21,500 feet above sea
level.
The ice wall 10 their left, from 200
to 500 feet above them, frequently
dropped huge ice blocks, and this
danger required constant vigilance.
Great banks of cloud usually barred
the scene below them, though some
times they caught views of Darjeeling,
some fifty miles to the southwest.
They were two days making the
next 500 feet of ascent and at $4,000
feet all but the two best coolies were
sent back to the lower camp. The
four men in advance passed a miser-
able night huddled in their little tent
with the temperature over 20 degrees
below Fahrenheit.
On October 20 they started on the
final attempt to reach the summit. The
great cold was intensified by a high
wind and progress was slow, for every
step had to be cut i'm the frozen snow
and often they had to stop to look af-
ter their feet. which threatened to
freeze. They dropped their only watch
early in the day and ii went skim
ming down and over the precipiceS
Upward they struggled until about
6 =. Nj. they think. when they reach
ed a place which they thought was
the top of Kabru. But here they
found a ridge, perhaps less than 100
feet above them, which they are pos
tive is the eliminating summit of the
mountain.
The sun had set, the task ahead of
them was difficult and dangerous and
they dared not go on. To spend the
night at the summit would mean
death. for the coal was almost un-
bearable and they must retreat at
once to camp below.
The moon soon rose ana with ltS
aid they made their way safely down.
though not without one thrilling mo-
ment. RubenSOn slipped on a very
steep slope and flashed past his friend
like Il shot. MOnrad-Aas threw hlm-
self flat to support the strain ON the
rope. He saved his Comrade and him
self. but four Of the five strands OF the
Swiss tourist rope parted and Ruben
son was held by a single strand.
Because it was great achievement
it is all the more to be regretted that
impedients chiefly the bitter cold OF
the last day. prevented these noun
taineers from completing the ascent
when they were so near their goal.