Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-27
MISS PECK'S RECORD CLIMB
Obstacles on Mount Huascan Men
Could Not Overcome.
DANGERS SHE MET ON WAY UP
Mountain Most Spectacular IL Not
Highest in Andes-Attempts to
Reach Its Summit Made
h. Men.

The Andes of Peru attain their greatest
elevation between eight and ten degrees
south of the Equator The Hottest peaks
are found in the Cordillera Nevada or
White mountains. All these SURPRISING
SUBMITS rise to 10000 feet and the tallest
and whitest of the stately range is Noun
Huascan, which is over 22, 900 feet high.
This mountain, with it's two peaks, is
one Of the giants of the Andes. Very few
photographs of Huascan are accessible.
Some of them show the two peaks, but
other even more impressive pictures of the
mountain were taken from points where
only one of the peaks can be distinguished
1t is this mountain that Miss Annie s. Peck
is said to have recently assembled to its
highest point.
Mount Huascan has several names. The
Indians call 1t Matara-racu, its popular
name in Peru is Huascaran, but practically
all geographers write the name Huascan
as Raimondi called 1t when he wrote the
first description of the mountain.
On account of the customary clearness of
the atmosphere the mountain usually APP
pears much nearer to the observer than
it really is. On a clear. day 1t may be seen
from far out in the Pacific; and from every
good point of view it is, for several reasons,
one of the most impressive sights in South
America.
In the first place, it is bound to attract
attention because 1t is a half mile higher
than any other mountain In that region.
Then, 1t has the great advantage over
Aconcagua, in Argentina, opposed to be
the highest OF the Andes, that 1t is not so
environed by other mountains as to lose
the effect of great height. Its situation
makes Huascan appear even higher than
It really is.
From several points the view of its long
steep slopes is interrupted by no intervening
mountains. You see the granite from it's
base near the valley of Huaylas to its top
most peak. The upper 5000 feet is per-
fectly white, and It's cleaning mantle of
perpetual snow and ice makes 1t seem like
a thing of air. Explorers say that its
beauty surpasses anything else in the Andes
when it's white is turned into rose tints
by the rising and setting sun.
Let us compare this white pyramid with
Jungfrau, the grandest mountain of the
Bernese Alps. The Jungfrau reaches a
height Of 1900 feet, but It rises from a very
high base which diminishes the effect of
its great elevation.
The limit of perpetual snow on the Swiss
mountain begins at 5000 feet, and its snow
and ice covering is therefore 1900 feet in
vertical extent. If we could wrap the Jung
frau in the white mantle of Hauscan it
would extend to the foot of the mountain
and far down the verdant valleys as far as
the hamlet Of Lauterbrunn.
There are great dangers in the ascent of
Huascan. The natives living within sight
Of It have told every mountaineer who
has come to them that it was impossible to
get to the top and that to attempt the as
cent was counting certain death. One OF
the most formidable dangers is the rush Of
a~valanches, which is likely to occur at
any time.
From the valley you may see a haze OF
white dusty cloud rising above the peaks,
and a little later you will hear a dull roar
as of distant thunder. 1t is an avalanche
OF snow and ice rushing down the slope
and tumbling over the lofty precipices.
Any living thing in its path would certainly
be swept to destruction.
Parts OF the slope below the snowlIne are
very steep and strewn with huge blocks Of