Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-05-27
THE HrGHEsr ASCENT YET MADE
Rubenson and Morad-Aas Almost
Attain Summit of Kabru.

II
Attain Summit of Kabru.
The boldest and most successful
feat of mountaineering In many a
uay is that OF the Norwegians, Ru-
benson and MaoHrad-Aas, who late
last year reached the summit crest
or kabru, In the Himalayas. The
details of their work have Just ap-
peared in the Alpine Journal. B, .
They attained height of 23,SOOf
feet, the highest on record since the
year 1903, with 23,394 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. 40 among the tallest sum-
mits of the Himalayas, gives an i'm
pressive idea of these wonderful ele-
yations Just q 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 10000
feet the Norwegians reached the ac-
tual foot OF Kabru, on it's South
east side. With a weeks provisions
and fourteen picked coolies they
started on the ascent.
The Ice and snow gave them little
difficulty up to 19,500 feet and then
came the perils of smooth ice OH the
steepest of slopes and of rock and
Ice avanlanches from far above that
test the mettle of the best men.
For five days they we're cutting
steps in the solid ice amid chaos
of Ice needles and crevasses in
frozen world Of the most fantastic
forms. Every danger of climbing In
the Alps and Caucasus Is intensified
in these upper reaches of the 'HiIna-
layan SUBMITS, but the explorers
have nothing save praise for their
coolies, who proved after short
training in the use of the ice axe
and rope to be Keen and effective
MOI, lltaineers.
Half way up this Ice slobe they
found fiat bit of ground where they
pitched clamp and rested two days.
They were now 21,500 feet above sea
level.
The ice wall to their left, from
200 to 500 feet above them, fire.
quently dropped huge ice blocks, and
this danger required constant vigil
lance. Great banks Of cloud usually
barred the scene below them, though
sometimes they caught views of Dar-
jeeling, some fifty miles to the south
west. :
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 camp below. The
four men in advance passed miser-
able night huddled In their little
tent with the temperature over 20
degrees below zero, Fahrenheit.
On October 20 they started on the
final attempt to reach the summit.
The great cold was intensified by
high wind and progress was slow, for
every step had to be cut in the frozen
snow and often they had to stop to
look after their feet, which threat
ened to freeze. They dropped their
only watch early in the day and 1t
went skimmering down the slope and
over the precipices.
Upward they struggled until about
6 p. M, they think, when they reach
ed q place which they thought was
the top Of Kabru. But here they
found a ridge, perhaps less than LOO
feet above them, which they are posi-
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 60 on. To spend
the night at the summit would mean
death, for the cold was almost un-
bearable and they must retreat at
once to the camp below.
The moon soon rose and with its
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 a shot. Monrad-Aas
threw himself fiat to support the
strain on the rope. He saved his
comrade and himself, but four of
the five strands of the Swiss tourist
rope parted and Rubenson was held
by single strand,
Because 1t was a great achieve
ment 1t is all the more to be regret
ted that impediments, chiefly the Bit
ter cold Of the last day, prevented
these mountaineers from completing
the ascent when they were 80 near
their goal. u
Heavy,impure blood makes mud