Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-06-26

cheering OF the spectators. The noun
tain climbers alone, unobseryed. cool
ly. deliberately. without any excite
meat. brave death every moment
Mount Pinnacle was attempted three
times last summer by expert climbers,
but they were unable TO 60 higher
than the lower opening Of the crack by
which the summit gust be reached. Ii
is believed. however that In August,
when the snow and ice In that crack
have melted, 1t may be penetrated by
men who know how 70 overcome such
difficulties In climbing.
This crack, the only path to the
mountain peak. is SO narrow that one
may stand In II by bracing his feet
and hands against the sides. IL Ia al
most perpendicular. and the sides are
smooth save for slight roughnesses at
the lines Of various strata composing
the peak. These small projections form
Q precsrious fOothold for the climber.
who must wriggle. struggle, fight with
death. in the narrow place for 800 feet.
The nerve, the power to endure, the
courage, the skill, required to make
that terrifying ascent are awe inspir.
ing.
Messrs. Comstock and Wheeler be-
lieve they can reach the top. They love
mountain climbing for its own sake
and are willing to stake their lives on
their ability to work their way up
through that forbidding crack In the
great. desolste point which towers up
ward to the sky.
Before they essay Mount Pinnacle
they will climb Mount Sanford. which
Is. called "the Mount Blanc of the
Canadian Rockies" and Mount Good
shire, a peak very difficult Of ascent
Mount Sanford not only never has
been climbed by a white man. but so
far as there are any records has never
been approached nearer than twenty
ovs miles. The trip to the mountain
will require canoe voyage down the
Columbia river for twenty-five miles,
then up the Gold river and then afoot
without membranes across and along
hobsNN 6iaNiUio w tbN AVOt VI tiLC
mountain. After the journey to the
mountain base has been completed
there will still remain the task of
reaching the peak but that will pre-
sent no such difficulties as confront the
climber OF Mount Pinnacle.
Mount Sanford, however, is about
thousand feet higher than Mount Pin
nacle, being 1900 feet above sea level
at its highest point. Mount Goodshire,
the other Of the three mountains the
two climbers will attempt, is about the
same height as Mount Sanford
Mount Goodshire will prove more diff
ficult of ascent than Mount Sanford,
for it really Is mere tower Of prime
val granite, which projects itself into
the sky from a glacier. 1t will be at
tempted following the ascent of Mount
Sanford, and after these two great
peaks have been surmounted Mount
Pinnacle, with its awful crack, will be
attacked by the two men. If they car
ry out their plans and escape with
their lives Messrs. Comstock and
Wheeler will have done that which to
this day remains undone by human
beings 80 far as any living person
knows.
Many sportsmen believe that the pos
sible spectacular accomplishments Of
these two adventurous men will arouse
widespread interest in American
mountain climbing and that If they
succeed others will follow them and
that In the mountains of Canada there
will grow up an adventurous sport sim
tlar to that so long famous and popu-
lar in the Alps.