Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-10-28

plorers had penetrated the wilder
ness, a few had even reached the
lofty glaciers. but no one had scaled
dominating summit. In the spring
Of 1906, although two parties, Eng
lish and Austrian were in the field,
Abruzzi entered for the prize. Again
a carefully planned campaign, un-
der conditions so opposite to those Of
| the Saint Elias expedition, met with
an equally brilliant success. The
sumptuous volume entitled .Ruwen-
Zori,' with its matchless illustrations,
tells the story Of the exploration, and
a supplement collates the rich scien-
tiic data.
THE ambition to match his powers
with the great peaks Of the Hima-
layas had only slumbered since a
change Of plan, rendered necessary
by the plague, had in 1897 caused
him to substitute Mount Saint Elias
The base of Mount Everest (29,0
feet) the worlds highest peak, be-
ing unapproachable by reason of an
agreement between the British gov
ernment and the state of Nepal, he
had chosen K2 in Kashmir (2S,250
feet,) the next highest, as his prime
objective. Leaving Marseilles on May
16, 1909, at the end Of the month
they were already at the foot Of the
peak. The ensuing seven weeks wit
messed perhaps the most persistent
and strenuous work to be found in the
annals of mountaineering.
For an entire month siege was laid
to the inaccessible citadel-first to it's
southern arete-but it soon became
evident that above 10000 feet were
difficulties insurmountable. From a
lofty saddle (21.690 feet) next reach
ed on the western arete, a recon-
naissance revealed a precipitous and
inaccessible cliff. This point was al
ready $500 feet higher than Saint
Elias, the dukes previous record.
After some days of foul weather
the head wall Of the Goodwin Austen
glacier was climbed to Windy Gap in
the hope of finding an approach by
the northeastern spur and, failing
that, of studying its northern side.
The peak was found equally inaccessi-
BILE from the east, and the steepness
prevented a descent with coolies to q
camp on that northern side.
IAN alternative offered, to climb
Staircase Peak for a reconnaissance.
The attempt was foiled at 21.325 feet
by bad weather and two impossible
bergschrunds. Forced by the late
ness Of the season and the apparent
hopelessness Of better conditions, K2
was abandoned and attention turned
to Bride Peak, an easy CD mountain
study of all the mountains Of Kara
koran. The camp was transferred
to the glacier below the Chogolisa col
(saddle). For a week foul weather
interfered with establishing higher
ones. On July 9 they pushed on to
above 10000 feet and two days later to
22. 900.
1.-The following day, the weather
having improved, an attempt was
made to reach the summit, but failed
at about $4,000 feet, an altitude equal
to the highest record hitherto, that
Of the Norwegians. Rebenson and
Sikkim Himalayas in 1907, in which
they were very likely preceded by w.
w. Graham in 1888. On the 18th an
early start was made for a renewed
attempt, and at half past l they were
at an attitude Of 24,5S3 feet, the
worlds present record.
Describing the situation the duke
says: Our pulse was regular and we
felt no discomfort from the rarity of
the air. Meanwhile the clouds had
become very dense and interfered
with our progress. Soon we were
forced to follow an arete to avoid the
danger Of avalanches, but anon we
had to abandon it from the risk of
projecting cornices. At $50. after
waiting two hours for some slight
break in the clouds, decided to re-
turn to camp.
These quiet words cover a griev-
Gus disappointment. To be sure, he
had carried the man line as 1t has
been called, some six hundred feet
higher; but wholly within his reach
was a summit surprising $4,000 feet,
to have attained which would have
been If not a much more brilliant ex-
plot at least a more convincing as
surance to the world at large that the
crowning SHOWS of Everest will yet
feel the pressure Of a human foot"