The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1921-01-06
ASCEND MOUNT EVEREST
THE ROOF OF THE WORLD
NEW EXPEDITION AND SOME OF
THE DIFFICULTIES 1T HAS
TO OVERCOME.

That a new expedition is to UNI
dertake the ascent of Mount Everest
and the exploration OF its slopes is an
evidence of the fascination that this
the highest mountain in the world
and the one about which there is per
haps the least authentic information
holds for the mountain climber and
the explorer The expedition was
planned and is supported by the Royal
Geographical society and the Alpine
club, which some time ago sent rep
Iresentatives to India to take the mi
tial steps in the project says the New
York Herald.
1t is asserted. and perhaps asserted
'uuthfully, that no European has been
within 60 miles of Mount Everest. For
years it was confused with a peak
5000 feet lower and to the west. 1t
has no native designation, it's name
coming from the military engineer
who first fixed its height by trigono-
metrical survey. Even a view of
Mount Everest, explorers say, gives
no idea of its height. IT does not look
its 29.141 feet of altitude above the
sea because it does not expose
great height of slope; from one of the
points of observation it shows only
about 5000 feet, or considerably less
than the slope shown by Mount Blanc
which is about half its height.
Hostile Surroundings.
Mount Everest is well and careful /
ly guarded not only by its natural /
but by the political condi- |
tons in the country about it, 1t lies
on the borders of Nepal and Thibet,
and around it on all sides is forbid
den land. In the last attempt to
reach the mountain the Maharajah Of
Nepal gave his permission to the eX-
petition. but all of his mobiles entered
a protest and he was forced to with
iraw his consent. The present eXpe-
lition has similar opposition to over
come. If the explorers were to at
empt to go by way of Thibet, the ]
cute which appears the most prac
icable and is beset with the fewest !
natural obstacles, they might find no
u position from the Thibetans But
Inc Indian government. knowing the !
disposition of these peo-
be. refuses at present to grant it's
,ermssion to any exploring party to j
inter- the country.
The Indian government. which has :
approval of the expedition 7
lolds out promise that the conditions
n India will later be such as to re- N,
move the political obstacles. In the / Y
,eantime the members of the eXpe-
ition now in India are making prep ,
rations to overcome the mountain T.
ering difficulties. They are arrang- +
ne for the formation of camps and c
epots of supplies and the collection J.
f a force of natives, who will be the ,
urden bearers. This kind Of help, y
is asserted, is extremely difficult to y
nd; the natives themselves have 7
ever shown any skill as mountain ]
ers and they object greatly to the j
old of the high attitudes =
Take Two Years. n
The actual conditions which noun
ain climbers will find are purely mat :
ers of speculation. There is nothing 7
nown even of the approach to the N
ase of the mountain or of the means +
> be taken to reach the starting n
oint of the real climb SO far as can O
e judged by telescope inspection O
-om great distances the upper 5000 or
BOO feet if they were at Alpine level N
.ould be climbable- but Sir Martin s,
onway an authority on Himalayan i
-gions. says that many mountains Of
the Himalayas are cut off all round ~.
the middle region by inaccessible w
xs or by steep slopes swept by p'
It is believed that with the most
lorongh and complete preparations