Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-05
AGIANT OF ANDES"
DEFEATS CLIMBERS
Chimborazo, Ecuador's High.
est Peak, Recently Scaled
by Americans, However.

Mount Chimborazo, recently scaled
by American scientists, is the Hottest
peak in Ecuador, rising nearly four
miles above sea level" says a bulletin
from the headquarters Of the National
Geographic Society.
"Chimborazo is called the Giant of
the Andes Until the Andean peaks
were surveyed. the old volcano. now in
active, was called the Hottest peak In
south America, but surveyors have
found seven other peaks that top it.
Guayaqul, Ecuador's largest seaport,
Is nearly 100 miles southwest of Mount
Chlmborazo, but the huge bulk of the
mountain even dominates the Landscape
as seen on clear days from the rails of
incoming vessels. Surrounding peaks
more than three miles high seem to vie
with the height of the Chimborazo sum-
mt, but even Cotopaxi Volcano, the next
highest Ecuador peak, would have to
stretch 963 feet higher than its present
1858 feet to equal it.
Railroad Skirts Mountain.
'The Yankee-built Guayauuil-Quito
railroad skirts Mount Chimborazo about
halfway between the Port and the
Ecuador capital. At Riobamba, a small
mountain town Of $4,000 inhabitants
the trains stop overnight Since CHM
corazo IS but short distance from this
point passengers can get closeup of
the Andean giant When the sun is
SHINING, the snow-clad slopes glisten
with every color of the rainbow and in
the evening these rainbow colors merge
INTO golden glow, appearing as though
nature mad wrapped the whole mountain
In golden robe
From Riobamba Chimborazo's sum-
NIT does not appear afar of It is but
a few miles q "a
Stout-hearted mountain climbers have
LETT comfortable hotels and inns to scale
It's height, only to return unsuccessful
and exhausted
Humboldt attempted to scale CHM
borazo in 1902. He turned back when
he was 1000 feet from the glacier
ridged summit. Thirty years later a
FTenchman and an American reached
q point 400 feet above Humboldt's mark
and gave up the climb. It was not I'M
til another half century had passed
that Chlmborazo's uppermost secrets
were made known to the world by Ed
ward Whymper, an Englishman.
"Chimbora2o's human neighbors are
mostly Indians, some of whom are de-
scendants of the Incas and Spaniards.
The Indian farmers, contented in their
mud, thatched-roof houses surrounded
by patches of cabbages and potatoes.
small orchards and grain fields, have
changed little since Columbus discov-
cred America. The Spaniards prefer
the stuccolike buildings, topped with
red tiles.
Active Volcanoes Nearby.
1.-THE market places of the nearby
towns indicate that Chimborazo's rain
bow colorS are popular among the ma
tives, for their costumes are af1ame
Everywhere natives gather there is
riot of color, the red, orange, green
yellow and blue ponchos of the men
their shades in the dresses Of the
women.
THE Indians and Spaniards are a
hospitable people, but not many miles
to the east of the Andes are jungles
where the native Jivaros still are proud
Of their art In shrinking human heads
to the size Of an orange, with hair and
skin intact. With blow-gun charged
with a poison arrow, the Jivaro has
been~ known to kill the husband of
woman he wants for his wife and to
treasure the victims head after it had
gone through the shrinking process.
Many of Chimhorazo's mountain
neighbors keep Ecuador a-futter with
earth shocks and explosions. Mount
SRngay, about 80 miles to the south
east, is reputed to be one of the worlds
most active volcanoes. Musket-like dis
charges are constantly heard, eliciting
about as much attention from the ma
tives as does the tick of a clock on
living room nantel in an American
home. But now and then even the ma
tives look up when there is a cannon
like report, followed by a mass Of flying
rocks which explodes In the air, re-
minding the American traveller of the
aerial bombs at civic celebration on
Independence day."