Evening star., 1932-07-31
STORM HALTS PUSH
Up H|MALAyA PEAK.
American Woman Snow
bound With Explorers; Sleeps
in Waterproof Bag.
BY ELIZABETH KNoWLTON,
Member Of man-Ameriean Hlmalayan
Expedition.

Expedition.
CAMP NO. 2, MANGA PROBAT,
Ksshmir, July 81 (by runner to AStor,
July 29). The fine weather with which
this expedition has been favored has
broken at last, and Fritz Weissner.
Felix Simon and I have been held up
here four days by storms.
The camp where we now are is pitched
at an altitude of 1900 Ffeet. This is
a stopping place on the way to Camp
No. 2, which is now being used as
base for supplies and as a resting
center.
All the coolies on the mountain are
storm bound in Camp No. with us.
We have had no communication with
the base camp or upper camps since
July II. but we are reasonably sure
that our British transport officer. Lieut.
Frier is in the base camp, and we be-
lieve that our six other climbers are
safe at Camp No. 4, sitting costly in
their roomy snow cave.
Snow Caves Finished.
Just before the weather turned bad
we received a report that the snow
caves at Camp No. were finished, and
that two men were expected to start
July 20 to establish Camp No. on the
critical Rakiot Ridge.
1t also was reported that on July 10,
while reconnoitering the route up Manga
Parbat, Peter ASchenbrenner and Her
bert Kunigk made their first ascent OF
Rakiot Peak, 23,170 feet high. Rand
Heron and DR.. Hugo Hamburger went
with them to their bivouac carrying
loads for them.
Or. Hamburger also took an instru-
ment for measuring blood pressure and
examining the climbers. This Is the
first time blood pressure has been taken
at such a height. 1t is part Of DR..
Hamberger'S research program to de-
termine the effect of high attitudes on
the human system.
For us these four days of storm on a
lofty glacier are proving comfortable,
though InonotonouS. II is surprisingly
warm, with fine snow and hal, but no
wind. Our thermometer at times has |
gone as high as 60 degrees.
II It were not that the coolies have no
waterproof coats we could just as well
travel in the storm. We are using tents
because the snow cave here was not dug |
deep enopgh, and the roof sagged in the |
Summer heat. Our tents have been !
completely watertight in the acid test of
this storm. But the heavy, black rub
Der floors allow the water to soak up |
through them The result Is that the |
water lies around IN pools However.
rubber pads under our waterproof !
sleeping bags.
we do our cooking in a benZine /
cooker, sheltered by what remains Of !
the snow cave. There is plenty to eat, |
as we have seven bags containing two
to three hundred pounds Of provisions |
These provisions are on the way to !
camp No. 4.
Move in Narrow Limits.
As one cannot walk more than 20
feet in any direction without the dan
ger Of falling into some covered Gre !,
vase, We spend our time when not ,
cooking in or on our soft down sleeping i
bags We are safe, warm and well fed, |
but find the lack of variety irksome |
Every morning am awakened by men |
beating on the roof of my tent to shake
of the snow collected during the night. |
After that nothing happens all day un-
less a ccolie comes to Salaam and begs |
sugar or cigarettes. We just sit and
listen to the sound of our own voices, |
the rattle of fine sleet on the roof and |
the roar of frequent avalanches.
have dug my waterproof typewriter
sack out of a sncwdrift to type this
story, which will be sent down by rope
of coolies as soon as the weather makes
this possible.
Manga Parbat is 26,63O feet high. If [.
the expedition reaches the summit of I
this peak it will have established world
record in mountain climbing. The
American members Of the expedition are |
Miss Knowlton of Boston and Spring
field, Mass, and Rand Heron, New
York.
(copyright, 1882. by North American News
paper Alliance, Inc