Evening star., 1932-05-11
PARTY IS IN INDIA
TO ATTEMPT PEAK
German-U. S. Group Includes
First Americans on
HimaIayan Climb.
BY ELIZABETH KNOWLToN.

BY ELILAbE L II hNONLl
Special Dispatch to The Star.
BOMBAY. May II (NANAO.-The
German American Himslayan expedi-
ton, first of the great Himalayan climb
ing parties to include Americans, is in
India on its way to attack a mountain
higher than any yet conquered.
Though the farthest north and
farthest south Of the earth's surface
have been reached, the highest up, the
Himalayan giants. still defy man.
The goal of this expedition, of which
Rand Heron of New York and 1 are
the American members, is Manga Parbat
&c. $50 feet. seventh highest known
mountain in nearness to the sky and
highest in the world from base to sum-
nit 1t rises northwest Of the Vale OF
Kashmir.
On its Indus Valley side it is called
the finest mountain face in existence.
Once Before Attempted.
Only once before has this tremendous
peak been seriously attempted, and
avenged itself quickly. In 1895 an Eng
lishman, A. F. Mummery, one of the
greatest climbers reached more than
10000 feet before being turned back
by a porter's illness. A few days later
he set out with two porters along the
side of Manga Parbat to climb pass.
None of the three was ever seen again
nor any trace of them found.
To attack the formidable peak an
unusually strong group Of climbers has
been gathered in this present expedi-
ton.
Willy Merkle of Munich, the leader, is
well known as leader Of an expedition
to the Caucasus. His most spectacular
climb was a first ascent last Summer
of the north face of the Grands
Charmoz. above ChamoniX. At a height
exceeding 10000 feet he and a COM
panion were caught by a violent storm.
They found a narrow shelf, and for
three nights and two days, while the
storm ragged, they sat there, budding
together for warmth, their feet hanging
over into space. When the storm ended
they continued to the summit, complet-
ing the climb.
Rand Heron has made probably
more first ascents in the Alps and
DoIomites than any other American,
and has also taken part in successful
mountaineering expeditions to the
Caucasus and to the High Atlas, and
a Winter expedition to Lapland.
The achievements of the others are
likewise notable. One of the first
ascents by Fritz Wiessner of Dresden,
an original organizer of this expedition,
is generally called the most sensa-
tionally difficult rock climb ever made.
Peter Aschenbrenner of Kufstein,
Austria; Fritz Bechtold OF Trostberg,
Bavaria. the photographer; Herbert
Kunigk of Munich and Felix Simon OF
Leipzig, all have long lists Of first
ascents and super difficult climbs. Ex-
cept for one of the mountaineers, each
is near 80 years old, the best age for
difficult high-altitude climbing.
Will Study Human Effect.
DR.. Hugo Hamburger of Rosenheim,
Bavaria, will continue studies Of the
effect of high attitudes on the human
system. l am serving as correspondent
with the expedition.
Despite the difficulties and dangers of
Manga Parbat good hopes are enter
tanned of success because there is no
monsoon.
In the Eastern Himalayas the mon
soon limits the climbing period to
about a month, and so defeated the
Everest and Kanchenjunga attempts.
At the foot of Manga Parbat the climb
ers will have about three months before
the Winter SHOWS. This will give the
expedition time to become acclimated.
1t will also enable the climbers to lay
elaborate siege to the mountain. If one
route proves impossible another and
still another can be tried until the key
to the summit is found.
Should success come quickly the eX
pedition will then explore and climb
along the neighboring peaks.
The base camp will be pitched on a
ri. .rTnr rf h. &1i,,
probably at about the height of Mont
Blanc Q5,78l feet). Provisions and
equipment will then be carried higher
and series of camps will be estab-
lished to within striking distance Of
the summit. The expedition has ar
ranged to bring across India six Everest
tigers" those famous coolies who fol-
lowed their sahibs fearesSly up Everest
and Kanchenjunga.
The expedition assembled in Munich
and shipped from there more than a
ton of provisions and equipment, in
Guiding 10 boxes already packed for
carrying, in coolie loads of so pounds
each. The food includes 300 pounds of
sugar and 80 pounds of bonbons, as
sweets restore the heat and energy so
rapidly consumed at high attitudes. In
both food and equipment the expedition
Is closely following Bauer's to Kanchen-
]unga, considered the most efficiently
and economically organized of all pre-
Vlous great climbing parties
Individual Tents.
The members will use small individ-
uai tents and down sleeping bags made
OF a combination of German and Amer
lcan models, with spongy rubber mats
u lnSulate the bags from the ice. The
Iuel. benzlne and meta, must all be car
rled, as even the base camp will be
above timber line. Such mountaineer-
ing necessities. of course, as ice axes,
ropes and crampons will be taken
temperature conditions, 1t is expect
ed, will be governed by combination of
arctic air and tropic sun. The cloth
ing therefore Is all wool, except for light
Wlndproof outer garments and leather
aviators' helmets for storms. Sun he'll
NETS and dark snow glasses also are
needed. Cotton shorts are expected to
hgur2 in the tropical heat on the way in.
The expedition will start from Ban
dlpur, in the Vale of Kashmir, and go
north, crossing the HimalayaS over the
snoW-covered BurZl Pass, so as to ap-
proach Manga Parbat from the north
east At Astor it will turn from the
main caravan route to Central Asia
and skirt the regions inhabited by the
ChllaS Tribe. long known as one of the
widest on the Afghanistan border and
by the fierce people of Cor. Interesting
glimpses Of them are hoped for. Leav-
ing the inhabited regions and climbing
above the treeline, the expedition will
pitch its base camp, and the attack will
begin. That should be some time in
June.
Copyright, 1892, by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Inc)