Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-12-06
BY WILLIAM HINES
Star Science Writer

A large and comfortably
bankrolled mountain climbing
party will make the first Amer
lean assault on Mount Everest
next spring.
Twenty climbers, most Of
them scientists, will make up
the party. According to the
leader, Norman @. Dyhren-
furth. as many as is even
tually may reach the roof Of
the world" Everest's 29,028-
foot summit.
The Swiss-born Mr.. Dyhren-
furth told Of the expeditions
plan yesterday at the Ma
tional Geographic Society's
Headquarters here. The society
Is the party's biggest single
hacker, having contributed
more than 100000 of the
$4,000 expense fund.
Five Government agencies
are giving direct or indirect
support worth about $4,000,
the expeditions financial adj
wiser said. He is Charles B.
Huestis. vice president and
treasurer Of the Hughes Air
craft Co., Culver City, Calf.
The Federal support is COM
ing from the Navy, Army, Air
Force. Atomic Energy Commits
sion and National Science
Foundation.
Bigger Than Most Parties
The United States 1868
Mount Everest Expedition" is
bigger than most of the is
parties which have preceded it
all or part the way up Ever
est's dizzying slopes. Only two
Western climbing groups -
that of Sir John Hunt in 1858
and q Swiss team three years
later - have ever made it to
the top.
Reports from Communist
China say a Chinese party
reached the top last year and
left a bust Of the Red leader,
Mao Tse-tung, up there. Mr..
Dyhrenfurth indicated yester-
day he will have to see the bust
to believe the report.
In addition to the 20 Amer
leans, the party will include a
retired British Army officer, a
representative Of the govern
ment of Nepal and 36 Sherpa
mountain guides. A small
army" of $50 porters will pack
the expeditions supplies up to
the base camp 1890 feet above
sea level at Everest's foot, Mr..
Dyhrenfurth said.
To Try Other Peaks
Not only the size Of the ex-
petition but also its aspira-
tons are impressive. The
climbers hope to scale Everest
first, and then go on to the
neighboring peaks of Lhotse
(27,923 feet, the worlds fourth
highest) and Nuptse (25, 726
feet). The first climb is sched-
uled to begin May 2.
Mr.. Dyhrenfurth said tn e
climbing schedule was drawn
so as to give the mountaineers
about a month before the
stormy monsoon period begins.
The Himalayas are usually un-
climbable from June through
September. he explained.
A Washington scientist-writ-
er-photographer, Barry c.
Bishop. will be a member Of
the party. He is a member Of
the National Geographic staff
with experience in the region.
Mr.. Bishop wrote an article
entitled "Wintering in the High
Himalayas" which appeared in
the October Geographic mag
azine. He lives at 62l2 Wagner
lane. Fairway Hills. Md.
Mr.. Bishop, at 80. is one Of
the younger members Of the
party. Mr.. Dyhrenfurth said
men are at their mountain
climbing best between 30 and
40. Men In their EOS crack UP
quickly. while some Of the best
climbers are over 40. he added.
Mr.. Dyhrenfurth is A..
Climb Leader Secret
An unusual future Of the ex-
petitions makeup is that It's
climbing leaders" identity is
being kept secret for the pres
ent. The Geographic Society
explained that although his
name is known 10 all men,
bers OF the team. his present
employer prefers 10 make the
official announcement at the
time Of the expeditions as
Sembly In Katmandu tNepal !"
The anonymous climber is 36
years old and a professor Of
philosophy and religion at a
university, the Geographic re-
vealed.
Mr.. Dyhrenfurth's deputy is
q physicist, DR.. william Z. Siri
Of the University Of Califor-
MAS Bonner Laboratory.
DR.. Siri said unimaginable
atresgpg will he placpd IN the