ROOF OF THE WORLD

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 110, 11 May 1935, Page 15

ROOF OF THE WORLD

EXPEDITION RETURNS

EXTENSIVE EXPLORATIONS

Knowledge of some of' the wildest and most desolate snowy mountains in the-world has been recently increased by an expedition under Professor Guenther O. Dyhrenfurth, the GermanSwiss geologist, now returned lo Europe after extensive explorations in the Karakpram Range, states; the "Christian Science Monitor."

Furthermore, a miniature camera has returned with some unusual pictures from a land where photography is forbidden. It has caught Tibetan types, coolies listening in wrapt wonder to a phonograph for the first time, and Lama musicians playing their own tunes on strange long wind instruments.

The Karakoram Range'is an .off-shoot of a giant tangle of mountains forming the water divide between India' and Central Asia, and connected with the altitudes known as the • Bam-i-dimya (roof of the world) where Asiatic Russia, Tibet, and India'meet.*

One ofythe features investigated was that of the 50-mile-long Siachen Glacier with vast crevasses and lava-like debris.' The expedition started from Srinagar, capital of that picturesque StateV Kashmir, an Indian principality occupying a beautiful valley sheltered by snowy Himalayan peaks: Thence proceeding northwards by primitive rope bridges across the rockbound gorges of, the Indus River, the fastnesses of the Karakoram were penetrated. Heavy snow and terrific avalanches made progress' difficult. . The Indian carriers, many' of them bare-footed, each with a load which in some cases approximated to 601b, nevertheless went gamely on^ The party was thus enabled to climbs several of the higher peaks, including those of Queen Mary, 25,509 feet, the Middle Summit, 24,443 feet, the Western Summit 24.705 feet, and the Golden Throne, 23,787 feet ; '•

An attempt was also' made on the Hidden Peak, 8060' metres elevation, one camp being formed at 5000 metres and another at 6300 metres, before supplies gave out

Frau Hettie Dyhrenfurth, who, was one of the party, set up what Is claimed to have been a record.for women by ascending the Western Summit.

Western Summit's climb imeans that Frau Dyhrenfurth has exceeded the record made twenty years ago by Mrs. Fanny Bullock Workman. Frau Dyhrenfurth wasaccompahied by her husband and two other men. '

While the summit of Mount Everest has not yet been touched by the foot of man, as far as is known, man's ingenuity has already topped the giant! peak and thereby'man has conquered it. This flight was made by the Houston Expedition headed by Air Commodore P. F. M. Fellowes. That was accomnlishßd on April 3, 1933.

Four Englishmen made the famous flight over the roof of the world, and that- means they had to go up in the air more than .28.141? feet to loop over Mount Everest. They went in; two aeroplanes and reported clearing,- the icy peak by 100, feet. Then they .flew around over those, parts looking down at what the eye of man had never" before seem In subsequent reports of the flight it was said to have been made without any particular Vfuss."-There :was<pnly; one mishap; and that occurred to the' oxygen .pipe of the aerial'phbtographer,! but this break was-fixed-sovthat pomeiv interesting pictures: Wgre^-.cit^ken over] Mount Everest". V; x.% . :'■ ''i