ON ICY MOUNTAINS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 185, 5 July 1928, Page 10

ON ICY MOUNTAINS

A NINETEEN THOUSAND FEET CLIMB. ASCENT OF KILIMANJARO. The three first women to climb Ivilbo, the highest peak of Kilimanjaro, 19,000 feet in Tanganyika, East Africa, accomplished that feat last year. The first woman to reach the top was Mrs Latham, who was accompanied by her husband. The second was Miss lv. E. Stuart AVatt, a missionary’s daughter, who ascended with three native por- . Miss Stuart AVatt’s account of the climb is as follows: —“I started at 6.30 a.m. with three natives, and we were soon under cover of a forest dripping from heavy rains, so that I was soaked to the waist. By. now we reached Bismarck’s Hut, where I enjoyed a cup of tea. made a fire, and dried my clothes. There we spent a comfortable night, the porters sleeping in tlio opem At 7 o’clock in the morning we started in a Scotch mist over the moorland, and reached Peter s Hut at a height of 13,500 feet in five hours. I was much surprised to come across elephant 6pore as high as this. “Next morning I had difficulty m getting the natives to move out of the camp, for it was very cold and tho ground frozen. But ere long the sun peeped through and the peak of Mawenzi appeared mantled with fresh snow and half encircled by stormy clouds. By 9 o’clock we reached the saddleback between Mawcnzi and Kibo, where a strong north wind was blowing, and both peaks were covered with clouds. A START BY LAMPLIGHT. “The porters now began to complain of their hearts and chests. However, by 2 p.m., trudging over sandy wastes, we reached the caves that nestle at the foot of Kibo. Here we all had tea and bread and butter round a oanip fire, firewood and water having been carried from our last camp at Peter’s Hutt. The porters took up their quarters for the night in the big lava cave, and mv tent was pitched at the back of the cave. “That evening .as the clouds lifted I took a good photograph of Kibo and Mawenzi just as the sun was setting, but in doing so I was chilled to the bone. The sun set colours behind the peaks were gorgeous. In the night I had little sleep owing to the high altitude bringing on snow-sickness. Having wrapped ourselves in everything that could give warmth we started at 4 o’clock in the morning bj the light of a lamp. “AVhen the dawn came we left the lamp behind, for our breathing had become so short that we had to stand every few yards to get our breath. As we -climbed we left behind all our impediments ; a sandwich box, Hglcl glasses, a sunshade, a heavy coat, and a second camera. About 1 o’clock we reached the summit. CLIFF OF SPARKLING ICE. “Towering above us was a massive cliff of sparkling ice decorated with icicles,; and caved, shelved, and terraced ■ most .beautifully. Through a break we reached tlio edge of, the crater which cradles'a field of snow. On the right the big cliff of ice flanked the crater, and on tho left were pillars of ice shining bluish green in the sun. As we gazed on the scene of dazzling white one of the natives said: ‘This is God’s house. There is no house in all the world clean but this one.’ fr -V. “Our return journey was a downward glide, and we reached the caves at 4 p.m. in an hour. We spent the night at Peter’s Hut, and the next day reached our bungalow, where for Four days I was nursed ill bod-by my mother, while my frost-bitten and sunburned face recovered. My bandaged face looked as if I had returned from a field of battle instead of the peaceful heights of Kibo.” ’