THE ICE TOWERS

Opunake Times, 26 August 1932, Page 3

THE ICE TOWERS

HIMALAYAN EXPEDITION. STORES AND MONEY STOLEN Things have been moving fast in the last few days. We have established a temporary base camp and discovered the loss of nine porters’ loads of irreplaceable equipment and 1100 rupees. We have weathered a hunger strike of coolies and made a good start on the attack on Nanga Parbat. Just a week ago to-day Aschen,brenner and Kunigk returned with the report of a promising looking route to the summit from the foot of the Rakiot Nullah, It is a very long, winding route swinging to the left or south-east under the mountain’s precipitous north face, up glaciers and gradual snow slopes, along two flat terraces where camps may be placed, then hack up a long ridge and over the steep rocks of the Rakiot Peak to the main summit. As far as one can tell from below, it will go, but great difficulties will certainly he encountered in getting over or around the Rakiot Peak. We have established a temporary base camp near the Rakiot glacier on the edge of the tree line. It is a beautiful place with meadows covered with forget-me-nots, and clumps of white birches and cedars; but it is only at an altitude of a little over 10,000 ft. THE ATTACK BEGINS. The day before yesterday a party of which Herron, the American senior member of the expedition, and Kunigk set out w-ith seven coolies from the base camp to begin our attack on Nanga Parbat. That night they camped on the moraine, or rocks on the edge ol the glacier, at a height of about 12,000 ft. .hollowing their advice, we are gradually moving supplies up there to make it a base camp, as we wish to be as high as possible, but cannot go higher withoue being actually on steep snow or glacial ice falls. Yesterday morning Herron and Kunigk, going alone, left the moraine and went on up the mountain to investigate possible routes for the coolies up the steep erevassed glacier, and to find sites for higher camps. To-day the second attacking party, composed of Wiessner and Simon, left the base camp for the moraine camp, arriving this evening just in time to see the two others returning down the snow-covered moraine hill. After a strenuous two days on the mountain with little food they were so exhausted that they staggered and fell once or twice as they came in. They had spent a night on the glacier at a height of about 16,000 ft. They reported having found a practicable way for a long distance up the glacier among the seracs (towers of ice), but had had to be constantly on at watch to keep out of range of tremendous avalanches which were falling about every thirty minutes from the north face of Nanga Parbat. While on the march Herron, who was leading, fell into a crevasse, but he was held up by Kunigk.

To-morrow Wiessner and Simon plan to follow Herron and Kunigk’s route up the glacier with nine coolies, carrying tents and foods, to establish, a first higher camp as far up as possible.

Meanwhile when we checked over the loads at the base camp we found that nine sacks of clothes and equipment for the porters were missing, as well as Wiessner’s personal bag and 1100 rupees in coin which had been distributed among different bags. The Hunza and Balti jemadars (head men) with croups of picked men werei mmediately sent to search for the missing loads, but no trace of them was found. It is thought most probable that they were stolen in the night by Chilas shepherds. While the Hunza jemadar was away a loud-voiced, black moustached Hunza who has tried to be a trouble-maker from the start, managed to persuade the Hunzas first to hunger strike against the amount of rations which they had accepted as completely satisfafc-' tory all these days, and then, yesterday, to leave us completely and walk off baok in the direction of Hunza, This morning most of them appeared here again, full of repentance, and begging to be forgiven and to be taken back. We shall, of course, keep them.