SCALING EVEREST

Otago Witness, Issue 3524, 27 September 1921, Page 19

SCALING EVEREST

MIGHTY GLACIERS—GARDENS OF ASTERS. LONDON, September 9. The following despatch, dated Kharta, August 17, has been received from the Mount Everest Expedition : I We are continuing t-o investigate and i map the eastern valleys of the approach Ito Mount Everest. Kharta is 20 miles east i from there. I The peasants have a very vague know- | ledge of the means of approach, but they advised us to cross the passes and strike a valley leading up the mountain. Mr Bullock and Mr Mallory left on August 2. and Colonel/ Howard Bury two days later. The path up the KhartaTsingpo Val'ey for seven miles is dotted with villages and monasteries, and skirted with barley sft high. We reached the summit of Langmala, 18,000 f- high, the scene from which was i very beautiful Three mighty glaciers j were sweeping down 4000 ft below. | Advancing, we descended the grassy upj lands, covered with gentians and mauve I asters. The mist then lifted, revealing I the miforgetable beauty of the sunrise on the marvellous cliffs of Makaln. 27,000 ft, an” Mount. Everest itself. This valley was green with jumpers, willows, and mountain ash, ice and snow coming down and meeting the green vegetation. Irom the valley, Makalu is more beautiful and more striking than Everest. Its gigantic cliffs drop 1100 ft on each side. I They are perpendicular cliffs of black rock, j and so steep that the snow and ice are I unable to lodge. | Me are now ascending the valley to ; Everest. We crossed grassy pastures j here, and at Pethan-Gringmo, 16,400 ft, | found shepherds and herds of yaks. | On August 10 Mr Bullock and Air Mal- ! lory, who had gone forward, and the next j morning Colonel Howard Bury, explored | the spur opposite Everest and reached I 19.400 ft. '! hey secured a most glorious i panorama of Everest, standing up in front j of very formidable cliffs, descending in a ! sheer drop of 2000 ft on to glaciers, about | which were hanging glaciers. | All day we heard the roar of great ■ pieces of ice breaking off from them and J crashing- into the Kangshunsr Glacier be- | low. Mr Bullock and Mr Mallory decided ■ that it was impossible to ascend Everest ; from the east: they have now returned, and are exploring the Kharta Esingpo | Galley, following that river to its source. | Colonel Howard Bury is examining the j valleys round Alakalu, meeting forests of ; silver fir and juniper, with lichens fcang- - iug from every bough, wild roses, and ; most luxuriant vegetation. A singular feature here is the number of lakes, whereas they are most rare in the Himalayas. I _ Colonel Howard Bury returned to Kharta, where Air Aforshead has now set j out to help Ah- Mallory and Air Bullock j in the Kharta Tsingpo Valley. | DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED. | LONDON, September 22. { The Mount hverest expedition continues ! its explorations in unfavourable weather. ; Colonel Bury s party crossed the Hami junla ridge at a height of 15,000 ft. Thev | proceeded through a. vallev with 14 lakes j and scaled Mount Chogia (16.100 ft). Thev j camped near a holy lake, which pilgrims i walk round, burning incense, and throwi iug spices into the waters. They then ' went to Sakideng. where one large" village is reputed _ to have been wiped out bv ! plague, which was sent bv a local demon, j This demon is still regarded as active, and the people are afraid to rebuild the : village. , The party noted much fine timber : through a. zone of great silver firs, with - eireumierences of from 20ft to 25ft. At the village of Lungdoe, at an altitude of : 12,000 it, they found crops of millet, 1 maize, and pumpkins. All the country to the northward is I flooded. j EXPLORER’S- NARROW ESCAPE. I LONDON, September 24. Professor Segnit recounted to the Aus- | tralian Press .Association thrilling ex--1 periences during the expedition to Mount j Terrier, a sharp peak rising from an im- | mense glacier overlooking Klerasbillen ] Bay and the whole of Spitsbergen. ] Mount Terrier bad never before been | climbed. Professor Segnit and two i others trudged 10 miles across a badly j crevassecl glacier. Professor Segnit, who | was the centre man in the rope fed the leader over a doubtful-looking snowbridge. When following the trail the bridge collapsed and Professor Segnit disappeared to the depth of the rope—--15 feet. His companions anchored themselves with axes. The opening in the bridge was very wide, and snow was crashing down 200 feet. Professor Segnit was suspended and he thought the end had come as lie feared the rope would become embedded in the ice, in which ; case the position would be most perilous. ! I flung myself forward against the re I mnining portion of the snowbridge,” said | Professor Segnit, “and succeeded in keep- [ ing the rope above the ice. T was for ! more than half an hour out of sight of j my companions but eventually I groped my way out by a swimming action. T ! was half frozen, but I soon recovered.” Professor Segnit secured valuable fossils, mainly corals, at flic top of (he peak, at a height of 4050 feet. ITo will write two papers for the London Geological S' ■icty.