ON ACONCAGUA.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 586, 14 August 1909, Page 6

ON ACONCAGUA.

20,000 FEET, IN THE AIR. 1 — 'EASIER THAN MOUNT COOK. _ Mr. Samuel Turner, F R G S , who recently represented Wilier and Riley,; the wholesale produce firm/ arid is<' hdw l vtli©. representative- ofiMessrs: /Lonsdale, has arrived an '^lliHtwn 1 .butter-buyer tliat -firm:. .hisl-lhusiness, vM.r.; Turner 'is ;khown 7 as antralpme cliniber. ot rer, pute He is one of the few who has scaled 'Mount Cook, 'and. 'the "o'flly one; who 'has .ascended to:the-.top^of? As tho 'result of the ' latter . expedition - lie ahived ■ back,-:',at v the';;base ..of,, the. .momtain siiow-hlind," and had.to spend a weoit. ot, so in a' private hospital in Wolbngton. Mr Turner -has also;done;.some valua %ion j.^ork. 'in'.'th©.; highlands, of, bib&rß,; fot which'he'iiyas'awarded a 'gold.'giedal by ,»n. eminent',Russian';Gfeograptical iSooietJ-.. vj-ie has - just .arrived* frorii :South Ainerica,. wner© '"h© ■ further.'-established ! hisclaim for; daring work in the soaring. Andes._ ■ i ' Having" iompleted. his business at ,iJuenos Ayres, Mr; 'Turner, .finding'.that he had b i.Veek' te' sparej l made r a. dash-'for -the'summit' ; of mighty:^Aconcagiiaj'v'.whien'has,.,only been, i'sciled; up v ;te.' .the:'present :by : two dimbers— 'Hehling,- the' German, -and Zurbiggen;;.:'the .excellent :trans-Andine railway, he,,was to reach Pontuo del Inca' (in ' the jAndes>! 40 miles..from. Aeonicagua,s .- ixL»' : a,..'dayFrto th'ere; ho / set • v Out :mth:- bis of .. ; muleteers-two■ ?peons, ■ aaid".'MessrS. ".Hutchison, of Canada,, and T.. -'H. Herdman,. of' - Liverpool.; This: was ithe,'third,; week- in Jta.rch—too late iir.the'seasori-to'tiiclile the mountain,.-so he was told- But he - was not daunted.; ,On the■ second ..day,':.they .. started, out . for Aooncagiia, gleaming, ; gloomily.'; among ;. the regimenV-of .peaks m-.that .rugged : and .deso-late:-locality.. 'Fordm'g> and swimming .mountain; torrents,V and vrging the . mtiles along tliß party found itself,'l6iDo&ftS above:,.the level of. -'the .tea before camp, was- pitclied for the night. _Owing to the pebnsVllpiited' knowledge of' Jlng-. lish,- a . made- in, arranfflng: She camp equipment)-: and, all had to sleep; ' together .;,in; the..'freezing 'atmosphere■ in, ono. sinall' tent-i -They -vVere astir at 4 o'clock the next morning. Messrs Hutcjuson and Hardviiig "fefuse'cl- to> proceed any so Mr. ■Turrilr,riwitti-i(;|Ji^^wi^ peons,' pushed ; on '.upl of. 'the ,;great -. mounr tain,- ; :after''- a'! hazardous climb; man-, agedite'-reach.al'height of 18,S00ft. by nightfall.-' Mr.-' Turner j said that he felt :no . ul-; ; the rarefied,.air,. icracked; and ..dry.- through jdrinlcingHHe^gritf ■ water. After; •an • sl«iei>ing huddled^up : ■with the : ;pbbns ' under,: tho little tent, they Ithe! world,7-wlien; snow, began to fall, hea-nly,; ."and'"aiiy 'futthoi"- asvent was impossible, little party— : ' .'times':deep,' in; the. new : snow—struggled. .buck.;:to.>,the;..base, l ,camp, and; from thence :oh-tb.-'Pelvlnca;;.where "tney caught the train backs-to Buenos Ayres—the ■ whole time OO: : 'Cupied.-Tjy.'ithekex'peditipn; being six 'dajrs.-W "Mr. i'urncr does not thinlr that the climb-' in'g of 'Aconcagua ■ (23,400 ft. in height), if -.undertaken at" the right season of tho year, and in good weather," would be nearly so difficult as the: ascent of Mount Cook, which •is only ,12,349 ft. in height. ; The 'climatic conditions were moro favourable, and ; the going was "not nearly so hazardous -as was the case; in tho ascent of Mount Cook.