WORLD-FAMOUS ALPINIST

Hokitika Guardian, 23 January 1926, Page 4

WORLD-FAMOUS ALPINIST

■.CLIMBED CANADA’S EVEREST

WELLINGTON. .Jan. 13.

Captiiin A. 11. MacCartliy. who is visiting New Zealand for the purpose of' seeing the country, is a worldfamed alpinist. Interviewed by a “Times" reporter yesterday, he gave a varied description of the climbing of Mt. Logan, known as the Canadian Everest. Captain MacCartliy expressed his intention of visiting Mt. Cook and climbing some of the peaks of the Southern Alps. Records of endurance, hardship, and danger, faced with unyielding courage, always make a strong appeal to British people, and the story related especially for the “Times" yesterday by Captain A. 11. MacCartliy, of Vindmere, British Columbia, of the successful ascent of Mount Logan. Canada’s Mount Everest, is one that makes stirring reading, notwithstanding l! e simple language. Captain MacCartliy arrived in Wellington with Mrs MacCartliy. and let I last night for Mount Cook, where the;, hope to climb a few of tin; peaks is a preliminary to a more protracted visit lo New Zealand later on. I hey travelled from. Auckland to Wellington via lioturun and Wanganui, and speak very highly of tile service and accomodation, having due regard to _ the conditions and the laet that Now Zealand is a young country.

FACTS ABOUT -MOUNT LOGAN. Captain MacCartliy is a member of the American. Canadian, English, Swiss, and French alpine clubs, anti served Ifi years in the United States Xavy. Mount Logan is at tlic* southwest corner of Yukon territory in Cnnada. is the second highest peak on ihe North American Continent, and the highest peak in Canada. It is lO.rtoO feet above sea level, it stands _ 1-1,000 feet above the normal level of its .surrounding glaciers, and it is in reality the largest block mountain known in the world. It has a circumference at the base of over 100 miles, at its 10,000 feet level it measures 10 miles east to west, and eight miles north, to south. It is the centre of the greatest glaciated alpine area in the world, and is 100 miles inland From the nearest railhead or habitation.

Lt is possible to reach the mountain in the winter only by dog team, and in the summer it is approached lor the first 80 miles by pack train, and the remainder of the distance has to be made on loot over the Mount Logan glacier, the known section of which is over 52 miles long and from three to live miles wide. The climb of Mount Logan begins at the base of the massif at 8000 feet. The road then to the final summit is 18 miles, the elevation in that distance being 12,000 loot. preparing for assault. Captain MacCartliy gave details of the reconnaissance which enabled inen to ascend the great peak for the fust time. . In 15)13 a survey parly roachoil tlic elevation of (v«) Wot <>" OIK ’ 'mOu-r 20 miles from the summit. In L>24 l i, l>taiu MacCartliv went into make a ieconnaissance. and succeeded m rone"ing 10.200 feet elevation at a point lo Hides from the summit, and it was on the data obtained on that trip Gnu the plans were based for the. great expedition of 1025. The expedition was under the <•«' *-«- tion of the Alpine Club of Canada, with the co-operation ot the Amei loan and English clubs. During the v.-intet of 102-1-25, 70 days were spent n> transporting equipment and proyisuins to the weight of four tons to the b.c. - of the massif h.v dog Rams. Ihe climbing party arrived at He the first week in May of last ye >. consisted of eight members, wit.i < naturalist, who did not go bc;,ond c end of the timber. Iho er of c iviriv was C’iiptiun MncCaith\. p.uiA ; :it-( ohnu-l mlian Corps during the y, a,. Till-: CI.IM B BivI.NS. It took three weeks to get the luntj in from the railhead to the . ° the mountain where tne stipp ‘ llK equipment had been cached on the winter trip. Tne actual cbm > "-g. on .June Ist- There were six .«»JJ made mi the various -.t,euUy massif in the 23 days required tor the complete climb. The highest camp csiablishcd was .it 18.5U0 feet which 1S probably lhe highest -.amp that has over been established in the Western Hemisphere. The party reached the elevation of 10,800 feet at 4 P-m----which proved to be the summit ot the second highest peak of the massif, with the final summit towering above it two miles away with an intervening drop of 1000 feet The final summit was readied at » p.m. the Mime day. the thermometer registering lour degrees below w?ro. Rwords were placed in a small tube dropped in snowiioles at the summit. Pictures were taken, and at 8.15 p.m. the descent was commenced. caught in a buzzard.

By 10 p.m. the- I>:« rty whs enveloped in it dense fog, which soon developed into a very heavy blizzard. Being tmahle to 'see. the climbers found it ne(essarv to Inirrow into the snowI :ml<s at 18.000 feet elevation where thev remained until - o’clock the next afternoon. With a slight lifting of the storm, visahility improved. It should he pointed out that during ,|one and .Tilly it is daylight foi the whole -I hours, so that it is stall’d the summit was reached at S p.m. ii does not suggest that they were in darkness.

Then’ was groat danger, due lo the difficulty in determining the slope on which Lite party was travelling. Steep mountain sides appeared perfectly level, wide plains stretched out before them. One member of the party fell 111) feet down, and Captain MncCarthy also fell down lo feet, both fortunately landing in soft snow hanks, and being held secure bv the ropes. OX ‘IRON” RATIONS.

The rays of the sun heat through the storm enabling them to see 50 feet ahead. The descent was recommenced hut it took them 32 hours to reach the nearest camp to the summit. They had only “iron” rations, an extra shirt, helmets, and era n if rolls for the final stages of the descent. After resting at this camp for 18 hours the descent was resumed, and the party stopped at two of the intermediate ramps for short rests, abandoning the surplus provisions and equipment upon their retreat until the advance base camp was reached on June :28th. For almost the entire distance from the advance base camp to the summit the trail had been blazed by the use of willow .switches stuck in the snow at intervals of 100 feet apart, and these were easily discernible in the unending vista of white for much greater distances.. Coloured glasses wore worn to guard against snow blindness, and upon occasions it was necessary to wear two pairs. Even so. one of the members became totally snow-blind for 30 hours, and the others were more or less affected. although none suffered any lasting effect. The time spent on the snow and ieo was To days. ['XRKALITY AND DF.ATTC For the last 18 miles to the semt’ ; said Captain MacCarthy. there was not a vistnge of plant or animal life. Of the party of eight that started, two were forced to turn hack at 17.800 feet, owing to frost-bitten feet. At 17,000 feet the higher altitude was entered—a world of unreality and death. A depression was felt, together with a lassitude, so that while man was perfectly conscious of what had to he done, the rare atmosphere so exhausted It is initiative that each felt inclined to leave it to the other man to do. This \!as one of the very real dangers of alpine climbing at such heights, and requires men of very

strong will-power and physique to combat it.

While the climbers were in the snowholes sheltering from the blizzard this lassitude became so pronounced that It took two hours of the most persistent effort to get the party again under way for the descent that all knew was absolutely vital. The thermometer had registered 12 degrees below zero in the snow-boles, where it was lost, hut at the camp at 18,500 feet it was 33 degrees below zero. DRESSING FOR BED.

Tu the ordinary way it is usual to undress to go to bed, but in such circumstances ns these the party had to dress to go to bed. Each man carried a 241 b. eiderdown sleeping bag in which he slept. Special footgear was taken to prevent the feet from freezing on the upper regions of the mountain. When there was no danger of the snow melting during the way. dry-fanned moccasins, with heavy insoles, and five or six pairs of wool socks wore worn, this being the only footgear that could with-stand such tern perntures.

Alcohol could not be carried except a little brandy for mcdicinial' purposes. There was only one smoker with the party. Captain MacCartliy being of the opinion that smoking is inadvisable on such rigorous expeditious.

When the party reached the advance base they had a rest of two days, abandoning all supplies and equipment beyond the minimum required to roach the railhead at McCarthy, Alaska, which point was touched on July 15th. The time from leaving the railhead for the summit to the return was from May ]2th to July 15th inclusive. All the members of the party came out of the expedition without permanent injury, although all of them suffered frostbite, principally to the fingers, which would necessarily be exposed many times in shifting from snow-shoes to crampons and vice versa. The expedition stands out as the largest of its kind ever undertaken in the Western Hemisphere, and was of great scientific value, the full record being carefully printed and preserved.

SWITZERLAND AND NEW ZEALAND. e Captain MacCartliy stated that he was booked for Switzerland this coming summer for some more real alpine climbing, although he has been to Switzerland previously for the winter sports. This is his first visit to New Zealand. Ho had planned to come in 1915, but the war upset those arrangements. He is going to Australia as well, but hopes to return later to New Zealand for a longer period, to undertake some serious climbing. As it is he and Mrs MacCartliy hope to make a few ascents from the Hermitage. Mrs MacCartliy lias been a noted climber in the Canadian Rockies for many years, and was responsible for introducing her husband to alpine work. VALUE OF TRAMPING CLUBS. Speaking of the Tnrarua Tramping Club and similar bodies in New Zealand. Captain McCarthy stated that the general public little realised the great value of the work done by them in tlic benefits they conferred on their members in getting them out to enjoy the vigorous exercise, and the inspiration that one felt when tramping in the mountains. It was a form of • viiy that every Government and every community should foster in every way possible, for it lent the greatest aid to better citizenship, and led to gre- ter contentment alien engaged in the normal pursuits of life. There was ilso i in' value of the services rendered by the more expert, climbers and Hampers in going to the rescue of those who had met with accidents or misforl line.

At the time that Captain MaiC'iirthy and his party completed the expedition a congratulatory letter Was sent by the honorary chief guide of the Taiarna Tramping Club lo tlic Canadian Alinne Club il|>i)ii the successful accomplishment of the expedition.