First Exploration of the Hoh Lumba and Sosbon Glaciers: Two Pioneer Ascents in the Himalaya Author(s): Fanny Bullock Workman Source: The Geographical Journal, Vol. 27, No. 2 (Feb., 1906), pp. 129-141 Published by: The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1776665 . Accessed: 21/12/2014 20:23
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This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:23:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions The GeographicalJournal.
No. 2. FEBRUARY, 1906. VOL. XXVII.
FIRST EXPLORATION OF THE HOH LUMBA AND SOSBON GLACIERS.* TWO PIONEER ASCENTS IN THE HIMALAYA, By FANNY BULLOCK WORKMAN, F.R.S.G.S., Officier de l'Instruction Publique de France. A YEARago Dr. Hunter Workman read a paper before this Society relating to the Chogo Lungma glacier. The paper to-night describes our exploration of the Hoh Lumba and Sosbon glaciers, and moun- taineering experiences on the Chogo Lungma not touched upon by him. The bases of our two last expeditions in Baltistan, North-West Himalaya, are reached in twenty-three marches from Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir. This region, the glaciers of which were explored by us, lies between 74? 55' to 75? 45' E. long. and 35? 45' to 36? N. lat. During the second season a first ascent and investigation of the Hoh Lumba and Sosbon glaciers were made. From Skardu, the chief village of Baltistan, a march north-east brings one to the Shigar valley, which is traversed in 20 miles to its junction with the Braldoh and Basha rivers. Here for 14 miles the Braldoh valley is followed to the small village of Hoh, which lies above the junction of the Hoh and Braldoh rivers at 9400 feet. Here, on June 19, our caravan was reinforced by Hoh coolies, and added to these were camp servants and a Hoh Lumbardar, making a total of seventy men. Accompanying Dr. Workman and myself were Mr. B. Hewitt, topographer, and the well-known Italian guides, Joseph Petigax and C. Savoie, of Courmayeur, and L. Petigax, porter. The narrow Hoh ravine, or nala, runs north, and is ascended along the precipitous cliffs of nude mountains. It is filled by old glacial debris several hundreds of feet deep, containing boulders of all sizes, some extremely large. At the bottom of this desolate ravine the Hoh * Read at the Royal Geographical Society, November 20, 1905. Map, p. 224. No. II.-FEBRUARY, 1906.] K
This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:23:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 130 FIRST EXPLORATIONOF THE HOH LUMBA AND SOSBON GLACIERS. river, .a rushing khaki-coloured glacial stream, descends, cutting its way often at a great depth. We ascended over the boulder-composed slopes. Beyond this an enormous winter avalanche strewn with black detritus, reaching from one side of the nala to the other and completely covering the river, was crossed. No vegetation, except the hardy aromatic burtsa plant, is met with until Pirnar Tapsa, a small grazing-ground, is reached, about 4 miles up. This is fairly well covered with birches and cedars. Two miles further is Nangma Tapsa, a similar grazing-spot at 11,595 feet, where we camped. To this point, with the exception of Pirna Tapsa, our narrow broken trail ascended through a grim lifeless land- scape without a note of colour. Some call Ladakh routes dull and monotonous, but to me that land is one of ever-changing beauty and picturesqueness compared to the vale of Hoh Lumba, held as it is in the grip of the acme of desolation. But at Nangma Tapsa all is changed, and our caravan spreads itself and its tents over a wide green maidan sprinkled with trees, where cows graze and drink at musical rivulets. Sportsmen sometimes come here in search of ibex, which are found on the mountain flanks bordering the lower part of the glacier. Colonel Godwin-Austen sa/w the glacier from a distance when survey- ing for the Government of India, but our party was the first to ascend it. Its general direction from Nangma Tapsa is north-west. Its length from the snout to its source under the great col is 12 miles. Its greatest width is a mile, and its width at upper end below the source half a mile. It seems to have retreated somewhat rapidly of late years. Above Nangma Tapsa is a large old moraine strewn with large blocks and covered with trees. The furthest point of this is about a mile in front of the present glacier. Then comes a marked division where the moraine matter is much smaller, there are no large blocks, and a scarcity of vegetation is observed. At this part, near the oldest piece, is some small scrub, but this ceases about half a mile from the glacier, and the moraine has a generally new appearance. As you look down from the glacier, the river is seen to have cut its way between the hill and the moraine on the left. No signs of glaciation on the hill beside the stream were noticed, but the rock is weathered and easily split, and striation marks would have been long since effaced. Another sign of retreat is the presence of an important moraine ridge, the highest point of which is 50 feet above the glacier. On the free side it rises fully 100 feet. It is passed over in reaching the ice as one ascends from Nangma Tapsa. At the top of the ridge is a huge boulder, the form and dimensions of which are represented by a cube with a side of 50 feet, which shows how much greater volume the glacier must formerly have had to deposit such a mass of rock in this position. At the top of the high ridge looking east is seen the first left
This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:23:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Nangma Tapsa and the huge terminal moraine of the H-oh Lumba, forming a large hill about 500 feet high; its age is indicated by the tree growth covering its surface.
Upper End of the Hoh Lumba and Col des Aiguilles.
This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:23:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions FIRST EXPLORATIONOF THE HOH LUMBA, AND SOSBON GLACIERS, 131 branch of the Hoh, the Chaltora. The only other branch on the left or east side enters 4 miles from the snout, and is called the Sosbon. On the west side three feeders enter the main stream near the southern end, and 6 miles up another large branch debouches to the west. Altogether there are six tributaries. June is supposed to be a good month for glacier exploration in the Himalaya, but this season it was not, owing to the late severe winter storms. Leaving the ridge, we were at once on the ice at about 13,500 feet, at which height on other glaciers we have always found either lower mountain spurs or lateral moraines on which to camp. But this season, at the end of June, we found the Hoh Lumba covered completely with
ASCENDING OVER THE SNOW HILLOCKS OF THE HOH LUMBA
a deep mantle of snow, equally so the lower mountain flanks. Our first camp on the glacier being near a glacial water-pool, it was not necessary to melt snow for water. All water-buckets were speedily filled, however, lest the reservoir should freeze over in the lower- ing temperature. The coolies' tents here proved insufficient for the number of men, and I was obliged to give them one of my small Mummerys, which I did with keen misgiving, knowing that for our own use it would not again be available. Owing to the deep snow- covering before mentioned, it was most difficult to judge of the con- formation of the glacier or of its moraines. On the glacier itself lateral moraines were slight or wanting, and medial moraines, if K2
This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:23:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 132 FIRST EXPLORATION OF THE HOH LUMBA AND SOSBON GLACIERS. there were any, were so covered with snow that they could not be distinguished. The snowy surface is well seen in the photograph, as are the wavy undulations characteristic of the first 5 miles. One climbs up and down over great snow-hillocks for long stretches. We are here above our first glacier camp of 14,600 feet, the splendid granite peaks in the background appearing foreshortened by this rising terrain. They represent the general mountain forms seen on the Hoh Lumba, and are the peaks bordering the west bank leading to the col. Those on the east bank are scarcely less serrated and abrupt in character. To intrude an Alpinist's view, I will say that, while the scenery is of the utmost beauty on this glacier, the mountains bordering it are mostly quite unclimbable. The fourth and last branch on the west side is 3 miles long, and where it enters the Hoh Lumba not lower than 15,000 feet. Its face has an unbroken, deep snow surface, no crevasses even being visible. South of this nala, about 5^ miles up the glacier, observations were made of the movement of the Hoh stream. Observing the movement at the time we were there was very difficult, owing to the masses of surface snow and the constant rain of avalanches from the steep slopes forming the sides of the glacier. In fact only one practicable point for doing it was found on the west bank, where the inclination was about 2? 32' from the horizontal. At 446 feet from the bank the move- ment in twenty-four hours was -26 of a foot; at 734 feet distance it waswas2o of a foot. On the Chogo Lungma glacier, later explored, the season being more advanced, we found more satisfactory conditions for this sort of work, and had better results. After leaving this branch to the left as we ascend, the main glacier bends more to the north, opening into what has the appearance of a large elongated basin, and from the snow-covered rock the great saddle above the source, 3 miles off, is seen. This depression is the only one in a vast cirque of granite aiguilles stretching in two long lines from both sides of the ridge. These peaks range from 19,000 to 20,000 feet in height, and their great knife and sword-like forms, at that early season dashed with new snow wherever it could lodge, presented one of the most impressive and bizarre mountain scenes I have met with. This ice-fall, for it is not a pass, is indicated on the Indian Survey map as a low pass leading over to the Hispar glacier. As a matter of fact, the ridge over the seracs ends in a huge curling cornice, which over- looks a glacier, not the Hispar, passing about 4000 feet sheer below the cornice. This saddle, first ascended by us on June 23, is 18,331 feet high. At the end of the glacier the visible width of the ice-fall is 624 feet, and the height of the lower sharp fall 324 feet. The ascent was somewhat difficult, as one must climb quite to the right of the ice-fall and traverse the steep snow slope of the rock aiguille.
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Our camp at 15,780 feet was near the source of the Hoh glacier. Here two nights had to be passed in order to reach the great col, and it was an inhospitable place to put up in, not a rock in sight, only the great snow expanse stretching below, and the stern pitiless sentinels watching above. While waiting for the coolies to come up at 1.30 we took a sun temperature,170? Fahr.; not one of our highest, but the day was windless and the heat concentrated and enervating. The sun left the camp at 4 p.m., and by five it was freezing, a strange contrast to 170? in the sun three hours before. Four of our party are seen in the photograph on the Col des Aiguilles, or Needle ridge as we named it, this side of the great
ON THE COL DES AIGUILLES, 18,600 FEET, IN WHICH THE HOH LUMBA ORIGINATES. cornice. The broken arete of the peak to the left of the col was a magnificent spectacle on that clear, cold, windy day. A second more perpendicular peak rises beyond the first. Stepping out upon the cornice,the mountains bordering the intervening glacier, I before spoke of as not having been supposed to exist, were photographed. The view from here was of much interest to us, as it settled the question in the negative of there being a direct passage from the Hoh Lumba to the Hispar glacier. I will not indulge in the usual platitude that " the scenery was magnificent," but merely say that had you been with me on Needle ridge that day, you probably would have enjoyed, as much
This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:23:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 134 FIRST EXPLORATIONOF THE HOH LUMBA AND SOSBON GLACIERS. as I did, the newly discovered geographical features and the sublime prospect. I will now draw your attention for a moment to the large east branch of the Hoh Lumba, called the Sosbon. On the Indian Trigono- metrical Survey map it is drawn as a small branch of the Hoh. It enters the main glacier at about 4 miles up, and is in reality a glacier nearly as long and quite as wide as the Hob. It is 7 miles long from its junction with the former to its source at the base of a saddle 17,000 feet high, and its course is approximately parallel with the Hoh. It is fed by several tributaries and hanging glaciers on its east bank. Our camp on it at 15,019 feet is seen in the photograph, and the great peak of over 22,000 feet peering out of the clouds we called Mt. Sosbon. Among peaks, as among people, now and then one runs on a " striking personality," and this mountain, like the great Pyramid Peak which dominates the Chogo Lungma glacier at a dozen points, was the striking personality of this glacier. From above, from below, wherever seen, it always caught the eye and held it. It was here at the beginning of a snowstorm that our permanent corps of coolies left. As the snow accumulated foot after foot about the tents, there seemed little hope of our beirlg able to move should the weather turn fair. Luckily, we had foreseen this action on the part of the coolies, and sent to Askole some days before for more men, who in due time came up the glacier. After the forty-eight hours' snowstorm we were treated to here, all possible knowledge of the glacier's structure had to be gained by plodding about in snow to the knees. Three well-defined deep ridges follow the sweep of the glacier from the base of the Mount Sosbon for 2- miles down to about the entrance of the first east feeder, and we distinguished one strongly marked medial moraine ridge. Below this the glacier is evidently covered with moraine detritus, but it was so coated with deep snow that little detail was observable. This tall gneissoid rock, seen in illustration, stands in the middle of the glacier not far from the camp, and is 25 feet high. The top is split into five tall pieces. Being in the centre of the glacier, it could not have fallen from the side peaks, but must have descended with the glacier from some peak near its source 4 miles distant; it is the more curious that it should have remained standing without splitting further through an unknown period of time. The splendid riven snow-coated rock towers are typical of the border scenery of these two beautiful ice- streams. I have a few words to say in regard to the Karakorum watershed, on the south side of the Hispar glacier. In our last two expeditions we have, I might say, attacked it repeatedly, partly because the cols and passes culminating the glaciers we were investigating found their source in it, and partly because we had a hobby for finding a new pass,
This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:23:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions FIRST EXPLORATIONOF THE HOH LUMBA AND SOSBON GLACIERS. 135 over which a caravan could be taken to Hispar. I am now of the opinion that the only available coolie route from either side is the Nushik La. The Sosbon and Hoh Lumba glacier cols are separated from the Hispar pass only by a small intervening glacier and narrow ridge. Of these cols one is a huge overhanging cornice, the other drops in a preci- pice towards -Iispar. Next beyond the Hispar pass, following the range, comes the Alchori col, of which I made the first ascent with three guides. It is 17,622 feet high, and is another great snow-cornice directly overtopping the Hispar glacier. We did not dare stand on the cornice to be photographed. But roped we did crawl up there singly and look down at the great Hispar winding its lonely course toward Nagar. I also took a photograph of two north arms of the Hispar, one of which is marked Kanibasar on the survey sheet. On this map the top of the Alchori runs to the east, and is separated from the Hispar by a branch, whereas it really runs due north. I only wonder that in these details the survey maps are as correct as they are, considering how little the surveyors really saw of the higher parts of these glaciers. Here again we were disappointed, for it was not only impossible to take a caravan, but we icould not take our- selves over to Hispar. Next come two good-sized north feeders of the Alchori, which find their source in a line with the Alchori col and overhang the Hispar, but after careful reconnaissance we found these so shattered and riven by ice-falls and great crevasses near their summits as to make them inaccessible even from the south side. From the Kero Lungma, two branches which might lead to the Hi-spar were found untraversable at their heads. Then comes the Nushik La, a practicable pass, but which of late years the Basha coolies are unwilling to cross. From the Chogo Lungma upper tributaries we have ascended two very high cols, which proved quite out of the question as passages. Above the great wall at the head of the Chogo Lungma, named by us the Pertab Singh La, which rises to 19,800 feet, there is, we think, a fairly good route to Nagar, as we had an excellent view of the snow-valley and glacier falling beyond it, but to impress loaded coolies up the wall of 800 feet at over 19,000 feet would be the difficulty. We have thus either climbed or thoroughly examined eight depres- sions in the mountains forming the south border of the Hispar, and found them with one exception inaccessible from the Ilispar or north side. These observations show very fully that in this region of the Karakorum, the northern slopes are more precipitous and less accessible than the southern. I will now speak briefly of two high ascents, made from our base camp on the Chogo Lungma glacier the same season. The climbing of a snow-peak of over 20,000 feet in the Chogo Lungma
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region is attended with more difficulties than the ascent of a similar height in Ladakh, or the Andes. First, transport must be taken several marches over a long complex glacier such as does not exist in South America, and can only be compared in size with those of Alaska. Secondly, the permanent snow-line here is much lower. We placed it on the Chogo Lungma at about 16,000 feet. This obviously adds much to the difficulty of making high ascents, as several snow-camps must be made, and with each successive high camp the courage of your trans- port coolie diminishes. The uncertain weather conditions, due to the Indian south-west monsoon during the two climbing months of July and August, present another serious obstacle. Some seasons, as was our experience in 1902, one does not run upon more than two clear days consecutively, and then no very high ascents are possible. In 1903, after long periods of storm, five fine days occurred, and we seized the opportunity. The Asiatic Riffelhorn was so named by us because of its resemblance to the Zermatt peak of that name. It is 22 miles up the Chogo Lungma glacier, and is 15,397 feet high. On the summit is a stone cairn built by us, which contains some of the accounts of our different snow-trips made from this base. Riffel camp at 14,000 feet on the flank of the Riffelhorn was our base for sixty days during two seasons. Its situation in the heart of the Arctic Chogo Lungma scenery was truly magnificent, and much interesting work was carried out from here which I cannot even touch upon in this paper. The mountains we had in view lay to the north- east of this camp, and were two of several snow-peaks separating the upper Chogo Lungma from one of its high east tributaries, which we called Basin glacier. On August 9, taking only twenty of the strongest coolies from the permanent corps of sixty, and light camping-kit, accom- panied by the Italian guides, we crossed the Chogo Lungma to the entrance to Basin glacier. It tumbles into the main stream in a fine seracked, inaccessible ice-fall. Crossing the mountain spur, we ascended for some hours over steep beds of neve, between the mountain flanks and the ice-fall. Above the ice-fall the glacier was smoother, but heavily seamed by treacherous crevasses covered with deep surface snow from the recent storms, which made marching difficult for the coolies after 6 a.m. By 3 p.m. we were camped 16,352 feet under the wall where our route for the next day lay. Luckily for the caravan, thus far water could be had from clear, delicious glacial pools, which had formed near by on the glacier. Starting early the following morning, the guide led the way directly up. The steepness diminished after a time, and the line moved fairly well so long as the surface remained hard. All the slopes were much broken, and we had to make detours to avoid great chasms and crevasses. The two peaks we had in view are seen in the photograph.
This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:23:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions miles of Gneissoid Rock, 25 feet high, in the middle of the Telephotograph from a distance of three Chogo Sosbon Glacier. Lungma Riffelhorn, 15,337 feet, with stone cairn built by us.
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From their position and manner of receding from the glacier, we were never able to photograph them quite satisfactorily. Soon after eight o'clock a snow-ledge, overhung by a huge schrund, fringed with massive icicles ranging from 8 to 15 feet in height, wasjreached. We stopped here for some refreshment, having already climbed about 1500 feet. The view was becoming very extended and grand, and was particularly fine of the Bayakara col (" pass perilous,") first ascended and named by us the previous season. Its height is 19,260 feet, and was called by Zurbriggen, then our guide, the most difficult col he had made in any land. It took us six hours to cut our way up, and when the top was reached we stood on a narrow splintered ridge, with precipices of about 2000 feet on either side. The descent was negotiated by treading backwards. To return to our present mountain, I can only hint at the incidents of the journey to the second camp; of how the coolies com- plained and floundered in the soft snow to above their knees; the leaving of the second guide to help them, while we others went ahead digging out deep steps up steep aretes and broken snow-slopes, until at noon we brought the discouraged caravan to a place where a camp was pitched at 18,810 feet. Our solar radiating thermometer registered here, 1 p.m., 192?Fahr.; in the shade the temperature was 55?. Toward night thick mist floated in and wild snow-flurries shook our small tents. In spite of this our third day at snowy heights broke clear and cold, the tall silvery peak, still far above, calling loudly to us in the grey blue dawn. A long ridge seamed with crevasses took several hours to negotiate, for getting the head coolie over a yawning crevasse was onerous work. Later on Dr. Workman and the second guide remained with the men, to entice and help them on, while Petigax, the porter, and I tracked out a way some distance in advance. The head guide was cutting steps up a high wall in zigzag, for we much wished to take the coolies up this and over a shoulder running above, and then find a flat place for camp. But, alas! a call of warning rang from below, and, turning to look down, we saw many of the coolies lying on their backs on the snow. The report came that some were mountain-sick, and the others refused to move. After much conference and various attempts, including offers of money, to make the poolies advance, we returned to the scene of action, or rather inaction. As they remained obdurate, we led them groaning down a few hundred feet, and, taking a different course, steered for a plateau on another side of the main mountain; here we camped at 19,358 feet. It was clear the coolies could be taken no higher. They even told us they must stay here a few days to recuperate. The peak was still far above, but the only way was to attack it early the next day our- selves, and hope for success. The guides went out after it froze, and
This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:23:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 138 FIRST EXPLORATIONOF THE HOH LUMBA AND SOSBON GLACIERS. cut steps for a long way to facilitate the coming ascent. The black- bulb thermometer registered 180? Fahr. in the sun, and 38? was the shade temperatureat 2 p.m. at this high camp. Having completed the hypsometric and other observations,the rest of the day passed quickly in preparationfor the ascent, and in cooking dinner over a primus stove. After that sleep was sought in our sleep- ing-bags, but the night was not a restful one at that height, and all sufferedfrom wakefulness and want of oxygen. At 3 a.m. on the fourth day we left the tents by moonlight, tempera- ture 15? Fahr., and, roped, crossed to the base of the peak, attacking the sharp slants in zigzags. We made much quicker progressathan
MOUNT CHOGO, 21,500 FEET, AND MOUNT LUNGMA, 22,568 FEET, TAKEN FROM AN ALTITUDE OF 17,000 FEET.
usual at such heights, because of the steps cutt the night before; but the gradient was very steep, broken by no mitigating plateau, and rising, as measured by clinometer, at an angle of 60? and over, until near the summit. The cold was most severe before sunrise, and chiefly affected our feet. As we neared the top, they were so delightfully sensationless that we considered taking off our boots and stockings and rubbing them with snow; but vigorous pounding with ice-axes at last producedthe necessary tingling that meant safety. As we went higher, an army of peaks seemed to steal up aroundus in the waning moonlight. Shadowy at first, they soon stood clear and ghastly, as if marshalledto meet the sun. Then came the glorious after-dawn light of India, a
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golden red from the horizon creeping upward till the zenith was shot with blood-red fangs. Next King Sol burst upon the scene, flinging his rays first aslant one summit and then another, flooding the whole snowy world with light and colour. Feeling the lassitude unavoidable at such a height, we were marching slowly up the last zigzag, and at 7.15 stood on the corniced summit, 21,500 feet above sea-level. Through an error in copying the figures, the height of this peak was first given out as 21,770 instead of 21,500 feet. The day was cloudless and the view widespread, ranging to the south over Masherbrum,Gusherbrum, the Mustagh Tower, and hundreds of scarcely lesser heights, until the eye was caught by a great dark pyramid hung above a bank of vapour, seemingly in mid-air. This was K2, or Chogori, mighty in its role of second to Everest, and a warning to would-be climbers. Westward came the massif of Nanga Parbat and the snowy form of Haramosh, 24,270 feet, which looks like the head and spread wings of a dove. But they were all too far away to be photographed, and we had to content ourselves with recognizing and picking them out. The temperature was 16? Fahr.-certainly not cold for the height-and after photographing and taking observations, we turned our attention to another peak lying beyond, to the north. It rose, apparently, about 1000 feet above, from an elevated plateau, and was separated from our peak by a long ridge. It was early in the day, and although we gasped a good deal after oxygen on moving, we were fit enough as a whole, and why not that peak too? This is the second peak or Mount Lungma. Gathering up our ice-axes and adjusting the rope, we descended several hundred feet to the ridge. Crossing this, in places heavily crevassed, the plateau was reached, and soon the ascent of the long slopes was in order. The gradient we were now on was much less steep than that of the first peak, a consoling feature at 22,000 feet, and in three hours we stood on the summit of Mount Lungma, a snow-slant on the east side, and an overhanging cornice on the north-west. The view was similar to that of the first peak, except that the distant mountains appeared higher, and we looked down a good deal on the previous summit. Still less oxygen was in the air, and with slower motions we set about taking our observations and readings, which, after calculation and comparison with lower station readings, placed the height at 22,568 feet. I had thus broken my old record of 21,000 feet twice on the same day, and this time by 1568 feet. The temperature became really warm towards noon, and we were able to discard all coats, and at 2.30 before we went down it was 50? in the shade. Dr. Workman and the two guides made a still higher ascent from here on a third peak to an altitude of 23,394 feet. In going down, a peculiar view of peaks running in crested waves was taken. The snow conditions in ascending had been good as a whole,
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but descending they were much more trying, causing us to sink in, after the first hour, to our knees. Soft snow is, in my opinion, one of the great obstacles to high climbing in the North-West Himalaya. It wears the strongest out after a few hours. The best way to avoid it is to start in the small hours, but even then a crisp, hard surface for an entire climb is, I believe, not to be expected. Another night was spent at the high camp, and the fifth morning we packed tents and descended to the glacier. None too soon, as it happened, for the weather was changing to the bad. In regard to taking heights, it was our custom at all high camps, and, when any way possible, also on peaks and passes, to make hypsometric observa-
]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1 -~ _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~::::?~:~~,r
ON THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT LUNGMA, 22,568.
tions, which were compared later with lower-station mercurial barometer readings taken for us by a Government official three times daily at Skardu. Calculations were then made from these observations by three different tables, the average being accepted as the true height. We also carried two Watkin patent aneroids graduated to 25,000 feet, which were checked daily by the boiling-point. As regards the effect of rarefied air at great altitudes, speaking for myself, I suffer considerably from mountain lassitude after 19,000 feet, particularly in climbing, but breathe well when in repose in sitting posture. At camp 19,355 feet I slept very little, never more than ten minutes without awakening. On our highest peak (22,568 feet), where I remained some hours, I[I had headache, felt uneasy, gasped a
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good deal for breath, and was obliged to change position often, but experienced no nausea. I could eat kola biscuits and chocolate and a little meat, but had no great desire for solid food. The Swiss guides who accompanied us in previous expeditions, and the three Italians who were with us on the last one, climbed well and acknowledged no inconvenience from altitude, even at 20,000 and 22,000 feet, although they said they slept less well at above 18,000 feet than at lower heights. The Balti coolies do not stand altitude as well as Europeans. Some become ill and incapacitated at 14,000 and 15,000 feet, and many are quite used up with migraine and nausea at 18,000 feet. All our coolies were either sick or demoralized at 19,358 feet, so that it was useless to attempt taking them higher. Many climb well for a short time at high altitudes, but they are quite unfit to endure the strain, that we Europeans undergo, of from ten to fifteen hours' movement in making an ascent. Their constant unsubstantial diet of meal or iice has, without doubt, considerable effect upon their physical endurance. So far as acclimatization is concerned,I believe in it to this extent- that the longer one has camped and lived at altitudes of from 14,000 to 17,000 feet, the better fit one will be to attack heights of over 21,000 feet. My own experience leads me to think that a prolonged stay at 18,000 or 19,000 feet rather unfits than prepares one for ascend- ing very high peaks. The want of oxygen, the cold and incapacity to digest a sufficient quantity of nourishing food, have a weakening effect on some constitutions. The Anglo-Austrian party who attempted K2, certainly appear to have camped longer at great altitudes than any previous expedition, and they came, to judge from M. Jacot Guillarmod's account, to a similar conclusion. Personally I do not agree with M. Guillarmod, that one loses strength and weight on a diet of tinned food for several weeks. I can thrive on a diet of good tinned meats and vegetables and Bovril rations for three or four weeks as well, if not better, than on the monotonousdiet of emaciated chickens, eggs, and mutton which one obtains in the lower camps of 12,000 to 15,000 feet.
Beforethe paper,the PRESIDENTsaid: I nowhave the honourof introducingto you Mrs. Bullock Workman. I presume that every one here reads the Journal of our Society, and if so, you will have known that Mrs. Bullock Workman,together with her husband, Dr. Hunter Workman, has carried on explorations for years past in the Himalayas, and you may perhaps rememberthat a portion of those explorationswas describedin a paper here by Dr. Hunter Workman about a year ago. It is, therefore,a merely formalintroduction of the lecturerI have to present to you. It is unnecessaryI should stand in the way of the reading of the paper by saying anything of the excellent exploring work of Mrs. Bullock Workman; but it has been so unusual, so infrequent,for a lady to read a paper here that a few words on this subject will, I think, be appropriateto the occasion. In my time I can only rememberone single instance-that of the late Mrs. Bishop. Possibly
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NOTE, This map is frowv ao ,theodolite surrey by MITBJF.M. Heetb, I corrected by Dr W. Hunter Worrkman a7t]lMrSFaromyBulvck Workma . advjusted to fjd of thelJIndian/ Goverment Swvey CLa,CL I points 35 _ dow^u ow Sheet E. of the hudian Atlas with the/ correctorv to 44-5' 27.A1. tongi6aded aspptied), The lines lttere A &.B ora th (hogo lungmr Glacier, ancd C ownthe Joh/olumhba Glccier, show where/ measuremens of the- nwveten;ts of the, 7iee were, made'.
This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:23:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions KARAKORAM HI BULLOCK WORKMAN E)
THE GEOGRAPHICAL ? , ii i iii ii i i ,1,, t i~~~~~~~~~~~-, - i 75'30'
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PHICAL JOURNAL 1906.
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^' 1 A S H R 9 ey ^ifbrad baA\ .WCShr / f A 5a\ tA^.. 7 7SKETCHQ i - A}Mibotala\" ) 1^Vt \. Shawix, -ChAe rolte of e j0 SS SiSUAAR BULLOCKVVORKMAN EXPEDITION >(3ASHMIR) ^c/ SBISBINAGARtto he sources ofthe Qj^~~ ri^tt~~ 34 tVA\~~ Kl~ / ~CHOGO& LLUNGMA., SOBON 1^' 3 Dt l Of ScesaMliles.L t + O Sb . J<-^ 1? "21 3P a!0 . '^wa f N.S-cale 1 30000o000or734r-i3lmes =Ijwf1 3 746 75 76 j 75' 7 PLtbshjed This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:23:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions "I~~ 1 PART 0OF THE KARAKO RAM H IMALAYA includii g the CHOGO LUNGMA,ALCHORI, HOH LU M BA AND SOSBON GLACIERS. Sirveyed by the BULLOCK -WORKMANFAXPEDITION 1903. Scale of' Mites. 5 44 3 2 I f In t 4- -t-- -_ . - . . -- -I frI Nat. SCale 1: 250,000 or 3 9465 xmiles - 1 ineh . Route, Heights in feet. 75" 5' Ptblished by the, Royatl GeographicaL Soctiey This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:23:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 35 30' "I This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:23:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions