Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 290, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1911 — Woman On Glacier [ARTICLE]

Woman On Glacier

Base of Her Camp Made at Height of Over 16,000 Feet—Explorer Caught in Monsoon While on Mountain. Paris. —Writing from "Camp, September 9,” Mrs. Fanny Bullock Workman, the mountain climber, in a letter posted at Skarkle on September 25, gives further details of her exploration of the Himalayan glaciers. Mrs. Workman says the climax of the summer’s work was the crossing of the Saltoro pass at a height of 18,300 feet on August 19 and a visit of three weeks to the great Slacken, or Rose glacier, reputed to be the largest and longest in Asia. It has never yet been measured, but Is probably 50 miles long. It cannot be ascended from the tongue from May 15 to September 15 owing to the depth of the Nubra river, which flows therefrom, and the presence of dangerous quicksand*. The only summer approach is by the great Saltoro pass and the descent of the Saltoro glacier, which taps the Salchen at a height of 16.000 feet. The first European to cross the Saltoro was Dr. Longstaff. who accomplished this feat in June. 1900. and descended toward the Salchen. remaining one day on the glacier and returning by the same route. Baltistan, Mrs. Workman’s Italian guide, with porter* and 80 eooliea. reached the barren mountain on the flank of the upper Salchen on August 30 In a violent snowstorm. The base of,her camp was made at a height of

over 16,000 feet The minimum temperature for two nights was five degrees Fahrenheit when it cleared up and a rush was made for the source of the glacier, 15 miles to the northwest / | One of the highest branches was ascended to its origin at a height of 10,000 feet After descending to another base, where Mrs. Workman saw a few patches of grass, she’ fjAnd a second affluent, and ascended to a height of 19,000/ feet and stopped in a great snow platform. ! A 31,000 foot mountain was ascend-

ed, on which the party was caught’in a monsoon and driven back to*camp. Thirty miles of the glacier were traversed without any sign of wood. A number of large ibexes were seen. Notwithstanding the storms and the difficulty of obtaining supplies, the expedition remained on the Salchen until September 15, and secured new and Interesting glaciologjcal and geographical information. Mrs. Workman !» the first woman who ever set foot on the Rose glacier. She concludes her story *by saying: J “We placed eight big stone cairns on the Salchen and its affluents and explored much where no human foot had trod, but much remains to be done before the problem* of this glorious snow area are solved.” .