August 21, 191 3] 



NATURE 



SCIENTIFIC MOl NT [INEERING IN INDIA. 1 



HR.H. the Duke of the Abruzzi undertook 

 • this expedition chiefly in the hope oi con- 

 tributing to the solution of the vexed problem 



Saddle, jo,7<S4 ft. On July 12 .1 height of 23,458 

 It. was attained, but bad weather forced them to 

 retreat. On July 17 another start was made, and 

 that evening they pitched their two diminutive 

 Mummery tents at 

 22,483 it. , the highest 

 strictly authenticated 

 camp to date, though 

 Rubenson and Mon- 

 rad-Aas p r o b a b 1 y 

 camped as high on 

 Kabru. 



Next morning at 

 5.30 the Duke, with 

 the guides Petigax, 

 Henri and Emil Broch- 

 erel, started on what 

 they realised was the 

 final assault. At first 

 all went well. But as 

 they climbed mists 

 settled on the moun- 

 tain, and the snow got 

 so soft that they sank 

 in 2 ft. or more at 

 every step. Yet 

 " their fatigue was not 

 very great " until at 

 24,278 ft. they reached 

 a steep outcrop of 

 rock. " Directly they 

 had to climb with 



as to the greatest 

 height which can be 

 reached by moun- 

 taineers. But, as 

 usual, he supplied him- 

 self with such a staff 

 as would be able to 

 make good use of 

 every opportunity 

 which his journey 

 might afford for scien- 

 tific research. The 

 basin of the Baltoro 

 glacier was chosen for 

 the attempt, owing to 

 the number of high 

 peaks at its head. K 2 

 itself proved to be un- 

 climbable, in spite of 

 several strenuous at- 

 tacks and much close 

 reconnoitring, and on 

 July 1 the Duke turned 

 his attention to Bride 

 Peak, 25,110 ft. Such 

 were the unexpected 

 difficulties encountered 

 that it was not until 

 July 10 that camp was pitched on Chogo Lisa 



1 " Karakoiam and Western Himalaya, 1909 : An Arcount of the Expedi- 

 tion of H.R.H. Prince Luigi Amedeo of Savoy." By Kilippo de Fdippi. 

 With a preface by H.R.H. the Duke of the Abruzzi. Vol. i., pp. xvii+ 4 6o + 

 plates ; vol. ii., plates and maps. (London : Constable and Co., Ltd., 1912.) 



91] 



hands as well as feet, great difficulty in breathing 

 became apparent," and it cost two hours to reach 

 the highest rocks at 24,600 ft. A steep corniced 

 snow-ridge stretched vaguely up into the mist. 

 The recurring tragedies on the Lyskamm are 



