146 



Sierra Club Bulletin 



lected. Soon the other party was sighted making the ascent by the 

 longer route. 



As our route was uncertain, three of us climbed ahead across the 

 snow-field, through the chimney, safely made the climb up its east 

 face, and began the ascent of the steep ridge leading to the crest. In 

 order to be certain that the remainder of the party found the safest 

 way to climb out of the chimney below us, I retraced my steps to its 

 east wall. Before doing so I asked Bowers and Emerson to seek a 

 possible route to the summit and reach it as soon as possible. Final- 

 ly, when all of the party had safely climbed from the chimney to the 

 rocky ridge, I turned my attention to the summit. A strenuous climb 

 brought me to the junction of the western ridge and the main crest. 

 The summit of the peak is a short distance to the north and some- 

 what higher. In traversing this stretch one encounters a face, per- 

 haps thirty or forty feet in height, which is vertical, but where good 

 handholds are available. I reached the base of this face very much 

 out of breath, but with the assurance of my two comrades, who had 

 preceded me and who were now smiling down from the top. A few 

 moments later I half-climbed and half-rolled over the top to find 

 both my companions urging me on for the last few feet to the top 

 block of rock, which they had refused to touch before my arrival. 



At 10:30 A.M., July 14, 1920, I had the satisfaction of sitting on 

 the topmost block of Mount Haeckel (elevation 13,422 feet) and of 

 looking directly down the Middle Fork of Bishop Creek from its 

 head. It is needless to relate the satisfaction experienced after ten 

 years of desire to accomplish this feat. We found no evidence of any 

 previous ascent of the peak. It is also a pleasure to record that the 

 entire party of nine, consisting of Nathan A. Bowers, G. D. Emer- 

 son, Francis P. Farquhar, Rodney L. Glisan, Mrs. Walter L. Ru- 

 ber, Walter B. Marble, Lulie Nettleton, Robert M. Price, and the 

 writer, reached the summit. Three fellow Sierrans, Allen, Crofts, 

 and Haskell, constituting the party which had ascended by the 

 south ridge, arrived at the summit but a few minutes later than the 

 leaders of our party, but under the impression that they were climb- 

 ing Mount Darwin. 



The view from the summit was an interesting one, particularly of 

 the near-by peaks of the Evolution Group and of the Palisade 

 Group. Because of a terrific wind, we tarried to enjoy neither lunch 

 nor view very long, but began the descent. 



