NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE 



Mountain Climbing Notes 



I. ANOTHER ASCENT OF THE BLACK KAWEAH ( 13,752 FEET) 

 By Philip E. Smith 



A leisurely climb from our camp in the Big Arroyo brought us to the cirque 

 at the base of the western face of the Black Kaweah ; we were now confronted 

 by the real work of the day. Although anxious to climb this rugged peak, we 

 had but little hope of successfully completing the ascent, and thus had only 

 sauntered along, admired the flowers which were at the height of their season, 

 watched a magnificent buck which we startled at his breakfast, and stopped 

 often to drink in the cool invigorating air, or to admire the beautiful panorama 

 that was opening up all about us. 



"We failed to find the lake which the map shows at the headwaters of the 

 stream running from the Black Kaweah, and it seems to have been converted 

 into a beautiful mountain meadow. The cirque, one of almost perfect horse- 

 shoe shape, harbors in its lower end one of those clear azure lakes so well 

 known and loved by the wanderers in the mountains. At the lower end of this 

 lake we stopped to survey carefully the mountain, the climb of which we had 

 set as our task and pleasure. Of the snow wish-bone mentioned by Mr. Hutch- 

 inson in his interesting account of the first ascent of the Black Kaweah in the 

 last Sierra Club Bulletin, we saw but an uncertain vestige. Farther up on 

 the mountain we could plainly discern two large chimneys — or, perhaps better, 

 draws — running in the direction of the summit. It seemed to us that the one 

 to the left must have been the one through which Messrs. McDuffie, Hutch- 

 inson, and Brown reached the top. However, any feasible direct approach to 

 this draw appeared to be cut off by a particularly steep glacial cliff and bench. 



After spending considerable time trying various chimneys and cracks in an 

 attempt to get over the obtruding bench and directly into this draw and fail- 

 ing each time, it was more by hit than good wit that we finally attempted the 

 base of the large draw farthest to the right. This proved upon trial to be 

 surprisingly easy to ascend. After climbing but a few hundred feet an obliging 

 way opened to our left and led right into the draw up which we desired to 

 make the ascent. Between the two draws only one place at all difficult was 

 encountered, and that was only so for the two shorter members of the party. 

 An outstanding rock slanted the wrong way, and the handholds above were 

 very poor. A more intimate knowledge of the recent dances might have been 

 of service in wriggling over and around it. 



Once attaining this draw, no serious obstacle interrupted our progress as we 

 worked our way toward the top, expecting at any time to find some place more 

 difficult than any we had yet encountered. It was stiff work, but at no time 

 did we use ropes, nor did we feel that we were taking any grave risks. 



"We monumented our way as we proceeded, expecting to leave the monu- 



