THIRTY PEAKS SCALED BY UNDERGRADUATE EFFORTS

The following article on the expedition headed by A. J. Osthelmer '29 into the Canadian Rockles last summer was written for the Crimson by John de Laittre '29, one of the members of Ostheimer's party.

Beside Ostheimer there were seven other members of the party: John de Laittre '29, of Minneapolis; W. R. Maclaurin '29, of Boston; Hans Further and Jean Weber, Swiss guides; Don Hoover, cook; Adam Joachim and Ken Allen, horse wranglers. The main climbing party consisted of Ostheimer and Fuhrer, while the rest were organized into support parties engaged in relaying food and supplies from Jasper to the climbing camps.

Leaving Jasper on June 22 with 25 horses the expedition headed south on the Athabaska River toward its source, which is the Columbia Icefield. After several minor climbs en route Ostheimer and Fuhrer made the first ascent of Mt. Dais. The day was bad and the climbers found themselves in a veritable blizzard when they neared the peak. The ridge leading to the summit was completeley covered with fresh snow and the vertical southern face, hidden in clouds and snow, presented a mountaineering problem of the first order, making the climbing extremely dangerous. Further later stated that the hours spent in feeling their way along this knife ridge, and across the face of the peak, with eyes and hands frozen, were the most exciting of the whole two months.

The next feat, perhaps the most spectacular and sensational of all, was when Ostheimer and Fuhrer spent 36 hours without rest in climbing four peaks from the Columbia Ice-field, one of which, the North Twin, was over 12,000 feet. The party left camp one morning at 1 o'clock and returned after many hours of hardship on the ice, having used flash-lights to guide their steps during the night. It was the first complete ascent to the ice-field from the Athabaska valley.

Moving by horse again the party made a permanent camp for two weeks at Fortress Pass, during which time Ostheimer, Fuherer, Weber, de Laittre, and Maclaurin made a side trip into Lick Creek Valley. From there Mt. Catacombs was ascended for the first time, as well as Mt. "Lowell," 10,300 feet, named by the party in honor of President Lowell.

July 15 found the party on the Wood