To the Editor of the "Norrs-Catna Dairy News."
Srr,—Referring to Reuter's interesting account of Lieutenant-Commander Orde-Lees' and Mr. Grisp's winter ascent of Fuji Yama, the following record of a previous effort may not be out of place.
Leaving Gotemba, after a severe blizzard, I think on February 1, 1901, Mr. G. Guaita, a member of the Italian Alpine Club, and myself accompanied by five Japanese coolies crossed the Gotemba Plain with great difficulty owing to the very heavy fall of snow and the fact that neither snow-shoes nor ski were carried. The second but was reached at 4 p.m, when the coolies, who had refused to proceed soon after the start, finally deserted, taking with them part of our stores.
A start was made at 3 a.in- next morning in spite of bad weather and intense cold, The summit was reached at 2 p.m. in a thick fog after many hours of weary step-cutting.
The descent offered no difficulty, the frozen surface of the mountain assisting us to glissade back to No. 2 Hut which was reached at 4 p.m. After a scanty meal a start was made on the last lap, Gotemba being reached at 1 a.m.
During the trip one member of the party suffered from mountain-sickness duc to the comparatively rapid rise from sea level to the summit. The other, suffered from severe frost bite in both feet and had a narrow escape from amputation.
Weather conditions appear to have been very similar on both occasions. We came to the conclusion that the climb would have been easier from the sea-ward side and it will be interesting to see 11 the proposed salvage expedition is effected from that side.
I am, ete., Francis H. Lowe.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.