Climbing Records.— The records of moun tain climbers cover all nationalities and various years from Balmat (1787) to Dr. Stuck (1912). The highest point thus far climbed in foreign lands was 24,583 feet by the Duc d'Abruzzi in 1909 in his climb of Mount Bride in the Hima layas. He did not reach the summit, some 600 feet higher. Previous to this feat the record had been held by W. W. Graham, who in 1883 reached a height of 24,015 feet. In North America, the Duke of Abruzzi and his party reached a height of 18,024 feet on Mount Saint Elias in 1897. In South America, S. Vines climbed 22,860 feet to the summit of Aconcagua in the Andes in the same year. In 1903 Mrs. Workman accompanied her husband, Dr. W. H. Workman, to the summit of Lungma in the Himalayas, a height of 22,868 feet. In the United States the more recent notable ascents have been that of the South Peak of Mount McKinley on 7 June 1912 by Dr. Hudson Stuck and H. P. Karstens — a height of 20,300 feet; and that of Mount Blackburn (16,140 feet) by Miss Dora Keen on 19 May 1912.
The Bureau of Associated Mountaineering Clubs. of North America was organized in May 1916 by nine clubs and societies. Seven more clubs joined the association during the year, and in 1917 the combined membership was about 12,000. The societies included in the association were: The American Alpine Club, of Philadelphia and New York; the American Civic Associa tion, of Washington, D. C.; Appalachian Moun tain Club, of Boston and New York; British Columbia Mountaineering Club, of Vancouver; Colorado Mountain Club, of Denver; Explo rers' Club, of New York; Fresh Air Club, of New York; Geographic Society, of Chicago; Geographical Society, of Philadelphia; Green Mountain Club, Inc., of Rutland, Vt.; Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club, of Honolulu; The Mazamas, of Portland, Ore.; The Mountain eers, of Seattle; Prairie Club, of Chicago; Sierra Club, of San Francisco and Los An geles; and the United States National Parks Service Club, of Washington, D. C. The Al pine Club, of Canada, while not a member, is affiliated with the association.
The object of the association is declared to be to unify effort in the preservation of natural scenery, including also bird and animal life, trees and flowers; the creation and development of national parks and reservations; and the opening of mountainous regions with trails and shelters.
Accidents.— In the Alpine countries, thou sands of Swiss, Italians and Tyrolese have be come professional guides, and their skill ex ceeds that of the most scientific of learned Al pine club members. Hundreds of lives among both visitors and guides have been lost in the Alps, but this fact does not appear to deter thousands of others from making ascents each year. Accidents in mountain climbing rarely occur when guides are employed and reason able precautions are taken. Occasionally a foothold seemingly secure gives way; but more frequently the fall occurs because the climber is overtired, or has started too quickly, without the necessary training. Over-exertion of either body or mind is always to be avoided. The use of the alpenstock and the ice-axe in mountain climbing, as well as general directions for mak ing an ascent and descent, are fully set forth in a manual prepared under the auspices of the London Alpine Club, entitled 'Dent's Moun taineering.'
The bibliography of mountain climbing is very voluminous, and is eagerly sought after by a large number of persons debarred by phys ical inability from engaging in the rigorous ex ercise, but who are none the less ardent moun taineers at heart. The following named vol umes are only the more prominent of those published in recent years. The extensive li brary of the American Alpine Club was re cently placed in the custody of the New York Public Library, which compiled and printed a complete list of the books and pamphlets, to be had upon application.
Bibliography.—Abraham, G. D., 'Complete Mountaineer' (London 1907); 'On Alpine Heights and British Crags' (Boston 1916), and 'Swiss Mountain Climbs' (London 1912); American Alpine Club, (Alpina Americana' (Philadelphia 1907-14); Appalachian Mountain Club, 'Guide to Paths in the White Mountains and Adjacent Region' (Boston 1916); Bell, J. M., The Wilds of Maoriland' (London 1914); Belloc, H., 'The Pyrenees' (London 1909); Bent, A. H., 'Equipment for Mountain Climbing' (Boston 1916); Bowman, I., 'The Andes of Southern Peru' (New York 1916); Browne, B., 'The Conquest of Mount McKin ley' (New York 1913); Burlingham, F.. 'How to Become an Alpinist' (London 1914); Bur pee, L. J., 'Among the Canadian Alps' (New York 1914); Coleman, A. P., 'The Canadian Rockies: New and Old Trails' (Toronto 1913); Conway, Sir W. M., 'The Alps from End to End' (London 1905); Cook, F. A., 'To the Top of the Continent' (New York 1908) ; Du Faur, F., 'The Conquest of Mount Cook' (London 1915); Farrer, R., and Compton, E. H., 'The (London 1913): Filippi, F. de, 'Karakoram and the West Himalayas' (London 1912) and 'Ruwenzori' (London 1909); Freshfield, D, W., 'Exploration of the Caucasus> (2 vols., London 1902); and 'Round Kangchenjunga' (London 1903); Gribble, F., 'The Early Mountaineers> (London 1899) ; Hamer, S. H., 'The Dolomites' (London 1910); Holtz, M. E., and Bemis. K. I., 'Glacier National Park: Its Trails and Its Treasures' (New York 1917); Kilbourne, F. W. 'Chroni cles of the White Mountains; (Boston 1916) ; King, C., 'Mountaineering in the Sierra Ne vada' (New York 1907); Lewis, T. H., and Munson, S. C., 'The Upper Engadine' (Lon don 1907); Mills, E A., 'The Rocky Mountain Wonderland> (Boston 1915), and 'Your Na tional Parks' (Boston 1917); Morley. M. W., 'The Carolina Mountains' (Boston 1913); Muir, John, 'Our National Parks> (Boston 1909), and 'The Mountains of California' (New York 1911); Mumm, A. L., 'Five Months in the Himalayas' (London 1909); Neve, E. F., 'Beyond the Pir PanjaP (London 1912); Peck, A.. S., 'A Search for the Apex of America' (New York 1911); Ross, M., 'A Climber in New Zealand' (London 19i4); Turner, S., 'My Climbing Adventures in Four Continents> (London 1911) ; Workman, F. B., and W. H., 'Peaks and Glaciers of Nun Kun' (London 1909), 'The Call of the Snowy His par' (New York 1911), and 'Two Summers in the Ice Wilds of Eastern Karakoram' (Lon don 1917).