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Mt Chimborazo, Ecuador, South America

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Mt. Chimborazo, Ecuador, South America. This most famous of all the mountain peaks of the Aniles, 21,400 feet in height, was for many years supposed to be, not only the highest summit of the Andes, but the highest in the world. But after years of adventurous travel and more accurate measurements, it is now found to rank only as the sixth in height. The Nevado de Sorata, now acknowledged to be the loftiest mountain peak of this famous group, reaches the altitude of 25,300 feet, or nearly four thousand feet higher than its more famous rival. Mt. Chimborazo is surrounded by high tablelands, above which it rises only 12,000 feet; so that, stupendous as it is, its enormous altitude can only be fully realized when viewed from a great distance. Humboldt and his party of explorers made most extraordinary efforts in 1802 to reach its snow-crowned pinnacle, but with all their strenuous exertions they only succeeded in reaching a point about 2,000 feet short of its summit. The whole party suffered intensely from the usual inconveniences of such high altitudes, breathing with difficulty and the blood bursting from their eyes and lips. They found themselves surrounded by thick fogs and in an atmosphere of the most intense cold. They made unusual efforts to gain a still higher point, but found themselves entirely blocked by an utterly impassable chasm, and in this vast field of unfathomed and unfathomable snow, were compelled to reluctantly commence the descent. In 1831 an attempt was made by another traveller, Bousingault, to reach the summit, but he also failed, although he succeeded in arriving at a point about 250 feet higher than Humboldt had done, viz an altitude of 19,689 feet. Its summit was twice reached in 1880 by Mr. Edward Whymper, the famous Alpine traveller. The appearance of this peak from the Pacific coast is peculiarly grand, and although 200 miles distant, it is distinctly defined against the blue sky. From a Portfolio of Photographs (Werner, c 1890).
CaptionMt. Chimborazo, Ecuador, South America. This most famous of all the mountain peaks of the Aniles, 21,400 feet in height, was for many years supposed to be, not only the highest summit of the Andes, but the highest in the world. But after years of adventurous travel and more accurate measurements, it is now found to rank only as the sixth in height. The Nevado de Sorata, now acknowledged to be the loftiest mountain peak of this famous group, reaches the altitude of 25,300 feet, or nearly four thousand feet higher than its more famous rival. Mt. Chimborazo is surrounded by high tablelands, above which it rises only 12,000 feet; so that, stupendous as it is, its enormous altitude can only be fully realized when viewed from a great distance. Humboldt and his party of explorers made most extraordinary efforts in 1802 to reach its snow-crowned pinnacle, but with all their strenuous exertions they only succeeded in reaching a point about 2,000 feet short of its summit. The whole party suffered intensely from the usual inconveniences of such high altitudes, breathing with difficulty and the blood bursting from their eyes and lips. They found themselves surrounded by thick fogs and in an atmosphere of the most intense cold. They made unusual efforts to gain a still higher point, but found themselves entirely blocked by an utterly impassable chasm, and in this vast field of unfathomed and unfathomable snow, were compelled to reluctantly commence the descent. In 1831 an attempt was made by another traveller, Bousingault, to reach the summit, but he also failed, although he succeeded in arriving at a point about 250 feet higher than Humboldt had done, viz an altitude of 19,689 feet. Its summit was twice reached in 1880 by Mr. Edward Whymper, the famous Alpine traveller. The appearance of this peak from the Pacific coast is peculiarly grand, and although 200 miles distant, it is distinctly defined against the blue sky. From a Portfolio of Photographs (Werner, c 1890).
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