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Show Frenchmen Seek Record Height 26,825-Foot Mountain In Nepal Trio's Goal PARIS, FRANCE Six veteran French mountain climbers have left for the Himalayas to try to climb higher and faster than men ever climbed mountains before. Target of their assault is Mount Dhaulagiri, a rugged 26.825 foot peak in Nepal, between India and Tibet. It never has been attempted before according to lean-faced, 41-year-old Maurice Herzog, expedition expedi-tion leader. "No human has ever seen the top of this mountain," Herzog said. "If we reach the peak, it will be the first time a summit of this altitude will have been reached." Dhaulaeiri is about 200 miles west of Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain (29.002 feet), which men have been trying unsuccessfully un-successfully for decades to scale. The highest mountain in North America. Alaska's Mount McKin-ley, McKin-ley, is 20.300 feet. "Our object," said Herzog, "Is not only to reach a higher summit than has ever been climbed, but to do it faster. We will use many modern mod-ern tactics and much new equipment, equip-ment, such as nylon ropes, tents and clothing. Much of the equipment equip-ment will be aluminum." The French government is financing financ-ing a third of the expedition costs. The rest of the expenses are being paid by private backers and the Alpine club of France. Herzog has climbed all the French Alpine peaks worth climbing and some In Switzerland. He is keen to get started. "Our greatest danger is the monsoon," mon-soon," he said. |