They Climbed
p. 20 · Read in the full issue
Ball’s Pyramid
Two Sydney men, David Rootes, 32, and Richard Hig gins, 21, on March 22 became the first men to land on Ball’s Pyramid, 12 miles from Lord Howe Island, in 30 years. They climbed 1,300 ft up the 1,850 ft peak when time ran out and they had to descend to a wait ing boat. But they left their climbing spikes in the cliff and plan to complete the full climb at another attempt.
Ball’s Pyramid rises sheer from the sea. The only other perse x to attempt the climb, a man named Morrisby, gave up at a height of about 400 ft.
Rootes and Higgins were taken to the pyramid by Carl Dignam, of Lord Howe. When it was found to be too rough to get the boat close to the rocks the two men swam ashore, taking their climbing gear in sealed drums. They began their climb right away, “making it look easy work”, said a correspondent.