Author talk on climb of Minya Konka by Terris Moore

MONSON — Author Jeff Ryan will speak at Monson Summerfest at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 20 on the climb of 1930s climb of Minya Konka in China by Terris Moore.

Ryan previously wrote “Hermit: The Mysterious Life of Jim Whyte” and spoke at the 2019 Summerfest about Whyte’s incredibly interesting story. Now he is working on a book, as yet undone, on Moore. One of Moore’s homes was up on Borestone Mountain and many will remember him flying his float plane in and out of Midday Pond up on the mountain. He would fly into Monson to pick up the mail and practice jackrabbit starts in the little pond. In later years he lived in what is now known as the Moore Building where the talk will be. It is right across from the Monson Historical Society.

Moore was a mountaineer extraordinaire. In 1932, over 20 years before the first climb of Everest, he and three others climbed a mountain in China (Minya Konka), at that time thought to be the highest mountain in the world. An incredible number of obstacles challenged the climb but Moore and Birdsall made it to the summit of just under 25,000 feet. It would be another 25 years before this mountain was again scaled. It was one of the greatest feats of American mountaineering, being higher than any peak in the Western Hemisphere. Because of world events going on at the same time, this feat did not get the recognition it truly deserved.

While Moore had many more accomplishments in his life, Ryan will focus his talk on this remarkable success. Jeff will also speak briefly at the Monson Academy Alumni Banquet later that day.