1. travel
2. tourist destinations
3. ski resorts

TO
HOW
BECOME
ALPINIST
AN
BY
FREDERICK
BURLINGHAM
( The
Man
ivh-" cineviaiografihedthe Matterhoi
n)
Sr*"
ILLUSTRATED
WITH
SIXTY-THREE
BY
PHOTOGRAPHS
THE
T.
WERNER
CLIFFORD'S
AUTHOR
LAURIE,
INN,
LONDON
LTD.
Or
b'\0
1
CONTENTS
I; i a in
PAGE
I.
II.
The
Lure
Choosing
Equipment
IV.
Two
Mountains
the
1
Training
and
Accidents
Blanc
35
Beginners
for
45
.
VI.
Cinematographing
VII.
Why
VIII.
In
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
Some
XIII.
XIV.
XV.
Among
Trained
103
IT5
on
Clochetons
the
de
Praz
129
Red
the
Grand
The
9!
Death
Climbing
Plan
Alpinists
are
with
Rock
79
Women
Guides
Playing
73
Path
Famous
Where
59
Happen
Accidents
Avalanche
an
Matterhorn
the
Alpine
St
Needles
r45
Bernard
Cinematographing
Hospice
Mont
J59
Blanc
under
Difficulties
XVI.
On
1
Funicular
Alpine
an
Railway
.
XVII.
XVIII
XIX.
In
Hints
How
Blizzard
Alpine
an
on
to
Alpine
Get
1
'7
Mont
on
Excursions
3
Centre
Alpine
an
III.
V.
of
Killed
69
187
197
Photography
in
the
207
Alps
LIST
Mr
ILLUSTRATIONS
OF
.
"The
Frontispiece
Burlingham
Frederick
cinematographed
who
Man
.
.
the
"
Matterhorn
TO
The
Aiguille
Verte,
Moine,
The
seen
distance
;
Photographed
feet,
and
Les
and
the
from
the
6
Buche.
la
de
the
in
11,214
Courtes
Les
PAGE
Aiguille
the
feet,
12,317
feet,
13,540
Droites,
Col
Dru,
du
FACE
....
13,685
Breithorn,
Gornergrat
from
seen
feet,
the
Zermatt
above
6
...
Mer
The
Glace
de
Village
The
Chamonix
in
the
Laugel
fine
in
Shadow
the
of
Blanc
.
Guide,
the
Valley
Mont
of
Charmoz
Crags
.
Ground
Training
.24
.
Charmoz,
Petit
the
of
a
Alpinists
for
.
.
Guides
in
"
Jonction
who
Difficulties
"
while
was
struck
Lightning
ky
Casoli,
Pierre
descending.
on
Mont
Blanc
42
......
His
Last
Voyage
24
Crevassed
the
at
14
Burnet,
Jules
.
Granite
the
Houches
and
Petit
the
on
In
Les
of
Monsieur
14
.....
across
Eternal
the
Ice
.
vii
42
viii
LIST
ILLUSTRATIONS
OF
TO
Madame
Frederick
Auguste
"
Payot,
"
jonction
Mulets
At
on
way
.
to
First
on
Sleeps
Contact
British
at
.60
.
Matterhorn
the
60
Precipices
.
Caravan
Kinematograph
Cabane
Hornli
the
the
from
.
.
Colonial
arriving
.52
.
seen
Hornli
with
and
before
.
feet,
14,705
the
.52
.
Blanc
Mont
Matterhorn,
Path
the
grands
the
one
where
.
The
at
.
.
the
above
Clouds
64
......
Approaching
The
Mr
Mattkrhorn
the
Summit
of
on
Matterhorn.
Monte
.
.68
graph
Cinemato-
with
Summit
the
Rosa
of
in
seen
is
the
the
68
Blanc
Mont
.
.
in
Glacier
the
du
.74
.
Geant
Burlingham
and
Aiguille
Mrs
at
Needles
Fanny
Bullock
Explorer,
Record
who
for
are
feet
11,214
on
Mont
Moine
du
Chamonix
Lunch
Party
seen
Summit
the
Blanc
in
.
Workman,
Holds
Women,
the
23,300
the
.
the
World's
feet
74
.
.
Mr
64
.
......
on
Crevasses
.
.
Burlingham
Camera
Sunrise
Crags
Matterhorn
the
Frederick
distance
PAGE
Guide,
the
Crevasse
a
their
Mulets,
Climbing
and
crossing
.
Grands
the
Burlingham
FACE
of
and
the
the
distance
.
86
.
.86
Himalayan
Altitude
.
.
go
OF
LIST
ILLUSTRATIONS
ix
TO
Annie
Miss
S.
Peru
in
Mlle.
Huascaran
90
Famous
the
Ticklish
a
Mont
of
Place
French
Aiguille
the
on
Climber,
de
Trelaporte
.
Le
Aubrey
Mrs
of
Miss
Ladies'
the
Club
Alpine
Andes
the
London
of
plorations
Ex-
whose
Alaska
and
have
.
.
Eleonore
am-Main,
Hasenclever,
with
Burgener,
Lost
who
frau
Famous
the
.94
.
Frankfurt-
of
Alexander
Guide,
Life
his
on
Jung-
the
94
......
Vineta
Mayer,
Chimney
Madame
on
Vienna,
of
Zimmer,
the
Madeleine
M.
Franz
J. Vallot,
of
in
Rax,
Austria
in
.
Namur,
Mont
the
Famous
the
Daughter
Kathe
tory
Observa-
Blanc
96
Broske,
Zabrze,
of
Preussisch
Schlesien
.
Fraulein
Mizzi
the
Glacier
the
Looking
across
des
Plines,
a
Snow
Slope
the
from
Snow
.
after
seen
Darrei
in
Le
.98"
.
scended
De-
distance
de
towards
and
pinist
Al-
having
Fenetre
Desert
.98
.
Viennese
.
Saleinoz
de
Le
.
Famous
.
South-east
Vast
.
Wolf,
.
On
96
of
......
Frau
92
.
Attention
attracted
Frau
dent
Presi-
well-known
the
.92
.
Philadelphia,
of
in
.
.
Blond,
Keen,
Dora
Fraulein
PAGE
......
Marvingt,
in
Heroine
Peck,
FACE
10S
Saleinoz
the
Four
.
Point
Noirk
108
OF
LIST
x
ILLUSTRATIONS
TO
Mont
Blanc
Seracs
on
Mont
Traces
of
Scaling
Madame
Snow
Field
de
Berard
Backbone
Red
Needles
down
.148
.
Emile
.
the
Needles
Dead
at
.
Grand
the
.152
.158
.
St
Bernard
158
......
St
of
St
Bernard
Dogs
Bernard
on
162
.
.
.
Monks,
Daily
.
who
are
Exercise
with
.
Swiss-Italian
the
*
Bernard
Great
the
.
.162
Alpinists,
Dogs
.
"Does
Someone
152
Highest
.
the
arriving
the
Belvedere
the
148
.
Guide,
the
Belvedere,
Red
the
of
of
of
to
.
and
the
on
.
taking
before
the
leads
Summit
Frontier
St
the
which
the
among
of
on
Richard
on
Hospice
Statue
never
.
Steinmann
Curiosity
had
.134
.
134
among
Valley
Clochetons
the
.
which
Belvedere
Caravan
on
.
Richard
Point
seen
.....
Leontine
the
Wall
Chimney
Ducroz,
are
120
.
Vallee
Plateau.
Avalanche
Leontine
Crossing
Grand
the
.120
.
.....
Climbed
the
the
Fallen
a
a
Madame
near
Praz
Plan
been
In
Blanc
Perpendicular
a
Ascending
At
.
them
below
de
Brevent
the
and
PAGE
FACE
wish
to
be
Rescued?"
.
.
164
164
LIST
OF
ILLUSTRATIONS
xi
TO
at
"
the
"
jonction
Bossons
of
Glaciers.
Mulets
With
Refuge
Rock
taconnaz
the
Microscope
may
be
Exercise
Needles
Refuge
at
Midi
Colonial
Vallot,
Vallot
Observatory
Burlingham,
Mont
Blanc,
at
below
.176
.
Mrs
including
of
on
the
the
The
feet.
Summit
Highest
the
176
Mont
Blanc
Summit
Point
in
180
of
Central
180
......
Swinging
Railway
of
Car
Type
of
Car
Alpining
Glacier
.
.
Ceretti
of
Seracs
du
188
.
"
will
"
Swoop
the
through
Tanfani
of
190
......
without
the
.
Reproduced
Photograph
Milan
.
.188
Tourists
Courtesy
"
Workmen
which
in
construction
under
Midi
du
by
used
Swoop."
the
now
Aiguille
the
Type
Among
the
Burlingham
Europe
up
seen
Caravan,
on
Frederick
arriving
14,300
is
the
.
over
Colonial
and
and
Background
Caravan
Refuge
.172
.
Mulets
the
in
Mulets
.
Grands
.172
.
Grands
the
.
the
du
and
British
The
nearest
.
on
.
.
Aiguille
Mr
Grands
on
.
Dinner
before
British
seen
PAGE
des
Needle
.
The
and
FACE
Effort
of
Geant
the
190
....
"Ice
....
Niagara
"in
the
200
ILLUSTRATIONS
OF
LIST
xii
FACE
TO
Mont
15,781
Blanc,
Seigne
la
in
from
seen
feet,
Col
the
PACK
de
Italy
200
....
Count
de
some
Donnau,
in
Pic
Mallet
the
Mer
the
de
the
the
Belvedere
.
.
.
.
.
.
208
Jorasses,
Dent
du
Geant
Mont
seen
from
Glace
.216
.
Crossing
after
208
Grandes
the
and
Mer
easy
it
Glace
de
Tacul,
du
taking
Climbing
Strenuous
Crevasses
The
Paris,
of
Glacier
Blanc
in
the
.
on
Aiguilles
.
the
Way
to
Rouges
216
.
of
The
the
Lure
Mountains
TO
HOW
AN
BECOME
ALPINIST
i
THE
the
That
high,
hold
OF
LURE
white
public is evidenced
of tourists
the
During
from
special point
and
traveller
take
may
circular
and
tickets
alpine
often
the
reasonable,
According
of
a
million
Blanc,
Alps,
each
Bernese
year,
direct
of reduced
fare
consecutively
his
hotel
and
Oberland,
accommodation
estimates
visit
is
upwards
Chamonix,
other
centres
the
the
at
in
Valais, the
3
like
up
excursions
several
tickets, which
such
over
ordinary
weeks'
two
some
services,
express
springing
are
during
to
alone
advantage
visit
regularly
run
The
recent
tourists
now
country.
price of
to
luxe
these
hotels
number
year.
the
to
dous
tremen-
a
ordinary travelling
Switzerland
supplement
centres
includes
the
centres
In
Alps.
throughout
mushrooms
famous
the
mountain
excellent
and
large urban
lines
funicular
forty
de
trains
the
in
of
Alps each
the
getting
are
rapidly-increasing
the
by
season
of
most
mountains
visit
who
MOUNTAINS
imagination
the
on
THE
of
holiday,
extremely
as
well.
of
a
foot
the
the
quarter
of
Mont
Dauphine
Engadine
and
HOW
4
in the
BECOME
TO
ALPINIST
AN
their share of visitors. At Chamonix
Tyrol have
long ago, duringAugust, when
not
in London
and
Paris, the rush
overtaxed
glaciers
overflow
tourists
with
roof
the
others
cows,
railway carriageson
his church
open
to
to
to
into
scrambled
others
pews,
and
years
ago at Grindelwald, who
the
the
the
same
vacant
priestthrew
local
wished
who
In
sleepunder
siding,the
a
the foot of the
accommodation.
hotel
forced
were
ing
swelter-
peoplewere
to
doze
in the
of a cinematograph
enterprising
manager
show
countered
kept open all night. In the morning I enwith
an
dewdrops,
Englishman, covered
who
told me
he had slept out all night in the forest.
At Zermatt
the crush was
better managed, for the
fused
Viege-Zermatt branch railway,on this occasion, reto transport anyone
not having a room
engaged.
It is the psychology of this crowd, however, that
is interesting.
Not
many
years
ago the mountains
inspiredawe, if not a secret terror, in the bosoms of
those who
Most
of the summits
were
gaped below.
to climb.
Peasants
virgin,being considered impossible
that the
thought, as the Indians of Peru believe still,
inhabited
mighty peaks were
by evil spirits.Now
it is the reverse,
for the majority of tourists have
scarcely a healthy respect for the glaciersand precipices.
They are not like the Georgian I met a few
but
to
having to
look
at
shudder
piazzawas
to
an
reach
the
that
pass
the
churchyard,stopped
alpinegraves,
he
returned
good enough
some
summit
started for the Eismeer,
which
to
for him.
; the
the
gave
him
hotel
There
a
moment
such
saying
is
a
a
the
scramble
dangers,beinghidden, are
LURE
THE
thought
climb
in search
a
with
Fate
MOUNTAINS
THE
5
and
existent, consequently young
not
with
OF
glory,edelweiss
of
enthusiasm
new-born
or
old
snapshot,and
a
chances
heedlesslytake
generationswould have
stopped to consider. As Mr J. M. Bulloch, editor of
cracy
Demothe Graphic,expressedit the other day, it is
And
cracy
demotriumphant on the dizzy peaks!
is usuallya bit reckless.
think lightly
one
Again,in this age of disrespect
may
of religion,
the idea of the family
existinginstitutions,
of immunity,
and civilization with a certain amount
the
where
older
"
"
but
one
may
imminent
These
not
treat the mountains
danger,
for
they
a
joke without
their
will take
of ice-covered
masses
as
graniteare
an
revenge.
appalling
reality.
The
Alps
trouble is,many
for the first time
do
of
and
the
granite,
being unprepared for
and
are
these
masses
left buried
in
climbers
amateur
not
realize the
immutable
forces of Nature,
the conflict
some
crevasse,
goingto the
of
actuality
are
to
vanquished
be found
by
experiencedguides,or else the playthingof Nature's
forces.
disintegrating
According to the mortalitystatistics for 1912, the
last available,140 accidents
took
place,the number
of victims
Austrians,
being 165. Of these, 66 were
6 French, 4 English,
49 Germans, 24 Swiss, 7 Italians,
It is singular
unknown.
2 divers,and
7 of nationality
to
note
that 88 per cent,
estimated,
accidents
were
of these
evitable.
resulting in
The
broken
conjecture.In nearly every
accidents,it has
number
members
known
case
of
is
the
been
minor
beyond
cause
6
HOW
TO
BECOME
ALPINIST
AN
inexperience,
ignorance of the simple technique
of climbing,disrespect
for the mountain, or the fact
that trained guideshad been dispensedwith.
With Switzerland rapidlybecoming the playground
of the world, and alpining
a sport for the crowd, it is
in the interest of everyone
concerned, except probably
was
the undertakers, that the
few
basic rules of mountain
climbingshould become known generallyand put into
was
practice. This past season
deadly,
particularly
fatal accidents
occurringfrequentlythroughout the
imprudence was met with
Alps, and in the mountains
on
hand.
every
in
Late
I
August, to mention
climbed
Blanc
Mont
Pierre Pointue,
blastingwas
the construction
Midi.
du
standing in
to the Grands
new
siderable
Mulets, con-
in connection
being done
funicular line up
in time
warned
the
with
Aiguille
find shelter
to
At
by
a
were
few feet of
our
heads.
It
was
a
miracle
English tourists,not understandingFrench and
in an
not
were
were
exposed position,
injured.
some
who
Pierre
Near
takes
even
see
of
from
causes
one
there
l'Echelle,we
a
avalanche
an
natural
to
cinematograph.
a
and,
watching for these signals,
safety,watched the dynamite send down
rocks within
If
a
were
guides,who
our
by
of
We
with
the way
on
personalexperience,
my
the
is always
on
the
a
party
ourselves
ice
and
stones
high up
the
on
Pierre Pointue
bombarded
were
fallingthrough
Aiguilledu
route
Mont
up
Midi.
Blanc
danger in passingthe avalanche couloirs
run.
surprise,therefore,
Imagine our
of four
tourists,two
children,climbing without
of whom
guidesin
one
were
of the
mere
deadly
THE
LURE
OF
gullies.Our
MOUNTAINS
however, awoke
them
to
warning again and again
An
avalanche
near
by,
their danger and theyretreated.
the other hand, however, how
ends in
ness
At
the
all
foolhardi-
often such
tragedy!
a
Grands
Mulets
servingdinner, someone
slowly was coming up
We
7
guidesshouted
their taking heed.
without
On
THE
at
dusk, while
called out
that
Cachat
tourist
lone
a
the steep,crevassed
was
slope.
snow
extraordinarypieceof
imprudence. One sees nowadays so many
strange
thingsin the mountains, however, that no one thought
of going to meet
him.
An
intermittent
watch
was
search
a
kept, and had he disappearedin a crevasse,
have
left the
cabine
to
party undoubtedly would
the rescue.
As he neared
the refuge he stopped repeatedly
and so long in the snow
that my wife went out
to call and
cheer him along. Naturally he proved to
be a German!
He
said afterwards
that this did give
him
got
up
to
doing he repliedthat
to Pierre
to
Pierre
tracks
in the snow,
I allowed
and
and
Mulets
was
how
him
to
amazed
one
so
at
left Chamonix
this vast
continued
his
night
before
into
des
Bossons
and
de
our
two
mountain
got
ever
a
walk
to go
on
to
were
meet.
carry
out
It
next
fresh
day
caravans,
technique
alone
across
the
jonction where
Taconnaz
impossiblefor him
climbingMont Blanc, we
was
and
expanse
of
one
ignoranceof
the
he
for
climbing. The
littlesure-footed
the
what
and seeing
edge of the glacier,
across
rope
asked
there he decided
once
l'Echelle at the
the Grands
When
he had
Pointue, that
a
this
at
continue.
to
courage
look
Glaciers
being physically
his programme
forced to leave
of
him, until
8
HOW
It
his
appears
which
how
ill
so
Blanc
had
day
same
of
party
days
encounters
and
high
altitude
an
learned
He
made
the
the
Alps
storm
death
the
by
If
guides.
three
or
are
scores
of
one
was
imprudence,
of
about
to
ascent
of
course
the
throughout
that
by
wind
this
froze
were.
Mont
of
that
!
alone
weather
cases
many
so
and
of
unaccompanied
in
climb
a
summit
we
had
mountain
one
wonder
any
which
such
exhausted,
where
by
Gouter
on
I
later
cannot
the
at
Swiss,
a
near
three
du
Aiguille
climber
for
fatal,
been
Dromadaire,
days
mountain
knowledge,
bad
Blanc,
lust, but
attempt
reach
to
by
Mont
the
wander
technical
Vallot.
Refuge
faced
could
attempt
Two
feet.
of
person
du
the
at
understand
form
caught
Bosses
14,500
I
without
were
we
the
the
sane
ALPINIST
Chamonix
away.
first
our
in
another
prepared,
On
at
a
AN
blankets
room
is
which
think
in
him
lured
lust,
BECOME
tucked
return,
our
a
TO
one
four
is
killed
annually?
The
is
the
a
way
of
to
climb
the
most
and
with
the
pleasure
Is
not
mountains
lure
this
the
knowledge
be
may
difficult
minimum
worth
strong,
without
of
while?
but
there
diminishing
danger.
it
Alpine
Choosing
Centre
an
II
CHOOSING
Alpining,
naturally,
mountains
are
the
The
of
where
has
in
one
could
first-class
guides
rather
the
a
of
one
question
of
ticket, and
alpine
for
a
one
ten
hotel
resort
francs
pay
considerably
beaten
track.
definitely
in
up
day,
a
the
more
less
by
It
terms
Climbing
with
centres
is
well-known
From
London
little.
At
terms
may
for his
seeking
ii
his
through
almost
be
any
had
included, and
be
had.
pension
rooms
and
and,
for
Naturally
sometimes
from
away
advisable
arrival,
upon
Paris
or
may
food
and
is
centres
price for
same
always
presents
extreme.
vary
room
better
much
and
accommodation
excellent
there
climbing alone, without
taste.
prices
many
alone
man
alpine
the
the
traditions.
learn
may
lifetime.
a
in the
of
one
alpine
like Zermatt,
places
average
while
nearly
prolonged stay
may
an
learning
from
gained
in
in well-known
pays
in
and
guides
and
than
is hazardous
traveller
there
wherever
well-known
years
danger,
choice
The
many
pick
of
experience,
the
trained
are
more
minimum
in
Chamonix,
elsewhere
the
practised
concentrated
and
season
CENTRE
advantage, however,
of
been
Grindelwald
be
climbing
there
experience
countries
may
distinct
a
rudiments
centres
ALPINE
climb.
to
is
There
AN
to
as
the
arrange
already
HOW
12
TO
suggested,to
is taken
late
BECOME
heightof the season,
early August. At this
July and
good pension rates
under
Bernina
centre
while
the
on
with
obtained
famous
at the foot of the
Jungfrau, and
in the Engadine;
is Chamonix
at
holiday
which
is during
period,however,
difficulty.
land
in Switzer-
Matterhorn, GrindelPontresina
near
the
in France
the
best-
the foot of Mont
side of the
other
if the
alpinecentres
the
group
known
are
the most
is Zermatt
wald
beforehand
rooms
engage
ALPINIST
the
at
Among
AN
Blanc
;
mountain, in Italy,is
Courmayeur, whose famous guideshave played a very
important part in the explorationof the Himalayas.
Courmayeur, having no railroad,is less accessible than
other alpinecentres, but justfor this reason
it
many
retains
distinctive charm, while the Mont
a
from
seen
the
as
magnificent
Elsewhere
where
centres
side, is
south
in the
any
in
the
one
a
of
mass
Blanc
as
precipices
Alps.
Alps
are
less-known
numerous
still find excellent
may
range,
guides,but
is that while they know
the mountains
probability
of their locality
they are not universal like the principal
and
guides of Zermatt, Grindelwald, Chamonix
Courmayeur. These latter guides keep turning up
the
anywhere, and it is very common
or
guidesat Grindelwald, Chamonix
almost
vice
to
find Zermatt
Courmayeur, and
versa.
It is
impossibleto
found
centres
to be
known
in France
are
all the
name
in the
La
Alps, but
Grave
and
attractive
climbing
among
the
Bourg
d'Oisan
better
in
Dauphine Alps, St Gervais at the foot of the
Blanc; in Italy,
Aiguillede Bionnassay and Mont
the
HOW
14
The
TO
coming
the
Mrs
expeditions
in
branch
its
in
head
the
the
of
bottom
be
surprising
towards
the
and
sea
or
to
see
is
It
climbers
Mrs
have
than
been
the
which
rears
feet
1000
and
it would
not
directed
soon
Himalayan
difficult,
the
charted
discovered
attention
more
thrones
de-
Karakoram
question,
highest
At
mountain
nearly
been
the
the
probably
discovery
peak,
costly
more
of
either
the
Pole.
to
explorers,
Workman,
starting modestly
poles
of
significant
and
Everest.
public
ascent
South
of
of
has
or
vast
which
found
been
eight
surprises.
of
in
defatiga
in-
this
highest
peak
clouds,
made
there
the
as
the
out
dangerous
more
North
and
the
undertaking
an
two
full
the
of
the
climbers,
hitherto
has
point
highest
the
in
has
found
isolated
an
feet
that
Now
been
Himalayas
30,000
above
and
books
and
who
the
are
spite
Abruzzi
other
which
school
for
the
of
has
In
rest.
the
known
Everest,
world,
the
of
many
is little
mountain
placed
the
Workman,
and
there,
Mount
and
Duke
ALPINIST
alpinists, however,
all
Bullock
glacial region
one
of
dwarf
of
explorations
AN
paradise
which
Himalayas,
least
BECOME
such
got
with
that
note
the
as
nearly
the
their
ascent
of
Duke
training
of
an
the
all
the
in
easy
great
Abruzzi
the
Alps,
pinnacle.
'HK
i in:
\
MliR
ill-:
ii. i. \i,i
h.- V;i1!.-\ ,.|
(
1
CLACK.
Equipment
and
Training
Ill
AND
EQUIPMENT
Some
time
Mer
de
while
ago,
the
Glace,
faint, despairing
We
stopped
ears
as
Hubert
his
and
Again
could
a
be
of
from?
from
their
and
except
first
shoulders, and
guide,
following
hasty steps towards
our
Where
did
discharged
be
direction.
Calling
consecutively,
that
reply in French
time
th.re
guides immediately freed
our
to
This
us!
rucksacks.
German
a
Our
our
the
into
in
sound
the
air
English,
companion
my
immediate
assistance
needed.
Several
hundred
feet
above
figures indistinctlycould
projecting pinnacles.
happened
predicament
his
avalanche.
his
leaping
audible
were
reached
seemed
It
and
finallygot
also
sounds
an
terror
particular
no
French
of
mistake,
no
a
Chamonix.
cry
themselves
come
of
cascades
silence, but, strain
the
recommenced
we
the
with
vibrated
Mountain
other
no
roar
example
above
Ponts
suddenly
listen.
to
Charlet, shrugged
Montanvert
two
still air
Les
cry.
might,
we
occasional
the
was
passing
leaking glaciersbroke
from
TRAINING
to
of
the
guides and
two
b
be
be
passing, and
rope.
With
17
an
a
gully,
some
English alpinist
seeing
climbers,
steep
a
clinging to
seen
Fortunately,
two
in
us,
the
desperate
courteously offered
warning
to
us
below
18
HOW
to watch
a
TO
out
moment,
BECOME
for stones, the four
and
It appears
ALPINIST
guides,without
apparently without
danger,started
own
AN
of their
the couloir.
up
that
thought
a
losing
novices, both
two
Swiss, got lost
de I'M, and in tryingto
Aiguille
but
descend towards the Mer de Glace slippedand fell,
to lodge on
jagged rocks, where
managed somehow
fast,being able neither to descend
they were mountain
So ugly, in fact, was
their position
reascend.
nor
that the guides could not reach them, and they were
extricated one
of rope thrown
at a time by means
to
near
the foot of the
them
from
had
They
the
above.
with
been
hanging more
faint hope
two
hours
on
of
attractingby their
cries the attention of a chance caravan
ness
passing. Darkwas
coming on, and one may imagine their despair.
When
rescued, they were
exhausted, and one of them
declared afterwards
that he could not possibly have
held on twenty minutes
longer.
and the other guides,as so often happens
Hubert
in the Alps, acted as if the part they played in the
dramatic
incident was
of no
particularimportance,
crags
while
the two
of pure
the
than
Swiss
rescued
gratitude.
Their
thanks, coupled with
mountains
The
a
felt
one
supreme
partingwords
vow
to
leave
were
moment
repeated
hereafter
the
alone.
point about
such
an
incident,many
of which
happily,is that these two
novices went about climbing in the wrong
They
way.
in strange
not used to the high mountains, were
were
and worn
ill-equipped
guides,were
territorywithout
each
year
do
not
end
so
HOW
20
TO
BECOME
AN
the Col de Voza, 5945 feet,which
on
presentingno danger whatever
In returning,however, the
a
ALPINIST
short
on,
of
is
if one
path.
tried to
man
darkness
as
the
keeps to
young
cut, got lost, and
simplewalk
a
take
coming
was
slippedand kept slidinguntil he landed astride
him
tree
a
leaning out over a precipice.Below
the
was
void, and
He
shouted
was
heard
above
himself
from
it
hoarse
below
too
was
to
steep
return.
help, and fortunately
goatherd, who went for
for
by
a
help.
This
considerable
took
hours
before
could
dislodgehim
to
the
the peasants from
from
it
time, and
his
Les Houches
with
ropes
ing
perilousposition.Accord-
story told by the
promised each one a purse,
American
disappearedand
several
was
rescuers,
but
the
the young
the
followingday
has
never
man
been
heard
of
since.
incident
Another
the
Glacier
du
from
coming
anything had
who
of
Geant.
Guides
of
Rifugio Torino
the
been
heard
left for the
had
tragic simplicityoccurred
passing caravan
asked our
guides if
a
Montanvert
at
French
on
of
side alone.
an
Austrian
Against the
guides he had attempted to pass the great
is that he
ice fall in the glacier.All that is known
returned to the Italian refuge and never
arrived
never
The
at Montanvert.
probabilityis his body lies at
in the middle
of the glacierat the
present somewhere
advice
of
bottom
Upon
as
of
some
crevasse.
arrival in
one
Zermatt, Grindelwald
do well to
purchase
at
of the
or
once
largealpinecentres
Chamonix,
a
the novice
suit made
of
such
would
loden, or
AND
EQUIPMENT
similar
cloth, which
enough
not
found
50
or
If
one
to tear
is warm,
for mountain
and
wear,
very
largepockets,in
coat
is
Such
weather
and
many
that
they
preferthe
that
strong
clothes may
be
old-fashioned
When
off and
placed in
Perhaps more
pair of mountain
in cold, windy
tourists,
nowadays,
the
theory
Personally I
spiralputtees,
legsare better
trousers,on
of the limbs.
and
rocks that the
climbing
not
neck, with
to the
up
Most
lunch, the
a
carry
long trousers
and
snow
may
turned
short
use
containingnumerous
rightup
ears.
freer
allow
protected.
one
be
may
guides,wear
I find in both
taken
which
protect the
to
besides
that it buttons
cut
so
large collar
as
waterproof,and
the rocks.
on
21
ready-made almost anywhere in Switzerland for
60 francs,or made
to order for 10 francs more.
wants
are
style,
naturally,
prices,
higher.Clothes
by the guides,however, are admirably adapted
worn
a
TRAINING
the
be
puttees may
the rucksacks.
important
boots.
than
These
clothes
be
may
good
fore
purchased beare
a
the spot, for about
or on
starting,
35 francs, but
should be bought sufficiently
largeto admit two pairsof
woollen
socks, a light and heavy pair. One of the
is frozen
feet,and besides
dangers in the mountains
this double pairof socks acts as a
keeping the feet warm
cushion
to
protect them.
boots
nailed
there
know
Each
has
locality
the
in
in the
better
It is advisable
alpine centres,
than
certain
anyone
as
to
the
else how
have
the
bootmakers
to
do
preferencesfor nails,so
this.
that
tell a Zermatt
boot from
nailed
one
expert may
Chamonix, but the difference is so unimportant that
it may
be
ignored.
It is in the
Dolomites
that
the
HOW
22
TO
BECOME
AN
ALPINIST
difference is striking,
for there nails rarelyare
climbers
Some
above
wearing boots with
time ago, when
the Mer
used, the
rope soles.
du Moine,
climbingthe Aiguille
de Glace, I had
the occasion to note
the
disadvantagesof climbingwith cheap cityclothes and
pasteboard shoes. In descendingfrom the summit one
of our
party, a Parisian,wearing an ordinarysuit of
clothes,left the
rock.
in
said
He
getting down
Couvercle
of his trousers
seat
he
felt
bit
a
safely.
At
behind
on
cold, but
the
a
sharp
succeeded
alpine refuge
at
the
guide of another party
busy with a second Parisian, wrapping his feet in
his city shoes
having burst in the sharp
rope,
moraines.
Owing to a pair of city shoes the climb
the
had
that
to
be
a
man
without
we
found
All of which
abandoned!
may
climb
without
goes
trousers
to
but
prove
not
boots.
With
a
suit of loden,nailed boots and
a
sack
largeruck-
tendency when filled to take
the form of a ball and consequently are uncomfortable
the back
the beginneris ready to commence
ing.
trainon
With an alpenstockcostingone
franc, or, better
begin
yet, an ice-axe costingabout 15 francs,he may
with
walks
lasting two or three hours, gradually
lengtheninghis walks without, however, bringingon
to the rarefied
great fatigue. As one grows accustomed
air and the muscles become
supple,all-daywalks may
be undertaken, for it is not difficult to find good mule
trails goingup seven
feet. It is very
or eightthousand
important in ascending that the stride be even, the
entire foot solidlyplaced on the ground, and the pace
"
small
ones
"
have
a
EQUIPMENT
at the start
slow.
very
TRAINING
AND
The
23
for this is that the
reason
heart must
adjust itself graduallyto the violent strain,
and
goes
if one
catch
a
rapidlyat first,
stoppingfrequentlyto
breath, the adjustment does
place. As
take
not
rule,if the heart beginsracing,the climber may
feel
he is going too fast.
sure
It is
trained
ordinary sight in the mountains
an
tourists
alpinistsoutstrippedby
smile with
hurry,who
the former; but
if
to
in
see
great
a
derision at the tortoise pace
could
of
the
picturehigher up,
the alpinists,
be seen
who rarelystop, would
gradually
be lying
their speed,while the tourists would
increasing
the grass holding their stomachs
on
or
leaningagainst
a
and
tree
For
one
breathing like
the novice
who
a
see
horse.
cab
blown
later to
proposes
do
climbs it is justas well that he get accustomed
ice-axe, for
an
neither
snow
it is useful
side,for instance,after
long walk, short
a
there
are
mountain
descending the
In
ice.
nor
to carrying
where
even
big
some
cuts
be
may
taken, and
by placingthe pointed end of the ice-axe on
side,or vice versa, and by holding the axe end
left
the
with
the
righthand
and
not only will
left,the alpinist
to
and
smooth
as
where
slip,but
a
slide
may
happens
used
to
be
the
impossible
is
sufficiently
using the
down,
the side of the mountain
on
be
side
mountain
side of the void ; in the former
may
rind it almost
with
axe
principlethe ice-axe always should
In
brake.
carried
the
steep he
the handle
leaningon
as
on
a
brake,
the
as
outside
Beginners generallylean
on
and
case,
if
never
one
be
the
on
slipsthe
axe
just explained,but if it
it is practically
useless.
their
axes
and
carry
them
HOW
24
TO
BECOME
the side of the void,and
on
ALPINIST
constantlymenaced
are
with
breaking through its hold. On snow
ice it is even
or
more
important that the ice-axe be
held properly,
for not only is it the instrument
by
his equilibrium,
but often it is
maintains
which
one
of a
of checking the descent in case
the only means
a
fall by the
AN
axe
slip.
There
are
Chamonix,
several
models
Grindelwald
of taste.
of iron
The
which
Pilkington,
and
and the choice
little,
very
of ice-axes,includingthe
handle
from
greater than
steel, which
these is much
is made
and
tempered very little,
differ
a
of ash and
this has
breaks
a
tion
ques-
the
pick
resistance
when
occasionally
the
in violent contact with a rock.
It is
point comes
preferablethat the ice-axe be a little heavy, for one
soon
gets used to the weight and finds the solid ice-axe
serviceable.
The length of the ice-axe is again a
more
questionof taste, but if after tryingit several times one
it usuallyshortens it
finds it too long,the shop selling
without charge.
in the snow
with ice-axes it is
In making glissades
extremely importantthat one knows where he is going.
Blanc near
Some
time ago while descending Mont
the
Petit Plateau a party of two were
slidingin the sun and
little further down
the slope was
A
soft snow.
in
shadow
and
the
surface
frozen, and
this fact into consideration,the
found
themselves
on
taking
party, without
steep ice instead
being unable to stop, were
frightfulspeed into a crevasse
impact.
and
without
ing,
warn-
of
snow,
precipitatedat
and
killed
a
by the
26
HOW
TO
BECOME
to the eye, and
next
In
when
ALPINIST
needed
not
ready for instant
the hat
AN
be carried
can
on
use.
alpinesack one may carry an extra shirt and
extra
pair of socks, slippersfor reposingthe feet in
mountain
huts, woollen mittens, a foldinglantern with
a
an
candle
for nocturnal
walks,
a
several handkerchiefs, matches,
pulldown
over
high wind
or
knife with
of the
box
same
such
and
chocolate
and
almost
every
utensils
are
fruit
carryingsome
found
climbers
chew
from
but
to carry
a
cooked
Cooking
first-class refuges,
but
firewood.
some
For
the
same
Some
keeps the
reason
through the
breathes
often,
little.
while climbing,which
little and
or
eats
one
very
up
gettingtoo dry.
talks very
one
In
nose.
only thingsstrictly
necessary, for
certain altitudes heavy loads are deadly.
principlecarry
o'clock in the
is
When
the
served
than
Most
a
or
one
may
commences
thrown
be
must
light
be
woollen
thing
no-
newspaper
the back.
to scorch
away,
lightensthe load; it
sweater, which
at
three
that
than a
practical
againstthe chest and
which
alpinistswear
two
should remember
one
arrives and
its purpose,
at
more
the newspaper
snow
better
morning,
the vest
sun
often
commence
and
warmer
placed under
the
up
excursions
As
a
cup,
bread, sugar,
soup,
of the
in most
prunes
of
case
preferablylightthings to eat,
hours,
two
it is often necessary
throat
handy in
chicken, for in the mountains
as
may
and
egg-holders,
of concentrated
vegetables,tubes
tea
aluminium
for
metal
one
flat aluminium
cold, a
can-opener,
which
cap
is very
the ears, which
excessive
a
corkscrew,
a
compass,
in
having
is thus
carried.
underclothes.
They offer
TRAINING
AND
EQUIPMENT
27
or, what
great protectionagainst cold
a
more
important, the
which
one
is
rapid changes of temperature
Climbing in
finds in the mountains.
the
sun
perspiresfreely,while in the shade a few steps
Flannel shirts,
further on
it may
be freezinghard.
such as are
employed in all the sports, are
generally
excellent.
who
has his
an
However, I know
alpinist
one
shirts made
needed
and
he
collar very
the
turn
can
collar to protect his neck
the
up
when
that
large,so
ears.
When
guide
feel comfortable
visit
to
there, and
of
one
nearly
are
necessary,
ice,he
and
mountain
the
in
dawn
night walking and the
On
trainingand
some
snow
on
leaving before
familiar with
had
beginner has
the
begins to
a
with
take
can
huts, sleeping
order
to
become
of the lanterns.
use
early starts
big
ascensions
these
very
and
nothing is
more
unsettlingto the
all
abysses at night with a
small lantern.
It is by these trial excursions,however,
that one
develops the energy and sang-froidto climb
above
the difficult heights. After
to
should
an
take
day
one
at
of uncontrolled
excess
the
a
to climb
than
amateur
health
and
start at
o'clock.
is very
One
a
Another
before the
is
low
of
if it is
early hour,
may
a
for
undermine
hygienicsport
into
one-day climb, one
that
is three
climbing in the hot
altitudes,but
one
complete rest,
enthusiasm
tempered by
once
above
or
sun,
the
four
which
line
snow-
cool breezes.
climbing early in the day is that
frozen tightand
rises the mountains
are
reason
sun
very
escapes
tryingat
the heat
least
turn, therefore,a
positivedanger. Even
should
fatiguingcourse
a
for
28
HOW
TO
BECOME
AN
ALPINIST
is little
there
Later, when
danger of fallingstones.
melting begins,stones becoming free may dislodgeand
accident.
cause
an
Fallingstones and avalanches are
the greatest dangers in the Alps.
among
fore
One should decide with the guide the evening bethe exact hour and be ready. The guide generon
ally
after
comes
one
makes
or
a
After
rendezvous.
a
prepared the night before and heated
fillshis sack with provisions
alcohol lamp, one
on
an
and objectsneeded, and hanging the ice-axe under the
is delicious ;
The first impression
arm, beginsthe climb.
feels like running, but when
the upward climb
one
quick breakfast
the walk
commences
should
one
breathe
be slow
should
and
cadenced,
and
deeply.
understandingwith the guide consists generally,
It is the habit, I believe,
simply,upon the startinghour.
to questionthe guide as to what
kind of weather
be expected,after which conversation
is dropped,
may
The
as
it interferes with
mountain
chalets,one
remains
but
one
are
precious.
are
and
there is
the
tourist
stones
but
second
a
It should
remembered
be
breakfast,
the
only a short time, for
they do things.
their
have
may
of the
one
earlyhours
that
guides
professorsof alpinism and rarelyexplain why
not
decide
respiration.Arrivingat
If there
is
a
novice, it is
placed one
secrets
their
to
guides in the
caravan,
if
so
decide, especially
they will
certain
almost
themselves, talking patois. Among
fraternitythey have
Sometimes
two
something grave
it among
these
are
on
signs,such
as
three
top the other, to show
they
do
not
divulge
turning-pointis
when
or
four
the way,
to
tourists.
they
hear
distance
plainly in the
If in
spittingalways
as
ascending in
the
to
seen
mountain
a
29
therefore, the splashesare
snow,
the left,the
on
follows, therefore, that
a
right.
the
to
is still ahead;
right,the previous caravan
but if found
Some
cascade.
developed these little signsto
guides,I believe, have
fine art, such
TRAINING
AND
EQUIPMENT
to
It
has descended.
caravan
guide-posts,or
these
create
chew
should
one
something that
guide-holes,
such as liquorice,
gives a dark-brown
expectoration,
rather
The
Some
is
a
guides carry
bad
told
not
me
in the
passage
delirium
habit and
Workman,
Hunter
is better
a
not
a
absinthe.
as
He
to
drinking.
made
after the
any
alcohol in
in
a
come
be-
to
greatest
found
making
the
that
it
ascent,
an
of tea aids
cup
Not
in the Mont
startingwith
Blanc
insisted
on
range,
drinking
to this
quite accustomed
was
made
his climb.
For
of aluminium
therefore,
only
cult
diffi-
stiffness of the muscles.
who
abandon
down
plorer,
ex-
with
taken
his turn,
little whisky taken
valley,but it
in the
had
climb
man
young
was
dangerous.
crossinga
long experiencehe has
a
relievingthe
while
that
or
of wine,
Himalayan
Tyrol his guide was
to drink
afterwards
becomes
celebrated
long ago
little tea
a
great deal
a
sometimes
they got
difficulty.After
I made
only after long experience.
up
the
It
tremens.
guide, and
in
and
by askingquestions,
not
the thirst is very great, drink
coffee.
but
alpinismcomes
by observation
When
which
of
theory
but
Dr
tobacco.
or
prunes
him
ill and
Smoking
carrying tea
or
long
ago
glass of
a
glassdown
consequently he
is almost
coffee
for mountaineers
specially
flat
are
as
bad
gourds
much
HOW
30
BECOME
TO
agreeableto
more
carry
AN
ALPINIST
heavy glass bottles.
than
eat ice
never
great the thirst,
bad; besides, it
very
how
matter
effect is
painfully.Finally,it is always wise
in case
of provisions
of being forced
a
mountain
several
hut
the rocks, where
the ice-axes
find
may
which
and
save
climbers
some
of the
One
handling
after
need
of
Manilla
find
may
should
be
delicate
rope, with
any
see
agreeableif one
rope varies, but
between
one
becomes
debutant
has
the
expert
great
no
are
alpine shop. This
it has
whether
they
togetherfour
operationsis
seriouslyinch by
ropes
of the
which
first-class
Silken
are
of all
snow.
half inch in diameter, which
about
examined
excursion, to
or
guide,if it is necessary, will carry
alpinistshould have a good rope of
an
in
ascensions
His
rope.
hemp,
strap of hemp
some
in soft
the knees
long experience. The
But
one.
pends
sus-
one
raquettes,or snow-shoes, which
use
most
of the
only
a
the
sinkingto
one
a
they
climbing-irons,
ice slopes,as
feet for use
on
of continually
cuttingsteps;
the trouble
one
of
On
purpose.
often
more
for crampons,
use
adapted to
are
prevent
the
sary,
neces-
are
left below, where
descending,but
the wrist by means
for
specially
made
sometimes
are
from
them
they
last
may
hands
two
in
be refound
one
refugein
take
which
storm
a
reserve
a
days.
Climbing in
may
of
account
on
lipscrack
to have
to
The
snow.
or
the
makes
No
lightand
very
cut
by
rocks.
expensive,but
The length
them.
very
afford
ioo
feet is sufficient to
beingabout
rope
after each
can
persons, the habitual
each climber
been
inch
one
rope
distance maintained
fifteen feet.
On
diffi-
cult climbs, however,
in
rope
in
reserve
TRAINING
AND
EQUIPMENT
it is
wise
a
31
precautionto
have
of need.
case
roped together the guide
and the
generallygoes first,the two tourists following,
the order is reversed, the
porter last. In descending,
guide descendinglast,to hold up the others in case of
forms a simpleloop,
a slip. In attachinga caravan
one
is passed around
arrested by a knot, which
the waist
When
four
so
that
the knot
In
the
principle
are
persons
and
should
rope
for it may
catch
sometimes
fatal for those
if the rope
that
falls his
is
weight
must
attempts
all down.
jump
to
into the
tightly,as
happening
one
easilycan
be
in
of
To
one
be
out
a
jerk and
of the party
prevent either accident
held
or
climbers
pulledviolently
in
carries part of the rope
played
is
reason
the
with
case
he may
abyss.
trail,
fall of stones,
Another
one
to
the other hand, the rope
On
a crevasse
backwards
a
others
the
left side.
allowed
cause
behind.
on
be held too
not
and
rock
the
on
be
never
dragging and
comes
carry them
may
a
on
both
are
rope
tight as
loops,which
the occasion
demand.
may
In
The
rock-climbing the
first
himself
guide
climbs
to
securely,after
rope
a
is of great assistance.
place of safety and
which
the
second
on
instals
the
rope
advances, while the others play out the cord attentively.
This
is
process
On
point.
steep
moral
rather
others
are
There
Ascensions
repeated until
snow
than
likelyto
is
no
arc
or
are
past the danger
ice the effect of the rope
practical,for
if
one
is
falls all the
follow.
finer exercise
made
all
in
an
mountain-climbing.
atmosphere absolutelypure
than
HOW
32
and
in
summits
often
with
courage,
is
ideas.
the
And
the
forces
energy,
The
and
of
unexpected
have
besides
the
Nature
sang-froid,
that
healthy
of
influence
vistas
ever-changing
with
mountain,
the
fatal.
It
the
individual
is
in
decision
prudence,
therefore,
the
On
panoramas
a
struggling
sometimes
mountain,
valleys.
the
which
of
pleasure
menacing
in
with
splendour,
ALPINIST
AN
unknown
meets
one
one's
there
BECOME
sunlight
marvellous
on
TO
is
a
great
struggling
develops
and
educator.
itiative.
in-
IV
ACCIDENTS
TWO
In
little cafe
a
shadow
of
I
wine
happened
Auguste
joined
in
Do
Emile
Ducroz,
is the
one
I had
and
and
homme,
Payot
"
Well,
seventy
Col
was
Ducroz,"
will
you
climb.
The
reminiscent
I
and
time
de
la
the
group
as
to-day
been
up
"
and
with
Ducroz,
Col
the
du
Bon-
exploits.
drinking
well
as
M.
as
of ice-axes.
replied,
have
that
have
Geant
in his
maker
a
I
du
Seigne
interested
I
record?
Col
the
interrupted
"
amethysts,
it is the
over
celebrated
Simond,
short
a
guide,
Burlingham,"
fourth
and
in
was
for
and
of
hunter
been
I
were
the
for
searching
Monsieur
that
the
returning by
guides
the
glass.
a
a
just
in
I wanted
hundred
Blanc,
Mont
of
group
in
just
clinking glasses.
animated
know,
you
and
whom
was
them
small
a
enter
to
Payot,
conversation
"
Blanc,
Mont
white
drinking
village of Bossons,
the
near
BLANC
MONT
ON
"
the
by
all
broken
time
records
are
you
for
all
time."
This
porter
I believe
I
ever
"
and
saw.
is in the
one
of the
most
I have
seen
him
stopping, arriving
at
the
prime
fresher
and
start,
35
of manhood"
forty -four,
perfect walking
go
fourteen
at
a
hours
greater
machines
without
speed
than
HOW
36
"
TO
I shall
BECOME
AN
ALPINIST
stop climbing before
I
seventy,"he
am
replied.
And
of
got
we
talkingabout
to
indicatingbad weather,
which
"
marked
are
Ducroz?"
"
you think
"
I hazarded.
alive after
out
and
of the
some
accidents
in red letters in its history.
longdo
How
Blanc, its ways
Mont
tell me
They
than
more
might live in
one
a man
crevasse,
pulled
was
"
hours!
seven
a
out," said he, the
pulledthat man
smile suddenly disappearingfrom his face.
This is
the affair of the piolet."
I should
explain that a friend of mine on the
Glacier du Geant slippedand lost his piolet,
or ice-axe,
and that the guide loaned the tourist his
in a crevasse,
It
I who
was
"
steep ice-fall.
to pass the
do
"
"
"
This
a
in
was
Chamonix
MM.
Mont
Refuge
on
he
the
Mauduit
French
with
Blanc
a
Grand
At
Still they continued
a
the
storm
the Grands
guideshad
accident
and
named
pass
four o'clock in the
Plateau,
I
pened
hap-
Jean
Stae-
Alpine Club, left
guide named
Blanc,
porter
village,intendingto
Vallot.
a
bad, and
Plateau.
The
1902.
the
of Bonneval-sur-Arc, and
same
of the
one
the Grand
Henry
of
been
waitingat
report that
August
members
to do
time
near
crevasse
this way:
ling,both
a
had
weather
at the
I heard
when
fallen into
The
Blanc
Mont
on
Mulets
the
what
if he
Ducroz.
"
Ducroz
asked
dropped his pioletin a dangerous place.
Impossible! I should never
drop my ice-axe!
this stayingalive in a crevasse," conBut
about
tinued
would
was
I had
broke
ascent, but
Culet
from
night at the
afternoon,while
the
upon
near
the
the
party.
Col
du
TWO
ACCIDENTS
ON
the violence of the
Dome
attempt
made
was
to
wind
BLANC
MONT
so
was
retreat.
In
the
37
great that
an
wind, flying
completelylost, and
decided to dig holes in the snow
and spend the night.
By working to protect their tourists the guide and
but the cold was
porter managed to keep from freezing,
for the other two and they died in the morning.
too much
It was
found too late that they had camped all night
and
snow
clouds, they
became
knowing it within twenty minutes distance of
the refuge and safety. Blanc
and Culet decided
to
descend
as
quicklyas possible.In their haste Blanc
about
slippedand went into a crevasse
130 feet deep,
though without seriously
injuringhimself. Callingto
Culet, who was
tryingto see down into the deep blue
chasm, the unfortunate
guide told him to rush on to
the Grands Mulets for help. In his haste Culet slipped,
and goinghead first into a crevasse, was
killed instantly.
Out of a party of four,only the guide was
left alive,and
of a crevasse
at the bottom
he was
130 feet deep,where
he was
of summoning help. Not
without
means
any
filled
knowing that Culet was dead, he waited patiently,
without
with
"
had
hope.
Strange as
been
seen
it may
seem,
in Chamonix,
the accident,miraculously,
10,000
feet below,
through
telescope.The telescopeguardian, in seeing two
men
descending rapidly early in the morning, had
divined
and
watched
them.
something was
wrong
Soon
afterwards
he saw
was
one
missing,and then
the lone figureprecipitatedinto a crevasse.
He
saw
in Chamonix, and
the alarm
without
delay a
gave
relief caravan
of guides was
its way.
The Grands
on
a
38
HOW
TO
BECOME
Mulets, however, is
AN
ALPINIST
hours
seven
Chamonix,
above
and
if
a
guides could get there in five,still they were
of the accident.
long distance from the supposed scene
Guides
Mulets
waiting at the Grands
naturally
knew nothing of the accident, but divined something
when
was
they saw the relief caravan
coming up
wrong
at full speed.
even
"
"
When
Mulets
and
arrived
caravan
had told the story I
Blanc
whether
out
relief
the
or
Grand
the
determined
was
alive.
The
to find
others
had
duty and were without hope.
We pushed on, however, as rapidlyas possible.Higher
of the party were
in favour of turning back,
up most
sayingthat it was of no use to continue, that after all
come
from
dead
was
at
up
these
hours
of
sense
a
the
man
dead
was
Fortunatelyfor me another caravan
headed
by the guide Ravenel,
wherever
was.
coming down,
was
and
he
I
explained the
situation to him.
as
I have
"
'
"
I told him
he
food,'said he.
no
I had
volunteered
with
to
bread, cheese and wine, and
some
assist
sent
we
down
our
tourists
search
then
returning. The
began in
searched
after crevasse,
earnest.
we
Passingcrevasse
minutely for traces of those missing.
Blanc, where are you? I cried repeatedly.
those
'
"
'
"
The
Gouter
sent
precipitousslopes
back
turning back
echoes
I
but
under
all else
determined
was
the
was
to
du
Dome
silence.
fore
Be-
fathom
the
mystery.
"
answer.
Suddenly
I heard,
or
thought
I heard,
a
faint
TWO
"
'
Did
ACCIDENTS
hear
you
No.
It's
wherever
man,
the
BLANC
I
whispered.
imagination,'he
your
This
Yes, there
towards
'
that?
MONT
39
"
'
said.
The
he lies,is dead.'
Listen!
'
ON
time
I
something, and
was
of the crevasse,
edge
I heard
sure
am
voice.'
crept gingerly
we
not
a
so
much
because
feared
we
in, although this danger existed, but
falling
because
did not
in
wish the edge to cave
we
rather
the
man
slid in
were
on
"
'
"
'
"
buried
below.
The
had
he
plainlyvisible.
Blanc,
are
you
there?
I
am
not
hurt.'
Yes;
He
where
traces
thought
'
porter Culet
the
had
returned
with
help!
'
"
"
Wait, and
Mine
will let down
we
long,and
fortymetres
was
the cord.'
I let it all
play
out.
"
'
from
It is
the
eightor
"
abyss.
metres
ten
I
stuck
am
short,'came
too
ledge
a
on
voice
a
and
can
wait.'
"
to
cords,I got ready to go
Tying togethertwo
him,
but
to lower
him
of
allowed
rope,
that it
he cried out
the end.
tie
to
hauling in tenderly.
necessary,
When
nearly fiftymetres
himself, and then began
we
got him
to
the top he
said,in looking around, apparently in search
that he had
"
'
Never
mind,
and
let down
We
him
not
was
down
forgottenhis
of
thing,
some-
ice-axe.
Blanc, I will get it for you,' I
replied.
"
'
No, let
myself.'
me
down
again, I
am
going
to
get it
HOW
40
"
down
second
a
it was
saw
and
in
happened
on
a
and
memory,
Chamonix
"
ALPINIST
AN
pointof honour, and we let him
we
pulled him out the
again, 130 feet. When
had grippedit
time he had his piolet
; his hand
sciousness
vice, but on being saved he collapsed,lost con-
We
like
BECOME
TO
he
had
the
next
time
recollection
no
of
I
saw
him
had
what
the mountain.
That, however, is how
guide feels
a
about
his ice-
axe."
accident, showing the great fortitude of
Another
guide,took placerecentlyon
told me
which were
by those
a
Blanc, the details of
Mont
escaped.
A
engaged on the actual
party of porters were
summit, 15,781 feet,in demolishingthe famous Janssen
fast sinking out of sightinto
Observatory, which was
This was
the snow.
on
a Monday
morning. For some
time
the
who
were
threateningand the men
practically
trapped there. Suddenly the storm
broke
with great violence,and
there
huddled
sat
Outside
There
was
the
stunned.
found
together
certain
was
a
received
Had
he been
killed
to
keep
from
were
freezing.
Lightning had penetrated
party momentarily were
from the shock,
recovering
and
the
of the men,
Italian porter named
the bolt,charringhim
a
who
men
death.
that the fourth, an
had
the four
blindingflash!
shelter
Three
been
had
weather
tourist
instantly.But
undoubtedly
from
head
he would
Casoli,
to
have
foot.
been
being a Mont Blanc porter, all
sinews
and
kill
not
muscle, even
lightningcould
burned
him outright. Although terribly
he could yet
within
speak. The others did for him all that was
HOW
42
As
charred
heavier
we
TO
Mont
Blanc
AN
the
fainter,
grew
atmosphere
reaching
after
into
descended
porter
BECOME
below,
his
had
ALPINIST
valley
and,
Chamonix
of
depressed
succumbed
a
few
home.
garnered
one
more
victim.
the
by
moments
the
for
Excursions
Beginners
V
EXCURSIONS
When
the
and
of
galaxy
feel
to
difficult to
all
At
should
first because
excellent
places
when
because
where
willing to
obtain
night's
generally
the
guides
season,
work
for the
big
I recall
summers
Rouges
in
the
ago
the
ready
hope
of
and
rope
guides
most
the
Moreover,
are
are
learner
most
lunch
same
to
go
like
famous
can
get
a
dinner
and
it is the
as
may
custom
guide throughout
this
through
securing
a
good
liminary
pre-
customer
later.
arrival
who
he
the
the
good
a
summit
easy
use
ascents
and
with
the
climbs
until
rest
continue
to
an
but
is done.
guides, for
climb.
the
climbing,
of
rock,
this
fatiguing,and
then, especially if they
and
now
of
day
in the
how
really first-rate
off
to
really big
the
too
reach
to
how
simple
these
comfortable
the
learning
novices
for
not
technique
day
hand-holds
show
Even
day
of
find
to
all
has
one
attempting
the
climbs
intermediary
cheap,
are
learn
to
is desirous
and
a
they
it becomes
choose.
these
before
whole
a
until
themselves,
to
of
some
undertaken
be
ones,
which
training
some
mountains,
the
present
know
events
in
home
at
climbs
easy
received
alpinisthas
amateur
begins
BEGINNERS
FOR
felt
of
American
an
this
started
thoroughly
45
way
at
in Chamonix
in
home.
the
He
two
Aiguilles
tackled
HOW
46
TO
climbing in
BECOME
ALPINIST
AN
business-like way,
increasing
practical,
the difficulties as he grew in knowledge. Within two
he was
of the classical peaks,and
weeks
attackingsome
before the season
du
was
over
conquered the Dent
Geant, Grepon and Aiguille
Verte, which are among the
a
difficult.
most
for instance.
district,
Zermatt
the
Take
If
is
one
as
so many
do, a day
alpinists
Riffelalp,
the Riffelhorn,9616 feet, may
on
particularly
prove
find difficulties by creating
interesting.One
may
and
sometimes
them
without lookingfor them.
Mr
the
stayingat
"
W.
Wilson
K.
the summit
is
faces
several
Monte
the
horn, Dent
thousand
Weisshorn, while below
panorama
from
Alps, finer
than
feet
Rosa, Lyskamm,
Blanche, Ober
Zermatt, and
The
of the finest in the
one
summits
many
killed there.
was
higher,for
Breithorn,
stretches
and
valley of
the
the great Mischabelhorner
above
Matter-
Gabelhorn, Rothhorn
behind
one
group.
is only 8 francs,
priceof a guide from the Riffelalp
although if one went there to practisesome
ment
arrange-
The
would
The
another
summit
have
to be made.
favourite
one
Although
gets
climb
a
for
the last half-hour
only 10 francs for
Another
climb, more
popular,is the
guide for which
around
the summit
is
beginners,and from the
magnificentview of the Weisshorn.
tariff is
from
of Zermatt,
Mettelhorn, 11,188 feet,north
costs
one
in the snow,
ambitious
50
the
guide.
of the
ascent
is
a
is climbed
but
extremely
Breithorn, 13,685 feet,a
francs.
of the
Zermatt, it is advisable
As
the
panorama
finest,if
not
to reach
the summit, if
the finest
HOW
48
the
TO
summits
BECOME
taken
be
may
ALPINIST
AN
after the
one
other.
Le
Aiguillede la Floriaz, 9475 feet,
will prove particularly
and the
to beginners,
interesting
of the Belvedere, 9731 feet,and highestof the
ascent
In doing most
of these climbs
group, is recommended.
and
Pouce, 1'Index
it is better
where
at
one
"
get
may
are
the Red
Among
of the
Many
Aiguillede
climbs,and
l'Arcte
with
and
room
of
the
good meals
of
ascent
the
chapterentitled
later
a
Aiguilles
Rouges,
loose
it should
be
bered,
remem-
of them, like the
some
actuallynasty owing
Plate, are
which
sharp ridgesover
covered
comfortable
Chamonix,
Needles."
serious
are
a
Flegere above
prices. Details
given at lengthin
reasonable
Belvedere
the
sleepat
to
must
one
which
and
pass
to
are
equilibriumof which
stones, the
is
touch.
upset often by the slightest
climbingin
That
danger
is evidenced
this summer,
Aiguilles
Rouges
the
by
Miss
when
accident
an
is not
without
the Perseverance
on
Eugster,only daughter
of the
of the
du Midi, and
railwayup the Aiguille
fell several hundred
excellent alpinist,
feet and was
an
killed instantly.
The most
popular climb on the south side of the
constructor
the
valley among
ascent
There
which
to
real
no
be
and
thirteenth
rather
guide.
may
the
some
are
presents
good
Aiguillede I'M, so
of the
resemblance
Chamonix
famous
The
done
not
named
letter
of
ascent
the
same
difficult.
no
the
day,
The
of its
because
of the
dizzy places, but
difficultyand
is the
Needles
alphabet.
its ascent
danger with a
Petit
Charmoz,
is
rock
even
here
more
teresti
in-
is solid
EXCURSIONS
granite,where
FOR
one
BEGINNERS
49
feel safe with
may
a
very
slight
foot-hold.
du Moine, 11,214 feet,on the east side,
Aiguille
and toweringabove the Mer de Glace, is perhapsa little
ambitious but not a difficult climb, although one
more
of the finest in the Alps,owing to the scenery and giant
peaks that surround it. The Moine may be climbed
from
Montanvert, but it is better for the beginnerto
sleep at the Couvercle, a refuge built by the French
Alpine Club above the Glacier de Talefre, from which
The
the
summit
Near
the
at
refugeof
altitude of
an
reached
be
may
in three
four
or
hours.
the Couvercle,a littleto the east and
9833 feet,is
a
little spot of verdure
called the
in this vast
expanse
midsummer
it is
Jardin,the only one to be seen
of snow, glaciers
and granite. In
only springhere, and alpineflowers bloom in profusion.
It is enclosed
like a garden, for the glacier
depositedaround it stones which encircle it like a
fence.
Some
109 speciesof plantshave been found on
this oasis surrounded
by great peaks and eternal snow,
has
and
wonders
one
Probably
the
Chamonix
around
flowers
how
a
there.
came
fascinatingeasy
most
is
ever
visit to the Grands
snow-climb
Mulets, where
A
sleepsthe night before ascending Mont Blanc.
guide is necessary, and it is advisable to take a porter
one
also,for
of the
some
crevasses
may
be very
bad.
The
is by the Montagne de la Cote,
route
interesting
by which the guideJacques Balmat, famous historically,
most
first reached
in
the
1786.
There
Cute, and
p
of the
the summit
is
now
a
althoughDr
great white
the
mountain
summit
of
good path
to
Cauro
killed here,falling
was
HOW
50
AN
600 feet,the mountain
over
in
BECOME
TO
I used
first time
path had
had rather
we
exciting
an
made
been
then
for
la Cote
and
care
taken, for steep grass-coveredslopescan
be
to
Montagne de
the
Mulets
Grands
ascendingto the
experience. No
had
dangerous,although
is not
little vertigineuse.
places a
The
ALPINIST
be
treacherous.
Payot, from
hold
would
arrived
To
see
the
good
at
the
the
sun
of
idea
the
prospects
for the
easily with
rise
which
the
The
step.
it all the
are
the
and
we
breakfasted.
is well worth
way.
to
get
an
the
Glacier
be
crossed
On
leaving
may
path stopped
abruptly.
right,Payot took the lead,
zig-zag fashion, pickingeach
filled with
was
grass, which
slippery. Alpinistsjoke
more
hours
the
couloir in
passage
the
as
about
made
grass-
aiguillesdes vaches, peaks for
climb, but in realitysome
to
cows
fleecy
weather
two
of
point
show
the
snow
expanse
this
to
to
mountains
covered
few
a
there, too,
go
and
at
guide
a
Pyramids
must
one
Turning suddenly
going up
were
Within
the ice and
on
chalet, however,
the
guide Auguste
morning, when
that
were
day.
des
steepness
Bossons,
There
gloom.
Chalet
trouble, and
the
the
sky, denoting a coming change in the
but
weather,
I and
at 4.15 in the
Bossons
stillin
in the
clouds
des
Les
valleywas
the
wife and
started,my
We
of these grass
slopes
dangerous.
It
was
soon
of the
however, and
mountain, which
for
walking.
had
to
be
over,
There
passed and
were
narrow
in
we
stood
placeswas
overhanging
on
the backbone
rather thin
stones
which
ledgesoverlookingmany
EXCURSIONS
hundreds
of
It
more
made,
on
had
Instead
of
imagined.
path
monotonous
both
sides
Glaciers
the
to
promised,
the badly-
Pierre Pointue,
to
des
walked
we
steep descents
knife-edgedridge,looking down
the
on
as
interesting,
Payot
I had
than
so
required
self-confidence.
indeed
was
51
precipice,places which
feet of
and
courage
BEGINNERS
FOR
and
Bossons
de
Taconnaz.
in the
pinnacle to
Imagine
main
ridge of
driven
said,are
here in the
up
where
by
were
we
on
a
it
to
and
rams
and, being surrounded
and
the Cote,
however,
surprise,
goats. The
of the
one
left,after which
the
my
mountain
Corbeau,
Mont
Approaching
skirted the
we
was
going.
easy
droves
here
see
earlysummer
to
by
pasture,
crevassed
ice,
cally
practi-
ledge,they were
narrow
of
Payot
young,
very
three sides
lofty projections
trapped.
They
beings,these
glad to see human
chamois, that they nearly mobbed
were
so
of the
had
and
to be driven
whole
upwards
way
off with
droves
the Glacier des Bossons
goats,
with
lunched, then
And
what
Saussure,
Chamonix,
was
of
ice it was!
to
the
left,which
Montagne
roped ourselves
whom
wrote
difficult and
But
to the
led the
we
The
us,
seracs
fenced
in
in the
fell at intervals
noise.
summit
the
As
followed.
fantastic,and
particularly
were
thunderous
On
ice-axes.
latives
re-
The
a
as
togetherto
famous
monument
long
ago
de
as
la Cote
Horace
the ice.
on
go
we
Benedict
has
been
erected
1787
that
the
de
at
glacier
dangerous.
guides know
more
about
climbing on
ice than
HOW
52
did
they
busy
going forward
deep
AN
years
his ice-axe
into the
and
BECOME
hundred
one
with
down
TO
ago,
crevasses
tried to stay
we
get there foot-holds
to
and
Payot
shower
sendinga
blue
ALPINIST
of
ice
splintered
In
top of the ice-ridges,
into the
cut
steps were
or
soon
either side.
on
on
was
ridgeit was a questionof poise,
for on either side were
deep abysses.
All the time we
were
moving on the Glacier des
Our progress was
Bossons.
rapid,and in considerably
hour we
less time than one
reached
the
Junction,"
ice-slopes
; once
the
on
"
of the difficultpassages
claimed
to be
It is
called because
so
Glacier
from
one
the
de Taconnaz
meet
the
glacierto
difficulty.
one
Before
us
like
a
it is the
here, and
other
that
Blanc.
and
the
crossing
constitutes
the
in
lay a gigantic
crevasse,
great moat
Ice-pinnaclestottered
void.
Mont
Glacier des Bossons
icicles dangled down
light-blue
which
on
into the dark-blue
the
over
brink, and
ice-
And
where
somebridges overhung grottoes and caverns.
below
human
are
bodies, climbers
deep down
who have met with catastrophe.
moat, however, had
Our
went
on
to the brink.
the
placed across
on
all
fours, we
crevasse
crossed,and
we
three
Fortunately a ladder had been
as a bridge,and, going down
traversed
stopped long enough
to be
to add
the
one
chasm
more
by
one
I
one.
photograph to
my
alpinecollection.
Without
"
up
climbed
and
to
serious
began the
the
crossed
we
difficulty
ascent
of the
long snow
refuge at the Grands
rapidly,in spiteof
the
Mulets.
the somewhat
"
tion
Junc-
ing
slopeleadLeontine
dizzy snow
MADAME
and
FREDERICK
B:
RLIXGIIA.M
the
the
Guide, Auguste Payot, crossing a
their wav
"Jonction"
on
to the Grands
AT
where
Dili'
THE
GRANDS
sleep-, before
Ml
crevasse
Mulcts.
1.1. IS
Moill
elilllhiilj'
HI.
mi
at
HOW
54
below
TO
BECOME
coming up
the
AN
ALPINIST
three caravans
were
slope,
bound
Blanc.
for Mont
We
were
running away from
the threateningweather, and
have
to
they seemed
the intention of bravingit. I heard later they were
forced to fly for refuge to the Grands
Mulets
and
abandon
their excursion, coming down
the day after
us,
same
the storm.
recrossed
We
"
the
"
Junction and pushed on for
Pierre Pointue, not wishingto get caught in the blizzard.
We
in good order, going as fast as circumstances
were
Torn clouds were
allowed.
whirlingabout in the snow
regionsabove, and there was lightningin the valley
Underneath
below.
leaned
seracs
across
feet
our
three
we
caravans
uttered
a
talkingabout
buried
had
avalanches
three
had
crevasses,
the
it, that
fresh
a
sharp cry and
I felt the rope
gave
this mountain
majesty. She had
gone
into
have
I must
or
of the
taneously.
tighteninstanIt all happened
roars
reverberating
which
two
tracks
Sharp cracks of thunder
moment.
giant
justpassed. Suddenly Leontine
Payot jumped backwards.
in
and
path.
our
noticed, without
I
were
an
unseen
and
the
scene
a
deep
terrific
crevasse
over
passed by takinga very long stride.
Holding fast to the rope, I turned and saw she had gone
ridge. Working together,Payot and I
through a snow
she was
not hurt,
easilypulled her out, and fortunately
if somewhat
surprised.
even
We
pushed
or
here
we
on
for Pierre
ascending,it was
l'Echelle,the
a
hard
could not take too much
couloir,where
avalanches
to tell which.
care, for
of stones
storm
come
we
were
down
scendin
deAnd
in the
off the
EXCURSIONS
Aiguille
du
invisible.
almost
where
fury.
Midi
Once
ran
we
down
took
BEGINNERS
FOR
at
a
across
the
shelter
speed
that
the
avalanche
moraine,
just
55
renders
them
path
reaching
as
the
storm
at
times
however,
Pierre
broke
we
Pointue,
in
its
Cinematographing
Matterhorn
the
VI
CINEMATOGRAPHING
Arriving
were
Matterhorn
loud
cheers.
We
all
the
for
first time,
for
for
broke
in
series
a
seen
obelisk
superb
alone
in
out
Matterhorn,
most
feet
first time
the
above,
the
Viege
from
in
of sheer
impossible, gigantic, confounding.
seems
fades
quite
never
pinnacle
train
when
is the
Rising 14,705
impression
this vast
the
on
who,
felt overwhelmed,
precipices, it
This
me
MATTERHORN
suddenly appeared
the
world.
with
Germans,
of
party
the
close
Zermatt
at
a
THE
granite with
of
for it is all real,
away,
its
abysmal
slopes
and
hanging glaciers.
My
in the
room
mountain.
While
appeared
feet
gloom
I
clinging to
below
over
the
the
valley,
purple.
dressing.
Even
the
turned
higher
than
the
It
after
shoulder,
death-white,
Olympus
southern
and
this
is
as
cloud
turned
the
I
there
stars
was
came
too
cloud
casting
pink
and
ever
finished
still
a
the
out
desolate.
certainly
the
hundred
set,
sun
on
a
several
wonder
a
out
dinner
for
the
frigid and
and
looked
face
as
dinner
but
Hotel
dressing
was
summit,
mountain
above
Cervin
Mont
a
the
glow
mit
sum-
It seemed
cold
for
the
gods.
My
thoughts
next
morning
59
were
whether
I could
get
60
HOW
TO
BECOME
ALPINIST
AN
cinematograph. When I broached
they treated the sugalpinists
subjectwith some
gestion
with derision,thinkingeither I knew nothingof
up to the top with
the
mountains
a
else that I
or
stark
was
This
mad.
acted
and before
incentive,
the day was
out I had brought the projectto the
attention of M. Seiler,the well-known
hotel proprietor
influential man
in the valley,
and he promised
and most
to consult some
expert guides. Climbingthe mountain
for the moment
as there
was
quiteout of the question,
upon
however,
me,
too much
was
of
fine weather.
asked
to
Taugwald, the
Miss
wind
continued
later he
with
ice and
and
snow
additional
an
as
me
famous
Bullock
Mrs
Annie
have
Two
guide who
Zum
in the
Taugwald
tryingit.
I telegraphed
the
my
company,
Kinematograph of London, what
to rush
them
said it would
be
the mountain
fine
feet
1500
before
weather, which
Otherwise
the
rocks
the
snow
but
The
be
deep.
with
to
Colonial
foot, asking
on
Zum
Taugwald
to
money
attempt
with
too
in
snow
cold
days of
dition.
good con-
the
on
of avalanches
icicles and
was
nothing
not
ill spent.
;
tain
moun-
besides,
verglas and
fore,
do, there-
to
wait.
next
few
days
were
time to
study the
mountain
and
lunch
the
to
be
danger
There
Andes
three consecutive
get the
it would
covered
were
was
had
we
would
there would
and
of time and
waste
a
Zum
Himalayas
British and
was
days
favourable
was
of film.
more
Gabriel
in the
was
and
three
or
talk with
a
Workman
Peck.
too littleprospect
and
at
from
below
from
Riffelalp,
with
where
It gave
a
me
telescope
the
terrific
CINEMATOGRAPHING
Matterhorn
THE
are
precipices
I
at
saw
their greatest advantage
to
seen
the
once
61
MATTERHORN
in cinegreat difficulty
the lack of
matographing the mountain, which was
recul, or opportunity of getting the proper
vantage
point for taking the pictures. If one pointsthe camera
the angle would
deform
too far up or down
a
tous
precipislope into one apparently flat,and on either side
of the ascending knife-edged-likeridge there
were
abysmal precipices. It is practically
impossibleto
instal and work a cinema
ice slopingat 70
camera
on
degrees,even if guidescould be found to risk their lives
there. The second difficulty
was
climbingsuch a peak so
time
heavilyburdened with apparatus and at the same
deductingsufficient time for takingthe pictures.It being
impossibleto rest the night on the mountain, all the
work must
be done in one day. My programme,
fore,
thereto make
for the
shoulder
before daylight,
to
was
the first day,
cinematograph the top of the mountain
"
"
and
the
and
to
second
reascend
to
fill in parts
entails
skipped
tremendous
a
consecutive
occupied
days,
in
convinced
of exertion
counting
not
that
the
the
as
shoulder
the first ascent.
on
amount
reaching
now
far
as
during
two
preliminaryday
the
Hornli
This
I
cabane, but
this is the way
the
work
am
should
be done.
In order to
see
spent another
walking over
name.
much
was
From
the Matterhorn
day,
on
the Zmutt
here the
less steep and
decided
while
to
waiting for
side above
ridgeup
from
another
line
the
the
angle
the Hornli
mountain, and
I
weather, in
of
glacier
reassuring. At
more
tackle
from
that
appears
any
even
rate
I
if I
62
HOW
BECOME
TO
failed it still would
realized
be
AN
summit
could
weather
and
I
I
attempt.
doubted
never
with
reached
be
honourable
an
danger, but
the
ALPINIST
the
that
fine
skill,
perseverance,
fair luck.
After
waiting fully ten days, prospects became
a
favourable, and although there was
high northerly
wind, this was
an
advantage, Zum
Taugwald said,for
could
we
cold up
The
snow.
gale aloft cleaningthe mountain
the
see
Orderingsome
as
we
to
have
been
the
transport mules
the
save
there must
left Zermatt
amid
terrific.
night before,so
much
guides'strength as
possible,
as
excitement
considerable
of
ist
on
July.
We
five
were
Gabriel
"
Zum
Taugwald, Heinrich
Julen, Franziskus
Taugwalder and
whose
herculean
lot fell the
cinema
task
David
of
weighing 15 kilos.
camera,
Biner,
carryingup
All four
men
to
the
were
admirable, and duringthree days of tryingwork
occurred
to
cast
which
even
has
shadow
a
become
now
across
one
our
of my
nothing
lations,
friendlyrepleasantest
alpinesouvenirs.
We
were
busy all morning cinematographingthe
picturesqueroute leadingabove the Gorner glacierto
the Schzarzsee Hotel, where we had lunch before making
for the
the
Hornli.
mules
animal
as
far
From
as
here
the
we
snow
continued
would
began flounderinglong before
with
one
of
permit, but
the
reached
the
we
zigzag path leadingup rapidlyto the cabane, and the
transferred to the
tripod,food and rope were
camera,
backs
We
of the
guides.
arrived at the Matterhorn
cabane
on
the Hornli
CINEMATOGRAPHING
ridge,at
altitude of
an
afternoon
of
considerable
and
the
There
had
but
July day. There
the barometer
was
guides prophesiedgood weather
things in
two
sweeping away
melted
much
of the
rising,
now
gale,which
cleaned the mountain,
of the loose
most
still
was
for the ascent.
favour:
our
blowing three days,had
been
63
feet,early in the
10,000
over
beautiful
a
wind,
were
had
MATTERHORN
THE
the
while
snow,
the
or
on
verglas,
ice-coating
sun
the
rocks.
spiteof the resplendentsunshine, however, the
In
Matterhorn, risingnearly a mile above
looked
precipices,
tremendous
few
corneilles
overhanging
the mountain
Lord
Francis
party
to
Since
on
and
and
below
To
it ; to the
it the Zmutt
whirlingclouds.
for,in descending,
others
the
sightthis view
Hornli.
valley of Zcrmatt,
to
at
the
the
ever,
day, how-
same
of the successful
fell from
gletscher
succeeded
from
du
us
was
Mont
rightthe Matterhorn
and
gletscher,
trophe.
catas-
the Matterhorn
left below
Glacier
this moment
precipice
Matterhorn
catastrophe has
Furggen gletscher,with
hanging above
three
feet, on
then
the
The
off their feet and
It is a wonderful
cabane
the Matterhorn, in 1865, the
impossible.
Douglas
precipice,
4000
below.
A
the great
Whymper,
took its revenge,
knocked
were
Edward
that before
considered
was
menacing.
scene.
climbed
English alpinist,
peak
series of
seen
crags,
wonder
No
and
a
the high
soaringwildly near
emphasizingthe grandeur and the
were
desolation of the
grim
in
us
behind
the
Cervin
gletscher,
was
partly hidden
the
by
64
HOW
It
was
TO
very
BECOME
cold; loose-powderedsnow
in the bed-chamber
allotted me,
the
were
window
frost.
A
panes
fire
the wood,
the back
on
by
of porters
was
dining-room
a
thick
burning
in the
managed
opaque
dining-
been carried up
had
by drinkinghot
I
stove
about
blew
in the
with
the way,
and
"
leaningagainst the
and
covered
wood
small
stove"
room
ALPINIST
AN
soup
dine
to
in
and
parative
com-
comfort.
Outside
It
the wind
whistled
and
moaned
in the crags.
impossibleto sleep. One reposes badly the first
nightin high altitudes ; in fact,if one climbs highenough
was
sleep
Mrs
under
Bullock
becomes
circumstances
any
Workman
told
that
me
impossible.
when
camping
in
the
Himalayas at an altitude of 20,000 feet for six days
no
one
slept. It is said that Napoleon could sleepanywhere
at a moment's
notice,turning off his thoughts,
it were,
electric
like one
out
as
turns
an
intentionally
light. It is stated that on one occasion when one of
his ministers
the
doubted
this
I wonder
difficulty.
nighton the Hornli!
2
a.m.
Climbing
breakfast
We
left
my
was
had
failed to
first
a
guide,who
nearlyfatal.
with
sleptthis
after
aroused, and
made
to
a
leave.
o'clock,but the cabin-keeper
one
and
have
it to
Night
preparationswere
call for
wake,
at
was
everyone
hurried
he would
whether
Precipice
had
awakened
and, sleepinginstantly,was
test
At
facultyNapoleon put
it
aroused
was
Gabriel
the
Zum
party. This
Taugwald,
lost hour
BRITISH
arriving
Al'l'Ki
at
)
\(
ihc
II1M,
CARAVAN
KINEMATOGRAPH
COLONIAL
AM)
Hornli
Mil;
Cabine
M
\
the
above
I I I KM:
";^\
clouds.
(KACS.
66
HOW
charged our loads
for here began the
I sat down
out
a
While
mouth, I
AN
ALPINIST
breakfast,and wait for
to
light,
the
real difficulties.
two
comfortable
about.
BECOME
TO
three times in the
or
seat, for there
was
no
to
room
dried prunes
eatingsome
lookingdown
to flatten
snow
move
to moisten
the
of the most
precipitous
slopesI have yet encountered, and upsettingthe snow
down
it rush, hissing,
until it
with my
feet,watched
sat
one
lost in the void below.
was
In the east
dawn
breaking.
was
cabin
hours
below
had
justleft. In the
the Rhone
distance to the left one saw
valley,filledwith
clouds,while the peaks above the morning
cotton-looking
mist were
bathed in goldenlight.
us
was
the Matterhorn
Two
Before
and
in
us
the
were
we
great Mischabelhorner
further to the
rightMonte Rosa,
and
Switzerland, the Lyskamm
Across
Italy.
at the
As
decided
the Theodule
But
there
Pass
was
no
gloriouspanorama.
the guides declared
to
leave
behind
one
looked
time
we
to
were
nearly
the
peaks,
highestpoint
the
down
Breithorn.
into
be wasted
smiling
in gazing
overloaded, it
all the
was
provisions,
being the least necessary to our success, so with
tripod,film,and the minimum
simply the two cameras,
of food, we again began the ascent.
knife-like ridge of
Imagine climbing a narrow,
both sides,to find the way
on
granite,with precipices
ahead
barred by a gendarme, or perpendicularspire,
which it is impossible
to pass.
The only solution
over
to pass to the left on the face of the
of the difficulty
was
the mountain
worse
was
precipices.To make matters
these
CINEMATOGRAPHING
in very
bad
THE
MATTERHORN
instead
condition,and
67
of
passingout
which
rocks we
forced to cross
were
ice-slopes,
Taugwald estimated to be only 20 degreesfrom
perpendicular.
"
On
We
had
before
four
found
Zermatt.
and
On
snow.
less,
or
we
"
shoulder
the
valleyof
fast,
breakjustfinishing
created a great
ice-slope
the
on
"
the
all over
seen
appearance
the
shoulder," which
by telescopefrom
Below, hotel guests were
our
Zum
Gale
a
climbing,more
"
famous
steep ice covered with
could be
we
the
in
of this
hours
reaching
"
Shoulder
the
over
sensation.
hard
By
"
work
reached
we
shoulder," where
one
may
of feet to the Matterhorn
The
north
shoulder
faces until
"
said Zum
"
As
was
sands
thou-
that
here
the
over
passed we
we
it looked
very
the wind, cut
by
up
as
cold, and
our
hands
raw.
in this
wind,"
with
replied,
right,we will;
all the
scarcelyprudent to
'
say
I could
back,'
Turn
muster,
it all has to be done
means
It
doomed.
of the
go
on
Taugwald.
If you
courage
As
up
off the mountain, and
they became
I think it
is such
mountain
terrific force.
granulatedice,blown
and
"
with
expeditionwas
our
the
"
edge
down
look straight
gletscher.
upper
elsewhere,rushes
up
nearly blown
were
if
of the
wind, dammed
"
the
formation
the
a
shoulder
compromise
"
and
see
we
"
"all
I
again!
over
decided
if there
was
to
not
but
it
"
climb
above
less wind
the
there.
68
HOW
BECOME
TO
Fortunatelythis proved
where
near
on
AN
so, and
in
abounding
there, I
found
we
ice
dangerous
fast,passing
snow-covered
from
seen
and
Our
cornices.
told later,was
was
climbed
we
great accident in 1865 took place,
the
the summit, which
to
ALPINIST
arrival
Zermatt, the
the Gornergratand Schwarzsee,where
Riffelalp,
all day collected around
the telescopes.
The
the summit
from
scene
close at hand
One
may
the
peerless Weisshorn,
see
Gabelhorn.
described
The
the
from
these
the
Rosa,
to
Bernese
greater
Oberland,
the
To
groups.
Ober
Monte
the summit
are
Gothard
south,
the pastures of Breuil,dotted
8000
feet below
with
chalets,from which
us,
the
Blanche,
and
Rothhorn,
around
seen
advantage. Behind
St
the Simplon and
"
the terrible Dent
groups
already,are
is superb.
14,705 feet
"
crowds
were
blue
smoke
lazily.
The
miles away,
the Maritime
Viso, 100
Alps,
miles, the Dauphine Alps, and
lastly Mont
130
Blanc, dominating them
all, composed this great
rose
panorama.
this is not
But
filmed the summit
known
the
more
from
down
under
while
I got the
a
set up
slidingoff
in the ice for my
ice in
to
me
with
the
feet and
At
two.
mountain
for
and
knees
pictures. Think
on
The
"
the
descent
shoulder
"
the greatestdifficulty.
To
another
held my
heavy wind,
thousands
prevent disaster.
difficult of the
was
camera
keep
we
precaution
is the
cinematographing. After having
began the descent, taking every
the side of
of feet, keeping
a
of
a
Julen cut a place
himself,and sitting
braced
the
standing on
tripod
steep
precipicedropping
cool head
and
balance
THE
MR.
will]
OF
SUMMIT
K
IRKDKKK
Rosi
HI
K
I I \"
.
1 1 \ \l
,
.
caincr.t,
kiiii'in;iio^r;ipli
\loiiii'
MATTERHORX.
THE
mi
is
seen
(lie Miinmii
in
of
ihi- M.hiit:
ihi' iliM.mo'.
CINEMATOGRAPHING
"
while
"
panoraming
picture.
we
By moving one at
slowly descended
before darkness
not
"
We
Zum
must
Taugwald,
remain
to
matters
"
must
the descent
done
was
precipices.These
end
to
precaution,
hut, but
Darkness
before
the
dark," said
peril.It is impossible
To
mountain."
face outward,
looked
in void.
make
hard.
snow
Most
faster," said Gabriel.
move
the
to settle down.
of
on
it began to
worse
We
night
in
the frozen club
will be in
we
69
climbers
utmost
the club hut
"
the
the
towards
to
or
keep
time,with the
a
Peril
get
MATTERHORN
to
began
The
THE
of
the
looking down
impossible,and each
In descending,however,
peared
apthe
edge of the precipicereceded, and by passingto
brink
rightor left a way around the perpendicular
actual
the
found.
was
have
I
to Julen
stomach, calling
turning, lying
of
recollection
a
keep
to
the
on
in
rope
my
safety,
the edge. Not
descending,half dangling,over
the guides,I found it
as well as
knowing the mountain
not
always easy to discover the proper hand-holds.
On
this occasion I was
tips,
actuallyhanging on by fingerand
feelingwith
my
place my
boot nails.
this
hold, and
new
feet for
crack
a
By swinging to
passed
on
which
upon
the
rightI
to
make
room
club
hut.
We
to
found
for the
others.
By
high on
dusk
the
we
reached
mountain, and
the
as
the snowstorm
were
had
still
blotted
HOW
70
us
from
view
Zermatt.
and
by
the
left
there
From
was
were
nineteen
all
of
us
considerable
we
cabins
by
hours
before.
too
uneasiness
it
rapidly
very
Matterhorn
ALPINIST
AN
however,
here,
descending
nearly
We
BECOME
TO
9.15
tired
to
easier
was
which
p.m.,
but
matter?
We
had
cinematographed
the
Matterhorn!
going,
in
succeeded
eat,
at
what
ing
reachhad
we
did
it
VII
WHY
ACCIDENTS
ALPINE
Scarcely
week
a
reporting
alpine
an
without
by
goes
HAPPEN
the
with
tragedy,
newspapers
more
or
one
deaths.
of them,
Most
has
as
guides
But
of
and
now
quite
in
history
what
happened
Hut,
but
For
like
to
the
and
surface
thawing
new
slope
is
steep,
state
below
the
the
been
it
for
hard,
a
73
bad, and
there
This
in summer,
is
days
surface.
the
to
dangerous
constant
fell
owing
polished
freezes
highly
there
avalanches.
Concordia
freezing during hot
and
is
entire
positively
Jungfrau.
which,
snow,
the
will
plausible:
therefore,
snow,
underneath
to
had
on
becomes
is
which
tragic in
most
possible
weather
old
guides
which
accident
an
snow-slope
snow
the
on
nights,
the
the
fresh
of
alternate
cold
Until
the
days
some
blanket
a
the
ago
of the
It is not
on
in
one
lives.
long
one
ascent
an
alpine catastrophe
an
"
following inference
the
plenty
was
as
Oberland.
Bernese
reported
their
not
making
folly.
character
lost
occurred
down
is
then
have
There
is pure
different
a
themselves
go
which
"
accidents
fatal
are
climbers
befalling inexperienced
without
shown,
been
icy
where
danger
of
this instance
"
took
began to move
stepped upon
and
invincible,
carpet of
as
"
At
a
rug slides on
the
a
started,was
once
this
on
take such
moving
to their doom.
snow
questionarises immediately: Why
The
snow
polishedfloor when
carried
were
well
once
layerof
new
avalanche,
the climbers
rate,
any
slopethe whole
and
"
ALPINIST
Apparently the guides in
chances."
the steep snow
on
AN
this.
guides know
All
up
BECOME
TO
HOW
74
do
guides
chances?
tragedy of their lives. It is true many
of the guides are thorough sportsmen and take untold
risks in climbing by new
routes
simply for the sport
That
is the
taken
the risks are
cases
thing; but in many
of money.
because
the guides are
in urgent need
the
be engaged for a long climb; then
They may
weather
bad
turns
and there is a long heart-breaking
fee or, more
wait, either with a retaining
simply
likely,
of the
with
the
of
hope
making
climb
the
the weather
when
clears.
Then
climb
to
of the mountain
one
the condition
of the
tourist climbers
is the
abandoned
a
end
it must
of their
be
The
guide sees
he is told
is bad, but
snow
that
refuges.
or
now
never,
by his
morrow
to-
as
holiday. If the climb
is
refuge,then the guide is paid
low price,
Probably
ridiculously
only a few shillings.
the
at
the lower
tourists urge
"
to
alters,and with their tourists they
the weather
this is most
economic
amateurs
are
ment
guide on againsthis better judgand finally,
likelythe case
owing
the
pressure,
"
he
takes
jubilant; but
he
the
goes
for,beinga highly-trained
observer, he
"
chance."
with
sees
The
misgivings,
death
lurk-
SUNRISE
(
\t i:\
ON
MONT
BLANC.
"
asses
i\
i in
(.i,
\(
ii.r
i"r
i.i
w
i
.
WHY
ALPINE
ACCIDENTS
ing in placeswhich
HAPPEN
the
escape
75
observations
of the
others.
I have
known
guidesto stay away from Mont Blanc,
for instance,
because they saw
to
a veil of mist clinging
Mont
Maudit
is their foresight
towards
acute
so
coming
on"
bad
But
weather.
often
very
judgment,
and
guide goes
suddenly they are
He, the guide,in
all economic
the
in
terrible moment
one
laws, and
violatinghis
on,
avalanche.
an
is swept
picturesof
the
beyond
of the
scene
tragedy fillthe newspapers.
It is only the initiated who see the real meaning of
the drama, and who
have
a
thought for the widow
when
the
news
is
brought
home
the
to
fatherless
children.
this
For
highly dangerous
comparatively
very
work
little. The
guides
climbing
are
season
only from June into September. Probably a few
famous
most
guides make "200 a year; but as
of them
shows
accept monthly engagements
their
to accept
willingness
a
sure
at
"1
a
paid
lasts
of the
many
day, it
thingon
about
wait
weeks
half this basis.
In the Mont
to
do
the
dangerous
Blanc
section
of the most
AiguilleVerte, one
of all the mountains
they are paid only "4, which
Blanc.
guides may
For
is the
days,they get only "2, 8s.
10s.
doing difficult work make
lucky.
Alps, for which
pricefor doing Mont
climbingthe Aiguilledu Midi, which
two
during the
in the
difficult and
season
they
may
If the
a
day
takes
ordinaryguides
on
consider
the average
themselves
HOW
76
the
Now
The
not
lose
going
It
and
on
is
and,
want
do
a
in
the
this
face
of
way
one
is
climb
always
guides
this:
are
chances.
is
all,
monetary
ALPINIST
make
to
take
above
from
in
AN
therefore,
moral,
guide,
I
point
paid
poorly
BECOME
TO
to
to
make
standpoint
him
if he
with
feel
that
advises
peril.
may
avoid
catastrophe.
a
he
ful
care-
will
against
VIII
IN
It
was
a
When
there
a
caution
pre-
couloir, and
and
seemed
an
for
and
overhead,
eternity
us
are
of
which
Aiguille Verte
the
those
only
now
Straton
Isabella
guides J.
the
with
is
now
considered
is
quite
in
it is called
itself.
for
danger
and
the
Mer
peak,
22,
1871,
Lewis
Joseph Simond,
and
Moine,
losing the
is
the
This
Emmeline
amateurs,
on
English,
Miss
in
the
of
September
Charlet
E.
climb
a
The
easy.
and
Moine,
feet
side
east
Blanc
on
du
Aiguille
the
on
climbed
first
Lloyd,
the
on
Mont
facing
and
was
Miss
place
rising precipitously 11,214
needle
Glace
by
took
incident
scraggy
de
or
in
reality
the
Monk,
which
way,
we
did.
The
at
a
however,
Death,
escape.
side
of
five
were
memory.
chain
as
there
steep
no
one
which
seconds
The
a
started
appeared
infinite
the
climbing.
narrow,
a
slightly to
passed
few
in
together
moment
shows
in mountain
avalanche
the
PATH
and
escape,
narrow
necessary
roped
AVALANCHE
AN
weather
barometer
Montanvert
the
sun
the
for
better
indicated
a
the
weather
hours'
two
79
days,
and
cafe's,for the
through
broke
Hotel,
bad
been
lollingin
Chamonix,
Finally
had
sky
mists,
we
scramble
waited
we
and
left
clear.
to
as
the
for
the
up
from
80
HOW
Chamonix
we
TO
and
AN
overlookingthe
there
arrived
BECOME
ALPINIST
still a mist
was
de Glace.
Mer
the upper
on
When
of
crags
this lifted
peak, but
allowingme to
for a few moments,
slightly
take a photograph.
Our
caravan
comprised my friends Duval and
from Paris,the guidesDelmas
and Simond,
Schaperelli
and as far as the Couvercle, the alpinehut where we
had planned to sleep,came
some
friends,making eight
our
in all.
persons
Aiguilledu
granite. It is
Now
climb
on
the Dent
What
du
Geant, where
hundreds
and
speak
of
Some
"
are
has not
never
happen
Our
alpine
seventeen
tried to climb
Blanc
heard
writers
from
who
little caravan,
I
An
it
to
read
tell the
a
summer
of
guides
artist named
his
guides and
the Brenva
Hundreds
nine-tenths
this
tyranny
Italian
by
alpine
by crying out
abandoned
alone
the
up
reason
the
of since.
reported,and
to climbers
more
accidents
years ago
Mont
been
to be killed.
specialinterest,as
scramble
all the
their own."
on
of
ordinary steep
AiguilleVerte or
expect
may
wild
breaking away
going
Cumani
He
one
wholesale
to avert
warning.
an
of amateurs.
To-day there is a
there is
so
precipices,
truth
is
like the
not
happened, therefore,is
concerns
and
Moine
the
Glacier.
of accidents
of those
which
are
have
dispensedwith guides.
the
to climb
therefore,even
precaution. We had two guides,
before leaving,and
plenty of rope carefullyexamined
caused
newed.
badly-worn nails in our shoes to be reany
Moine, took
On
every
leavingMontanvert
Hotel
I went
ahead
slightly
IN
AN
get
a
in order
to
Ponts,
mauvais
a
to the
on
been
slippedhe
one
below.
to
would
until the
tumble
ticklish
for the
Ahead
of
from
down
us
spring which
the
of
and
changed
some
Suddenly
I
du
iron rail
an
Geant
and
Italy,
night with lanterns,
at
ing.
off,is rather disconcert-
Quickly the
Mer
better
to
others
got
a
and
passed them, going out
bruised,
woman
was
the
spectacle.
the
fall
women
wild scramble.
pulledher
upon
but
a
the
attention,
of the
was
Hotel
my
watch
There
rope
eating lunch
were
one
I'M.
tourist
a
Montanvert
to
see
crevasse.
a
we
was
attracted
tourists
amazed
Aiguillede
de Glace
suppliesthe
seat
my
was
into
backwards
the
Col
is
cling. Alpinists
may
While
of the
antics
we
one
down
glacierfar
placesthere
the foot of the
party includingwomen.
I
ordinary tourist
an
to the
this passage
descending
we
a
the
in
steep rock slopewhere
a
novelty wears
descendingalone
at
party passingLes
passed one of the guidespointed out a spot
tourist,the day before, had been killed while
As
where
into
the rock to which
leaving Montanvert
for instance,pass
which,
this is
As
cut
In the most
cemented
of the
81
is forced to take
one
de Glace.
Mer
PATH
photograph
pas
trail,steps have
if
AVALANCHE
When
out.
ice, they told
fortunatelynot
us
really
injured.
This
sea
the frozen
is a rivulet which
surface
noise into
thunderous
with
M.
of ice is full of curiosities.
Vallot, Director
was
so
curious
that
he
the
kind
to
dropped
used
of the
know
a
Bounding
suddenly disappears
great ice-cavern, or moulin.
Observatory on
what
ovei
became
into the ice cauldron
by washerwomen,
and
Mont
Blanc,
of the small
a
box
two
of
river
blueing,
hours
after-
82
HOW
wards
end
TO
watchers
well
going until
ALPINIST
rush out
from
the lower
de Glace.
the
on
it was
glacier
reached
we
comparativelyeasy
the moraines, and
forced
were
the Mer de Glace to the Glacier de Leschaux.
to pass from
Here
AN
blue water
saw
of the Mer
When
BECOME
Delmas
lost the
amused
and
way,
while
he went
to
connoitre
re-
lookingfor crystalsand
pieces of amethysts. Guides have a habit of placing
another in conspicuousplacesto
small stones one upon
mark
an
completely missed
easy passage, but Delmas
these signals.After losingan hour in the moraines
we
ing
finally
got through by cuttingsteps in the ice and climbwe
and
down
ourselves
the seracked
walls.
The
ever,
delay,howthe glaciertwo
cost us dearly,for higher up on
other caravans
arrived
got past us, and when we finally
at the Couvercle
they had all the best places,had taken
up
all the
had
and
cover,
finished before
That
night
scarcely12 by
in
up
to
Duval's
feet.
to
make
in
his ice-axe,by way
of
could be
one
"
what
there
without
is
a
guides,who
who
for the
even
politethan
They
had
women.
picked
the real Germans
seem
to
know
guides sometimes
the snow-line
growing
climbers
were
courtesy.
any
Chamonix
that above
they
marks,
punctuating his pointed re-
shown
more
friend
a
threateningmanner
in the mountains.
meets
instinct
were
we
until
in this little hut,
wife and
way
a
wait
evening meal.
seventeen
until Delmas
not
was
No
But
20
preparingour
were
first refused
that
one
we
forced
were
party, but the German-Swiss
our
arrived
It
we
class
occupy
all
men
of climbers
by
tell beginners
are
brothers.
who
the free mountain
travel
refuges
IN
for
AN
AVALANCHE
of economy
reasons
violate all laws
for
PATH
days
at
83
time, and
a
who
of
decency.
While the others were
trying to sleepI slippedout
of the refuge into the night air. The starlit scene
was
almost of unequalled grandeur. To the east were
Les
Droites and Les Courtes, risingrapidly13,222 feet and
the
a little to the right was
12,648 feet respectively;
sharp point of the AiguilleRavenel, and, further,the
Pass
Talefre,
which
on
had
guides of Chamonix,
Italy the
to
Monk.
mile
in
vertical that
the rocks.
fall of the Glacier de
tumbling
and
crashes;
the south
to
its frozen
and
and
Niagara;
does not
its
the
clingto
the wild ice-
leaningice-seracs
with
reverberating
Glacier
du
the
beyond
on
the
ascended
refuge was
the
crossing
half miles, the last
a
then
was
while
we
snow
the
Ravenel,
moonlight,stood
Talefre,with
now
every
in
even
Directlybelow
that
July
Jorasses,risingtwo
being so
brothers
his feet frozen
the south, bathed
To
Grandes
week
same
of the
one
Geant
and
silent Mont
Blanc, eight miles
distant, terrible in its grandeur.
From
the Chamonix
side Mont
dome
of pure
snow;
white
rises menacingly. The
scraggy
is
seen
One
and
went
caravan
we
Monk.
save
From
the
started
dressed
grippingour
midnight
Aiguilledu
hurriedly,drank
axes,
turned
great smooth
is closed
by
vestigeof
no
it
the
green
oasis in the snow-desert.
Les Droites ;
for the
a
the Couvercle
the west
the Couvercle
after
off towards
to
is
from
seen
view
Jardin,an
half-hour
Blanc
an
us
Germans
hour
Midi.
cold
some
towards
Though everything about
the
our
was
dressed
later another
As
day
broke
coffee, and,
peak.
frozen
tight,the
HOW
84
TO
BECOME
AN
perfect,the
ALPINIST
morning was
Every now
and
avalanche.
For the firstfew hundred
then
sky being
the
came
roar
a
deep
from
an
azure.
unseen
did not
yards we
the rope,
nervous
although Duval grew somewhat
in crossing
which ended
a hard, frozen tongue of snow,
use
in
for he did
precipice,
a
full
of his boot
use
not
possess
the knack
Some
climbers
nails.
of
making
prefer the
ice to rock.
and
I feel much
at
more
Personally,
home
on
snow
slopes; but some
good rock-climbers
look down
steep ice with somethinglike terror.
Just before takingto the granitewe roped ourselves
together. Delmas went first,then Duval, and Schaperellifollowed the second guide. Being last,I was
in an
advantageous position for photographing,and being
I could look out for
accustomed
to the ice and granite,
myself, while the arrangement gave both Duval and
other friend the advantage of expert assistance.
my
left our
When
icewell on the graniteledge we
once
behind as being of no further assistance,and conaxes
siderably
snow
in the way
We
had
one
that
we
a
were
ascendingthe Monk
of the
which
both
scarcelymade
guide discovered
instead of
where
stand
gendarmes,
guard
over
or
one
the
hands
good
too
would
start
of the
mountain
we
the
when
far to the
proper
be needed.
right,and
climbing
were
lower
like
first
pinnacles
a
sentry.
enthusiastic and
beginning,but we were
took the matter
philosophically.Losing the way, as I
have said,is one
of the difficultiesin ascendingthe Monk.
There
was
nothing left to do but descend and bear a
in the crags, which
little to the left. Again we
were
The guide againlost
were
becoming very precipitous.
It
was
a
bad
86
HOW
BECOME
TO
ALPINIST
AN
gendarme, we neared the summit.
perpendicular
and a great
Looking up, one saw very littlemountain
and
deal of sky. Then there was
a patch of steep snow,
said we
Delmas
had arrived.
Boring our toes in the
snow
slope,we scrambled up to the summit, a very small
rocky table. On every side was a precipice.How can
describe the panorama! Below
one
nearly one mile
almost
straightdown was the Mer de Glace with the MontanTo the west
vert Hotel only a speck in the distance.
the Charmoz, the Blaitere,
the Chamonix
were
aiguilles,
and the Dent du Requin ; in the distance was
the Mont
Maudit, the Mont
du
Blanc
Tacul, and
Blanc
Mont
comprised that
from the Couvercle with the advantage of the great
seen
Where
altitude.
stood there was
to
we
just room
lunch comfortably. Schaperelli
played with a small
French
scribin
flagwhich was waving on top, and then initself. The
view
our
names
found
bottle
I suppose
we
sensation
of
its
toil and
sublime
We
but
as
a
It may
all
are
east
scrap of paper
of the
names
be insane to climb
more
or
a
successful
such
less cracked
in
them
stuck
peaks
"
the
but
"
being there and watching the panorama
the
ever-changinglightsand shadows
repays
fatigue. It is the nearest approach to the
in nature, and
of ascents
graves
on
and
containingthe
ascensionists.
with
to the south
are
made*
clouds
and
on
and
were
and
gatheringwe
one
alpine
men.
the summit
commenced
work,
exciting
for the number
account
by priests.Alpine records
full of these
remained
this may
the
had
more
than half
turned
descent
our
an
hour,
wards
faces down-
rapidly.
to be careful ; but
we
It
was
passed
BURLINGHAM
MR.
on
ih'- summit
and
the
of
Chamonix
1.1 \(
the
Moine.
Aiguille du
Needles
it
\ i
PARTY
AM)
are
i i
*
seen
iJ
in the
i-'i-:
I-:i
Mont
Blanc
distance.
AN
IN
AVALANCHE
87
PATH
without
thinkingof
ledgesoverlookingprecipices
danger.
order was
In going down
our
changed. Simond
followed
first on the rope to show the way, Schaperelli
went
over
15 feet distant,and
about
him
up ; behind
me
holdingup us all.
in perfectorder.
We
descent
in
reconnoitre.
repliedthat
noticed
We
kept
he
Duval
to
and
the
Coming
thought
so
like
back
we
hold
was
distances,descending
our
again lost
unroped
next
came
Duval, then Delmas, who
was
couloir became
a
Simond
and
to
have
must
I
At
way.
least the
steep that
we
chamois
went
a
halted,
below
after
could
he
investigating,
descend
safely. I
by the way he kept
gettingnervous
Once
jerking me up instead of paying out the rope.
I had to jump to a ledgebelow I was
almost
or twice when
pulledoff my feet. Duval wanted to stop to get breath,
refused to halt the caravan,
but Delmas
sayingwe were
couloir where
in an avalanche
stones
were
continually
and
then a small
stone
Every now
coming down.
passed singing,its velocitymaking it invisible.
in passing this slab!
Watch
called out
out
was
"
"
Simond.
"
It's loose!
"
did
Schaperelliand I passed gingerly. Simond
to dislodgethe slab, which
not want
weighed two or
chance
below.
three tons, for fear of killing
a
caravan
Suddenly I heard a rumbling, gratingnoise above mc,
cried out piercingly:
and Delmas
Gare a la pierre!
side. Fortunately it
I jumped
upward to one
below me,
mirastarted moving slowly. Schaperelli,
"
"
TO
88
HOW
culously
succeeded
and
no
in
was
directly
one
had
the
to
the
Grandes
lives
below
first
care
be!
and
walking
none
the
safe
"
the
dwelt
on
the
daily
risk
their
from
:
"
It
all.
ledge,
the
close
as
he,
less
snow
glissaded
worse
from
Suddenly
pay.
he, with
of
Simond
his
that
appears
mountain
and
the
at
instinct,
of debris
mass
head.
said
reached
they
small
out
able
innumer-
for
back
mind
how
after
kind
a
is about
That
and
verberating,
re-
Tacul.
my
there?
alarm,
his
over
to
du
and
spot, listening
the
to
coming
Pit
cried
up
under
Reaching
axes
over
of
cry
crouched
"
voice
Simond,
was
passed
the
ridiculously
a
it all
Is
rooted
now
guides,
muffled
a
It
of
work
for
the
and
breath,
dered,
thun-
stone
starting
my
instantaneously
perilous
"
echoes
Jorasses
Almost
held
moment
a
crashing
avalanche
all stood
booming
the
stones,
shot,
momentum.
all in
was
Down
great
literally
We
missing.
was
think.
growing
I
echoes.
It
path.
it
Down
same.
ever-increasing
to
other
upsetting
the
doing
in its
time
ALPINIST
AN
satellites, with
gathering
Simond
BECOME
for
our
startled
once
almost
Chamonix
to
more,
to
the
that
an
avalanche
than
we
I
ever
we.
regained
Couvercle,
day
as
in time
exciting experience.
and
for
our
by
icefast
dinner,
Alpinists
Women
Some
Famous
IX
FAMOUS
SOME
It
surprise some
may
climbing
as
the
attention.
most
where
climbing
in the
but
and
in which
one
Norway,
which
record
the
exceeded
W.
that
Graham
of
altitude
in
in
to
Cashmere,
the
of 23,300
and
almost
she
as
it
Himalayas,
read,
long
not
any
be
years
ago
feet
has
would
the
world's
having
far
not
Nun
to
Kun
surprise
that
she
the
man,
Workthe
mendous
tre-
Range,
already eight
not
from
reached
Bullock
ascended
been
morning,
It is
proud.
ago
Mrs
in the
records
Abruzzi
the
fresh
back
established
23,800 feet, but
American,
the
Alaska
Caucasus,
Himalayas
some
ventured,
brought
of
the
have
still holds
Duke
to-day
women
would
man
in
feet
W.
height
enormous
and
genuine explorer
24,000
Mr
virgin peaks,
attracting
are
men
the
Andes,
have
moment
are
daring
recently
altitude, the
for
where
the
women
any
for
true
only
the
be
to
many
to-day
not
the most
Himalayas,
laurels, climbed
of
For
only
by
women
mountain-
that
know
to
persons
sport, considered
a
manliest, is
ALPINISTS
WOMEN
her
times
friends
it
at
was
again.
I do
for
men.
not
every
But
suggest
mountain-climbing
Neither
woman.
for
that
women
is it
with
initiative,mountain-climbing
91
an
courage,
is
a
is
occupation
sport
a
for all
sang-froid
wonderful
and
recreation.
TO
HOW
92
BECOME
AN
readingMiss Annie
After
her ascent
ALPINIST
S. Peck's
of
graphicaccount
Huascaran, in Peru, when, after
of Mount
a
terrible
she would
day's struggleup steep ice-slopes,
preparinghot suppers while her sturdy Swiss
work
guides slept with
whether
have
women
surpassingthat
Leontine
occasion
of
Richard
to
but
training,
breath,
nor
fatigue.
Among
endurance
an
never
or
time
Some
men.
on
embarrassed
have
not
of Paris and
climb
wonders
fatigue,one
sometimes
strength
reserve
ago, with
Madame
agileguide,I had
Mont
Blanc at a speed that would
not in excellent
ordinaryalpinist
a
very
did she halt the
once
did
afterwards
she
to
caravan
complain of
the
get
least
the
galaxy of women
alpinists,
probably
is H.M.
the most
distinguished
Queen Margherita of
Italy,honorary presidentof the Ladies' Alpine Club.
still recall her vivid experienceof
Mountain-climbers
beingcaught in a storm on the Col du Geant, between
in August 1888 that the
and
France
Italy. It was
royal party left Courmayeur, accompanied by twentyled by Henri
seven
Seraphin. On
15th
persons,
Frety Hotel, a
August the Queen slept at the Mont
the
small pavilionat the height of 7129 feet, where
mule-path ends. The next morning they started at
du
four o'clock for the Col
top bad weather
the
Alps.
cabane
The
erected
on
Queen
was
royal party could
spend the nightat
the
sea.
The
suddenly, as
came
in
1876.
not
this
next
Geant, but
when
near
the
it often does in
forced to take
The
blizzard
descend,
and
refugein the
the
continuing,
forced
were
shanty,nearly 11,000
day,
the
weather
to
feet above
abating, the
in
THE
MARVIXGT,
MLLE.
a
ticklish
place
Mifs.
-
"-
i';"mu
the
on
\;
uk
i ^
CLIMBER,
FRENCH
FAMOUS
Aiguille
i.h
i;i."
tie
Trelaporte.
)\D,
i.i'ill.- I..i-li."-,* A !;ii11.
-
(
lub, ",f I.
SOME
descended
Queen
her
WOMEN
FAMOUS
Courmayeur,
to
the
ville
of Mont
ascent
ago.
In
good
bed
nearly a century
possibleto sleepin
a
height of over
10,000
Refuge Vallot,just under
hours
from
reached
the
Grand
Grands
Mulets
rarefied
air she
and
in consultation
down
talked
of
by
pure
proceed, and
way
the
repliedsimply,
ville reached
the
satisfied.
15,781feet
such
On
cross
as
exploitsof
remarkable.
were
After
These
climbed
on
up
the
two
two
the
Misses
became
work
so
of
a
So
that
but
was
then
from
Mont
guides.
anywhere.
are
equally
their
expert
guides if
while
at
snow
of the
almost
tounded
as-
they
even
the
on
Ange-
higher than
Pidgeon
who
Zermatt,
near
Lys Joch,
one
"
Mile.
shoulders
women,
mountains,
occasion,
the
this will lead
capable of doing the
one
top!
in
dancing a quadrille
to go
to
if I die
this enthusiasm
top alive,however,
guides
caravan
that
to the
up
the
tion;
proposi-
a
the
me
the
this remarkable
Oui, mademoiselle!"
climbed
Enthusiasm
had
me
she
to
the
such
ordered
Promise
guides at
"
until
Owing
But
consider
she said she wanted
Blanc, and
The
"
the
at
Dromadaire,
exhausted, and
will-powershe
Mulets,
well
Vallot.
returning.
will carry
you
du
not
was
ice-field between
an
even
exclaimed,
were
not
not
d'Ange-
breakfast
all went
Refuge
sank
would
woman
the
the
woman
d'Angevilleinsisted
Mile.
Plateau,
a
it
days
Bosses
ascent, and
by
the Grands
at
the
the summit.
the
making
on
those
for
worse
Mile.
by
feet,and
a
two
made
made
Blanc
93
the
none
experience.
The first noteworthy alpineclimb
was
at
ALPINISTS
that
youth
they
necessary.
attempting
to
comparativelyeasy, although
HOW
94
TO
BECOME
AN
ALPINIST
lofty,glacier
pass, they lost their way in the increasing
mist.
There was
nothingto do but get down somehow.
Once started,they found themselves
the brink of an
on
almost
perpendicular wall.
steps in
cut
that
when
the
The
guide
ice,but the porter proved
the
opportunityoffered one
changed placeswith him and undertook
post of beingthe last on the cord, which
the others up in
fog,on
finallyreached
night, to their
case
utter
the dreaded
had
been
had
been
Sesia
considered
women
responsible
holding
means
the
descent
Society
of which
of
before
hitherto
impossible.
remarkable
most
She is a member
U.S.A.
scended
de-
they had
Joch, which only once
of all the
Mrs
daughter of ex-Governor
Workman,
Ladies'
the
that
amazement,
climbers, or, rather, explorers,is
American
of the
a
climbed, and
Probably the
American
clumsy
so
slip. After working for hours
the sheer face of the ice precipice,
they
the bottom
safely,to learn the same
in the
of
first to
went
Fanny
Bullock
of the
women
Bullock
of Massachusetts,
Royal Asiatic
London,
of the
corresponding member
of the
GeographicalSociety,charter member
of the London
Alpine Club, vice-president
Alpine Club, Officer de 1'Instruction Publique
in France
at the
request of President
recentlypresentedwith
the
Loubet, and
grand medal
of the
was
Club
Alpin Francais. Besides
travellingextensively in
and
Africa, India, Ceylon, Java, Asia Minor, Sumatra
Cochin
women
China, she
in
1899
highest of which
in 1902
made
in
the
is Mount
three
first record
Karakoran
Koser
ascents
Mountains,
Gunge,
21,000
for
the
feet;
Chogo Lungma
exploredthe thirty-mile-long
FAMOUS
SOME
ALPINISTS
WOMEN
95
another
glacierin Baltistan; in 1903 made
voyage,
ing
climband Alchori glaciers,
exploringthe Hoh Lumba
22,568 feet; in 1906 explored the Nun Kun Range,
climbing 23,300 feet a first
gives her the world's record for
"
and
191 1,
last
Himalayas, findinga
she
there it is three
one
get
may
been
but
to
where
an
and
days
"
called the
get
from
the
Empires
arduous
Interlaken
but
by
more
On
the
traverst'e of
the
Workman's
fact
one
party
and
with
what
one
of the
country
happen.
world
the
Srinagar
Himalayas,"
miles distant,
and
Russia
and
there
Mrs
Workman
not
from
one
on
was
Cour-
coolies.
the
During
1908 Mrs
ice,from
is constant
which
Some
meet, is
which
hardships undergone.
and
must
even
years
greatest alpinistsever
returned.
roads.
the latter part of her last
fiftydays
unerring judgment,
Himalayas,
ever
was
avalanches
may
Srinagar, 180
Hispar-Biafo glacierin
imagine
may
this desolate
Pindi, where
for
280 native
than
in the
undertaking.
Bombay, and from
only by Italian guides
not
1908,
small
of the
China, India
journey in this part of the
mayeur,
no
nightsto Rawal
undertaking.
accompanied,
again
there to the Pamirs, 270
of
in
mountains, which
primitivevehicle
over
rough mountain
a
miles further on,
has
is
sails to
Workman
Mrs
to-day
MajestiesKing George and
Queen Mary.
Climbing in the Himalayas
Usually
and
was
of
range
after their
named
has
new
which
"
women;
she
1912,
season,
ascent
member
be
danger
no
M.
known,
of
of accidents
guarded against
then
ago
In
his
one
knows
Mummery,
went
caravan
to
the
has
96
HOW
Another
Peck,
TO
BECOME
American
AN
ALPINIST
climber, Miss Annie
woman
S.
has
gainedinternational fame by climbingin the
Andes.
She received her trainingin the Alps, afterwards
climbing Mont
Popocatepetl. She also made
two
of Mont
noteworthy attempts to gain the summit
Sorata, but
height
met
of 20,500
climb, however,
insurmountable
feet,very
the recent
was
the top Miss Peck
States
made
Peru, each
to
different
difficultiesat the
the
near
in Peru, 21,812 feet in
caran,
a
with
ascent
height.
three voyages
time
trying
the
Her
top.
of Mont
Before
from
great
Huas-
reaching
the United
mountain
vantage point. Finally she
decided
from
that
nothingcould be done without the assistance of expert
Swiss guides,so Rudolf
Taugwalder and Gabriel Zum
On
were
Taugwald of Zermatt
engaged for the work.
their first attempt Miss Peck's party passed nine nights
in the snow.
Ten
days later they started again,and
although through an accident her aneroid barometer
into a deep crevasse,
and alcohol stove went
Miss Peck
and the two
During the
guides reached the summit.
and Taugwalder slippedsimuldescent
taneously,
both Miss Peck
and it was
habiliU
only by the remarkable
of Gabriel Zum
Taugwald, my guide on the Matterhorn, that the whole party did not slide into eternity,
Gabriel Zum
Taugwald drove his ice-axe into the snow,
time turning the rope two
three times
at the same
or
around
the handle ; and although his fingers
got caught
and
Peck
were
and
gets the
stop, and
crushed
by
the
rope, he
held fast until Miss
Taugwalder regained their feet.
for mountain-climbing it is
taste
last winter
Miss Peck
Once
one
difficult to
planteda Suffragette
l-'RAU
in
the
chimnev
famous
MADAME
daughter
of
Mr.
")!""
MAYER,
VIXETA
the
on
Zimmer,
I'RAXZ
MADKEEIXE
|. Vallol
of
,
l lir
\|,,,u
VIENNA,
Rax,
in
Austria.
XA.MTR,
Ulan.-
(
Jlwrvalorv.
SOME
FAMOUS
ALPINISTS
WOMEN
of Mount
flagon the summit
Coropuna,
highestpeaks in Southern Peru.
American
Another
is
alpine-climbing
Besides doing hard
and
several
climbed
who
Miss
Dora
climbs
excellent
Philadelphia.
of
Chamonix,
and
Zermatt
Dolomites,.Miss
in the Andes, the
of the
one
some
Keen
at
in the
ascents
done
has
97
Canadian
Keen
has
in
Rockies, and
"
Mountain-climbing,"according to Miss
is a sport that seems
and
to me
Keen,
so
uplifting
beneficial,
morally and mentally as well as physically,
Alaska.
"
that I wish to encourage
Foremost
le
Aubrey
in
Arctic
record
woman
peak
in the
as
"
Peak
the most
of climbers
even
the
all
in
made
has
go
attempts
most
it is 13,000
feet
to
reach
winter
ascent
of the
Oberland, by
Mrs
of Terror," is considered
by
difficultin the Bernese
dangerous
marriage she was
of the late Hon.
been
Mrs
ascent
difficult
high, and
its summit.
in
women
Schreck-
JulianGrande,
to
as
many
alpinists
many
Alps. Any
number
killed
tryingto get to the summit,
Grande, however, accomplished
without
Miss Constance
J. W.
alpine
being the
Great
known
the
in
down
unique. This summit,
summer.
son,
Richard-
Kate
daringexploits
performed by
the
have
numerous
Meije, the
made
Mrs
climbing
summers
the distinction of
the
is
climbers
of Miss
name
Dauphine Alps;
in the Bernese
out
four
she
has
ascend
to
years
stands
the
The
who
one
for years defied
Among
spent
English climber, will
the
first
horn
has
where
Norway,
another
recent
who
first ascents.
historyas
English
the
among
Blond,
it."
accident.
A.
Before
her
Barnicoat,daughter
Barnicoat, Member
of the New
HOW
98
Zealand
TO
BECOME
Council, and
Legislative
the Schreckhorn
having made
Alps and in
An
the
by
191
of
international
an
Europe
galaxy
sixty-onethis
in
a
in summer,
snow-storm,
and
at
du
rank.
the age of
Paillon, of Ouillins,in the
Her
At
ascended
woman
Perrier.
also made
a
Madame
alpinists
the Balibier,returningto Grenoble
Breche
has
women
foremost
courageous
Dolomites
ascents.
of French
in the
stands
in the
reputation.This
with climbingthe most
content
of difficult winter
Paillon
climbs
her
difficult peaks of
the
she
is Frau
mentioned
be
whose
not
In
purse
thermometers
Society's
that should
intrepidwoman,
number
a
the summit, which
on
Holland,
made
have
the first
was
presented with
was
of the
one
climber
Another
she
As
Preobra-
instruments.
other
Imminck
Maria
tained
GeographicalSociety,which is susasked by the Societyto
Czar, and was
did, leavingthere
among
climbing of the
brated
Caucasus, by the celethe
was
alpinist,Madame
scientific observations
make
Zealand
considerable
attracted
1
in the
the feat she
Russian
of
ascent
in the New
record
scientists
metres,
to do
the
distinguished
alpinist,
a
lives at Vladikavakas.
jenska,who
the
in
which
Russian
woman
before
Dauphine.
the
5400
as
remarkable
a
among
Kazbak,
known
was
ascent
attention
by
ALPINIST
AN
the
age
of
Blanc
Mont
climbed
seventy-five
by
the
daughter,
Department
cult
rather diffiMile.
of the
Mary
Rhone,
is
but in France
distinguished
alpinist,
considered
an
authority on anything pertainingto
Vail, who started climbmountain-climbing. Madame
is not
only
a
FAMOUS
SOME
ing with
of
some
husband
her
the
usual
whose
Madeleine
is Mile.
has
married
twice
Bernard;
and
I have
never
well-known
when
but
Madame
her
the
among
Leontine
Mile.
seen
first
four
Pass
Maige,
five
or
St
of Paris.
Hasenclever,
the
climb,
startled
undoubtedly
must
who
Petit
of the
last she
on
of this
Frankfort-am-Main,
She
daring.
Madame
summit
Richard
Chamonix
at
was
and
distinguished
the
Eleonore
than
more
Nancy;
Madame
;
A
Observatory
the
to
the
at
alpinistfrom
she
by
been
done
Alps.
are
the
of
Europe
long ago
not
of
omitted
of
has
the
attracted
be
not
in
in
Marvingt
J. Vallot, Founder
highest mountain
was
have
daughter
Namur,
Blanc, who
the
climbs
M.
must
names
scientist,M.
Mont
climbs
99
pastime, also
mere
a
difficult
whose
attention
others
as
most
Frenchwoman
ALPINISTS
WOMEN
be
one
everyclassed
alpinistsnow
women
climbing.
General
Frau
well-known
climber.
include
Germany
of
von
Anna
Zalaudek,
of the
and
Other
Frau
alpine sports
Mainz
of
is another
well
names
Friedmann,
Rose
known
Frau
Vineta
and
Marie
Weiler, all members
Madame
Grosse
Alpen Klub;
of
in
advocate
an
for women;
Oesterreichischer
Margarete
Reppert
Mayer, Mile.
Fraulein
Meissen, and
Frau
Elsbeth
Kathe
Broske.
Necessarily,in
has
have
craves
so
large
not
been
a
a
chapter dealing with
following, many
mentioned,
indulgence.
a
fact
a
sport which
distinguished persons
for which
the
writer
Where
Trained
Guides
are
X
GUIDES
WHERE
Sitting
in the
for dinner
with
pity
a
be
served,
I had
been
to
whom
the
spend
to
de
Chalet
d'Argentiere
the
extraordinary
of
Lognan
M.
evening
one
remarked
could
we
fine
it
about
take
weather
alpinist
that
day wandering
when
waiting
French
the
Laugel,
climbing,
next
Glacier
TRAINED
ARE
the
on
advantage
do
to
was
something
particularly interesting.
This
does
not
unattractive.
and
or
the
is
itself.
the
only,
Mont
the
to
this
vast
their
grandeur.
We
had
and
six
or
Dolent,
the
original
miles
seven
returning
to
country,
miles
glacial
with
ice
the
Chamonix
than
bigger
seven
intention
up
most
Mer-de-Glace
much
being nearly
proper,
guide,
Blanc
famous
it is very
fact,
the
of
one
Mont
enclosing
this
walk
the
peaks
in
no
it is
contrary
many
is
glacier mentioned
the
glaciers in
In
Mer-de-Glace
terrific
of
the
preferred by
Ice-Sea
and
to
On
of all the
wonderful
that
mean
long,
river
us
a
porter
simply
was
to
are
the
early
foot
in
the
afternoon.
M.
But
the
excitement
I went
were
and
Laugel
to
of
the
had
mountain-lust.
the
climbing
window
far
and
above
the
looked
out.
disappearing, leaving only
it
was
cold.
It
is
10:
He
the
strange
deep
this
wanted
glaciers.
The
clouds
azure
difference
blue,
of
TO
HOW
104
temperature. We
were
the
quaint villageof
the
August
sun,
ALPINIST
AN
BECOME
only a two hours' climb above
in
basking*peacefully
Argentiere,
but here
Lognan
at
it
ably
uncomfort-
was
chilly.
"
he
I will ask
thinks
of
of
Simond, proprietor
chalet,what
the
doing something classique,"said
our
Laugel.
is in the
Henry Simond, guide and hotel proprietor,
full vigour of manhood
and one
of the most intelligent
I
men
walked
ever
with.
predicament
our
with
"
volunteered
he
Laugel explained
M.
When
immediately
go
us.
We
moraine
can
the
cross
leading up
to the Glacier de
Glacier
the
by
the
between
Trient; from
Glacier du Tour
d' Argentiere to
latter
the latter
the Col du
Tour
we
villageof Argentiereby the villageof
Five
glaciersand three mountain
feet in one
10,000
day !
What
it is the
interested
about
me
du
Chardonnet
to the Fenetre
glacierand
may
and
the
Chardonnet,"
du
Crossingby the Col
then climb
we
Saleinoz,
de Saleinoz,a pass
Glacier du
to
Glacier
"
said M. Simond.
In
to
the
to the
pass
descend
on
the
Tour."
above
passes
this excursion
was
that
for Chamonix
reputed training-ground
passing one
encounters
a
littleof
guides.
everything rock,
"
and
moraine, steep ice,steeper snow,
crevasses
glacier,
bergschrunds. Years ago it was
through here porters
taken
were
by guides the latter actingas tourists
if the porters succeeded
in taking these official
and
then they
judges satisfactorily
through the difficulties,
"
received
their brevets.
"
106
TO
HOW
the
of
could
one
the
and
beyond,
AN
ALPINIST
ice-fall and
giant
ArgentiereGlacier,the toweringpeaks
the
stars
glowing with exceptional
window
seracs
BECOME
the
see
brilliance.
At
o'clock
two
with
ice-axes,and
shouldered
we
sacks, took
our
behind
porter trailing
our
our
followed
lightof his alpinelantern. The cold
was
biting,but fortunatelyin dressingI executed the
old mountain
under my
trick of plastering
newspapers
outer
which act as a warm
clothing,
protectionin the
when
early morning and which can be thrown
away
Simond
and
the
beats
sun
We
the
climbed
in about
to
wiser.
the
The
slowly
snow.
steadily,reaching the ice
and
For
a
short distance
we
went
giant moraine on our rightand then
the guide consideringit
moraine
itself,
the
moraine
frozen
tight.
coatingof
ice which
was
the
upon
half-hour.
one
with
parallel
took
down
steepand
was
On
dark
all the rocks
made
them
very
was
and
everything
a
verglas,
slippery.
It
thin
was
placeto fall,however, and we went very cautiously,
and then snow
gulliesalso covered with
crossingnow
verglas,which necessitated cutting steps. If this ice
coatinghad been on a citypavement there would have
with the conbeen persons tumbling and broken
tinual
arms,
cry of danger. In the mountains, however, no
for
a rule is killed in reallydangerous passages,
as
one
precautionis taken to guard againstaccidents;
every
one
moreover,
gets hardened to danger,and walking on
ice-coated
a
ledges,where one false step would mean
of 150 feet,incites no fear.
tumble
Interesting is
the adjective
the French
apply to such places.
no
"
"
WHERE
Once
above
glacier.It
ARE
GUIDES
the
seracs
entire surface
covered
was
107
down
againon to the
at this pointand the
minute
ice crystals.
went
mile wide
justone
was
we
TRAINED
with
In the
moonlight the crystalsflashed all colours of the
spectrum, and coming from millions of ice-diamonds
the spectaclewas
I have never
unusual.
seen, in fact,
much
colour before or since that night. It was
so
about
3
The
a.m.
view
Chardonnet
Aiguilles
and
fee*
12,799
On
magnificent.
was
and
the
left
the
were
feet
Argentiere,rising12,543
the
respectively,
white
summits
bathed
in moonbeams,
presentinga strange contrast
against
the very deep azure
of the starlit sky. Further
on
was
the Tour
Noire, 12,608 feet,and straightup the glacier,
Mont
towered
three miles or more,
Dolent, 12,566 feet
above
A
the
sea.
those
who
specimens that
have
tourists,even
fine
amethysts
great many
glacier. To
the
right,at
found
are
do
climb,
not
here, and
about
often
pick
up
tumbled
down
on
the head
of the
valley,stands
to the
flat
de Triolet,12,727 feet,from the summit
of
Aiguille
look straightdown
which one
on
pleting
Italy; and commay
the arc to the rightare Les Courtes, Les Droites,
and lastlythe great Aiguille
Verte, 13,540 feet,so steep
this side that wet snow
will scarcelyclingto the rock.
on
It is one
of the maddest
in the Alps. When
precipices
the
I
in Chamonix
was
guide to
for
a
He
agreed to
make
pay
I
was
told that
this climb
the
from
guide one
they succeeded, two
they failed,and one thousand
a
climber
the
asked
Argentiereside.
thousand
hundred
had
dollars
dollars
dollars to
his
in
vided
procase
family if
HOW
io8
they never
they
BECOME
TO
I have
back.
came
ALPINIST
AN
not heard
since whether
went.
Dodging
the steep moraine
donnet
on
leadingup
condition
frozen
we
crossed
the
the
rightof
the Glacier du Char-
the
col of the
crevasses,
to
moraine
of the
climb
feet,which
to the Col du
is the lowest
same
The
rocks
from
Just before
rear.
Chardonnet,
took
name.
loose
kept
tumbling and upsettingthose in the
going on to the ice we breakfasted.
The
and
glacier
or
10,978
pass,
depressionbetween
the
peaks
d'Argentiereand du Chardonnet, we reached without
even
being roped, although owing to verglasit was
of steps in the glacier.
to cut a largenumber
necessary
Once
out
on
over
the col
steep rocks
and
photograph, which
demand
pass,
that
to
succeeded
I climbed
Simond
in
gettingan
has since been
esting
inter-
in considerable
by my alpinefriends. On the other side of
the steepestsnow-slope I had
however, was
time
ever
this snow,
back
with
halted,and
we
on
our
encountered, and
descend
steps.
we
either had
rocks,
precipitous
There
was
told,is
no
other
or
the
at
to take
else turn
way.
The
and is
degrees,
is in good condition.
attempted only when the snow
them
both together
We had two ropes and attached
in order to have the greatestprotectionpossible.The
porter went first,with his face turned inward and his
body leaningagainst the snow-slope,the ice-axe being
the pickend beingburied.
flat againstthe snow,
When
all the rope between
us
was
payed out I followed in the
the upper part of the rope almost scratching
same
position,
while the end leadingto the porter was
nose,
my
snow-
slope,I
have
been
about
70
I III-: GLACIER
OX
ifter
having
descended
SALEIXOZ
DI-;
the
slope
snow
seen
in distance.
ifrW*-
i.()!)Ki\";
"".".
rii'ni"
va-l
iii-i:\si
--now
I."
lis
"
I"
"
D.nni,
"
i
it
i
\i
iiik
i i\i
towards
and
\.r
I
I.
In
air
"
iki-;
hi:
I'niill d"-\nirr.
sai.kixox
I'lino,
GUIDES
WHERE
between
taut
feet
I
doing I
was
my
legs.
hat
almost
directlybelow
once
of
streams
hissingsnow.
guide Simond
us
all in
would
have
chance
into the
of
also into the holes made
succeeded
without
from
in
his hands
that
steps broke
snow
In
in
dent
acci-
an
at the bottom
always
France
bother
I think
us.
there
poverty,
has
sowed
valets
Above
brothers
the
and
was
or
twice
were
feet,but
we
Saleinoz
de
heart-throbs.
our
had
we
Custom
almost
be
wipe
crossed
French
some
no
if I could
greed
cigars
officers
willingto
out
corruptionwhich
to
live
mind
of my
mankind
plainsbelow, and
propertied classes as gendarmes
broadcast
of
Custom
the
the
Glacier
the
I had
I should
snow
everlasting
the
under
Chardonnet
du
to Switzerland.
pocket.,but
my
on
much
increasingvery
soon
freezing. Once
from
away
Col
for the feet and
were
getting down
crossingthe
in this
had
is
there
snow-slopes. Laugel began by putting his
cryingout
the
all four
down, probably
gone
exists
place and
steep
so
up, and
all have
should
we
little
to hold
tumbled
snow
holdinganother
bergschrund which
such
hands
of
his
took
one
for in
down,
gone
occurred
Had
his
the
possible
above
firmly anchored
allowed.
see
took
constant
it was
long as
to
between
then
down
sent
mishap. Finallyhe
of
case
much
not
As
remained
slippingwas
no
me.
my
the top of his
porterwas
Laugel
slopehe
the
on
down
look
to
put
to
porter,and
the
by
of the
see
109
necessary
forced
was
All I could
place,and
was
the holes made
exactlyin
what
It
legs.
my
TRAINED
ARE
into the
such
and
officers.
3000
and
man
metres,
it is said in France, all
deals franklv with
man.
The
men
are
vermin
HOW
no
of
the
TO
human
BECOME
AN
ALPINIST
rarely climb
race
into
these
high
altitudes.
After
walking about
reached
we
Fenetre
the
a
snow
was
a
stuck
to the
heard
and
de Saleinoz,10,856 feet,so
somewhat
a
rocks
window.
half in the
a
the
called because
the
ridge of
summit
resembles
Simond, who
rock.
and
snow
the
on
the
crossed
we
the
bringingup
start.
some
coming
snow
out!"
"Watch
!
"
We
braced
the
steep
first,
went
bergschrund and
saw
a
small
cried, "there
I
I
Suddenly
rear.
sound above, and lookingup
hissing
avalanche
snow
to
Projectingthrough
the ascent, I
began
mile
steep snow-slope leading up
leadingthrough
pass
a
is
waited.
ourselves and
the snow
to watch
forming in balls
fascinating
down
at tremendous
and rolling
velocity.Fortunately
ball seemed
aimed
rocks.
it picked up no
One
at
Laugel. As it arrived he planted his toes in the middle
it so that it passed on either side. The
of it,splitting
had nothingdangerous about
it and similar
avalanche
are
ones
constantly occurring on such snow-slopes.
It
was
Sometimes, however, when
is very
bad,
crushed
and
a
Near
by
eternal
Dent
and
in the
masses.
swift-rolling
at the
view
What
and
and
in the green
most
haze
men
on
the
Grand
snow
buried
picked up,
Swiss side !
Combin,
distance
of the
one
covered
could
great peaks
see
between
Rosa, includingthe great
Matterhorn,
was
are
of the
Fenetre.
in the
Monte
the
even
had
the
and
Blanche
peak
we
was
snow,
Weisshorn
condition
stones
lunched
We
the
the Val
at
Zermatt.
Below
with
the
the
cipitous
preus
Ferrat, through which
Playing
with
Death
XI
When
I
considerably
was
Blanc, without
It is
a
guides,
circumstances,
without
Europe
takes
two,
to
try
anyway,
to
begin
guides
in
the
but
conscious
with
that
such
for
nine-tenths
just
this
It
with
M.
M.
of
scaling
to
rope
Beaujard,
going,
alone
"
"
might
better
own
my
in the
well say
as
the
to
best
their
guides by
for
even
against
I determined
is contrary
climbing
up
said
Mont
Well,
Come
you
this.
H.
judgment,
mountains
in
occur
over
when
the
who
he
him
above
crags
him
I asked
was
quite unconcernedly
was
only
de
forced
shoot
he
to
arbalete.
an
thinking
was
that
he
"
I said.
was
going
Blanc.
have
along,"
*
M.
plenty
he
said;
Beaujard
"5
of nerve!
"
died
two
in
are
191
1.
la
Aiguille
with
where
the
was
famous
which
I
photographer,
Chamonix
J. Beaujard,*
accomplish
dinner
before
Just
climbed
ever
Republique,
M.
I
else
everyone
and
me
risks.
Tairraz, the
came
who
person
of the
deaths
like
happened
in
the
of the
when
way.
talking
when
is
and
syndicate,
allured
in Central
mountain
day
one
is forbidden
alpine traditions,
own
highest
project
Mont
climb
favourable
under
undertaking
the
to
day.
one
climb
to
I tried
younger
in
enough
crazy
DEATH
WITH
PLAYING
safer
than
one.
n6
HOW
TO
I have
plenty
of rope
BECOME
AN
and
the
ALPINIST
climb
won't
cost
anything."
Under
ordinarycircumstances climbingMont
is rather expensive. The guidescost ioo francs
you
Blanc
and
the
porter 50; besides,sleepingand
Mulets,
The
the
feet above
10,000
idea
of
climbing for
eating at the Grands
sea, is expensive.
nothing, therefore,was
attractive.
"
"
If you
meet
II
decide
the
at
me
go,"
to
of
statue
continued
De
M.
Saussure
Beaujard,
to-nightat
o'clock."
As
I
I had
away,
change
my
As
time.
staying
was
justtime
clothes
I sat
to catch
to
get
Bossons,
the
back
distance
some
train,eat dinner and
Chamonix
to
in
good
waiting for the hour
Blanc, frigidand desolate,was
the cafe terrace
on
of rendezvous, Mont
crowned
Les
at
twinklingstars, while down below, across
the Glacier des Bossons, the lightsof the Chalet des
Pyramids gleamed ever so faintly
through the blackness.
Suddenly the huge,powerfulfigureof Beaujard appeared,
the
and
leaningagainstthe De Saussure monument,
hour
with
to
start
had
arrived.
Shoulderingour
axes
we
While
struck
into the
out
all Chamonix
rest, started
any
knapsacks
night
turningto
was
on
and
our
Mont
with
more.
Blanc
must
not
we
Pointue.
two, without
expedition. Besides
crazy
exceed
for Pierre
bed
carryingprovisionsfor two days,and
tripods,M. Beaujard had 150 feet
carried alternately.The maximum
on
ice-
gripping our
20
each with
a camera
of rope, which
load
lbs. and
for
we
a
we
porter
started
PLAYING
WITH
M.
Beaujard asked me
magnitude of the task
the
silentlyin
the
into
fade
on
the air grew
as
the pace.
set
ahead
of
us
for this
every
reason
climbed
without
colder Chamonix
could
already above
the dark, dank
It blended
until
not
was
had
we
the
slumbers
frozen
the
presented
cabin
the
at
however,
crags,
that
one
two
but
hours
was
Aiguilledu
the
there
we
then
one
is not
"
we
decided
to
and
where
water
Midi.
are
One
snow
still
their
while
places,
were
fell he
supposed
breakfast
we
go
considerable
fairlygood path, which
and
to
Pierre
at
were
steadilyat
stumbled
one
avalanches, which
when
day, and we were
l'Echelle.
Leaving to
were
would
fall.
to
littlebut often in the mountains
eats
there
planned
difficulties. There
no
if
a
attention to these avalanche
day
the
stop. We
to
onwards
stillon
were
long way,
As
from
see
tried to
we
nearly there
inhabitants
it is true, where
where
with
were
Pierre
from
pushed
we
We
speed.
every
maculat
im-
pines,and,
the first sign of
whatever
Pointue,
a
we
time
no
glacierat
distance
some
go
to
its outline.
distinguish
But
on
seemed
below
the stars.
Pointue.
it
halting,
once
forgettingthe valley slumbering below,
ahead
to see
piercethe gloomy shadows
and
climbed
we
the sky was
night mists. Above
clear,so limpid,in fact,that one could
were
Pierre
Owing to
of
particle
the
beyond
We
117
darkness, for talking interferes with
breathing. Steadilywe
and
to
conserved, and
was
energy
DEATH
about
"
in
a
place
sheltered
continuallytumbling
has
to
pay
considerable
late
paths,especially
is melting.
off
in the
HOW
n8
Soon
TO
BECOME
went
out
It
the
the ice.
on
was
of the most
one
The
AiguillesRouges
red
and
deep violet.
If
see
was
before
of Mont
have
The
could
one
ever
a
One
liar.
being hard
snow
and
Glaciers
Bossons
crevassed
has been
advances
des
the
more
than
one
Blanc
Mont
this
at
reached
soon
of
part
and
up
accident
together,as
and
hidden
we
were,
for it is sometimes
alone
to
Bernese
Taconnaz,
Mont
made
we
Jonction
"
of the
the
most
Blanc.
here, but
as
There
the
season
the
across
by crawling over
on
one's
present littledifficulties.
be careful,for there
always must
over
"
guides place ladders
and knees these passages
snow-bridges
snow-clad
early hour
the
de
route
difficult crevasses,
one
Still,
the
see
distinctly.
so
rapid progress
person
called him
on
Buet,
Oberland
hands
an
Lake Geneva, for the
beyond, far across
perfectlylimpid. It is nearly always this way
Behind us, lookingin the direction
bad weather.
could
most
mornings imaginable.
were
pink and gold,and
the valley of Chamonix
artist had painted these
across
critics would
real colours
wonderful
mountains
snow
the
two
ALPINIST
sky began to grow bluer,and re-shouldering
baggage we quickly passed Pierre l'Echelle and
our
air
AN
us
numerous
Climbing only
crevasses.
forced
are
to double
this precaution,
practically
impossiblefor one
pullanother
out
of
a
crevasse,
ally
especi-
injuredby the fall and partlydisabled.
We
Jonction safely,however, and
passed the
soon
were
climbing the snow-slopesleading up to the
box lids in the
wooden
Mulets.
Grands
Finding some
added this firewood to our already ponderous
we
snow,
if he be
"
"
HOW
120
not
back,
turn
became
TO
slower
AN
ALPINIST
they expected,but
as
and
slower.
We
our
progress
alreadynearly
were
feet.
13,000
What
M.
is the
of
use
Beaujard said
remained
we
BECOME
records
hurrying!
it did not
above, and
there
as
to him
matter
we
tryingto
not
were
how
long
break
the
why we should not spend
night if necessary at the Refuge Vallot justunder
Bosses des Dromadaire.
Consequently we drove
our
ice-axes into the
the
rest.
The
day
wonderful
no
went
reason
snow
and
sat
on
the flat blades to
as
we
sat
and
perfect,
was
I
panorama
if we
even
was
was
satisfied with
higher. Far
no
away
gazingat
the
adventure,
our
below
us
spread
Geneva, and
more
againstthe hoiizon were
mountains
risingskyward with unsullied grandeur.
is constantly confronted
Down
in the valley one
Lake
out
snow
with
among
imperfectionsof
giganticice-seracs
the
has not
man
and
blunders
the
meddled,
one
and
has the
eternal
sense
Here,
man.
where
snow
of the
sublimity
of Nature.
ice-axes for ever
to sit on our
possible
re-shouldered our heavy sacks,which were
we
becoming
heavier every moment
owing to the rarefied air and the
made
and
which
climbing so difficult,
deep soft snow
turning to the rightbegan the ascent of the snow-slope
leading up towards the rocks where the Refuge Vallot
As it was
not
is chained.
during a
"
slope seemed
short halt M.
Here, don't
roughly.
When
This
It
he got
was
on
do
interminable.
off to
Beaujard dropped
that,"
with
some
I cried out,
trouble
his feet he realized what
I
Once
sleep.
shaking him
roused
had
him.
happened
O
s
o
WITH
PLAYING
and
said
in the
these littlenaps
At
last
14,310
feet above
place I have
and
cans
blankets
and
in
with the
help of
heat
to melt
being
cost
such
us
warm
The
and
bunk
"
pulledover
is
There
said M.
on
a
as
"
a
fire started,
gave
driven
to
boon.
the wind
enough
there
use,
We
was
crawled
had
were
too
risingand
with
into the horrible
all the blankets
make
trying to
use
no
were
both
us
Beaujard.
we
could
the top
Besides, there is
too
find.
to-day,"
much
wind
the Bosses."
It is
these
over
reached, and
If
as
bitter cold, we
came
we
got
we
the stove,
out
least
at
us
came
tired to eat much, and,
it
dug
the
As
firewood, therefore,which
effort
an
in snow,
condition.
littlepetrolsoon
a
which
water.
no
buried
was
and
to work
not
snow,
stove
rocks,
dirtiest
the
about
was
slowly
the
spikedto
indescribable
an
and
snow
food littered the floor,and
went
if it did
which
The
half -eaten
were
It
of
ending.
harder
sea.
121
refuge. Many
no
littlecabin
seen.
hungry, we
were
the
ever
have
some
refuge,a
to the
the
to
on
snow
struck
we
mounted
tin
push
must
we
DEATH
has
one
in
caught
the
under
these
be careful not
to
wind
the
the
slantinglybelow
across
precipitousslopes the
snow-slopes.
comfortable
had
eithei I
or
to
With
three
is not
conditions
not
of the
think
is
blown
off.
to be
guides usually
ridge
summit
take
tourists
Bosses, slantingly
on
the cord
necessarilyfatal.
of what
might
have
a
slip
It is
happened
this steep
Beaujard slippedwhile crossing
slope.
Cold
and
be remembered
tired, we
made
that
had
we
ready
not
to
sleep
It must
sleptthe night before.
HOW
122
Outside
TO
the wind
blasts.
Had
wintered
whole
whether
the air
It
and
filled with
have
might
we
it
whether
say
refuge had
the
the frosted window
From
shanty.
was
the
to ruminate
snowing
was
dense
clouds
of
drift.
snow-
Mr
were
G. M'Corkin-
the fate of the Rev.
and
or
dozing,I
gloom increasing. Half
on
Randall
dale,Mr
that
furious
evident,however, that the clouds
was
thickeningand
began
in
shrieking
of hurricanes
seasons
impossibleto
was
ALPINIST
and
known
not
in this
AN
moaning
came
we
felt insecure
it
BECOME
Bean, who, with three guides
five porters, lost their way
Mont
on
and
Blanc
perished.
I
Suddenly
heard
in the
out
however,
Scratching
steep snow-slopebelow
the
away
the
tryingto
out
through
the
party
the
refuge.
I have
the
reach
the
was
a
never
mist
saw
wind
like
and
four
an
cry,
such
a
the
to
the
on
small
a
and
snow
figuresloomed
apparition.
Exhausted, they made
woman.
seen
jumped
frost, I
refuge. The
snow
I
The
ridge of the Bosses
fightingagainst the
caravan
get chilled.
and
repeated distinctly,
was
window.
and
the blankets
wishing to leave
I waited, not
and
blinding snow,
possibl
im-
It seemed
call.
someone
In
for
sight in the mountains.
ill with mountain
Every one of the party of four were
sickness,which may be likened to mal-de-mer,and under
the
circumstances, naturally thinking only
they
its windows
soon
closed
made
of
selves,
them-
staying in the littlecabin with
practically
impossible. M. Beaujard
and
I went
The
sick party got
outside
in
no
spiteof the wind
better,and
to
for fresh
cap
air.
the climax
PLAYING
announced
that
WITH
DEATH
123
fatiguedto continue,and
proposed spending the night at the refuge.
Here was
a nice pickle. The
questionwas what to
do, as it was
alreadygettinglate,and just under the
summit
of Mont
Blanc is no place to sleep outdoors.
We had decided earlier in the day to spend the night at
the refuge,and the day followingto move
about
freely
Mont
on
they were
Blanc
jard wanted
too
de Gouter,
the Dome
and
some
specially
of the
photos
M.
as
Beau-
Aiguillede
Bionassay.
There
"
is
nothing
"
Beaujard, chagrined,
Gathering
downwards
towards
and
Mulets
leading.
wanted
with
its
before
We
had
We
We
dark.
else do
I had
our
decided
before met
Blanc, taking care
Beaujard
either to make
:
to pass the
get
the
attempt
of
Jonction
off the
ice
latter.
descending Mont
amateurs
plant their
to
Grands
there,which neither
utmost
to
M.
up,
bridges and
ice
and
crevasses
roped
and remain
Mulets
turned
Plateau, the
alternatives
only two
do, or
to
Where
Grand
the
M.
that
quickly."
belongings,therefore,we
Chamonix.
for the Grands
us
our
up
and
retreat," said
but
do
to
feet in the
footprints
leading guide,M. Beaujard and I passed
done by leaning slightly
making glissades.This was
made
on
the
by
ice-axes
our
and
digging our
slide in
slopes,lettingourselves
Being on
each
at
way
the rope, however,
other up,
the
same
As
it
to
was
go,
as
it
was
time and
were
a
at the
snow-
continuallyjerking
us
both
to slide
speed.
same
and
into the
half-erect posture.
impossiblefor
gettingdark
M.
we
heels
we
stillhad
Beaujard suggested
that
a
we
very
long
unrope.
HOW
124
This
were
no
one
BECOME
AN
ALPINIST
violation of alpinecustom
flagrant
; but then
responsibleto no one, and in case of accident
be to blame.
would
As M. Beaujard had the
the heavy
photographicapparatus, I wound
was
we
TO
a
heavier
rope around
shoulder
my
down
began sliding
and
we
waist,and, separated,
the steep
slopesmuch
faster
than
before.
but both of us
Undoubtedly it was foolhardy,
Now
in the exhilarating
excitement.
forgotour fatigue
and then we saw
quicklybelow us a yawning crevasse.
The first to see it called out, and by braking with the
ice-axe we pulledup in our mad
descent justabove the
brink.
With
around
way
some
and
Places
in
we
reconnoitring
quicklybegan again the
that took
few minutes.
a
with
death
and
found
little
It
us
was
with
a
slide downwards.
to ascend
hours
skill each
the
snatch
we
vibratingsensation
strength and
victory. After passingthe Grand
rapiddescent began to attract attention.
our
below
of
to the Grands
Mulets
could
we
see
the lower
at
thought we
refugetold
afterwards
me
passed
to
play
time
to
Plateau
Looking
small group
a
spectatorsrapidlygettinglarger. Some
were
the
guideswho
that they
descendingto report a fatal accident,
and
that everyone
expected,owing to the mad speed
we
were
making, to see us disappear into a crevasse.
the cook
Before we got oppositethe Grands Mulets even
I felt I was
had joined the surprisedgroup.
making
a
fine
reputationas
thrown
was
were
to
to
the wind
a
with
get off the ice
make
Chamonix
place
was
in time
closed.
We
reputationwas
prodigality.The game
dark
and
if possible
to
but
casse-cou,
rare
before
to eat
almost
and
drink
before every
tobogganed past
the
Rock
Climbing
the
on
de
Plan
Praz
Clochetons
XII
ROCK
CLIMBING
ON
DE
Getting
granite needle
take
for
the
granted
To
make
upset
froze
risk
to
bad
fine
as
In
weather.
docile
themselves
avenge
all his
himself
innumerable
fog
would
more
these
This
next
comes
have
two
it is very
inexperienced
1
point
after
intuition
climber
the
victims.
are
often
and
has
go
under
to
on,
and
similar
I
the
Many
already
in the
divine
that
in
time.
amateurs
convinced
The
to
steps
back
am
the
two
circumstances,
get killed.
129
are
strength
to
turn
long experience.
a
get ugly they
where
One
and
fatal
is
Alps by
descending
once
fatal.
cold
ensuing struggle
In
than
more
proved
easy,
mountains
elements
to
It
in the
skill,his daring
of
steps
only
this
without
that
a
In
intense
joining involuntarily
from
caravan
I reached
the
be
The
ice-axes.
our
the
when
could
minute
the
to
to
is.
storm
down.
every
overtaken
being
fiercely.
alpinist requires
prevent
to
a
is taken
only
settling
weather
but
lambs,
as
down
way
owing
repeatedly
great imprudence
alpine
an
was
and
It
courage.
threatening
blasts
equilibrium,
our
fingers
our
rapidly
climbing
is sufficient
sea
what
the
worse
icy
the
anyone's
knows
night
in
blew
gale
reader
while
above
of
matters
and
guessed
feet
out
PRAZ
snowstorm
a
8000
starch
the
PLAN
in
caught
CLOCHETONS
THE
now
for the
only apology
BECOME
TO
HOW
130
imprudence is that we
photographs, as the Clochetons
for such
a
and
camera,
late,we
too
On
new
some
before had
never
faced
rather
the weather
and then, almost
pictures,
careful and dangerousretreat.
failure. I got the
admit
than
after
were
with
took chances
we
ALPINIST
AN
the
began
Backbone
the
of
Red
the
the backbone
Needles
of the
Rouges,
Aiguilles
These particular
three pinof Chamonix.
north-west
nacles,
tons
which have been named
by guides the Clochelie against the skyde Plan Praz, or bell-turrets,
line
and the Aiguille
de Charlonoz,
between the Brevent
We
and
were
on
the
tourists to
Plan
Hotel
Praz
by going directlybehind
them
and
looking up
something
feet.
1200
like the prongs
begin with, the
To
the
From
of
a
for weeks
weather
peasants in the valleyof Chamonix
was
the worst
in the memory
Mont
around
guides, who
and
during
the
state
of
their
callingand
rain
or
despair.
minding
matt, where
season,
to
season
to pay
been
been
bad.
season
of the
Many
man.
not
had
done
at
live all winter, were
in
of them
actuallyhad
could
be
diggingpotatoes in
cows
seen
the mountain
on
en
home.
One
a
abandoned
side.
At
the
Zer-
pension during the climbing
had
weather
big
all,
sufficient money
Some
their hotel bills and
get back
they look
said the
making
on
guides stay
the bad
had
proved
of them, it is said,did not
many
to
count
short
of
Blanc
distance
picklefork.
a
Old
climbs
distinguish
mountain
auberge
may
had
make
so
disastrous
that
sufficient money
to be assisted
financially
afternoon, however, after
CLOCHETONS
three weeks
DE
PLAN
waiting,the weather
PRAZ
131
prospects brightened,
and
hurriedlyM. Haro, of Paris, and myself,with the
guides,Jules Burnet and Emile Ducroz, of Chamonix,
left for Plan
the best of it. We
to make
do
to
Praz, a two-hours'
the
they had
had
never
been
photographed.
English crag climbers, I believe,would
paradise. We
arrived at Plan
and
amiable
while
for
us
our
ham
a
with
the
a
the
makers,
needles
lure
was
more
looked
one
AiguillesRouges has
it is small
have
a
I studied
and
interesting
they became.
As
been
wonder
that
they
thrown
were
at close range
the whole
alpinists.As I have
stated
chain
ignored by mapthese three granite
by Nature
up
chef
the Clochetons
easilyforgotten,and
not
are
for dinner,
veritable
escaped particularattention.
however, they
believe
which
Haro
telescope. The
more
of
in time
Praz
their
find here
host, in his kitchen, executed
omelette
d'ceuvre,Monsieur
climbed
been
attractingconsiderable attention
and
cragsmen,
decided,ifit proved possible,
because
before,were
only once
from
Clochetons
climb above, determined
on
Once
one
seen,
might
to
purpose
before
publiclythese
AiguilleRouges, yet so little known, offer particular
inducements
to climbers.
Being imperfectlyexplored
there are still virginpinnaclesamong
them, and even
those which
in
a
does
have
variety of
not
cabins, for
Hotel, and
have
near
new
to
climbed
once
In the
ways.
sleep out
the foot of the
further north
Flegere,where
reasonable
been
one
and
prices,
a
be done
second
again
place,one
dirty, uncomfortable
is the
aiguilles
the mountain
rind
may
in
may
Plan
Praz
aubcrgeof the
excellent,simplefood
clean bed
in which
to
at
sleep.
132
HOW
As most
climbers
BECOME
TO
go for
ALPINIST
AN
pleasureand
for
not
glory,it is
comfortingto think of leavingthe hotel at four or five
in the morning, instead of midnight,and returningto
Chamonix
climb
for
bath
a
Praz, which
Plan
From
a
in time
rest before
already6772
is
than
of little more
and
high, it
is
to the foot of the
hour
one
feet
dinner.
Clochetons.
Start
The
had
We
and
in
fact
In
we
lazy that we did not get
next
morning, and it was
later
we
had
needed, we
minutes
du
towards
the summit
comfortable
and
o'clock the
seven
this unnecessary
our
the
nearly all
crags,
which
path
of the Brevent
the couloir
splitboulders
large rocks
for
Where
taking to
with
started until
ordinary route
Brevent.
so
were
feet of rope,
struck out
the
cigars,
delay which
for.
to pay
Carrying 400
and
in order to be fresh for the
bed
early to
morning.
next
Needles
excellent dinner, good wine
an
turned
the
for
and
the Club
on
the
of which
followingfor
leads up
doubles
Pass
we
to
back
On
Alpin Frangais have
fifteen
the Col
again
left the footpath,
right,which
tufts of grass.
was
some
had
is filled
of the
painted
which
red arrows
point the way, probably, to the
other uninteresting
Pointe des Vioz, or
some
place,
for the rightdirection we
and mistaking these arrows
climbed to the top of the ridgeto find ourselves deceived
to the route.
as
Swearing in patois at the French
Club, which is gettingfamous for such tricks,the guides
turned on their steps,causingus to descend more
than
134
HOW
TO
of time
would
be
there
central
immobile, exposed
descended
between
on
the
the
Pinnacle
No.
i,
side
obelisk
central
and
is
is overshadowed
walls of
on
use
around
three
a
is
passage
pinnaclepresents no
this
sides
reachingthe summits.
of the cord climbingeither No. 2
impossible.
Narrow
platform
This
is
wise
a
by perpendicular
began
Without
or
caution.
pre-
platform, where
granitefiftyto sixtyfeet high, we
A
passed
3, which
No.
of the rope
reached
try elsewhere.
to
sheltered.
the
for perhaps
therefore,and
for
The
to
main
re-
ing
remain-
my
icy wind,
an
and
the foot of the northern
difficulty,
although the
Once
having
one
to
to descend
Chamonix
sufficiently
large
around
ALPINIST
this necessitated
as
hours, I decided
two
outside
AN
painful. I went up thinkingto
photograph Haro while he climbed
obelisk,but
there
We
to
BECOME
No.
paration
pre-
the
3 is
use
utterly
Escape
work, consequently,was
to
get ropes
over
some
of ropeAfter several minutes
protruding knobs.
successful in
throwing the guides apparently were
landing a rope on the third obelisk and getting hold
of both ends.
It seemed
solid enough, and Haro
said
he was
however,
willingto risk it. As a precaution,
both guides put their weight on it.
Without
a
warning it began to give. There was
Gare a la pierre!
Scarcely had we got out
cry:
under when
from
a
giant slab which had pulled loose
came
crashingdown to the very spot where we stood
"
a
moment
"
before.
*-.
"
01
.Q
"
This
will not
well
ropes
northern
Ducroz
and
wind
get the
To
the
reclimb
to
the summit, throw
in shelter while
I remained
to the summit
of No.
it
Throw
feet of rope.
so
was
135
ropes
two."
returned
of hundred
"
necessary
from
pinnacle and,
Haro
PRAZ
do," said Burnet.
it will be
over
the other
over
PLAN
DE
CLOCHETONS
with
1
and
Burnet
couple
a
the
they might
as
strong that it blew back againtowards
them,
useless againstthe granitewall.
falling
chien!
d'un
Nom
Sapristi! and similar
exclamations
split the air at each failure. After
"
"
minutes
the end
of the rope, but
to crack
lines
both
over
the
on
No.
Clocheton
northern
by
obelisk and
nearly frozen, having
over
hour, they
an
tryingto
as
drink
and
should
not
made
climbers
from
their
behind
point
one
be
not
who
must
godsend
is
To
pass
side.
between
Clocheton, working around
to
or
route
To
the
a
were
small
their
fingers
bottle,which,
the
amateurs
English
the
for
alpinists.
to
higher than
interested
the Diosaz
afterwards
Thermos
a
in the
is seen
scalded
attempted by
wills.
are
on
a
Clocheton
central
and
direct from
tea
or
exposed positionfor
an
down
came
first
accomplished
Ducroz
in
been
already suggested,is
The
and
Burnet
As
the first time.
feat
a
getting
ing
Keep-
3.
the
chimney, which
accompanying photographs,
in
No.
climbed
1, Haro
the
for the heaviest
succeeded
fortyminutes
central
tied to
was
ing
ricochets threaten-
guides called
the
guides
stone
a
this made
as
skulls the
our
after about
rope, and
effort
of wasted
several
"
"
who
American
up
get
other
to
central
the
two
have
rock
spireis
this vantage
and
third
saddle,or project-
136
HOW
ing ledge,where
does not
a
is safe
one
With
move.
AN
ALPINIST
enough
astride
the aid of
reach
climber,however, is alone and
the
on
thrown
rope
across
Once
breath.
reach
To
on
unseen,
summit
the
repeated,only this time with
into
place
for the
guidesare
of the pinnacleholding the end
the ledge one may halt to get his
oppositeside
of the rope.
thrown
a
providedhe
ledge some
twenty feet higher it is possible
this ledge without
great difficulty.The
narrow
to
BECOME
TO
before
the
same
different set
a
climb
the
is
process
of ropes
started.
It
was
throwingthese ropes in place,from the summit of No. 1,
has been explained before, that caused
much
as
so
trouble.
It goes without
saying that only the best
alpinerope should be used, and if one does not wish to
take
chances
reserve
The
with
his life it is
servingthe
ropes
same
should
moreover,
ropes,
out
the
over
Clocheton
No.
3
be thrown
of the
This
rope.
every
well
use
first.
the
over
tendency to swing the
a
side
It is
sidered
con-
except with
in coils
be thrown
must
the
as
precipice.
is purely acrobatic.
impossiblefrom
help
precautionto
purpose
ledges,otherwise they will have
climber
wise
a
the
across
by guides on pinnacleNo. 1, so that the end
Once this is done the guidesdescend from
will fallclear.
the summit
No.
1
Here
other.
3 and
climber
the
With
accident
Haro
No.
the
again
each
side of No.
go to the south
while
rope
an
and
here
had
we
been
were
guides and
an
the
mounts
climber
3,
precipitouswall.
are
hidden
insufficient number
would
be
the summit
waiting for
from
in the party
awkward.
very
already to
the
pullingon
a
fog bank
of Clocheton
to
pass
in
DE
CLOCHETONS
order
PLAN
PRAZ
137
photographs showing the scaling
of the perpendicularwall.
It had been spittingsnow
for two hours and it was
intermittently
only by seizing
the proper moment
that there was
any chance of getting
an
to
get
some
impressionon
the
photographicplate.
Winding
This
Haro
time
Sheets
mists
the
were
Mist
of
tenacious,and while
very
and I, with my
roped awaitingthe signal,
of rock
camera
ready, remained
perched on a knob
the snow,
like hard white rice,came
above
a precipice,
hands and face.
On one side
our
down, stinging
pelting
of the ridgewhere we were
the mountain
in a
descended
towards
the valleyof the Diosaz, now
series of precipices
stood
hidden
clouds,while
the
by
valleyof Chamonix
About
vapours.
of the
"
What
through
"
and
in under
are
the
a
a
below
feet below
the
was
full of
flying
the
us, at
foot
Ducroz, stillholding the rope,
rock
the
to escape
there?
doing up
you
south
giantcauldron
hundred
a
crags, Burnet
crawled
had
like
to the
"
icy wind.
shouted
Burnet
vapour.
Wraitingfor
rift in the
a
clouds!
"
repliedHaro
gaily"
Well,
Burnet, who
be
was
caught by
On
see
you
better
watch
bad
his hot
mysteriousmovements
out,"
This is no
grumbled
placeto
weather."
protrudingrock where
to the righttryingto warm
them
"
growing uneasy.
the
Haro
on
had
breath, and
under
I
perched I could
his hands
ing
by blowlooking below I saw
was
the rock
and
divined
that
HOW
138
the
TO
BECOME
AN
guides,half frozen,were
the cognac
themselves
warming
with
bottle.
Suddenly the
the
ALPINIST
Diosaz
shrouds
side
giantClocher
began
of
impenetrablegrey mist on
darken
measurably. The
to
de Plan Praz,
faded away
yards away,
200
in the
pallof gloom, and the snow, instead of takingthe
in myriads of feathered flakes.
shape of rice,began falling
The moaning of the wind among
the crags foreboded evil,
and by carelessness our little party found itselfcaught,
and a half miles high with steep slopeson every side,
one
unwillingwitnesses to this fierce battle of the elements.
Burnet
Ducroz, like marmots,
and
all of
and, instinctively,
cave,
crawled
us
of their
out
prepared quicklyto
descend.
"
is
C'est la tourmente!"
time
no
Haro
"
"
perhapsyou
by
tempest in
the
down
place like
rest of the sentence
the words
direction.
What
it is to get caught
this.
It is
a
long way
beingcarried
I caught was
in the
blurred
was
gale in
off by the
"
whistling
Danger
in steep
snow
"
another
slipperythan ice." All we could
ourselves,rock walls
through the flyingmist was
precipices.In two minutes we had fastened our
grass couloirs
"
more
rucksacks, attached
ourselves
the ice-axes
was
Haro," said the guide,
"
wind,
and
great imprudence!
"
The
see
very
do not realize what
a
"There
Burnet.
"
a
laughed.
can
smile, Monsieur
You
but
This is
to lose!
shouted
began the descent.
frozen,but using the dry
rappel
"
that is to
say
with
Part
reserve
doubling it
the rope, and
of
our
rope
and
rope
as
a
with
already
corde de
re-usingit
re-
HOW
140
TO
BECOME
ALPINIST
AN
guideshad said,a good place to get killed,and it is in
just such placesthat fatal accidents happen each year.
the thick mist
In
I had
mistaken
the
gully,and,
I foughtmy
taking every precautionagainstslipping,
back up again. Trying againnearer
the foot of the
way
Clocher
de
Plan
I
Praz,
found
the
gully I was
looking for, and although it is steep enough, forcing
close attention,it presentedlittle
to pay continuous
one
real danger. I easily
or no
got down to the path leading
towards
the Col d'Anterne, and, taking the opposite
direction, arrived in due
du
and
Brevent
to Plan
than
a
time
descended
Praz.
direct
soon
in
leisurely
on
storm
ragingsnowis longer
route
Chamonix
the
of very
case
of the Col
a
Undoubtedly this
descent
Clochetons, but in
the summit
on
bad
side
weather
of
the
this other
exit is well to know.
Returning to our party, however, the guides preferred
tensely
inside. It was
descending on the Chamonix
cold for August, the lichen being ice-coated and
frost.
covered
with granulated hoar
The
the rocks
terrific,the snow
wind
was
arrivingin squalls. The
projecting,looming pinnacles,as we left the ridge,
in the mist.
seemed
to lean over
Looking below, we
could see our way for a few steps only,and then all was
confused
We
had
mountain,
decided
lost in the clouds.
and
unroped
and
to lose
as
no
on
much
time in
leavingthe
of the
to
be
grass, which, when
his
own
some
was
to leave each
instincts of self-
full of loose
snow-covered, to
of the
frozen, it
was
rope
it,but
readjusting
guided entirelyby
preservation.The gully was
one
backbone
shale
and
minds, is more
DE
CLOCHETONS
slipperythan ice,for
cut
may
"
PRAZ
PLAN
141
at
an
alpinist
ice-slopes
on
least
steps.
Don't
take
"
chances," said Burnet.
any
See
moving." We did
this by drivingthe pointfirmlyin the ground and testing
it before taking each step. Holding the handle the
In case
one's feet slipped
ice-axe served as an anchor.
himself by clinging
to
out from under him he could save
your ice-axe will hold before
whether
his ice-axe.
made
What
he did
justin time
so
with
us
upon
Ducroz
sheltered
is
look back
to
see
bouncingdown
several stones
tremendous
and
velocity. Ducroz
behind
themselves
unimaginable,but
Haro
protruding rocks.
some
ing
Being exposed I simply watched fascinated the oncomstones, ready to dodge to the rightor left as best I
could.
one
They shot past without harm, fortunately,
passingsinginga few inches over Burnet's head.
This is not very amusing," said the guide,yet the
having so littlerespect for our
thought of the mountain
sensibilities made
us
laugh, nevertheless.
in
We
were
exposed probably an hour or more
false step might have been
this steep couloir where
one
"
fatal.
Yet
gave
way
stopped in
"
"
Nom
This
is the
last time
she knows
When
one's life depended
chien!
What
snowstorm.
when
and
relief to catch
d'un
we
than
fell,
although more
evening Plan
in the
Late
one
no
"
he is out
reached
a
became
expect
visible and
we
a
the Plan
swearing mildly.
get caught
to
think
you
in
his ice-axe.
breath.
said Burnet,
I
do
Praz
on
holds
foot-
once
a
man's
wife
tempest like this?
Praz
out
Hotel the
in
a
thinks
'
proprietor
HOW
142
out
came
to
meet
Before
a
however,
besides
having
worse
organizing
bright,
drink,
the
for
saying
us
of
thinking
was
BECOME
TO
warm
life
our
the
soon
fingers
adventure.
AN
that
a
he
ALPINIST
had
been
and
uneasy
search-party.
log-fire
retook
and
its
frost-nipped
something
roseate
we
hot
hue,
were
to
and
none
Needles
the
Among
Red
XIII
AMONG
THE
A
Strange
seem,
there
is in
whole
range
a
yet practically uncharted.
feet, with
chamois
The
glaciers and
has
lies
range
monix,
Mont
between
and
while
the
alpinist who
the
peaks
finger-tips,or
to
perdition, yet
which
So
Blanc
and
the
into
filled with
alpine stories
Grepon,
charming
reddish
unnoticed.
of
or
the
Guides
dangerous
disdain.
Yet
nothing
day
k
the
there
would
among
soil
"
Geneva,
to
granite by his
the
have
du
by
crags
x45
where
Aiguille
that
the
of
reason
fees
treating
more
and
the
passed by almost
big
climbers,
the
Geant,
been
for
centre
hardships
like
called
so
"
please
of
Cha-
themselves
the
peaks
Dent
summits,
these
with
deal
looking
are
of
memories.
delicious
the
world.
alpine excursion
great
Aiguilles Rouges
tinge
the
of
lend
of
haunt
valley
Lake
as
10,000
the
to
the
to
the
ice-slopes leading down
ideal
an
many
the
cling
to
steps
it is
quite
not
may
one
Verte,
whom
of
leaves
alluring dangers
this
snow,
side
of
almost
to
north
wishes
cut
heart
of mountains
Towering
perpetual
the
on
the
properly introduced
be
to
yet
Centre
Alpine
in France
Savoie
Haute
New
it may
as
NEEDLES
RED
and
than
the
one
with
others
many
to
tised
adver-
have
of
spend
still may
them,
a
geous
gorfind
HOW
146
plenty
of
There
its aiguilles
to the greatestadvantage:
and
Buet, which
is uncomfortable
the
ascend;
2966 metres,
the
highestsummit
climb
inferred
they
to
of considerable
that
the
Red
situated
been
Blanc
Mont
attention
in the
Needles
would
and
Belvedere,
It should
not
be
playthings. Had
in close proximity
are
else but
have
is
Aiguilles
Rouges,
interest.
anywhere
they
from
in
one
reach
to
is the
second
to
a
exhilaration
and
unsurpassed splendour.
places,for instance, to see Mont
monotonous
and
ALPINIST
of
panorama
two
are
Mont
on
a
AN
excitement
steep snow,
the rock, and
Blanc
BECOME
TO
attracted
considerable
mountaineeringenthusiasts.
of
Some
are
aiguilles
very steep and scraggy, and mountains
and glaciers
just under 10,000 feet with perpetualsnow
should
always be treated with respect. They have
the
attracted,too,
as
one
Mont
jump,
Glacier Blanc,
offers
no
steady
serious
French
the Observatory
and
O'Gorman
M.
in the rock
or
as
to
heads
guides call it,and
the
which
ledgesto
two
For
cross.
the
must
one
active
on
men
or
Belvedere, however,
is
and
difficulty,
after
an
ideal ballade,as
say.
in
Climbing
have
than
in almost
a
better
any
leave
may
afternoon, climb
may
AiguillesRouges
the
One
advantages.
the
one
steep ice
some
with
women
the
side
Buet
with
Count
rather ticklish passages
two
or
climbers,such
crossingthe Belvedere, for instance,there
In
leaving the
the
Blanc, and
Mont
on
are
eminent
Fontaine, M. Vallot,Director of
M. Emile
Laugel.
of the most
some
offers
several
Chamonix
slowly to
the
comfortablyin
Flegere,where one
better-cooked
room
and
of the
high alpinehotels.
a
dinner
Instead
HOW
148
TO
BECOME
AN
ALPINIST
of the Aiguilles
corrections,
Rouges,readingfrom south
to north:
"
A correct
no
requires
map
of this range
would
be
chart to go there,however,
Chamonix
interesting.It
as
several of the
acquainted with the Red
inducements
to
offer particular
small
climbing party decided to
photographers,our
the range at its highestpoint.
cross
Leontine
In our
M. Laugel, Mme.
were
caravan
Richard
(now my wife),
myself,the guide Jules Burnet,
guides are
Needles, and as they
and
Emile
well
Ducroz, porter. The
rendezvous
was
made
Flegere,5925 feet,two hours' walking above
Chamonix, where there is a very good mountain hotel.
for the
M.
Laugel went
up
in the
morning in
order to escape
AMONG
the
RED
sun,
Mme.
Richard
dinner.
We
had
Mont
Blanc
afternoon
before
NEEDLES
THE
examine
time
with
to
149
I arrived
and
and
wash
the
leisurely
premises
telescopeon
before being called in for dinner, which
was
I mention
I climb
this
as
a
importantpoint,for
an
pleasure there is in it, and
dinner, a good bottle of wine
a
rest in the
good night's
the next
night was
if
has
one
a
just
excellent.
for the
comfortable
cigarafterwards,and
cold,bracingair,one may start
and
a
The
circumstances.
morning under auspicious
moonlit, and as we finished diningthe slanting
silver beams
were
alpineglow
of the
supersedingon
dying day. In
2500 feet below, we
could
Jorasses; further
to
Mont
Blanc
the Chamonix
the
pink
Valley,
of the village,
and
lights
with the telescope
watch the people pouring out of the
hotels for their eveningpromenade through the streets.
Across the valleyand beyond the Glacier des Bossons
make
out the lightat the Chalet des
could faintly
one
the gleam at Pierre Pointue,
Pyramids, and nearer
and Montanvert.
The well-lit electric
Plan des Aiguilles,
trains below, with their twin
looked
headlights,
creasin
strangely like glow-worms crawling through the inindeed a fairyscene.
gloom. It was
Just
the Mer-de-Glace
and the Grandes
the valleywas
across
see
the
the
left
towered
the
Drus, the
and the Aiguille
AiguilleVerte, the Chardonnet
d'Argentiere,frigidand desolate in the cold, silver sheen.
and
Burnet
humour
Ducroz
after their
beau, c'est
trcs beau
however, there
bigfish,and
as
was
both
joined
dinner, saying with
!
"
a
the wind
Behind
mackerel
was
where
our
sky with
too much
in
us
excellent
"
feeling,
C'est
aiguilles
were,
an
occasional
in the east instead
HOW
150
of
BECOME
TO
being north, the
But
no
felt like
one
in about
weather
three
doors, and
ALPINIST
not
was
contented
as
o'clock the
all turned
we
could
mortals
as
certain.
too
any
borrowingtrouble,and
nine o'clock
About
AN
hotel-keeperknocked
at
be.
our
carryingour
boots in our
heavily-nailed
little noise as possible
hands so as to make
the
as
on
to the dining-room.
stairs,descended
by candle-light
The coffee was
boilinghot, for which we were grateful,
cold at this altitude,and the bread and
as it was
freezing
honey
we,
tasted better.
never
weather
prospect
Burnet
not
was
good
as
to say
came
it
as
that the
might
be
for
photography,but that he did not expect bad weather,
anxious to get a
at least duringthe morning. As I was
clear photograph,with detail of Mont
Blanc, we decided
the sky got
to lose no
time, but as the lightcame
"
for
streaky,"and
a
time
it looked
if we
as
would
fail
altogetherwith the photographs.
The
Both
stars
and
Burnet
and
struck
we
Blanc
"
about
tourists may
rapidlyin
ice, and,
and
view from
The
Dawn
was
foldingup
struck
where
we
the
there
is
is
an
of
greyishblue
"
where
guides.
its banks
ideal
water
ordinary
It is fed
are
by
littered
spot for picnicking.
we
reached
here,and after
placing them in the sacks
in zigzagsto the left,climbingup to
lanterns
could
as
lanterns,
superb.
breakingwhen
out
mountain
hotel
easilywithout
go
snow
the
from
left the hotel.
we
direction of the Lac
the
little sheet
big flat rocks, it
with
we
out
hours
two
carried
Ducroz
beautiful
a
melting
stillshiningwhen
were
and
comfortably
Just before going on
the
snow
cross
and
the
ice
Glacier
we
Blanc.
stopped for
AMONG
summit
it
was
of the
Belvedere.
yet early in
to
was
Here
151
took
we
the
to
us
carry
time, for
our
morning, there being scarcely
photograph the glacier. It was
very
enough lightto
the
little crevassed, and
frozen
NEEDLES
RED
breakfast, which
second
our
THE
although
there
tight and
was
surface
the
verglas,it
some
still
was
was
easy
walking.
decided
We
do
to
the
Belvedere
by
the
arete
or
lowing
ridgeleading up from the glacier.Here one, by folcloselythe arete,may find climbingsufficiently
interesting to suit almost
anyone's taste. There
"
"
both sides,and a few
on
amusing precipices
gendarmes," or stone sentinels,which block the way.
After leaving the glacier,
therefore,and before taking
are
some
"
to
the
divided
and
into two
part of
the
darkness,
shadows
the
Chamonix
avalanche
a
this
; but
the
stones
the
only
an
was
by
There
endless
called
for Le Pouce.
by
we
of
change
From
the
off and
Now
our
These
sending
saw
none
no
lights
across
of
roar
an
emphasized
and
then
attention
animals
down
to
to pass
approach, filled the
our
was
crevasses
no
us.
ful
delight-
dropping due
stones
long way
about
Ducroz
above, but
Belvedere.
a
Burnet
The
gloriouspanorama.
uncomfortable
from
loose
no
scene
disturbed
corneilles,
cawing, and once
chamois
making
rope, and
the
me.
Valley occasionallycame
of
serenity
it very
use
feel hurried.
ice supports,
but
and
with
Ducroz
did not
we
avalanches,
and
the
and
melting their
sun
in the
it was
of
it safer to
sections,M. Laugel going with
Richard
Mme.
danger
considered
rock, we
some
air with
to
can
some
make
showers
at all this
day
of
on
HOW
152
TO
Alpinistsmay
there is no
where
too, this
the moment
of
in the Chamonix
which
is the
ask what
us
Valleyon
condensed
be
of
a
wasting time
stand,
I quiteunderthinkingfor
to sit for hours
used
Ruskin, who
which
stone
to
ever
into
the
of the
The
see.
big to
too
down
bears
now
somethingout
fail for
alpinists
from this ridgewas
not
use
danger of beingkilled?
point of view. But I was
many
before
ALPINIST
AN
and this great artist got
name,
could
BECOME
Alps
scene
describe.
confines
narrow
his
It
of
emotional, infinite. It
thought,but remained indefinite,
would
requirea great poet to translate a small portion
of it into language,and yet the humblest
mortal may
This
for him to express.
feel here what it is impossible
is why the Red Needles are worth climbing.
To the extreme
rightone could see Mont Blanc with
its terrible buttresses
de Bionnassay,the
the Aiguille
du Gouter, the Mont
Aiguilledu Gouter, the Dome
Maudit.
Blanc de Tacul, and Mont
Turning to the left
the Aiguille
du Midi, the Aiguille
du
one
distinguished
Plan, the Blaitiere,the Grepon, and the Charmoz.
the valleywas
the Mer-de-Glace
Directlyacross
leading
Jorasses; on
up to the Pic du Tacul and the Grandes
"
the left of the
and
Drus
the
Mer-de-Glace
was
the famous
of
aiguille
du
Chardonnet, and
du
Tour
the
Needles, and
such
the Glacier
to
Aiguillede
behind
Mont
that name,
the
race;
and
Ahead
Tour.
Buet.
even
d'Argentiere,
and the Aiguille
left of the
grandeur as this,then
to the human
Petit
and
Verte.
Aiguille
Still further to the left was
with
the Grand
Glacier
broad
were
the
Red
If
earthquakesproduce
they are benefactors
if Nature
appears
brutal
AMONG
individuals
to
handiwork
We
the
get in
who
mankind
to
had
RED
THE
been
not
her
153
result of her
the
way,
is admirable.
climbinglong on
the
further progress
in this direction
made
gendarmes
NEEDLES
ridgebefore
scale smooth, perpendicular
impossible.One cannot
veered a littleto the left and took to the
so we
granite,
face of the mountain.
requiredin gettingaway
forced to pass
over
looked
all the
moved
one
passed
and
further
to
a
at
to
on
was
were
guarded
was
precipice
a
valleyof Diosaz, which
face of the
the
sendingdown
on
mountain
climbingwas
Here
stones
on
the Belvedere
climbed
to
considerably
went
obliquely,so
up
us
we
was
abyss
We
uglierfor being in deep shadow.
time, as a precautionagainstaccident,
a
great many
ledge which
Directlybelow
beautiful
incident.
avoid
ridge,for
the
from
narrow
a
by overhangingrock.
overhangingthe
caution, too,
Considerable
fairlysteep,and
each
M.
left of
the
that
"
without
other
Laugel
us
if the first
and
or
"
there
and
are
Burnet
our
caravan
second
on
the
the stones would
fall clear.
degringolade
It was
set
as several times stones
a wise precaution,
were
in motion
and fell bounding and singinginto the abyss
After about a half-hour's fast climbingthe face
below.
started
rope
a
of the mountain
to the summit
became
less
steep and
we
Belvedere
long
level
began
the
the
had
scrambled
of the Belvedere, a comfortable
and, unroping,got ready for lunch
As
we
decided
in
doing
and
the
a
up
plateau,
short siesta.
traversee of
the
the
again adjusted the rope, and, crossing
ridge leadingin the direction of the Buet,
we
descent.
We
had
not
gone
far down
when
ridgeapparentlystopped abruptly. Directlybelow
HOW
154
where
stood
we
second
have
Our
in
have
descended
let down
While
Ducroz
the
himself,like
when
firmly on
Laugel steppedoff
a
It worked
cab.
that
the
as
at the
he would
Burnet
so
ledgeM.
step out
of
of
down, Burnet, therefore,descended
as
even
shoulders.
a
his hands
hung with
Burnet
is one
held
Ducroz
to
runningthe rope
precautionand letting
Instead
way.
invited
descend, was
to
himself
Alps, but
I
happened.
manoeuvre
some
in the
to
for me,
Laugel and
behind
Ducroz's
decided
we
we
lous,
well,in spiteof lookingso ridicu-
same
then
possible,
around
ledge,caught hold of them,
his shoulders, descended
his shoulders
so
rock
ing
interest-
was
or
lift,
telescopeshuttingup,
Burnet, the last
down
come
Mme.
littleto the left to
flattened himself out
Ducroz
up
danglingin mid-air,Ducroz,
narrow
human
a
M.
curious
Laugel'sfeet were
M.
placingthem
that
a
hold
out the cord
to descend.
and then
stillstandingon
and
payed
first on
was
looked
but
ledgeand passed a
Richard
Ducroz
we
easier way;
an
as
to
I
passage
and had
difficult,
to the
Mme.
Ducroz
slipped. The
found
continue, and,
abyss.
allow
to
she
case
rather than
might
ledge on the edge of a
danger of jumping for the ledge
his footing
and slipped
one
might
descendingfirst and
was
in order
Richard
ALPINIST
AN
narrow
into the
caravan
rope
allow
a
missed
over
gone
the
was
precipice.The
that if one
was
BECOME
TO
him
as
far
as
and
dropped on
of the biggest
guides
him
and telescoped
to earth.
When
I think
beneath, and
a
rope,
see
of that
Burnet, without
descendingas
he
precipice
precautionof using
ledge
narrow
the
did, I wonder
once
and
more
at the
AMONG
THE
RED
self-confidence,
agilityand
guide. Burnet,
guides,would
whom
is
he
amused
Burnet
By passingto
it easy
and
of
take
Ducroz
all at
smooth,
once
alpine
an
chance;
a
ledgewe
was
way
few
A
tourist,"for
it
but
try something
to
o ur
ice.
steep
"
his
such
the left along the
going,when
tongue
allowed
to
responsible,
both
of
of the safest of the Chamonix
have
never
155
judgment
rare
is one
who
NEEDLES
new.
againfound
barred by a
feet
above
the
and the tongue of ice growing
impossible,
largeras it went down finallybecame
indistinguishable
far below.
with the glacier
We were
below
considerably
was
passage
the
it
arete, so
the
to
up
either
was
questionof climbingback
looking for another passage or
ridge and
a
crossingthe steep ice.
We
the ice gully,and
decided, naturally,to cross
while I payed out the rope Ducroz
went
out and
cut
went
steps. The splintersof ice set loose by his axe
and down
until lost to
hissingat terrible speed down
view
for
When
ever.
he
got through,crossingwas
that is, so far
walking upstairs,
it was
just the same.
vertiginous
descent
The
rock
and
and
as
became
glacierbeneath
many
First
stones
her
Mme.
a
I
was
loose
send
to
made
minutes
some
steeper.
so
here
approached
we
the
were
for
from
Richard
littlenervous,
became
like
a
safety goes;
a
the Glacier de Berard,
us
but
slope of loose
disagreeable
walking,
over
rather
or
ever
what-
is generallycalled,the route
descending first,and
stones
them
was
as
like
in the way
I
as
there
began systematicall
down.
thought
and
cannonade
when
M.
I had
slipped,which
the sound
of falling
Laugel called out to
156
HOW
know
I
TO
whether
told
I
him
below
that
the
from
above
I
on
glacier,
Unroping,
leaning
on
frozen
left
Pierre
further
ice-axes
In
behind,
below
minutes
we
plunging
where
we
small
with
holes
mountain
the
took
in
the
our
our
route
milch
the
to
Mont
of
stream
behind
stream
the
and
cascades
excursion,
and
back
with
still
and
water
see
and
Buet,
right,
ridge
could
we
leaving
railway
trousers.
left
valley,
electric
the
descending
another
the
to
snow,
over
Within
cows.
in
the
over
to
snow-
crossed.
was
the
us
down
the
on
ploughed
heels
our
below
send
Belvedere
moments
down
Needles
with
charmed
few
a
soon
and
stones
to
glissades
while
on
were
Red
the
beautiful
a
filled
and
and
Berard,
were
making
our
a
We
loose
him
for
was
caravan
no
the
them
mountain.
the
as
down
heads.
began
pastures
sloped
leave
we
far
send
however,
surface.
was
a
should
our
down
tear
to
preferable,
was
than
way
covered
the
it
ALPINIST
AN
trying
was
that
us,
clear
BECOME
green
twenty
walking
the
ice-
beside
to
Vallorcine,
to
Chamonix,
only
one
or
two
The
Grand
Bernard
St
Hospice
XIV
ST
GRAND
THE
Menaced
In
8110
feet
may
still get
The
as
Hospice
passing
traveller
is made
Only
key
when
his way,
for
the
at
Like
all
been
of
if the
Grand
the
ten
kept
strange
of
The
dogs.
by
sent
virtue, however,
Throughout
these
only request
door
on
parting.
announced
still
Davidson
named
discovered
was
later
hospitality
hours
traveller
the
later
cared
was
the
monks
to
and
generous
Infirmary.
hospitality
has
and
hospice
Martigny
the
by
the
chamber
and
stitutio
in-
unique
with
and
Englishman
an
one
charge whatever
no
newspapers
slipped,
frightfulstate
a
the
Alps,
Bernard.
St
here
lodging,
left in the
be
rescue,
missed
Grand
is received
or
This
nothing.
of the
food
recently
another
in
either
the
for
the
where
bonanza
a
it is disinterested;
as
for
exists
something
spots in
desolate
most
sea,
is the
generous
is that
and
the
above
Commercialism
with
wildest
of the
one
HOSPICE
BERNARD
monks
filthylucre.
monks
St
have
Bernard
Augustinian
friars
this
Early
centuries
pure,
unselfish
the
and
in their
have
Times
not, and
devotion
remained
have
159
is
ill-rewarded.
Christian
to
a
from
spirit
aim
noble
the
tion
pollu-
changed, however,
rumours
Hospice
free
is
are
on
the
abroad
brink
that
of
even
the
com-
160
HOW
TO
mercialism.
AN
ALPINIST
Tourists,lookingfor free meals, may
the monks
For
BECOME
to
buy
a
cash
force
register.
several years past
tourists
annually
have
visited the hospice. Many of these sleepthere
and eat two or three meals.
Instead of leavingbehind
in the chapel offering-box
at least enough to pay for
their food,without profit,
the total contributions of this
modern
horde of sightseers
is scarcelyenough to feed
thousand
of the twenty.
one
They slink off,conscience
quencies
prickedmaybe for an instant,to soon forgettheir delinin a whirl of sight-seeing
What
elsewhere.
a
sad commentary
I asked
over
human
on
20,000
!
nature
priestrecentlywhether or not it might
necessary to modify this hospitality. Not yet!
repliedsimply.
a
"
"
Food
up
does not grow
considerable
at
below, and
when
in the
the
from
expense
a
but has to be
snow
tourist does
not
Italian
pay
someone
be
he
carried
valleys
else
must.
"
at the
to
You
I think
know
hospice;
it does not
Lake
at
me
spend a week
anything,"said a woman
above
resort
delightful
I will go up
cost
Champex,
a
and
Orsieres.
She
taken
was
only a halt
"
and
"
was
"
at the
"
hospiceon
a
late occasion
some
tourists
in the afternoon.
Ring
When
place was
AlpinePass from Italyto Switzerland
forone nightonlyto benightedstrangers.
unfortunate!
While
I told her the
the
open
How
arrived
on
when
aback
for
some
tea, Lucien! !!
told that the Grand
"
St Bernard
Hospice was
THE
not
a
GRAND
ST
BERNARD
tea-shop,
they wanted
161
HOSPICE
what
to know
the
placewas
for anyway.
run
The
got used
have
monks
to this class of
after
having greeted them and
comfort
they disappearbehind
meals
served
are
have
wish to get
in the
far back
been
place is well
worth
to their immediate
seen
iron
gratingsand
the
domestics.
by
For those who
tourist,and
glimpseof
a
lifemight
how
visit to this strange
past, a
Visitors
while.
from the
travelling
their journey by stoppingat
north
to Italy can
break
visit
Martigny,in the Rhone Valley,and in midsummer
the hospiceby diligence,
for there is a good carriage
road
the
when
melts.
snow
There
is
advisable
to
an
electric line
far
as
as
Orsieres,but it is
sleepat Martigny,taking the
first train in
the
of the St Bernard
morning, for the generous spirit
monks
apparently has not affected the Orsieres hotelOrsieres one
gence,
take the mail dilikeepers. From
may
which is extremely cheap, or else proceed on foot,
sending the luggage forward by post. The parcelpost
to that in America,
system in Switzerland is so superior
that
comparison would be
England or France
any
odious.
I left for the
When
As
snow.
at
the
graph
my
intention
hospicefor
of London,
I
the
there
St Bernard
was
cinematograph
to
British
stillmuch
was
and
Colonial
deliberately
sought the earlyseason,
From
escaping the tourist hordes.
Pierre,where Napoleon stopped during his
last
sign
life
Kinemato-
Bourg-St-
thus
on
the
de Proz
to
the Canteen
of
habitation, snow
on
the
Italian
Swiss
paign,
cam-
side,the
graduallybecame
more
i62
HOW
BECOME
TO
AN
ALPINIST
plentiful.After here the road frequentlywas hidden.
of
Being informed as to the dangerouscondition of some
the snow
bridgeshigherup, I telephoned to the hospice
that we might be expectedbefore nightfall.The ascent
was
tedious,as we had 150 lbs. of baggage, including
cinema, and only two volunteer Italian porters.
Desolation
of desolations describes the vale leading
up
towards
the
snow
and
ice
there
was
the
and
snow,
all else
shrill cry of
and
then
stillas
as
and
Now
All
flowers
Turning
the
here
was
deep
a
disappeared.
climbed
directlyup the
infrequently
beinghidden
of
impressivesightand
Dead
againstthe sky-linea
caved
bold
sign of
looking
startled
was
one
in,
of the chasm.
at the bottom
seen
the
bridgeshad
snow
this
from
Valley
under
of the road
traces
then, where
away
hidden
found
feet.
our
the fierce torrent
but
above;
death.
its
directlyunder
the
Cross.
knew
the
to
It
see
was
unexpected.
One
we
corneille soared
a
spiralsand
alpinetorrent not
ignored
valley,the
so
Occasionally
running over the
marmot
a
were
of white.
mantle
up
side.
every
exquisitehighly-colouredwild
profusionbelow
We
on
mountains,
Grim
St Bernard.
greeted one
now
was
The
in
Grand
of my
scarcelyhalf
were
To the
where
of
enough
the
the
porters who
an
hour
right,buried
skeletons
Valley of
dead
Italian
of those
Dead
St
were
Bernard
to leave them
distant from
in the snow,
lost and
hung
are
not
up
was
found
with
buried.
hanging gruesome
way
our
said
tion.
destina-
the morgue,
stiff in the
ropes.
The
It is cold
in the air.
CURIOSITY
IA
I I'K
("l
ST.
HKK.WN1)
OF
ST.
UN
BERNARD
IIIK
DOCS.
SW1SS-I
I'M.I.W
l-IMXTII-K.
HOW
164
in the
Once
BECOME
TO
hallway the
immediately,
almost
and
us
show
largebell,and,
fifteen Augustinian
Pere
us
a
rang
the
of
one
ALPINIST
scout
live there, the
friars who
welcome
AN
I'Aumonier,
He
rooms.
our
to
came
inquired
brought us
politelyconcerning our upward voyage,
felt slippers,
told us supper would be served
some
warm
chained iron
at six,and then disappeared behind
some
separate the monks'
gratings which
those
the
prepared for
the wind
It is
Sixteen
moaned
a
and
habitations
public. That
from
night,outside,
screeched.
strange life this of those Augustinianmonks.
of their lives
years
spent in this desolate
are
spot, that is if their health does
strain,sixteen
years
service of mankind.
under
the
of continuous
study
Here
in
Christianity
its simplicity
as it was
ten
one
sees
centuries ago.
gildedspecimenwhich
to the
break
not
passes
and
What
for
in the
a
all
trast
con-
Christianity
nowadays !
the
Being great alpinists,
monks
render
signal
of poor folks who cross
service to hundreds
the Alpine
Pass on foot, peddling,lookingfor work, or retreating
friends. Throughout the
without money
homeward
or
out,
the lookon
winter, scouts, with dogs, are continually
and no one
lives
knows, consequently,how many
have
and
saved.
been
For
ten
centuries this disinterested
alert service to mankind
for which
pointout
One
continued, in
return
only request is that in leaving the
the
leave the
nobody
has
unless
key in the door.
the
service
of
On
a
departingone
scout
is asked
farer
waysees
for to
the way.
may
say the monks
would
do better
to
mingle
1
Is
,
""'l;..
ST.
who
are
greal
BERNARD
MONKS,
Alpinists, taking daily
exorcise
with
the dogs.
ft
!";"KS
M)MK
(iM.
Uhll
i()
!!!": k I- s(
1
I :I )
f
,-*
THE
with
ST
GRAND
the
world,
and
look
At
are
the
other
St
tracts,
no
Sunday
on
there
however,
Hospice,
Bernard
bulletins
no
shows
for
money
morals!
people's
Grand
165
beg
heathen,
cinematograph
stop
after
the
convert
churches,
more
HOSPICE
BERNARD
services,
announcing
no
interference.
Only
it
has
the
breaks
they
Is
their
to
all
tourists
monks'
who
be
may
this,
expense?
their
faith
and
heard
singing
each
to
year
uplifted,
the
throughout
therefore,
arrive
is
service
public
of
brightly
burned
steadfast
the
ideal
be
and
in
ages,
the
As
vows.
the
burns
as
monks
dawn
chapel.
swamped
by
who
and
sleep
25,000
eat
at
Blanc
Cinematographing
Mont
under
Difficulties
HOW
170
TO
lations did not
out
how
was
and
worry
to
AN
but
me,
place the
ALPINIST
what
requiredthinking
on
steep ice-slopes
joiningthe other
camera
moving pictureswithout
take
which
caravans
which
BECOME
have
to
that
on
the
17th of August,
Colonial
Kinematograph
on
gone
country
from
traveller returns.
no
I hit
plan,however, and
a
on
of the British and
at the head
left Chamonix
caravan,
with
six porteis for the Grands
and
refuge in the rocks above the Taconnaz
des Bossons
fore
Glaciers,where one spends the night be-
Mulets,
a
dashing for
As
usual
addition
to
we
the summit.
were
the
very
British
in
heavilyloaded, carrying,
and
Colonial
cinema
camera,
second
feet of film, half-platecamera,
tripod,2000
tripod,extra clothing,
rope, two days'food for my wife,
six portersand myself,eightsets of heavy iron crampons,
for passing the Bosses du Dromaor
climbing-irons,
daire the next
We
had
a
gathered at
sure,
and
3278
feet
to
day.
good
The
weather
send-off
the rendezvous
all went
above
well until
Chamonix.
perfect.
was
from
curious
the
at the Statue
we
got
Near
to
of De
crowd
Saus-
Pierre Pointue,
here
we
were
posed
ex-
dynamite-blasting operations by workmen
constructingthe funicular railwayup the Aiguilledu
Midi, and, consequently,could not stop to take pictures.
met
with
we
Higher up, justbeyond Pierre a l'Echelle,
accident that might have proved fatal. In passing
an
the couloirs,
or gullies
reaching down from the Aiguille
avalanches.
du
Midi, there is always danger from
are
continuallycoming
Huge stones from natural causes
and
We
had no
down
guides pass here on the run.
CINEMATOGRAPHING
than
more
Bossons
out
got
than
the sound
of
high above
the
explosion,
an
coming.
all turned
Workmen
Horrified,we
our
heads
were
on
us
the
on
which
As
the
watched.
stones
the porters attempted to
caused
slipand
all
crevasses
this one!
around,
slide to the
when
edge
of
deep
a
complained of
of her
one
the climb.
On
the crevasses,
however, the doctor found
It may
that
Pointue
to
up
cautious
many
route
on
the route
Mont
Blanc
guides are
the
up
taken
Balmat, in 1786,when
route
is
We
lost
no
Midi.
glacierit was
caravans,
he
time
in
Owing
decided
leavingme
with
to
the
de la
famous
cracked.
was
the
are
Pierre
ing
revert-
Cote, the
route
guide, Jacques
extremely picturesque.
getting out
from
the crevassed
to rope
two
wards,
after-
the first ascent, which
and
to
tinuing
con-
Chamonix
abandoning
made
on
benefit of amateurs,
Montagne
by
her feet she
avalanches, and
comparatively safe
Aiguilledu
the
of
account
passed
touched,
was
the rib
said here, for the
be
few
a
insisted
ribs, but
the return
Most
crevasse.
Miraculously,no one
wife could be put again on
my
was
causingher
heads.
and
stood
began rippingup the glacier
ment
find shelter,and their excite-
big stones fell short,crashinginto
upsettingthe ice on top of them, while
our
We
bombardment
The
of the
over
above
I
so
wife to attempt to run,
my
des
the debris
way
caused
not
Glacier
came
aiguille
warning,and
avalanche
see
had
the
on
171
giantstones weighingtons
towards
us.
bounding and ricochetting
perfectlystill and
to
to
BLANC
saw
ice with
terrible.
little way
a
from
we
instinctively
was
MONT
up
under
condition
the
of
the party into two
porters and
the cinema
HOW
172
I
camera.
the
TO
spent
curious
Glacier
BECOME
two
ice
AN
three hours
or
formations
Bossons, the
des
and
in the most
carried forward
tremendous
at
the
them
The
of the
top, creatinggloomy
suggest
a
danger beneath
the great towers
are
the party breaks
through the
this forest
greater. While
snow
bridges over
yards. It is for this reason
many
least two
the rope
passages
likelyto give way,
more
lettingone down
is always roped to
on
frail
joined
clear blue
cityof ice,and
by the daring.
the feet is even
ghastly-lookingcrevasses
at
with
caverns
fall the
may
pinnaclesare
ruined
be found
may
are
fashion until
disconcerting
moving glacierthey fall with a
Some
crash.
walls, which
among
the
by
or
seracs,
of the ice towers
over
cinematographing
Looking up the
ice pinnacles,
are
higher than houses
here.
superb. Some
lean
ALPINIST
others, so
other
until rescued.
in
case
one
of
one
him
two
hold
The
path through
pended
sus-
day, even from hour to
hour, by the caving in of these bridges,so that it often
happens, as it did to us, that in returningone finds the
old route
wide
changes from day
abandoned
and
to
the
new
one
reached
by
a
detour.
Guides
capacityfor estimating
the strength of snow
bridgesor just when tottering
have reached the danger point,so that both as a
towers
rule are obviated
before an accident occurs.
Breaking
through snow
bridges,however, is not a rare occurrence,
and I recall on one
occasion that in passingthe Jonction
on
Mont
have
Blanc
broke
hour.
a
one
remarkable
or
through
another
four
of
times
our
cluded,
party, myself in-
in the
course
of
one
CINEMATOGRAPHING
We
the
lunched
Bossons
vassed
hurriedlyagain
and
Taconnaz
part of Mont
of the crevassed
Mulets.
at
BLANC
the
Jonction
Glaciers, the
Blanc, and
then
most
began
snow-slopesleadingup
173
of
cre-
the ascent
the Grands
to
worth
particularly
noting. Both glaciershere looked largerthan before,
and
I asked
when
the guides to account
for it they
stated that without
doubt
the glacierswere
rapidly
increasing. The general impression is that all the
in the Alps are slowlyshrinkingup.
The time
glaciers
Glace
the
me
as
the Glacier des Bossons
right down
came
fields.
green
struck
thing
in fact,when
was,
de
One
MONT
For
in the
and
the Mer
into
valley almost
both
decades, however,
have
wet
receding. With the return of cold summers,
the glaciers,
like livers,are
winters, and worse
springs,
and
risingat their sources
gradually are swellingall
this additional
tremendous
along their beds. With
been
beginning to lengthenmeasurably.
now
this is
worth
in the
is built
sunshine
portions of
to
sharp
some
on
incident
without
hidden
a
Plateau, and
and
Mont
sound
of
where
I
break
off from
a
Blanc
du
tremendous
happened
to be
the
extent
feet,about
climbed
out
bask
like lizards.
rock
pinnacles,or
from
is
here
doing nothing in particular
except
of the
what
Mulets, 10,113
ridge leading up
view
the
To
scientific investigation.
arrived at the Grands
o'clock
rocks
be
would
so
We
four
is
above, the foot of the Glacier des Bossons
pressure
to
The
projecting
the
Grand
at the
Tacul, suddenly there
lookingI
was
starting,and
saw
some
suspendedglacierand
the
refuge
superb.
to gaze
avalanche
on
huge
commence
While
slopes
the
just
seracs
a
HOW
174
TO
BECOME
terrible tumble, of
Glacier
others
des
until
cascade.
The
The
piecesof
the
whole
crushed
down
like water, to
came
back
minutes
from
probably the
which
grandeur of
and
in descendin
giant
a
gulliesand
slid
they had
for
the
the
the
refuge,then
The
one
fleecy clouds
purple. Below
offered to ascend
cinematograph,
came
rather
stiff
to call
me
ing
rock, however, drink-
scene.
as
was
seen.
ever
precipitousand
to the
lastingtwo
guides said it
the
of colour, such
mountains, while
pink
at the
I felt riveted
aureole
an
like
cascade
volunteers
some
very
climbing.
Cachat, the host
in
of
needles
are
aiguilles
in the
slope looked
ice filled the
Some
Mulets
for dinner.
what
refugeto see
glacierbroke up
finest avalanche
Grands
great that
so
the
all around, the
Just before dinner
the
was
to the
on
leapagain into the air. The echoes
least.
at
feet,down
noise
from
out
ALPINIST
2000
The
running
going on.
was
probably
Bossons.
came
AN
sun
sees
setting
was
in the
reflected
high
scarlet,
the
valley of Chamonix
lightsof Chamonix, a
was
mere
already in gloom, and the
speck below, began to twinkle in the growing darkness.
Then
came
the
until
glaciers,
In
such
get
even
must
a
one
wondered
all the world
an
grope
twilightand
I know
a
at the
of
alpinescene, and when
in the
darkness
and
pallorspread
over
the
of Nature.
infinity
nothing comparable
the mortal
worms,
to
who
polluted civilization below,
gleam of this realm above, nothing on earth, not
the fear of death, will hold them back.
They, too,
drink in this
This is the
glory.
ennoblingaspect of alpinismand why
I
176
HOW
stand
TO
out in the
crevasses
however,
BECOME
AN
like spectresand
gloom
black.
are
which
ALPINIST
It is the
undermine
one's
the unfathomable
long snow-slopes,
for
courage,
the
fatigueof mounting step by step hours without ceasing
is great.
If
gets ill with
one
usually comes
Grand
on
mountain-sickness
the
near
Cote
du
the
attack
above
Dome,
the
Plateau.
Gettingout of the way of a possible
to rest
avalanche, therefore,we
stopped a moment
and have another lightbreakfast.
It was
daylightby
this time, but
fog bothered
the wind
had
increased
and
the
considerably.Being within
us
of the
Refuge Vallot, which
14,300
feet,we
decided
stillearly in the
to
On
day.
is at
push
two
hours
altitude of
an
and
on
and
snow
the Col du
over
wait, as it was
the wind
Dome
the danger point, and we
lost no
near
frightful,
time in making for the refuge. Owing to being in the
clouds, scarcelynothing could be seen; in fact,when
within a few feet of the refuge it was
too indistinct to
was
cinematograph.
of
Most
for
a
change
of the
caravans
night
before
daire.
This
weather
to descend
fearingan
After
returned
huddled
in the
refuge,hoping
for the better in the weather.
which
the
the Grands
Mulets
to pass
the Bosses
du
had
caravan
the
Refuge
before the
Only
at
were
attempted
bordering on
remaining in
not
remained
us
disappearedfor
dangerous that
Vallot decided
missingones
one
the
Droma-
long in
the guides
so
in consultation
were
heard
from,
accident.
two
hours'
to the
waiting,the
refugecoated
advance
with
ice.
party, beaten,
After
another
REFUGE
THK
the:
and
AT
Aiguille
du
MULETS
GRAXDS
THE
Midi
in
the
background.
^
*
"
r
/
I!.
\\I)
o\
it
(
(
\K\\\\
\KKI\I\C.
\i
Tin-:
Ki:ir".i-:
.
i
|, ;" "i
liri.
The
Y.ilK.i
(
)I)-it\
.iiorv
i-
~-rcn
V.M.I.OT,
In 'low.
i
MONT
CINEMATOGRAPHING
wait
short
it
decided, as the
was
storm
furious, that the safest thing was
as
177
becoming
was
descend
to
quick
as
disappointmentwas extremely keen,
impossibleto struggleagainstthe elements.
possible. My
but it
was
I recalled the
guides who
of Mr
case
American, and
the
and
Randall
Rev.
trapped
were
the story of how
and
summit, the other six
Bean
found
was
side
was
M'Corkindale
on
Mont
had
occurred
and
twelve
The
followingday
a
in the storm.
it at
the
I
party made
could
not
sad
sleep,
find
and
had
could
by his
and
frozen
been
what
gettinglost
again
not
about
known
think
not
The
true, however.
Rousse,
the
near
Refuge Vallot,
fatigue,one
death
to
I did
therefore
the Tete
from
the
with
Mr
found.
repeatedlyif it were
asked
was
thing was
the ascent
down
Sinking
I
Mulets, and
Mulets, and
Grands
the
recorded
repliedthat nothing was
The
caravan
of death.
oncoming
gentleman
Grands
true.
was
to
Swiss
storm,
snow-
near
snow,
had
he
a
a
bodies
eight
Chamonix.
retreated
that
later
days
five
in which
We
true
in
having been
never
the slow
and
Blanc
frozen, sittingin the
note-book
a
Bean, both
Mr
G.
twenty-three guides found
of
it
BLANC
Col du
where
the
of
not
three
the
Dome,
were.
we
awakened
be
by
went
by
to
his
comrades.
I
determined
was
As
and
somewhat
started
this
Mrs
as
soon
the
off for the
time
to
nevertheless,
win.
I
had
not
to
be
beaten.
Burlingham's cracked
weather
again became
great white
I
am
"
new
not
mountain,
a
rib healed
fine I
determined
Christian
thought
"
on
again
the
scientist;
weather,
HOW
178
and
I
flinchable will
This time
I
de la Cote.
be
to
avoided
crack any
wishing to
roped
the
In
son
sixteen-year-old
of
mule
of the
and
far
as
very
party
had
Olivier
was
des
discovered
tired,was
in
was
from
plete
com-
Ducroz,
Pyramids.
justreturned
wishing
she has
Emile, who
of
the Chalet
porters,who
was
un-
route, not
wife
guides also,my
Ducroz, in whom
the
as
an
ribs,and used the Montagne
my
Emile
confidence.
a
with
the Pierre Pointue
more
changed
to
that anyone
but
stillthe elements.
can
we
ALPINIST
AN
quitesure
not
am
BECOME
TO
charge
Here
one
Blanc
Mont
unfit
drinking and
proceed,so the father arranged that Olivier should
before
take
his place, although the boy had
never
Blanc.
Olivier undoubtedly is a born
Mont
been
on
mountaineer
and showed
throughout
great endurance
the climb, and I take pleasurein recordinghere his first
to
ascent.
The
caravan
Jean Cachat,
Ducroz,
Simond
and
As I had
the ascent
to
a
Claret
Rene
the Grands
stopped very
at
the
and
Olivier
Tournier, George
faction
satis-
complete
gave
difficult task.
filmed the passage
we
Emile
of
Couttet, who
Leon
throughout
before
consisted
now
Mulets
little and
of the
on
"
the
Jonction
"
and
premier ascent,
made
rapidprogress, arriving
This long rest
afternoon.
refuge early in the
dinner undoubtedly
facilitated matters
on
the
morrow.
At
a
dinner
New
who
alpinist,
du
Aiguilles
that
night were
Yorker,
was
Dru.
Mr
ing
includalpinists,
Williams, a distinguished
several
the
first,I believe, to
He
had
come
up
with
traverse
the
the intention
CINEMATOGRAPHING
of
crossingMont
of the Mont
advised
about
wife
hours
carried
and
to
we
lanterns
as
with
the
is
It is not
a
white
on
alpine
for
the
ters,
porMr
of us, not
nearly
three
slopes the
snow
lanterns.
In
a
too, used
We,
Plateau.
and
skylineset
faded
Sunrise
away.
and
us
Just
we
began
were
to sag
needles
such
lightcaravans
de Dome
Without
silhouetted
rocks.
fast time
on
the
as
dawn
is
Alps
broke
of
one
in the east
aurora
againstthe pink
that
Grand
the
for the
o'clock,and
Clouds
wonderfully
we
well.
overtook
Plateau
and
In
of
one
mounted
still feeling
fresh.
unloading
straighton
seven
to Ducroz.
all
made
the Cote
hat
in the
seeingthe
wondering.
Burlingham climbed
fact, we
my
going to last,"he said,and
the Chamonix
Mrs
few moments
nasty business,"I said
a
of Nature,
glories
the
us
mantle
the
about
of
before.
clouds
the
ahead
were
the Cote of the Grand
the
and
caravans,
weight.
This
"
as
done
never
covered
"
far
two
ing
morn-
retainingtwo
luggage, and
with
of their
in the
cast,
overreachinghere the sky suddenly became
as
blottingout the stars, and it began to snow
it had
with
caravan
ahead
saw
I
was
cinematograph apparatus.
second
a
into
and
way
of wind.
account
Mulets
divided
Ducroz
the
bother
gleam
before
with
going
Williams
having
Grands
the
by
du Tacul, but
Blanc
projectlater on
half -past one,
who
faint
from
got away
Mont
the
179
RifugioTorino
the
to
and
to abandon
We
my
Blanc
Maudit
BLANC
MONT
cinematograph
we
tinued
con-
Refuge Vallot, arrivinghere
breakfasted
outside
again appeared, and
in
alongside
sweeping
180
BECOME
AN
higher summits
like
TO
HOW
past the
summit
The
current.
in
stone
a
of thin vapour
swift
a
remained
Blanc
of Mont
except for the passage
clear
mists which
appeared
dis-
swiftlyas they came.
as
While
AiguilleVerte,
clung to the terrible
behind
eddies
water
the
Maudit
Aiguilledu Midi and Mont
like
precipices
ALPINIST
others
strappingon
were
their
climbing-irons
I went
to the side
passingthe Bosses du Dromadaire
to cinematograph the famous
Aiguillede Bionassay,
which
appeared below us on the left,and got a fine
which
vision of the great
knife-edgedarete over
for
the needle
from
alpinistspass
Turning east, I
continued
leaving the Refuge
From
Blanc
the
one
It would
irons
On
used
are
first one,
when
over
iooo
is
and
feet down
of my
the
descending
days, to
not
go
up
the
cut
old
to
its summit
the
steps
slipping.
an
out
pass
about
drops precipitately
Grand
Plateau.
accident
his tourist
certain
or
ridge, but
This
only
passage
Mont
a
few
guides,Jules Burnet,
a
Bosse,
to the left and
veer
was
Blanc,
days
fore.
be-
ing
ascend-
slipped,dragging both
porter off their feet.
towards
from
on
disconcerting
of
when
here
anyone
steepness of the Grand
most
scene
the Bosse
and
prevent
to
the
the
was
One
him
to
two-thirds
probably
called
nearly always ice-
are
the iced side,which
onto
Mont
so
sharp-pointedclimbingprojections,
guides do
about
Bosse.
of
large domes
take hours, if not
of the
account
summit
the
to
two
party
for the Grand
bound
which
Humps,
these two
over
Vallot
over
passes
Goiiter.
du
cinematographingour
Refuge Vallot
Dromedary
coated.
to the Dome
death
All
with
three
were
rapidlyin-
when
creasingmomentum,
narrowest
I
escape.
of this story while
thanked
it until
in
should
high wind
Bosse
Grand
the
around
Petit Bosse.
slopesare
steep
eighteen
balance
to
got
here, for
pass
far down
France
side,or
One
wide.
inches
a
than
needs
foot
one
good
a
Grand
of feet into
magnificentpicture of
a
sides,the
or
of
sense
one
slipmight precipitate
the
onto
thousands
many
is vertiginous,
both
on
the
on
Arete, however,
ridge being scarcely more
summit
is easier.
walking
feel concerned
anyone
Mauvaise
The
for the iced
into
wife
my
me.
Once
Only
his
was
passing
the
on
we
Plateau
on
one
the other.
Italyon
party passingthis
our
of ice.
backbone
Higher
the
arete to
on
thought
this
me
slopingice,but said nothing about
got back to the refuge,for which silence
out
I
told
Burnet
the fall.
to check
managed
skilful
extremely
an
got his ice-axe into the slope and
Burnet
manoeuvre
by
181
BLANC
MONT
CINEMATOGRAPHING
passing from
up,
however,
summit
The
this
prevents
recede
to
long
from
ever
as
both
slopes on
passage
the
by
tedious passages
seems
steepness of the
The
ascends.
Tournette
of the most
summit, is one
the mountain.
La
one
sides,
becoming
uninteresting.
For
yards one
several
feet
ridge, both
being
in
world
seems
being
and
France
walks
straddlingthis great
lower
than
the
in
other
arrived.
summit,
Italy.
The
one
whole
far below.
and
Gradually the gradientlessened
widened
the
ice
into
Here
a
small
we
plateau
stood
on
and
the
we
this
knew
sharp edge
we
highest mountain
had
in
182
HOW
TO
BECOME
ALPINIST
AN
Central
Europe, 15,781 feet above the sea, dominating
all others,with joy in our hearts.
Almost
the first thingwhich struck my eye was
the
miles away,
Matterhorn, many
pointingskyward, on
the summit
of which I stood only a few weeks before.
As far as the eye could see was
a perfect
galaxy of peaks.
direction one
In the same
could distinguish
the Weisshorn
and
Below,
miles
to
more
Aiguillesand
the
away,
looked
them.
To
the
while
itself,
Lake
was
a
Chamonix
veritable
of
peak
Geneva, nearly sixty
to
by great banks of cumulus
extremely strange as we were
west
a large part of France
folded
unthe
south
Viso, the Maritime
Monte
the
left, were
half hidden
clouds, which
above
the
AiguilleVerte,
the north
To
terror.
Rosa.
Monte
one
Alps
and
could
the
see
Alps
to
the
of the
Dauphine.
down
looked
the Mont
Blanc de
on
Near-by one
Courmayeur, the Aiguillede Trelatete,the Pyramids
Calcaires and the Col de la Seigne,where I went
some
years ago to get a pictureof Mont Blanc.
We
seated
all of
on
us
our
unroped
to better
sacks in the
snow.
The
biting,so I, personally,lost no
what cinematographeffects I wanted.
Mists began
The wind increased.
the photography, and
as
they grew
was
about
move
and
lest
wind, however,
time
in
getting
interfere with
to
denser
Ducroz
gettingbelow past the Bosse, as wind there is
dangerous. Very reluctantlywe roped up again
began the descent ; wisely,too, for the wind on the
advised
very
or
ice below
made
infinite caution
necessary.
The
Mulets
descent
made
was
short
rest
shortly
after
a
of
superb
to
we
dark,
negative.
the
rapidly
incident,
without
continued
on
rather
tired
to
out,
Chamonix,
but
Grands
the
and
Vallot
Refuge
183
BLANC
MONT
CINEMATOGRAPHING
with
and
after
arriving
2000
feet
Funicular
Alpine
On
an
Railway
188
HOW
BECOME
TO
remarkable
ALPINIST
AN
originatedin the brain of
railroad
Eugster, a Swiss livingat Dijon,France, who
the
appliedto
declared
funds
necessary
aerial line I
valley of Chamonix
amazed
more
was
scheme.
Being
and
sang-froid
the
reader
have
avalanches
and
these
down
on
has
remarked,
We
the
do
M.
few
beyond
that
side
requires
prehension
com-
my
find workmen
the
as
moreover,
bad
a
reputationfor
in
minutes.
Braegger,a
intend
not
to
glaciers,"said M.
are
concerned
not
harmlesslybelow
clouds,we
but
it
has
us.
climb
couloirs
some
Light
Swiss
shed
was
engineer,who
hard
once
will not
work
they
will be hauled
bother
in
are
with
up
graniteor
intend
to
to
not
them.
about
or
come
will
from
these
from
may
three of these
passengers
over,
more-
on
There
place the material and
by cable, as
"
swing
pylon situated
do
work
which
avalanches
We
erectingtwo
in
the
Braegger, smiling;
peak to peak and from pylon
summits, and as avalanches
some
one
fallingstones, and
subject by
we
roll
rather
Aiguilledu Midi,
every
Chamonix
the
was
that
charge of the work.
"
on
come
the
The
knowing
expected to
constructors
job.
may
but
this
see
at the boldness
ever
from
judgment,
rare
how
to do
Midi
job for amateurs,
a
than
to
and
alpinist,
an
du
climbingthe Aiguille
is not
Berne, who
Amazes
Scheme
arrival in the
of the
and
Zurich
He
it feasible.
Bold
On
is supplying
its construction.
for
engineersin
firm of
a
Fidele
M.
the
be
pylons,
workmen
will be later."
ON
AN
RAILWAY
FUNICULAR
ALPINE
189
Imagine being in the passenger car running on
the sharp
two
peaks when
swinging cables between
Think
of the
is heard!
crack of a starting
avalanche
thrill of seeinghundreds
of tons of snow, ice and debris
low
dash past under the car and plunge into the valleybewith
tremendous
a
looking for
worth
the
sensations
new
priceof
the
Superb
and
View
be
excitement, should
from
Height
of the line is situated
startingstation
valley of Chamonix.
To
reach
the traction cables
above, where
alone, for persons
ticket.
The
the
This
roar!
the
station
power
set in motion
are
in
75-h.p.electric motors, passengers ride
with a seating capacityof twenty
cars
in
down
by
suspended
over
persons,
suspendedon twenty-seven pylons
separatedby distances varying from 25 to 145 metres.
This power station,near
Pierre Pointue, on the alpinist's
route
Blanc, is at an altitude of 1670 metres.
up Mont
From
the power
station to the third station,justunder
2000
metres
the
shadow
of cables
of
Midi, is
Aiguilledu
twenty-four pylons.
The
stations
long.
The
is
is 1400
view
nearly one
from
here
Blaiticre
at
even
mile
a
and
"
feet to
be
idea
of the
majesty
as
Servoz
the
with
Chamonix
the
One
two
Chamonix
4600
the Charmoz.
valleyof
series of
these
between
height is superb.
good
such
aiguilles,
of the whole
to
this
below
gets
one
Chamonix
metres
cable
second
a
exact
"
and
of the
Aiguilledu Plan, the
view
has a bird's-eye
from
Rouges
Aiguilles
the Col de Balme
on
the other
side.
HOW
igo
On
TO
the left
Glacier
and
one
des Bossons
the
and
and
Aiguille du
much
a
AN
through which
plateau of
to the
Grands
Mont
Blanc
Gouter.
Chamonix,
the
on
across
but
better idea of the
seracs
ALPINIST
look down
may
magnificentfrom
get
BECOME
from
here
immensity of
must
one
Mulets
appears
one
may
the ice-nelds
to
pass
the
reach
the
top.
At
this station
changes cars
one
and
the system of
transportation
changes also. It is justas well,too, for
the ascent
has been so rapid,and the change in the
to
densityof the air so great, as to be uncomfortable
people with weak hearts. At station three, therefore,
one
may
rest
is yet to
and
get his breath, for the
From
come.
now
on
one
most
tional
sensa-
swingsthrough
the air.
The
cars
used
on
accommodating only
this
last
sixteen
section
persons.
are
They
smaller,
are
more
mediate
signalis given the car imout
a
runs
on
singlespan of unsupported
cable, 2130 feet long,swaying 500 feet above the Glacier
The engineering
Rond.
feat, in this case, has been to
anchor the two ends of the long cable, for on the lower
been
end
the engineershave
hampered with loose
moraines
and have had to descend considerablyto get
like
a
a
firm
basket.
When
grip.
Two
The
the
Miles
above
fourth station, altitude 2860
Sea
metres, is situated
pinnacleof granitealmost opposite the Grands
Mulets, and passengers stopping here will get an idea
of what real alpining
is,for climbers stilldo the Aiguille
on
a
"
J
MO
HOW
192
TO
be
station,can
BECOME
run
AN
the
over
ALPINIST
thus
drums,
revolving
acting
the traction cable.
as
Guard
On
over
Accidents
against
the second
part of the journey lightercars run
singlespan of cable which, beingfirmlyanchored
a
and examined
minutelyeach day to see it is not wearing,
presents no danger. Tourists,therefore,may have an
attack of alpinevertigo,
and even
if there are no friends
from jumping overboard
to keep them
they would find
it difficult to
of the
before the arrival
guard.
I did the other
Travellingas
There
I
suicide.
If you
several
were
are
interested in
of
ways
committing
arrive from
car
touched
someone
me
the
on
seeinghow
the power
arm.
the line works,"
"
said M.
ferent.
is dif-
day, however,
easy
the
watching
was
station when
"
of the windows
out
get
Braegger, you had better get
It is strictly
forbidden, but
the
on
car
and
"
go up.
In
of
a
the
a
"
a
pylons
cracked
in
and
I braced
the foreman
start.
signalto
flat
was
attention to
danger
myself,sardined
called out
an
the size
about
car
told to pay
was
Touching
the power
a
on
there
passing,as
skull.
signalto
the
seated
was
dining-room table,and
workmen,
to
I
moment
of
getting
with
that he
was
some
going
electric button, he gave
station above, and
we
began
to
glideupward.
Entirely
The
ridingwas
placidlake.
There
as
was
New
smooth
a
Sensation
as
that
of
a
boat
on
a
slightside swingingmotion,.
ON
AN
and
the
ALPINE
FUNICULAR
sensation
Pointue,
of
the
on
route
RAILWAY
climbing
electricity
by
Mont
up
193
without
Blanc,
Pierre
to
effort,
any
delightful.
was
As
slower
was
rolled
we
and
the
reached
;
operation
took
its
Up
station
click
a
swooped
down
and
again
and
down,
gently
as
a
until
!
click
!
the
pylon
the
pylon
until
rapidly
the
moved
car
cable
times,
arrived
we
the
traction
twenty-seven
until
higher,
as
the
pylon
tightened
was
repeated
climbing
gradually
power
we
slack.
first
cable
there
then
was
up
the
traction
and
passed,
was
towards
the
at
its
touching
gondola
wharf.
then,
Here,
There
Your
tasted
is
is
like
nothing
have
experiences
the
joys
something
of
"
it
for
new
the
anywhere
been
swooping
in
else
incomplete
the
jaded
unless
swoop."
traveller!
the
you
world.
have
Alpine
In
an
Blizzard
XVII
IN
Being
not
the
feet of the
I had
time
of
this
To
dense
the
sleep
no
The
in
order
to
chimney
had
next
day,
and
and
and
feet
my
effect
pall of
a
but
might
for
have
When
snow.
hours
thirty-two
rest, but
I
fortunately
Montanvert
he
at
M.
do
Laugel
the
anxious
197
from
the
me
my
sack
and
two
to
in
tance.
disthe
about
Aiguille du
for
by
Chamonix
unloading
at
Brevent
returning
Achat,
that
Chamonix
the
Blanc
arriving
to
was
for
Mont
While
saying
that
of
Bel
Praz,
I left
camera
my
by
up
evening.
to
in
and
we
in the
adventure
photos
Plan
me
on
the
training.
some
went
first
lasting impression.
guides
our
practicallyno
with
handed
gone
and
enveloped
buried
been
morning
same
of
the
was
in December,
fog
instinct
a
were
London
a
this
get
I
six the
made
we
before
day
the
It
pass.
within
were
dropping perpendicularly
clouds
worse
I had
fine
in very
was
of the
yet somewhere
broke
storm
with
was
as
there
up
Italy, and
to
sweeping along horizontally,
path-finding
been
six
noticed
matters
as
the
is
Italy
crossing the
were
we
us
France
alpine phenomenon
make
mist
from
highest part
ever
of
instead
struck
tourmente
chain
Blanc
Mont
few
in
in midsummer
death
to
ordinary experience.
an
When
a
frozen
nearly
BLIZZARD
ALPINE
AN
a
note
guides
Midi
the
join them.
HOW
198
last train
The
2858 feet above,
decided
and
went
the
ALPINIST
nine that
soon
I could
as
eleven
get
I
some
a
darkness.
myriad lightsof
o'clock
everyone
might,no
walk
big climb. Leaving
evening I struck out for the
for
glow of phosphorescent worms
where
hours'
twelve
my
Knowing that it was
to conserve
strengthfor the next day I
my
leisurely,
enjoyingthe fragranceof the pine,
interest the
At
as
sack
in the
Glace
up
foot
on
about
necessary
spiteof
repack my
Chamonix
de
in
AN
already left for Montanvert,
had
but
leave
to
dinner
Mer
BECOME
TO
I arrived
effort I resorted
far below.
now
Hotel,
the Montanvert
asleep. Pound
was
the
on
door
After twenty minutes
answered.
one
Chamonix
at
rivalled in
which
as
I
of vain
throwingpebblesagainstthe windows,
which in due time brought down
the nightporter,who,
awake
rubbinghis eyes, succeeded in gettingsufficiently
to show
and tell me
that M. Laugel had left
a room
me
It was
o'clock.
a call for one
midnightbefore I laydown
half-dressed on the bed, not to sleep for owing to the
to
"
violent exercise and
my
veins and
which
At
brain
valuable.
one
o'clock I
waiting in
but
"
was
rest
no
was
blood
I did get
was
a
called and
racingthrough
few minutes
repose,
told breakfast
was
dining-room. Hurrying down, I found
M. Laugel discussing
with the guides the weather, which
and slanting
clouds
was
foreboding. It was too warm,
struck
the sky, and worse
across
yet, clingingto the
veil of mist.
Dru, was
a cobwebbed-looking
Aiguille
We
the
decided
to risk it !
Finishingrapidlyour
butter
and
honey,
we
breakfast
shouldered
of hot
our
coffee,rolls,
sacks
while
the
HOW
200
TO
BECOME
AN
ALPINIST
rocks of the
Noire, or by the ice and steep snow
Aiguille
slopeon that side. To-day guidesconsider it less dangerous
the glacier,
to cross
of a mile
about
three-quarters
wide at this point,and find a passage through the seracs
the
near
Petit
is that the ice
route
the
tumbling, as
Our
or
pinnacles,
both
portionof
from
Chamonix.
and
try
and
wings,
of
ridge,with
dark
blue
order
to
hours,
this frozen
step
there
Imagine
other
tottering
It is
off the ice-axes at work, and
a
remarkably
Niagara,
a
short
of the
one
of
desolation,
maggots which
which
and
again
across
grandest ice cascades
it is broken
width
the
descendingthe
name
depth;
and
of
cascade
stood
time, we
wilderness
of
at the
ice.
in the rotten
summit
enormous
to
be cut in
steps to
glacieris one of the most famous in
Dr John Tyndall says:
Speaking of the ice-fall,
break
the
high ice
and
This
the
descend
to
all around
crevasses
first
ascending
impossibleto
into the
cut
Emile
After
it
only life visible being the millions
live up
At
the
proceed.
of two
above
went
left.
the
waitingfor
flew
literally
Ice
Ducroz
forced
were
a
and
found
to
standing on
of ice above,
towers
and
Burnet
ice.
the
we
little further
a
sensation
ice wall
the
without
pass
"
latter
constantly
are
seracs,
Jules
were
began cuttingsteps in
and
end
the
about
glacieritself is in movement,
guides
two
Ducroz,
the
hazard
is constantlychanging.
route
a
The
Rognon.
form
seracs
the
into transverse
the
the
Alps.
in the
Alps.
chasms
ridgesbetween
those
has
castellated
been
ice is crushed
of
these
masses
applied. In
and
riven;
AMONG
THE
SERACS
(he
in
\i" "\
mi
from
i
m.
1
lie
il.'icirrdu
(
\\r,
(
i
Geant.
5,781
'ill (|c l.i
MAGRA'
"iCE
THE
OF
ITT.
ir
1,
111
1 1 ; 1 1v
.
IN
ruined
ALPINE
AN
towers, which
the
cumber
have
slope,and
rise in succession
fall the broken
out
BLIZZARD
tumbled
smooth
the summit,
from
vertical
of the ruins.
201
of
precipices
the
At
base
ice
of the
but
againsqueezedtogether,
the confusion is stillgreat, and the glacier
is here tossed
into billowyshapes."
How
tragedieshave occurred here no one
many
knows
masses
!
Clouds
began
Notwithstanding
moment
are
to
the
gather
and
there
thickening weather
for lunch, which
is
as
wind
was
necessary
we
as
aloft.
halted
a
a
fuelling
fire-engine.
du Midi,
Abandoning all idea of climbingthe Aiguille
of reachingthe refuge on
the Col du Midi, we
or
even
decided on making a dash for the Col du Geant and the
Italian refuge.
Burnet
urged us to push on rapidly. Hastily strapping
on
our
alpinesacks, we began crossingthe snowfield,steeringfor the rocks on the left called La Vierge.
The
noticed.
then a curious phenomenon was
It was
down
the snow,
the peaks
mist or clouds were
on
settling
became
obliterated,and we could see nothing but each
made
other, and a faint trace in the snow
by some
the day before,and which, fortunately,
left
was
caravan
to guide us.
During a period of two or three minutes
there was
able to photoa rift in the
clouds, and I was
graph
the Dent
du Geant, but immediately the veil
settled down
thicker than ever.
The sky and the snow
in the void.
to be floating
blended, and we seemed
We had gone only a few hundred
feet further when
I
turned and saw
in the distance another caravan
following
TO
HOW
202
BECOME
AN
ALPINIST
of three.
They were like ghosts,and Burnet,
experiencedguides in Chamonix, was
most
that
too, seemed
the
for
We
traces.
I turned
the
as
they
before.
caravan
air,for the
the
mist.
grey
They,
snow
Surely it
all shouted
togetherbut got
he could
was
was
a
"
reply.
no
solve the riddle.
not
Suddenly Burnet broke out in a laugh.
Sapristi! he ejaculated. They
"
struck
thunder-
followingin order, and exactlyin
were
Laugel,but
to
the
seen
in
floating
colour
caravan,
not
be
to
same
our
had
we
of the
one
"
not
are
at
men
all!"
"
What
"
they, then?
are
said
imagination
I, my
paralysed.
"
They
in the
in
after lunch
snow
case
got lost in
we
from
to
the
of
sense
or
men,
As
the mists!
"
at
on
to
which
snow
speed.
utmost
lifted the
into
used
bottles
might
destroyed
have
further
threateningto blot
began falling,
snow
pushed
sheets
the mist had
pinnaclesten times
rock
even
wind
as
the
perspective,
in the
are
as
bottles, and
faint trace
the
standingupright
to mark
the way
guide-posts,
was
compare
the
left
we
the
right; but I should have sworn
before they were
The deception
arose
alpinists.
the fact that there was
nothingvisible with which
Burnet
moment
the three bottles
are
our
said
Vierge,which is near
It
clung
from
one
making it difficult to
less steep Burnet
To
make
already fallen
faces.
prevent
served
see.
we
As
must
the summit
to
to
away.
out
guide us,
matters
the
we
worse
snow,
blowing it
our
goggles,which
going blind
the
been
snow
in
in the snow,
slope became
be somewhere
near
of the pass, 11,030
La
feet
IN
above
the
where
Gratien
AN
ALPINE
We
sea.
BLIZZARD
not
were
203
far from
very
the
spot
guide from Courmayeur, left
members
of the Italian Alpine Club restingwhile
aside to get some
fell
went
water, and, slipping,
two
he
Brunod,
feet down
1000
killed.
was
the way,
couloir into the Glacier de Toule, and
a
It
a
not a place for
certainly
thing easy enough to do in the
a
was
blindingsnow.
little to the
A
left
mist
the
was
to lose
us
and
of
theatre
tragicaccident which caused the death of three
six
Englishmen and a Chamonix
guide. There were
in the party, and having arrived at the col,were
scendin
dea snow
slopeon the Italian side by the side of
the rocks which are usuallyfollowed.
All that is known
another
to
publicis that
the
the
the two
let go the
party
Englishmen
and
and
rope
Tairraz
led and
who
men
escaped,while
to
went
without
cold
was
past
came
in
intense, and
the
clouds
like
furnace.
itselfseemed
a
I
moment
mountain, which
could
the
case
accident
through
of
using
snow,
them.
thought
the
It
was
a
it
mist,
not
to be
as
we
the
an
anchor.
saw
rocks
mists
the
were
mighty
a
be blown
happened
to
The
blast
topsy-turvy.
would
we
has
hurricane
on
from
forward, and
scarcelymove
ready, in
draught
a
blasts.
perpendicularly
precipitousslopes
little further
a
rushing upwards
Nature
their
met
shot
the
sweeping down
us,
facing Italy,while
For
furious
wind
the
Suddenly
Tairraz
of exclamation.
word
a
others
three
the
destruction.
screamed, but, like Englishmen, the
doom
followed
before.
I held
drop
off the
down
We
ice-axe
my
it
with
on
Suddenly, looming
ahead, and
refuge,but
once
made
in the
for
granite
HOW
204
could
we
false
merest
the
perdition.
into
one
abyss.
do
scramble
but
shudder.
in
our
and
Five
when
Monsieur
a
Owing
the
with
the
the
storm
therefore,
in
spite
thirty-two hours,
going
after
a
after
a
forced
lunch,
good
night's
marching
Fours,
difficult
some
time,
this
jar,
of
village
made
following
I
but
his hand.
me
might
which
were
a
once
It
covered
re-
was
Houches,
Les
friends.
They,
too,
escape.
to
decided,
me
gave
gave
from
mountaineer,
narrow
which
bottles
not
men
look
to
apparition
an
were
of the
l'Abbaye,
expert
had
saw
sight
the
one
Turning
to
nately,
fortu-
which,
precipitous path,
I
nothing
was
rocks
steep
safely.
They
moment
a
there
priests roped together
footsteps.
for
the
our
in death,
ended
me
at
wind
high
down
again, however,
have
the
accomplished
we
des
and
precipitated
have
other
every
void
veil, the
grey
directly
almost
refuge, however,
step might
Notwithstanding
an
ALPINIST
Torino
the
the
in the
lost
was
AN
on
Below
us.
outline
The
down
look
beneath
BECOME
TO
and
and
rest
by
the
not
of
the
to
returned
to
of
way
du
wonderfully
the
crowded.
was
fact
sleep
descended
we
Col
refuge
that
to
de
Bonhomme,
picturesque.
been
Rifugio,
so,
Courmayeur,
and
by
days'
Chamonix
Col
I had
the
at
We
la
a
two
Seigne,
route
not
the
at
Col
all
XVIII
HINTS
There
ON
several
are
fail to
PHOTOGRAPHY
why
reasons
in
results
get good
Most
ALPINE
I
amateurs,
the
believe,
professional photographers
photos,
this
they wish
as
to
propensity quite
of
large majority
tourists'
the
good
is
the
in
hands
If
the
this
it would
thousands
their
spoilt in
The
results
be
of
are
more
good
the
overcrowded
out
mediocre
but
were
in
plates
in the
late at
extreme.
confined
films
work,
continues
this haste
and
comes
with
printing
to
and
confusion
irreparably
are
development.
is told
the
elsewhere,
he
fault
is his, and
generally jumps
During its height
into
extremely
capable professional photographers,
to
in
spirit,
crowd
frying-pan
not
the
raking
of
this commercial
When
are
grind
bad,
so
amateur
turns
their
I find
immediately.
printing often
on,
mechanical
not
print
conscientiously turning
is short.
put
are
night, and
allowing
long experience that
I believe
professionalworkshops
extra
and
of
growing.
alpine season
The
develop
results
from
than
Moreover,
unchecked,
habit
professionalsthink
money
work.
in the
are
natural.
I find
Unfortunately
Alps.
to
see
photographers
amateur
the
get behind
fire.
with
their
207
work,
to
if
gusted,
he, dis-
from
I have
the
known
in order
deliberatelyover-
208
HOW
BECOME
TO
ALPINIST
AN
printingin order to get through quickly
over,
bromide
printsin the developing bath. Morein
expose
with
the tourist is not
allowed
to choose
his favourite
requirea separate bath, but is told
it is a standard bromide or nothing. Everythingpasses
until it is worn
bath, mechanically,
through the same
this would
as
paper,
out.
pointI wish to make is this : I see no reason
why the largeand powerfulphotographicsocieties cannot
of tourists
put a check on conscienceless exploitation
by singlingout certain meritorious photographersfor
automobile
and touring clubs rerecommendation
commend
as
the
Now
hotels, and
time
same
without
assist
thus
touringamateur
the necessaries to do
loss where
to turn.
printingto
at the
who,
photographers,
their
own
work,
are
at
a
Until
itisadvisable for tourists
and
merit, while
reward
somethingof the sort is done
to send their platesfor developing
home
concerns
of established
putation.
re-
going to the Alps for the first time it is advisable
for amateur
photographersto take with them films and
iftheir cameras
other than the most
are
especially
plates,
popularstandard size.
films in alpinecentres
is
stock of platesand
The
limited,for directors of photographicstores do not like
carryingodd sizes,for there is risk of them remaining
and thus depreciating.
unsold at the end of the season
in alpinephotography,
of the first principles
One
in most
as
landscape work, is to use the tripod and
The
the concuts down
trast,
yellow screen
yellow screen.
and at the
allowingone to get detail in snow
In
i
a
ON
HINTS
time
same
Without
ALPINE
PHOTOGRAPHY
retain the features
the
screen
this
againstthe
of takingtime
principle
white
smallest
to
have
yet obtained
1:6:8,
smallest
yellow screen
film
stop.
stop,
of
seven
two
snow.
If
down
Some
have
little more
exposures
advantageous to diaphragm
next
photographed.
out
come
persons
black silhouettes
of persons
been
209
of
to
the
with
seconds
densities,and
a
than
follows
one
find it
one
may
the
smallest
best
with
an
Dagor
with
take
a
Eastman
tripodis usuallycumbersome,
made
of the very lightscreens
now
snap-shots,provided one does not stop down
pack. As
possiblewith one
I
results
Goertz
exposure,
or
the
it is
to
too
much.
In the
Alps
one
is
continuallyface
to face with
such
photographingMont Blanc, which ranges
to blue glaciers,
from brilliantly-lit
snow
shadowy slopes,
rocky buttresses down to dark green pines in the valley.
Ordinarily,if one succeeds in getting any detail in
a
problem
as
pines,the upper part of the mountain is too dense to
the right
print. Vice versa, if one gives the summit
everything else is sacrificed.
exposure,
Professional photographers obviate this by shading
with a moving pieceof cardboard, and after
the summit
some
experience become
expert in strikingthe
very
correct
gradation. The advantage here of using the
is obvious, for it givestime
small stop and dense screen
for manipulation. PersonallyI preferto use
a yellow
to
four, which, while expensive,
screen
graduated from one
I find very satisfactory.Under
cumstanc
ordinary cirI preferto use
anti-halo, or backed, autochromatic
climbing,however, I rarely
plates. When
the
HOW
210
centimetre
18
x
BECOME
they
plates, as
use
13
TO
Film
while
to
mind
my
film
Both
two
be
may
whereas
in the
broken
are
autochromatic,
high alpine work.
shipped
home
chances
are
and
Matterhorn
13
12-exposure
18
x
for
over,
More-
immediate
plates would
Mont
on
film
cm.
another
holders
plates and
rocks.
expensive,
as
somewhat
to
the
in the
get
post.
the
on
twice
nearly
suited
best
packs
development,
easily broken
anti-halo,
light,unbreakable,
and
and
especially the
heavy,
extremely
are
ones,
packs,
ALPINIST
AN
and
packs,
porter
I used
Blanc
I carried
had
would
have
been
a
necessity.
Winter
beautiful
after
If
work
in the
photography
is interested
is
impossible.
needs
a
in winter
To
fast
At
St
slow
increase
to
1/1500.
one
to
skaters
winter
of
faster
I found
the
In
work
may
the
speed
at
1/1000
of
a
duration.
a
second
blurring them,
of
sunlight
marvellous
ganers
tobog-
or
plates capable
of
1/500
1/1000
to
screen-
second
1/500
register ski-jumpers without
to
had
and
camera
registering impressions
last
sports, however,
photograph
of
Moritz
is
one
effects, requires screen-work.
snow
one
one
Alps, especially if
second
a
of
and
second
a
or
Swiss
too
and
even
winter
still have
light
diaphragm.
Winter
which
well
sport photography
repays
the
effort
is
and
a
special study
cost
expended.
and
one
XIX
HOW
GET
TO
KILLED
killed in the
Getting
is
Alps
IN
THE
ALPS
becoming rapidly
national
inter-
an
mania.
This
is evidenced
statistics
the
by
Club, already quoted, showing
and
while
to
somehow
guides
the
something
break
managed
of
number
that
Alpine
165
tourists
break
their
necks,
those
who
ribs
legs or
arms,
Swiss
last year
to
wounded,
"
of the
"
managed
only
is
quite beyond
to
the
compute.
alpine dangers
sane
of
bathing
are
in
a
sea,
them.
In
with
crevasses
down
least
expect
them.
too,
contrive
to
for the
the
bloom
it is
takes
most
not
where
overhanging
the
trary,
con-
cover
the
avalanches
novice
the
beautiful
the
just
and
think
of the
roar
pains to
snow-bridges
warning
The
would
sight and
Alps
fact that
stance,
sea-shore, for in-
swim
seem,
thin
without
the
cannot
Nature, it would
for
deadly
who
rough
largely
On
unseen.
persons
terrifies
waves
come
is due
periodic massacre
The
would
alpine flowers,
most
perilous
abysses.
Some
years
ago
the
man-in-the-street
the
mountains
it is
Now
souls
to
from
a
mad
reaclr'some
it
was
the
stayed
his
hotel
scramble
elite which
in the
street,
or
while
looked
window.
of
snow-capped
213
climbed,
a
hundred
summit.
thousand
As
most
at
HOW
214
of these
TO
BECOME
AN
ALPINIST
nothing of the technique of getting
be of service,and are
the followingrules may
killed,
A
is to go and
easilymemorized:
fascinatingway
pick edelweiss. To pluck it one must approach from
Descend
above.
slowly,therefore, clingingto some
If a passingguidechances to call warning,
small shrub.
what
are
about, and that
reply that you know
you
tourists,as well as guides,have a rightto pick alpine
and as one
flowers.
Lean
the precipice,
over
slightly
hand
bloom, with the other hand
grasps the alluring
know
the
pullon
shrub, which
will
a
in, and
void
in hand, into the
edelweiss
lines in the newspapers
three
all !
of loose,moving rock, the
gratingsound
overhanging ledge will cave
will be
There
and
loose, roots
come
one
There
below.
it,and
about
guideswill find the body.
Climbing without guides is why
soar,
may
a
will be
caravan
of expert
Austrians
and
Americans
and
Eighty per
without
started
to
H.
later
fallen from
Mont
never
been
on
the
several
Sittingdown
above
the
an
best
ones.
Italian artist,
twenty
years
ago
of since.
Philadelphia,in 1898, also
alone, and
Glacier
get
ing
to tourists climb-
alone
heard
de
thousand
in avalanche
A friend of
up
Blanc
Riegel,from
Blanc
English
unfortunately,cannot
of the fatalities occur
Mont
while
"
choosing always
climb
N.
attempted
body
cent,
of
Germans
many
vide statistics
guides. Signor Cumani,
he has
M.
"
somehow,
habit
the
over
and
succeed
so
guides
Miage, to
found
which
he
his
had
feet above.
paths
is sometimes
tive.
effec-
mine, dispensingwith guides,climbed
Pierre Pointue
on
the
route
up Mont
Blanc
HOW
TO
GET
KILLED
sat down
deliberately
and
where
avalanches
invisible.
stones
in
lunch
to Pierre
ascend
to
it with
Glaciers des Bossons
had
and
At
"
the
each
blaming the other
in
warm
a
"
and
for what
the two
had
Anglo-Saxons,
happened,indulged
in the
encounter
pugilistic
words
Hot
out.
famous
his life
some
the
on
Dent
du
nails.
worn
Roberts,
guide, Emile
an
Rey,
Geant
of
with small
was
under
him
found
and
and
pebbles,when
he
brought
fell
to
over
Courmayeur
Nothing is easier than
Guides
say
lie should
that if
confine
a
to
his ascension
a
to
A.
C.
was
a
out
from
was
His
body
two
days
later.
a
In
shelf
narrow
feet.
fallingover
tourist has
renew
quicker.
move
his feet went
600
lost
Courmayeur,
by neglectingto
growing bad, they unroped so as to
descending a chimney Rey jumped
covered
might
descending with Mr
English climber, and as the weather
He
for
But
snow.
being attached to the guides by rope both men
in the glacier.
to-day be buried somewhere
The
a
Guides
English friend.
an
of the
slippedinto
he
in getting them
great difficulty
the cool crevasse,
it commonplace
Jonction
de Taconnaz
draggingwith him
followed
cocktails.
everybody else,tried
like
Blanc
Mont
patent leather shoes.
crevasse,
considered
American, who
An
absinthe
with
boots, too, has its
heavily-nailed
Climbing without
advantages.
gully
failed to get hit,however,
He
he recommenced
Pointue, where
a
Aiguilledu Midi
off the
disgusted,leavingeverythingbehind, fled
and
215
Suddenly the air was filledwith
and ice,the velocity
making the
singing,flyingstones
smaller
ALPS
THE
quietlyto
down
come
fifteen minutes.
every
IN
precipice.
tendency to vertigo
peaks frequentedby
216
HOW
TO
BECOME
AN
ALPINIST
To get killed,
the
therefore,
cows.
should
the
tackle
AiguilleVerte.
several
Cauro,
an
Matterhorn, Schreckhorn,
it lasts the sensation
While
thousand
feet
Blanc; while
was
polite,
his neck
when
fallingoff the Mon-
actress, in 1902,
killed
instantly
side of the Mer
of
goat-frequentedbuttress of Mont
a
French
a
the
or
falling
extraordinary.Dr
be
must
broke
alpinist,
tagne de la Cote,
with vertigo
alpinist
on
be
trying to
the Mauvais
Pas, by the
de Glace, while
she
met
side
attemptingto pass outparty coming in the contrary
a
direction.
In
passingbeneath
of
case
side,stop and have
of
forest fire on
a
look at the thick
a
a
tain
moun-
yellowspirals
amazingly short time the
the stones
of the trees burn, releasing
roots
lodged
bombard
the footpaths
between
them, and these,falling,
below.
By watching the fire from an exposed vantage
ascendingsmoke.
In
pointthe spectator will
an
be hit
squarelyin the face by
a
twenty-pounder, and his body will be recognizedlater
which, by the
by visiting-cards,
in his
carry
Do
not
way,
every novice should
pocket.
bother
of socks, mittens
about
and
heavy underwear,
dark
goggles when
the snow-line.
If the
therefore,more
easilyfall over
bad
weather
can
freeze in
coming
a
very
sun
on
shines
one
a
may
double
pairs
going above
go blind, and,
precipice. In
case
suddenly, as it often does,
short time.
It is said to be
a
of
one
licious
de-
drowsy death.
A
with
party of three
English and
eight guides,during bad
Blanc, and
ten
American
weather
days later, when
the
froze
storm
tourists,
on
Mont
abated,
THE
Monl
Mallet
PIC
DU
the
and
TACUL,
Dent
GRAXDES
tin (.ram
seen
JORASSES,
from
the
Mer
tie Glact
*
"v.
i
"II
I
In-
Wa\
k"
l.i
i^sim;
lllc
i hi:
(,i.
l"c!\-,',|,rc
\"ii:k
ill lllr
hi. \\r
AiiMlillrs
R"
218
HOW
early morning,when
In the
stones
falling
are
ALPINIST
AN
BECOME
TO
everythingis
It is in the
rare.
afternoon, when
melting hot, that the silence
broken
by their dropping. Amateurs
themselves in such placesshould do so
is
is
sun
when
the
One
tight,
frozen
the
continuously
when
amusing
in the afternoon
is hot !
sun
vasses,
easilyget killed by ignoringverglas,cre-
may
the
bergschrundsand snow-bridges Particularly
.
latter
recommended
are
in advance
by
a
search for them
the end
to
Guides
novices.
peculiar
dip in the surface
in
by pokingcontinuously
of their ice-axes.
Amateurs
them
see
or
snow,
advance
else
with
find them,
may
They step on one, the
!
snow-bridgegivesway, a piercing
cry, and all is over
Finally,in choosing a guide for excursions always
however, without
take
this trouble.
inveterate
an
drinker.
Dr
Hunter
Himalayan explorer,told me
when
in the Alps he unwittingly
was
to get caught in a difficult passage
famous
taken
with
he turned
delirium
guide, failed
forgottenhis
For
who
to
long ago that
fortunate
with
one
Workman,
get killed,and
know
has
enough
who
was
although
not
yet
nothing of the mountains, and
lustingfor
veranda
COLSTONS
!
Bottle of
LIMITED,
there is left
flesh-pots,
the
of
always the climbingreceipt
Hotel
not
sensation.
those who
continue
Dr
tremens.
the
Workman,
Mark
Twain
:
whisky ! Telescope!
PRINTERS,
EDINBURGH
T.
LAURIE'S
WERNER
LIST
AT
OF
ONE
WITH
LIST
OF
Maud
Cross
Churton
James
Blyth
Fergus
Frank
Warden
BOOKSTALLS
Published
T.
WERNER
S.
Wentworth-James
Qaunt
Mary
Kennedy
Hubert
Richardson
ALL
de
Stanley Portal
at
Arnold
AND
Hyatt
Bland
Phillpotts
Bden
and
ON
BOOKS
BY
READ,
Bart
Hume
Florence
DELIGHTFUL
Gertie
Braby
COLOURS
IN
COVERS
TO
Victoria
NET.
SHILLING
PICTURE
A
NOVELS
Bennett
OF
CLIFFORD'S
LAURIE,
ALL
INN,
BOOKSELLERS
LONDON,
LIMITED
by
T. WERNER
THE
WILD
WIDOW
By GERTIE
DE
S.
WENTWORTH-JAMES
Is.
"There
NOVELS
\sn"t
LAURIE'S
net
genuine surprisesin this fresh and well-written
novel, and altogether it is an
ingenious and fascinatingpiece of
work."
Leader.
Morning
The
A
story is packed full of life and mirth and humour.
and
bright
breezy novel thoroughly up-to-date and clever.
Bystander.
"Shows
and
of the
qualities far beyond the standard
powers
Dublin
ordinary output of fiction."
Express.
Proves
the author
to be capable of inventingand
unfolding a
skill."
complicated plot with considerable
Daily
Telegraph.
are
many
"
"
...
"
"
.
.
"
"
"
RED
LOYE
GERTIE
By
DE
WENTWORTH-JAMES
3.
Is.
"
A
that
novel
is, above
net
all, lively.
Cleverly satirical.
and
the dialogue amusing.
There
is a
writing is smart
somewhat
emotional
about
the
but
tested
violently
tale,
atmosphere
and simple, it may
be said to
by the criterion of entertainment
pure
with
colours."
Herald.
flying
Glasgow
pass
.
.
.
.
The
.
.
.
"
".
Clear
.
marked
perceptions and
writes bitterly
concerning
.
Wentworth-James
of
the
her
we
reviewer
male
not
are
actuated
within
has
that she
in respect
of
creative
gifts. Mrs
jealousy and malice
the
writers
women
by feelingsof sex-antagonism
her the seeds
of greatness.
that which
but
;
A
...
the
clearly possesses
so
her."
"
gift of seeing
NIGHT
SIDE
With
95
OF
ROBERT
By
Pictures
Towi
by
Piccadilly Circus (il P.M.
"In
Society";
Highway);
Hall
A
;
Earl's
Court
Life ; A
Eccentrics"
Club
the
writer
is in
state
who
front
of
New
School
St Paul's
;
LONDON
MACHRAY
Is.
"
assure
we
Clarion.
THE
Music
we
when
to
R.B.A.
net
A.M.); In the
Society";
I
Not
The
R.I.,
Browne,
"In
Masked
with
Ball
the
; The
Streets
An
End
Shilling Hop
"
"
(Ratcliff
East
With
Saturday Night
Savages ;
La Vie de Boheme
(3 a.m.) ;
Night
; Sunday
The
National
A
Club
Sporting Club
Lyric;
Night
;
Eve
New
Year's
for Neophytes;
"Wonderland";
The
Hoppers' Saturday Night.
;
"
"
"
;
the
at
"
;
at
LADRIE'S Is-
T. WEBNER
1
A
DOWNWARD:
The
vivid
extraordinary
brilliant
Life"
of
CHURTON
MAUD
By
"Slice
NOVELS
NET.
BRABY
of
presentment
Dolly,
the
who
is the
undisciplined hospital nurse
of this story, will not
heroine
easilybe forgotten. Her
adventures
in
the
Street
Wimpole
temptations and
nursing home, her tragic love affair and the depths to
it brings her, together make
which
most
ventional
uncona
up
and
life-like
and
is
"It
her
by a fearless
and
by
speak faithfully,
brave,
a
clearly,dares
to
debtors."
true
W.
"
MODERN
MAUD
"
seen
us
all
of Reviews.
TO
HOW
AND
Sexes
of
Signs
"
Men
Why
"
BRABY
CHURTON
I.
Part
"
of the
Unrest.
Don't
The
"
Marry
Mutual
Why
"
faction
Dissatis-
Women
Don't
of the
Undesired.
Tragedy
Failure.
The
Various
of
The
I'art II.
in his Review
made
has
doing
so
IT
By
Contents.
who, having
woman,
MARRIAGE
BEAR
Marry
Stead
T.
life.
study of modern
book
Causes
of
Kinds
Marriege.
Discords
Fall
The
Wild
Out : Divers
Why We
Age to Marry
of
A Plea
for the Wiser
Girls
Oats for Wives
Training
"Keeping
of Matrimony.
the Crux
:
Only to Her
III.
Leasehold
Part
Suggested Alternatives.
Marriage a la
Meredith
Leasehold
Marriage in Practice : a Dialogue in 1999
Fiasco
Table
of Free
The
Love
Polygamy at the Polite Dinner
"
""
A Word
for
Is Legalised Polyandry the Solution?
Duogamy
The
Advantages of the Preliminary Canter.
IV '.
the Cul-de-sac
Part
Children"
of all Reforms." -To Beget
The
Not
Pros
and
Cons
of
to
or
Beget : the Question of the Day
Parenthood
the
the Limited
Family
:
Highest Destiny.
A
It.
Few
V.
Part
How
to Bear
Suggestions for Reform
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
Some
THE
Advice
powerful
problem
line
to
Husbands
of
and
KENNEDY
BART
little volume
those
of starvation.
Wives.
LINE
HUNGER
By
A
"
"
Practical
whose
lives
dealing
are
with
spent
the
on
the
pressing
border
LAURIE'S Is
T. WERNER
1
LOYE
INTRIGUES
NOVELS
NET.
ROYAL
OF
COURTS
THORNTON
By
HALL
Is.
Cloth,
Mr
and
Hall
describes
reveals
Catherine
the
Great
The
dazzlei
author
Chevalier
Sophie
the
also
Dorothea
who
in the
enslaved
THE
By
Cut
her
lovers;
the
by
and
book
OF
Cavendish.
Bridge,
by
With
and
the
Chapter
a
the well-known
yet it contains
many
on
New
Rules
Bridge
is
expert
valuable
MODERN
WOMAN
MANAGE
HER
a
; Countess
and
Alexander
and
the
guide to
included,
to
beginner,
helpful to
are
and
conduct
a
them,
very
by
TO
HOW
GALLICHAN
M.
Is.
Bridge
of
Parties.
suggestions which
AND
WALTER
By
net
book
entertaining and brightly-written
essentially
far-seeing." Daily Telegraph.
ingly
Refreshthoughtful and thought-provoking little book.
Chronicle
Article
Hubert
(Leading
by
outspoken." Sunday
sensible
"A
most
and
"
.
"
Bland).
"
woman;
now
love
net
latest rules are
experienced player. The
helpful chapter on Bridge Parties and how
Mrs
Lang.
This
royal gifts.
the
Ludwig,
her
BRIDGE
the
"
of
of their love-drama
niece,
tragicscene
; Mazarin's
Kings ; and Louis Philippe,the Royal Changeling.
Is.
This
splendours
last
GAME
Auction
pretty madcap, Frances
of
and
Christina, Queen
r61e ; the
her
world
his pages,
In
scenes.
describes, among
others, King
playing his dual r61e, now
man,
for
losing a crown
Kdnigsmarck's
mysterious Lady of Versailles ;
D'Eon
Castiglione,the
Draga
with
Royal Courts,
of
dramas
secret
remarkable
most
plays
Jennings, coquettes
Sweden,
of the
many
of their
some
net
A
brutallyfrank
book."
"
Morning
Leader.
.
.
LAURIE'S Is-
T. WERNER
I
THE
SIDE
NIGHT
With
A
24
volume
companion
its
fashionable
crowd
with
Maxim's
into
plunging into
lair of the
and
the
with
us
of Parisian
DE
of
haute
ing
peep-
voce,
then
the
All
the
the way,
author
appreciations
comparisons
humorous
incisive
capitals.
of
Story
a
"The
a
Widow"
Wild
of feminine
bright,amusing,
very
artifices and
merciless
and
up-to-
manner.
With
FOR
40
J.
kind
entirely new
day, or
every
Beginners
the
art
of
by
every
four-line
men
kind
Nonsense
G.
year
fairlyclaim
may
forty great
anything of the
CLERIHEW
hitherto
and
masterpieces of extravagance
justiceto their subjects.
is
Book
; but
stand
(one
stanzas
treated
;
to
Chesterton
K.
of Nonsense
even
"
Clerihew's
BEGINNERS
Illustrations
An
the
now
the
WENTWORTH-JAMES
hits off all kinds
novel
By
Mr
all
dangerous slums,
The
8.
BIOGRAPHY
of
in
Woman
GERTIE
intriguesin
of the
character, and
Author
date
and
KISS.
Degenerate
This
Boulevarde,
voyou.
his keen
to-day
with
mingling
most
great European
two
SCARLET
By
and
of
ramble
we
now
haunts
the
life and
the
the
the Paris
him
Grande
darkest
A/"acAe and
entertains
between
the
on
knows
City,
net
ever-popular "Night
the
author
aspect, and
every
directions
the
over
Gay
Is.
Drawings.
to
The
PARIS
D'AUVERQNE
Full-page
Side of London."
in
B.
E.
By
OF
NOVELS
NET.
"
on
thing
Biography for
not
its
devoted
own
to
a
feet.
each
of
unlike
volume) are
evolved
by professors of
Mr
Chesterton's
drawings,
than
do
as
they are, more
in
the
LAURIE'S Is'
T. WERNER
1
FALLEN
detective
connected
2838
net
story concerning
with
the
and
life that the
MISS
and
mystery
till
same
traffic in London.
category
as
"
after the
starts
corpse
with
comes
is solved.
murder
FLORENCE
Warden's
is; it
CLIENTS
FERRIBY'S
of Miss
therein
long
of the
WARDEN
Is.
the
Jews
net
all that
it is not
By
One
German
RICHARDSON
FRANK
tale of London,
murder,
to
of
gang
Slave"
"White
Is.
a
a
MAYFAIR
By
A
HYATT
PORTAL
STANLEY
Is.
A
NET
THIEYES
AMONG
By
NOVELS
net
best
The
mystery
House
on
tales,belonging
the
Marsh."
to
LAURIE'S Is
T. WERNER
1
LIFE'S
WINDOW
SHOP
VICTORIA
By
CROSS
Is.
book
The
is
NOVELS
NET.
vivid
a
net.
brilliant
and
of the
presentment
life,and displays all that
varying phases of a woman's
standing
underkeen
analysisof motive and character, that acute
of the emotions, that joy in life and
vigorous
Victoria
make
remarkable
Cross
so
a
vitalitywhich
secured
writer, and
such
noteworthy
a
SIX
for
in all parts of the
success
VICTORIA
is
What
marked
so
atmosphere
and
colour
the
the
envy
and
gardens."
"
in these
net.
stories
The
is
The
in the
touch
"live
her
penaltiesand
intense
page.
life"
leads
you,
do
can
anything
buildings
Eastern
net.
the
is set
Grips
your
fascinated
doctrine
that
a
woman
can
forth, together with all the
of this theory.
A
story of
consequences
interest.
one
writing.
full of the
are
GAUNT
MARY
amazing novel,
own
No
of the
COST
Is.
this
stories
Queen.
By
In
East.
beauty
description of
UNCOUNTED
THE
is the
Eastern
delightful.
atmosphere of the
author's
but
and
world.
CROSS
Is.
Her
Women,"
"Six
book,
WOMEN
By
"
last
her
and
attention
at
the
spellbound,
to
very
the
start,
final
LAURIE'S 1"
T. WERNER
I
LETTERS
letters
A
By
HUBERT
BLAND
net.
father's character
is
odd
an
intimate
relationship.
on
away
her
to
has
of
his intellectual
more
was
a
is shown
compound
world, and
are
and
When
bravely candid
equally candid
many
themselves
and
A
Letter
"On
refer
girl.
a
being Delightful On
Earning One's
Living On
on
"
Different
Sorts
of
Men
"
the
On
to
have
put
which
he
problems which
is intelligent,
who
letters
some
Going
"
daughter
courage-
one
titles of
the
are
the
questions,to
to
the
And
seems
those
to
inevitably
Here
problems.
written
She
in that
is usual
than
were
visits.
of
his
to
frank
letters
replied with an
The
girl'squestions
nineteen
father
more
the
round
a
father
present
The
daughter.
in an
It
introductory sketch.
of the
man
philosopher and
interchanges with his daughter
from
are
NIT.
DAUGHTER
TO
l"
These
NOYELS
the
with
of them
:
Limits
of
of
the
such
"
On
Church"
to
Glamour
deal
Scandal
Flirtation
Footlights
"
"
On
On
Marriage.
THE
HAPPY
MORALIST
By
HUBERT
BLAND
Is.
A
author
delightfully fresh
of
THE
"
Letters
to
a
EMPRESS
By
Pnris
exciting
and
London
charming
and
OF
THE
FLORENCE
tale of
volume
by
the
Daughter."
ANDES
WARDEN
J
This
net.
*,
net,.
mystery
de.tls
largely with
life in
METHODS
THE
tkt
By
OF
0fu"THm
Author
Adventures
la.
Imbued
with
of
possessed
limit
that
his
for
affluence
the
of
and
the
morality
those
which
out
venality
is
his
of
whom
THE
tkf
Autker
in the
contemporaries,
shrewd,
developing
helpful
conduct
current
j
is
Ames
a
figure
in fiction.
AMD
ISABEL
"?/mThb
Advkntukrs
of
John
Johns.'
cat,
WEANING
By
An
exciting
careful
of
Frver,
subject.
study
one
to
of
which
story,
motor
of
the
those
every
BLYTH
JAMES
in.
tion
and
lator
legis-
a
organs
humorous
defeats
le.
THE
women
many
his
through
for
matstna
unique
probably
by
passions
courting rarely,
but
his
of
all
of
courted
opinion
Machiavelli,
of
distrustful
power,
distaste
his
KING
By
a
principles
beauty,
of
controller
deserving
to
cat.
ingenious, forceful, esoteric,
Press,
a
pursuit
John's."
John
o?
wealth,
enormous
the
and
of
some
AMES
YICTOR
net
in
which
Mr
Blyth
birth, development,
attacks
of
Calf
Love,
large-hearted
boy
and
presents
termina
or
Sentimental
of
education
is
Los
book
This
MAR
i
j*
is DUE
2 1958
-
m
HM*
Form
6
L9-50m-7,
1962
'54
(5990)444
LIBRARY
CALIFORNIA
OF
UNIVERSITY
on
Angeles
the
last
date
stamped
below.
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REGIONAL
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UC
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LIBRARY
080
FACILITY
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