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diff --git a/42758-8.txt b/42758-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b55c597..0000000 --- a/42758-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7328 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of True Tales of Mountain Adventures, by -Mrs. Aubrey Le Blond - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: True Tales of Mountain Adventures - For Non-Climbers Young and Old - -Author: Mrs. Aubrey Le Blond - -Release Date: May 21, 2013 [EBook #42758] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TRUE TALES OF MOUNTAIN ADVENTURES *** - - - - -Produced by Melissa McDaniel and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - -Transcriber's Note: - - Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have - been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - - Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. - - The Preface listed as being on page vii is on page ix. - - - - - TRUE TALES OF MOUNTAIN - ADVENTURE - - - - - [Illustration: MELCHIOR ANDEREGG 1894. - _Frontispiece._] - - - - - TRUE TALES OF - MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE - - FOR NON-CLIMBERS YOUNG AND OLD - - BY - MRS AUBREY LE BLOND - (MRS MAIN) - - NEW YORK - E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY - 1903 - - - - - (_All rights reserved._) - - - - - TO - MR EDWARD WHYMPER - - - WHOSE SPIRITED WRITINGS AND GRAPHIC PENCIL FIRST AWAKENED - AN INTEREST IN MOUNTAINEERING AMONGST THOSE WHO - HAD NEVER CLIMBED, I DEDICATE THESE TRUE TALES - FROM THE HILLS, THE MATERIAL FOR SOME OF - THE MOST STRIKING OF WHICH I OWE - TO HIS GENEROSITY. - - - - -PREFACE - - -There is no manlier sport in the world than mountaineering. - -It is true that all the sports Englishmen take part in are manly, but -mountaineering is different from others, because it is sport purely -for the sake of sport. There is no question of beating any one else, -as in a race or a game, or of killing an animal or a bird as in -hunting or shooting. A mountaineer sets his skill and his strength -against the difficulty of getting to the top of a steep peak. Either -he conquers the mountain, or it conquers him. If he fails, he keeps on -trying till he succeeds. This teaches him perseverance, and proves to -him that anything is possible if he is determined to do it. - -In mountaineering, all the party share the pleasures and the dangers. -Every climber has to help the others. Every climber has to rely both -on himself and on his companions. - -Mountaineering makes a person quick in learning how to act in moments -of danger. It cultivates his presence of mind, it teaches him to be -unselfish and thoughtful for others who may be with him. It takes him -amongst the grandest scenery in the world, it shows him the forces of -nature let loose in the blinding snow-storm, or the roaring avalanche. -It lifts him above all the petty friction of daily life, and takes him -where the atmosphere is always pure, and the outlook calm and wide. It -brings him health, and leaves him delightful recollections. It gives -him friends both amongst his fellow-climbers, and in the faithful -guides who season after season accompany him. It is a pursuit which he -can commence early in life, and continue till old age, for the choice -of expeditions is endless, and ascents of all scales of difficulty -and of any length are easily found. - -That I do not exaggerate the joys and the benefits of mountaineering -will be borne out by those extracts from the true tales from the hills -of which this book chiefly consists. Some may think I have dwelt at -undue length on the catastrophes which have darkened the pages of -Alpine history. I do not apologize. If in one single instance any one -who reads these pages becomes afterwards a climber, and takes warning -from anything I have told him, I am amply justified. - -It has been difficult in a work like this to know always what to -include and what to omit. My guiding principle has been to give -preference to descriptions which are either so exciting by reason of -the facts narrated, or else so brilliantly and wittily written, that -they cannot fail to excite the reader's interest. To these I have -added four chapters, those on mountaineering, on glaciers, on -avalanches, and on the guides of the Alps, which may help to make -climbing more intelligible to those who have never attempted it. - -My warm thanks are due to Sir Leslie Stephen, Messrs Whymper, Tuckett, -Charles Pilkington, and Clinton Dent who have rendered the production -of this book possible by allowing me to quote at considerable length -from their writings; also to Messrs Longman who have permitted me to -make extracts from works of which they hold the copyright, and to -Messrs Newnes and Messrs Hutchinson for their kind permission to -re-print portions of my articles which have appeared in their -publications. - -I am also under a debt of gratitude to Mr Philip Gosset, who has not -only allowed me to reprint his account of the avalanche on the -Haut-de-Cry, but has also most kindly placed his wide knowledge of -glaciers at my disposal by offering to revise the chapter I have -written on that subject in this book. - -Dr Kennedy, whose beautiful edition of Mr Moore's diary, "The Alps in -1864," recently appeared, has generously given me permission to make -any extracts I desire from it. - -Colonel Arkwright, whose brother perished on Mont Blanc in 1866, has -been good enough to allow me to reproduce a most interesting and -hitherto unpublished photograph of the relics discovered in 1897. - -The illustrations, except those connected with the Arkwright accident, -and a view of the Matterhorn, by the late Mr W. F. Donkin, are from -photographs by me. By them I have tried rather to show how climbers -carry out their mountaineering than to illustrate any particular -locality. - -In my own writings I have adopted, in the spelling of names of places, -the modern official forms, but, of course, when quoting I have kept to -those followed by each writer. - -If, in the following pages, I have given any pleasure to those who -have never scaled a peak, or have perhaps recalled happy days amongst -the mountains to a fellow-climber, it will be a very real -gratification to me. - - E. LE BLOND. - - 67, THE DRIVE, - BRIGHTON, _Oct. 30th, 1902_. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - CHAP. PAGE - - PREFACE vii. - - I. WHAT IS MOUNTAINEERING? 1 - - II. A FEW WORDS ABOUT GLACIERS 7 - - III. AVALANCHES 15 - - IV. THE GUIDES OF THE ALPS 22 - - V. THE GUIDES OF THE ALPS (Continued) 50 - - VI. AN AVALANCHE ON THE HAUT-DE-CRY--A RACE - FOR LIFE 59 - - VII. CAUGHT IN AN AVALANCHE ON THE MATTERHORN--THE - ICE-AVALANCHE OF THE ALTELS--AN AVALANCHE - WHICH ROBBED A LADY OF A GARMENT 72 - - VIII. LOST IN THE ICE FOR FORTY YEARS 92 - - IX. THE MOST TERRIBLE OF ALL ALPINE TRAGEDIES 107 - - X. A WONDERFUL SLIDE DOWN A WALL OF ICE 113 - - XI. AN ADVENTURE ON THE TRIFT PASS--THE PERILS OF - THE MOMING PASS 122 - - XII. AN EXCITING PASSAGE OF THE COL DE PILATTE 134 - - XIII. AN ADVENTURE ON THE ALETSCH GLACIER--A LOYAL - COMPANION--A BRAVE GUIDE 142 - - XIV. A WONDERFUL FEAT BY TWO LADIES--A PERILOUS CLIMB 153 - - XV. A FINE PERFORMANCE WITHOUT GUIDES 170 - - XVI. THE PIZ SCERSCEN TWICE IN FOUR DAYS--THE FIRST - ASCENT BY A WOMAN OF MONT BLANC 194 - - XVII. THE ASCENT OF A WALL OF ICE 208 - - XVIII. THE AIGUILLE DU DRU 221 - - XIX. THE MOST FAMOUS MOUNTAIN IN THE ALPS--THE - CONQUEST OF THE MATTERHORN 250 - - XX. SOME TRAGEDIES ON THE MATTERHORN 268 - - XXI. THE WHOLE DUTY OF THE CLIMBER--ALPINE DISTRESS - SIGNALS 289 - - GLOSSARY 293 - - INDEX 295 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - PAGE - - Melchior Anderegg, 1894 _Frontispiece_ - - Climbers Descending the Ortler 2 - - The Aletsch Glacier from Bel Alp 7 - - General View of a Glacier 8 - - A Glacier Table: after a Storm 11 - - A Crevassed Glacier 13 - - An Avalanche near Bouveret: a Tunnel through an - Avalanche 17 - - Edouard Cupelin 22 - - Descending a Rock Peak near Zermatt 31 - - A Big Crevasse: the Gentle Persuasion of the Rope 37 - - A Typical Couloir: the Ober Gabelhorn: the Wrong Way - to Descend: Very Soft Snow 42 - - Piz Palü: Hans and Christian Grass 44 - - Christian Almer, 1894 54 - - An Avalanche Falling 59 - - Eiger and Mönch from Lauberhorn 66 - - Avalanche Falling from the Wetterhorn 79 - - On Monte Rosa 83 - - Mr Whymper: Mrs Aubrey Le Blond: Group on a High Peak - in Winter 85 - - Mrs Aubrey Le Blond and Joseph Imboden: Crossing a Snow - Couloir 89 - - Mont Blanc: Nicolas Winhart: a Banker of Geneva: the - Relics of the Arkwright Accident 92 - - Alpine Snow-Fields 108 - - A Start by Moonlight: Shadows at Sunrise: a Standing - Glissade: a Sitting Glissade 136 - - On a Snow-Covered Glacier 148 - - Martin Schocher and Schnitzler 150 - - Exterior of a Climber's Hut: Interior 157 - - The Meije: Ascending a Snowy Wall 171 - - Top of Piz Scerscen: Party Descending Piz Bernina: On - a Mountain Top: Descent of a Snow-Ridge 194 - - Hard Work: Setting Out in a Long Skirt 204 - - A Steep Icy Slope: On the Top of a Pass 216 - - A Slab of Rock: Negotiating a Steep Passage 225 - - The Family of Herr Seiler, Zermatt: Going to Zermatt in - the Olden Days 250 - - The Guides' Wall, Zermatt 259 - - The Zermatt Side of the Matterhorn: Rising Mists 260 - - A Bitterly Cold Day: The Matterhorn from the Zmutt Side 265 - - Jost, Porter of Hotel Monte Rosa, Zermatt 268 - - Hoar Frost in the Alps 274 - - - - -ERRATA - - - The plate labelled to face page 225, to face page 11. - - " " " " 5, " 83. - - - - -TRUE TALES OF MOUNTAIN - -ADVENTURE - - - - -CHAPTER I - -WHAT IS MOUNTAINEERING? - - -Mountaineering is not merely walking up hill. It is the art of getting -safely up and down a peak where there is no path, and where steps may -have to be cut in the ice; it is the art of selecting the best line of -ascent under conditions which vary from day to day. - -Mountaineering as a science took long to perfect. It is more than a -century since the first ascent of a big Alpine peak was accomplished, -and the early climbers had but little idea of the dangers which they -were likely to meet with. They could not tell when the snow was safe, -or when it might slip away in an avalanche. They did not know where -stones would be likely to fall on them, or when they were walking over -one of those huge cracks in the glacier known as crevasses, and -lightly bridged over with winter snow, which might break away when -they trod on it. However, they soon learnt that it was safer for two -or more people to be together in such places than for a man to go -alone, and when crossing glaciers they used the long sticks they -carried as a sort of hand-rail, a man holding on to each end, so that -if one tumbled into a hole the other could pull him out. Of course -this was a very clumsy way of doing things, and before long it -occurred to them that a much better plan would be to use a rope, and -being all tied to it about 20 feet apart, their hands were left free, -and the party could go across a snow-field and venture on bridged-over -crevasses in safety. - -At first both guides and travellers carried long sticks called -alpenstocks. If they came to a steep slope of hard snow or ice, they -hacked steps up it with small axes which they carried slung on their -backs. This was a very inconvenient way of going to work, as it -entailed holding the alpenstock in one hand and using the axe with the -other. So they thought of a better plan, and had the alpenstock made -thicker and shorter, and fastened an axe-head to the top of it. This -was gradually improved till it became the ice-axe, as used to-day, and -as shown in many of my photographs. This ice-axe is useful for -various purposes besides cutting steps. If you dig in the head while -crossing a snow-slope, it acts as an anchor, and gives tremendous -hold, while to allude to its functions as a tin-opener, a weapon of -defence against irate bulls on Alpine pastures, or as a means for -rapidly passing through a crowd at a railway station, is but to touch -on a very few of its admirable qualities. - - [Illustration: CLIMBERS DESCENDING A SNOW-CLAD PEAK (THE ORTLER).] - -When people first climbed they went in droves on the mountains, or I -should say rather on the mountain, for during the first half of the -nineteenth century Mont Blanc was the object of nearly all the -expeditions which set out for the eternal snows. After some years, -however, it was found quite unnecessary to have so many guides and -porters, and nowadays a party usually numbers four, two travellers and -two guides, or three, consisting generally of one traveller and two -guides, or occasionally five. Two is a bad number, as should one of -them be hurt or taken ill, the other would have to leave him and go -for help, though one of the first rules of mountaineering is that a -man who is injured or indisposed must never be left alone on a -mountain. Again, six is not a good number; it is too many, as the -members of the party are sure to get in each other's way, pepper each -other with stones, and waste no end of time in wrangling as to when to -stop for food, when to proceed, and which way to go up. A good guide -will run the concern himself, and turn a deaf ear to all suggestions; -but the fact remains that six people had better split up and go on -separate ropes. And if they also, in the case of rock peaks, choose -different mountains, it is an excellent plan. The best of friends are -apt to revile each other when stones, upset from above, come whistling -about their ears. - -The early mountaineers were horribly afraid of places which were at -all difficult to climb. Mere danger, however, had no terrors for them, -and they calmly encamped on frail snow-bridges, or had lunch in the -path of avalanches. After a time the dangerous was understood and -avoided, and the difficult grappled with by increased skill, until -about the middle of the nineteenth century there arose a class of -experts, little, if at all, inferior to the best guides of the present -day. - -The most active and intelligent of the natives of Chamonix, Zermatt, -and the Bernese Oberland now learnt to find their way even on -mountains new to them. Some were chamois hunters, and accustomed to -climb in difficult places. Others, perhaps, had when boys minded -the goats, and scrambled after them in all sorts of awkward spots. -Others, again, had such a taste for mountaineering that they took to -it the very first time they tried it. Of these last my own guide, -Joseph Imboden, was one, and later on I will tell you of the -extraordinary way in which he began his splendid career. - - [Illustration: ON A ROCK RIDGE NEAR THE TOP OF MONTE ROSA. - - The Schallihorn may be seen in the top right-hand corner of the - picture.] - -It is from going with and watching how good guides climb that most -people learn to become mountaineers themselves. Nearly all take guides -whenever they ascend difficult mountains, but some are so skilful and -experienced that they go without, though few are ever good enough to -do this quite safely. - -I am often asked why people climb, and it is a hard question to answer -satisfactorily. There is something which makes one long to mountaineer -more and more, from the first time one tries it. All climbs are -different. All views from mountains are different, and every time one -climbs one is uncertain, owing to the weather or the possible state of -the peak, if the top can be reached or not. So it is always a struggle -between the mountain and the climber, and though perseverance, skill, -experience, and pluck must give the victory to the climber in the -end, yet the fight may be a long one, and it may be years before a -particularly awkward peak allows one to stand on its summit. - -Perhaps, if you have patience to read what follows, you may better -understand what mountaineering is, and why most of those who have once -tried it become so fond of it. - - [Illustration: THE ALETSCH GLACIER FROM BEL ALP. - - The medial moraine is very conspicuous. This glacier is about a mile - in width.] - - - - -CHAPTER II - -A FEW WORDS ABOUT GLACIERS - - -Of all the beautiful and interesting things mountain districts have to -show, none surpass the glaciers. - -Now a glacier is simply a river of ice, which never melts away even -during the hottest summer. Glaciers form high up on mountains, where -there is a great deal of snow in winter, and where it is never very -hot even in summer. They are also found in northern lands, such as -Greenland, and there, owing to the long cold winter and short summer, -they come down to the very level of the sea. - -A glacier is formed in this way: There is a heavy fall of snow which -lies in basins and little valleys high up on the mountain side. The -air is too cold for it to melt, and as more falls on the top of it the -mass gets pressed down. Now, if you take a lump of snow in your hand -and press it, you get an icy snow-ball. If you squeeze anything you -make it warmer. The pressing down of the great mass of snow is like -the squeezing of the ball in your hand. It makes it warmer, so that -the snow first half melts and then gradually becomes ice. You bring -about this change in your snow-ball in a moment. Nature, in making a -glacier, takes much longer, so that what was snow one year is only -partly ice the next--it is known as _nevé_--and it is not until after -several seasons that it becomes the pure ice we see in the lower part -of a glacier. - -One would fancy that if a quantity of snow falls every winter and does -not all melt, the mountains must grow higher. But though only a little -of the snow melts, it disappears in other ways. Some is evaporated -into the atmosphere; some falls off in avalanches. Most of it slowly -flows down after forming itself into glaciers. For glaciers are always -moving. The force of gravity makes them slide down over their rocky -beds. They flow so slowly that we cannot see them move, in fact most -of them advance only a few inches a day. But if a line of stakes is -driven into the ice straight across a glacier, we shall notice in a -few weeks that they have moved down. And the most interesting part -of it is that they will not have moved evenly, but those nearest the -centre will have advanced further than those at the side. In short, a -glacier flows like a river, the banks keeping back the ice at the -side, as the banks of a river prevent it from running so fast at the -edge as in the middle. - - [Illustration: GENERAL VIEW ON THE LOWER PART OF A LARGE GLACIER. - - The surface is ice, not snow. The snow-line may be seen further up.] - -A large glacier is fed by such a gigantic mass of snow that it is in -its upper part hundreds of feet thick. Of course when it reaches -warmer places it begins to melt. But the quantity of ice composing it -is so great that it takes a long time before it disappears, and a big -glacier sometimes flows down far below the wild and rocky parts of -mountains and reaches the neighbourhood of forests and corn-fields. It -is very beautiful at Chamonix to see the white, glittering ice of the -Glacier des Bossons flowing in a silent stream through green meadows. - -The reason that mountaineers have to be careful in crossing glaciers -is on account of the holes, cracks, or, to call them by their proper -name, crevasses, which are met with on them. Ice, unlike water, is -brittle, so it splits up into crevasses whenever the glacier flows -over a steep or uneven rocky bed. High up, where snow still lies, -these chasms in the ice are often bridged over, and if a person -ventures on one of these snow bridges it may break, and he may fall -down the crevasse, which may be so deep that no bottom can be found to -it. He is then either killed by the fall or frozen to death. If, as I -have explained before, several climbers are roped together, they form -a long string, like the tail of a kite, and not more than one is -likely to break through at a time. As the rope is--or ought to -be--kept tightly stretched, he cannot fall far, and is easily pulled -out again. - -The snow melts away off the surface of the glacier further down in -summer. It is on this bare, icy stream, scarred all over with little -channels full of water running merrily down the melting rough surface, -that the ordinary tourist is taken when he visits a glacier during his -summer trip to Switzerland. - - [Illustration: A GLACIER TABLE (page 11).] - - [Illustration: Taken in Mid-Winter on reaching the Lower Slopes of a - Mountain after a terrific Storm of Snow and Wind. The local Swiss - snow-shoes were used during part of the ascent.] - -You will notice in most of the photographs of glaciers black streaks -along them, sometimes only near the sides, sometimes also in the -centre. These are heaps of stones and earth which have fallen from the -mountains bordering the glacier, and have been carried along by the -slowly moving ice. The bands in the centre have come there, owing -to the meeting higher up of two glaciers, which have joined their side -heaps of rubbish, and have henceforward flowed on as one glacier. The -bands of piled up stones are called moraines, those at the edge being -known as lateral moraines, in the centre as medial moraines, and the -stones which drop off the end (or snout) of a glacier, as terminal -moraines. - -Besides these compact bands, we sometimes find here and there a big -stone or boulder by itself, which has rolled on to the ice. Often -these stones are raised on a pedestal of ice, and then they are called -"glacier-tables." They have covered the bit of ice they lie upon, and -prevented it from melting, while the glacier all round has gradually -sunk. After a time the leg of the table begins to feel the sun strike -it also. It melts away on the south side and the stone slips off. A -party of climbers, wandering about on a glacier at night or in a fog, -and having no compass, can roughly take their bearings by noticing in -what position these broken-down glacier-tables lie. - -Occasionally sand has been washed down over the surface of the ice, -and a patch of it has collected in one place. This shields the glacier -from the sun, the surrounding ice sinks, and eventually we find cones -which are lightly covered with sand, the smooth ice beneath being -reached directly we scratch the surface with the point of a stick. - -It is difficult to realise the enormous size of a large glacier. The -Aletsch Glacier, the most extensive in the Alps, would, it has been -said, if turned to stone, supply building material for a city the size -of London. - -With regard to the movement of glaciers, the entertaining author of "A -Tramp Abroad" mildly chaffs his readers by telling them that he once -tried to turn a glacier to account as a means of transport. -Accordingly, he took up his position in the middle, where the ice -moves quickest, leaving his luggage at the edge, where it goes -slowest. Thus he intended to travel by express, leaving his things to -follow by goods train! However, after some time, he appeared to make -no progress, so he got out a book on glaciers to try and find out the -reason for the delay. He was much surprised when he read that a -glacier moves at about the same pace as _the hour hand of a watch_! - - [Illustration: A DISTORTED AND CREVASSED GLACIER. - - Showing the rough texture of the surface of a Glacier below the - Snow-line.] - -Many thousands of years ago there were glaciers in Scotland and -England. We are certain of this, as glaciers scratch and polish the -rocks they pass over as does nothing else. Stones are frozen into -the ice, and it holds them and uses them as we might hold and use a -sharply-pointed instrument, scratching the rock over which the mighty -mass is slowly passing. In addition to the scratches, the ice polishes -the rock till it is quite smooth, writing upon it in characters never -to be effaced the history of past events. Another thing which proves -to us that these icy rivers were in many places where there are no -glaciers now, is the boulders we find scattered about. These boulders -are sometimes of a kind of rock not found anywhere near, and so we -know that they must have been carried along on that wonderful natural -luggage-train, and dropped off it as it melted. We find big stones in -North Wales which must have come on a glacier beginning in Scotland! -Glacier-polished rocks are found along the whole of the west coast of -Norway, and there are boulders near Geneva, in Switzerland, which have -come from the chain of Mount Blanc, 60 miles away. - -So you see that the glaciers of the Alps are far smaller than they -were at one time, and that in many places where formerly there were -huge glaciers, there are to-day none. The Ice Age was the time when -these great glaciers existed, but the subject of the Ice Age is a -difficult and thorny one, which is outside the scope of my information -and of this book. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -AVALANCHES - - -Many of the most terrible accidents in the Alps have been due to -avalanches, and perhaps, as avalanches take place from different -causes and have various characteristics, according to whether they are -of ice, snow, or _débris_, some account of them may not be out of -place. - -We may briefly classify them as follows:-- - - 1. Ice avalanches, only met with on or near glaciers. - - 2. Dust avalanches, composed of very light, powdery snow. - - 3. Compact avalanches (_Grund_ or ground avalanches, as the - Germans call them), consisting of snow, earth, stones, - trees, and anything which the avalanche finds in its path. - These take place only in winter and spring, while the two - other kinds happen on the mountains at any season. - -An ice avalanche is easily understood when it is borne in mind that a -glacier is always moving. When this river of ice comes to the edge of -a precipice, or tries to crawl down a very steep cliff, it splits -across and forms tottering crags of ice, which lean over more and more -till they lose their balance and go crashing down the slope. Some of -the ice is crushed to powder by its fall, yet many blocks generally -survive, and are occasionally heaped up in such huge masses below that -they form another glacier on a small scale. If a party of mountaineers -passes under a place overhung by threatening ice, they are in great -danger, though at early morning, before the sun has loosened the -frozen masses, the peril is less. Sometimes, too, if the distance to -be traversed is very short and the going quite easy, it is safe enough -to dash quickly across. - - [Illustration: A TUNNEL 300 FEET LONG THROUGH AN AVALANCHE. - - Tree trunks, etc., can be seen embedded in it.] - - [Illustration: AN AVALANCHE NEAR BOUVERET, LAKE OF GENEVA.] - -Dust avalanches occur when a heavy fall of light, powdery snow takes -place on frozen hillsides or ice-slopes, and so long as there is no -wind or disturbance, all remains quiet, and inexperienced people would -think there was no danger. But in reality dust avalanches are the most -to be feared of any, for they fall irregularly in unexpected places, -and their power is tremendous. While all seems calm and peaceful, -suddenly a puff of wind or the passage of an animal disturbs the -delicately-balanced masses, and then woe betide whoever is within -reach of this frightful engine of destruction. First, the snow begins -to slide gently down, then it gathers pace and volume, and even miles -away the thunder of its fall can be heard as it leaps from ledge to -ledge. Covered with a cloud of smoking, powdery dust, it is a -veritable Niagara of giant height, and as it descends towards the -forests, it carries with it whatever it finds in its path. Trees are -mown down with as much ease as the tender grass of spring. Houses are -lifted from the ground and tossed far away. - -An avalanche is preceded by a blast even more destructive than the -masses of snow which it hurls along. As it advances with -ever-increasing rapidity the air in front is more and more compressed -as the avalanche rushes on with lightning-like speed behind it. The -wind sweeps everything before it, and many are the tales related by -those who have survived or witnessed a display of its power. On one -occasion more than a hundred houses were overwhelmed by a huge -avalanche at Saas (Prättigau, near Davos), and during the search -afterwards the rescue party found amidst the ruins a child lying -asleep and uninjured in his cradle, which had been blown to some -distance from his home, while close by stood a basket containing six -eggs, none of which were broken. I have myself seen a row of telegraph -posts in an Alpine valley in winter thrown flat on the ground by the -air preceding an enormous avalanche, which itself did not come within -300 yards of them. It is a very wonderful thing that persons buried -beneath an avalanche can sometimes hear every word spoken by a search -party, and yet not a sound that they utter reaches the ears of those -outside. A great deal of air is imprisoned between the particles of -snow, and so it is possible for those overwhelmed by an avalanche to -live inside it for hours. Cases have been known where a man, buried -not far below the surface, has been able to melt a hole to the outer -air with his breath, and eventually free himself from his icy prison. -On 18th January, 1885, enormous avalanches fell in some of the -mountainous districts of northern Italy, houses, cattle, crops, and -granaries being carried away, and many victims buried beneath the -ruins. Some touching episodes of wonderful escapes were related. "For -instance, at Riva, in the valley of Susa, a whole family, consisting -of an old woman of seventy, her two daughters, her four nieces, and a -child four months old, were buried with their house in the snow, -exposed apparently to certain death from cold and hunger. But the -soldiers of the Compagnie Alpine, hearing of the sad case, worked with -all their might and main to save them, and at last they were found and -brought out alive, the brave old grandmother insisting that the -children should be saved first, and then her daughters, saying that -their lives were more precious than her own." The soldiers, who worked -with a will above all praise, were obliged in several cases to -construct long galleries in the snow in order to reach the villages, -which were sometimes buried beneath 40 feet of snow. - -Compact avalanches, though very terrible on account of their -frequently great size, can be more easily guarded against than dust -avalanches, because they always fall in well-defined channels. A -compact avalanche consists of snow, earth, stones, and trees, and -comes down in times of thaw. Many fall in early spring in Alpine -valleys, and though it is not unusual for them to come right across -high roads, the fatal accidents are comparatively few. The inhabitants -know that wherever, high up on the hills, there is a hollow which may -serve as a _reservoir_ or collecting-basin for the snow, and below -this a funnel or shoot, there an avalanche may be expected. Often they -take means to prevent one starting, for an avalanche, whose power is -irresistible when once it has begun to move quickly, is very easily -kept from mischief if it is not allowed a running start. The best of -all ways for preventing avalanches is to plant the gullies with trees, -but where this cannot be done, rows of stakes driven into the ground -will serve to hold up the snow, and where the hillside is extremely -steep, and much damage would be caused if an avalanche fell, stone -walls are built one above another to keep the soil and the snow -together, very much as we see on precipitous banks overlooking English -railways. - -The driving roads over Alpine passes are in places exposed to -avalanches in winter. At the worst spots galleries of stone are built, -through which the sleighs can pass in perfect safety, and if an -avalanche fell while they were inside it would pass harmlessly over -their heads. On the Albula Pass, in Switzerland, as soon as the -avalanches come down, tunnels are cut in the snow through them, and -are in constant use till early summer. - -Occasionally houses or churches are built in the very path of an -avalanche. A V-shaped wall, called an avalanche-breaker, is put -behind, and this cuts the snowy stream in two parts, which passes on -harmlessly on either side of the building. Sometimes avalanche-breakers -of snow, hardened into ice by throwing water over them, are constructed -behind barns which have been put in exposed places. - -In order that an avalanche may get up speed enough to commence its -swift career, the slope the snow rests on where it starts must be at -an angle of from 30° to 35° at least. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -THE GUIDES OF THE ALPS: WHAT THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY DO - - -There is no profession drawing its members from the peasant class -which requires a combination of so many high and rare qualities as -that of a mountain guide. Happily, the dwellers in hill countries seem -usually more noble in mind and robust of frame than the inhabitants of -plains, and all who know them well must admit that among Alpine guides -are to be found men whose intelligence and character would rank high -in any class of life. - -I have usually noticed that the abilities and duties of a guide are -little understood by the non-climber, who often imagines that a -guide's sole business is to know the way and to carry the various -useless articles which the beginner in mountaineering insists on -taking with him. - - [Illustration: EDOUARD CUPELIN OF CHAMONIX. - - The Guide with whom Mrs Aubrey Le Blond commenced her climbing.] - -Guiding, if it sometimes does include these duties, is far more -than this. The first-class guide must be the general of the little -army setting out to invade the higher regions. He need not _know_ the -way--in fact, it sometimes happens that he has never before visited -the district--but he must be able to _find_ a way, and a safe one, to -the summit of the peak for which his party is bound. An inferior guide -may know, from habit, the usual way up a mountain, but, should the -conditions of ice and snow alter, he is unable to alter with them and -vary his route. You may ask: "How does a guide find his way on a -mountain new to him?" There are several means open to him. If the peak -is well known, as is, say, the Matterhorn, he will have heard from -other guides which routes have been followed, and will know that if he -desires to take his traveller up the ordinary way he must go past the -Schwarz-see Hotel, and on to the ridge which terminates in the Hörnli, -making for the hut which he has seen from below through the telescope. -Then he remembers that he must cross to the east face, and while doing -so he will notice the scratches on the rocks from the nailed boots of -previous climbers. Now, mounting directly upward, he will pick out the -passages which seem easiest, until, passing the ruined upper hut, he -comes out on the ridge and looks down the tremendous precipice which -overhangs the Matterhorn Glacier. This ridge, he knows, he simply has -to follow until he reaches the foot of a steep face of rock some 50 -feet high, down which hangs a chain. He has heard all about this bit -of the climb since his boyhood, and he tells his traveller that, once -on the top of the rock, all difficulty will be over, and the final -slope to the summit will be found a gentle one. So it comes to pass -that the party reaches the highest pinnacle of the great mountain -without once diverging from the best route. Occasionally the leading -guide may take with him as second guide a man from the locality, but -most climbers will prefer to keep with them the two guides they are -used to. - -It is not only on mountains that a guide is able to find his way over -little known ground. Many years ago Melchior Anderegg came to stay -with friends in England, and arrived at London Bridge Station in the -midst of a thick London fog. "He was met by Mr Stephen and Mr -Hinchliff," writes his biographer in _The Pioneer of the Alps_, "who -accompanied him on foot to the rooms of the latter gentleman in -Lincoln's Inn Fields. A day or two later the same party found -themselves at the same station on their return from Woolwich. 'Now, -Melchior,' said Mr Hinchliff, 'you will lead us back home.' Instantly -the skilful guide, who had never seen a larger town than Berne, -accepted the situation, and found his way straight back without -difficulty, pausing for consideration only once, as if to examine the -landmarks at the foot of Chancery Lane." - -Now, let us see how a guide sets about exploring a district where no -one has previously ascended the mountains. Of this work I have seen a -good deal, since in Arctic Norway my Swiss guides and I have ascended -more than twenty hitherto-unclimbed peaks, and were never once unable -to reach the summit. Of course, the first thing is to see the -mountains, and, to do this, it is wise to ascend something which you -are sure, from its appearance, is easy, and then prospect for others, -inspecting others again from them, and so on, _ad infinitum_. You -cannot always see the whole of a route, and, perhaps, your leading -guide will observe: "We can reach that upper glacier by the gully in -the rocks." "What gully?" you ask. "The one to the left. There _must_ -be one there. Look at the heap of stones at the bottom!" Thus, from -the seen to the unseen the guide argues, reading a fact from writing -invisible to the untrained eye. Between difficulty and danger, too, he -draws a sharp distinction, and attacks with full confidence a steep -but firm wall of rock, turning back from the easy-looking slope of -snow ready to set forth in an avalanche directly the foot touches it. - -And how is this proficiency obtained? How does the guide learn his -profession? - -In different ways, but he usually begins young, tending goats on steep -grassy slopes requiring balance and nerve to move about over. Later -on, having decided that he wishes to be a guide, the boy, at the age -of seventeen or eighteen, offers himself for examination on applying -for a certificate as porter. The requirements for this first step are -not great: a good character, a sound physique, a knowledge of reading -and writing, and in most Alpine centres the guild of guides will grant -him a license. He can now accompany any guide who will take him, on -any expedition that guide considers within the porter's powers. His -advancement depends on his capacity. Should he quickly adapt himself -to the work, the guides will trust him more and more, taking him on -difficult ascents and allowing him occasionally to share the -responsibility of leading on an ascent and coming down last when -descending. It will readily be seen that the leader must never slip, -and must, when those who follow are moving, be able to hold them -should anything go wrong with them. The same applies to the even more -responsible position of last man coming down. When a porter reaches -this stage, he is little inferior to a second guide. He can now enter -for his final examination. If he is competent, he has no trouble in -passing it, and I fear that if the contrary--as is the case in many of -those who apply--he gets through easily enough. - -At Chamonix the guides' society is controlled by Government. The rules -press hardly on the better class of guides there, or would do so if -observed; but a first-class guide is practically independent of them, -and mountaineers who know the ropes can avoid the regulations. At -Zermatt greater liberty is allowed, and, indeed, I believe that -everywhere except at Chamonix a guide is free to go with any climber -who applies for him. At Chamonix the rule is that the guides are -employed in turn, so that the absurd spectacle is possible of a man of -real experience carrying a lady's shawl across the Mer de Glace, while -a guide, who is little better than a porter, sets out to climb the -Aiguille de Dru! However, the exceptions to this rule make a broad -way of escape, for a lady alone, a member of an Alpine club, or a -climber bent on a particularly difficult ascent, may choose a guide. - -The pay of a first-class guide is seldom by tariff, for the class of -climber who alone would have the opportunity of securing the services -of one of the extremely limited number of guides of the first order -generally engages him for some weeks at a time. Indeed, such men are -usually bespoken a year in advance. The pay offered and expected is 25 -fr. a day, including all expeditions, or else 10 fr. a day for rest -days, 50 fr. for a peak, 25 fr. for a pass, in both cases the guide to -keep himself, while travelling expenses and food on expeditions are to -be paid for by the employer. If a season is fine and the party -energetic, the former rate of payment may be the cheaper. The second -guide generally receives two-thirds as much as the first guide. - -When a novice is about to choose a guide, the advice of an experienced -friend is invaluable, but, failing this, it is worse than useless to -rely on inn-keepers, casual travellers, or the _guide-chef_ at the -guides' office of the locality. From these you can obtain the names of -guides whom they recommend, but before making any definite -arrangements, see the men themselves and carefully examine their books -of certificates. In these latter lie your security, if you read them -intelligently. Bear in mind that their value consists in their being -signed by competent mountaineers. For instance, you may find something -like the following in a guide's book:-- - - A. Dumkopf took me up the Matterhorn to-day. He showed - wonderful sureness of foot and steadiness of head, and I - consider him a first-class guide, and have pleasure in - recommending him. - - (Signed) A. S. SMITH. - -Now, this is by some one you never heard of, and a very little -consideration will show you that A. S. Smith is quite ignorant of -climbing, judging by his wording of the certificate. That which -follows, taken from the late Christian Almer's _Führerbuch_, is the -sort of thing to carry weight:-- - - Christian Almer has been our guide for three weeks, during - which time we made the ascents of the Matterhorn (ascending - by the northern and descending by the southern route), - Weisshorn (from the Bies Glacier), Dent Blanche, and the - Bietschhorn. Every journey that we take under Almer's - guidance confirms us in the high opinion we have formed of - his qualities as a guide and as a man. To the utmost daring - and courage he unites prudence and foresight, seldom found - in combination. - - (Signed) W. A. B. COOLIDGE. - Visp, September 22nd, 1871. - -It is when things go badly that a first-class guide is so -conspicuously above an inferior man. In sudden storms or fog you may, -if accompanied by the former, be in security, while the latter may get -his party into positions of great peril. The former will take you -slowly and carefully, sounding, perhaps, at every step, over what -appears to you a perfectly easy snow plateau. The latter goes across a -similar place unsuspecting of harm and with the rope loose, and, lo -and behold, you all find yourselves in a hidden crevasse, and are -lucky if you escape with your lives. In the early days of -mountaineering guides were frequently drawn from the chamois hunters -of a district, a sport requiring, perhaps, rather the quickness and -agility of the born climber and gymnast than the qualities of -calculation and prudence needed in addition by the guide. - - [Illustration: A careful party descending a Rock Peak near Zermatt - (the Unter Gabelhorn).] - -The most thoroughly unorthodox beginning to a great career of which I -have ever heard was that of Joseph Imboden, of St Nicholas. When a -boy his great desire, as he has often told me, was to become a guide. -But his father would not consent to it, and apprenticed him to a -boot-maker. During the time he toiled at manufacturing and mending -shoes he contrived to save 20 fr. He then, at the age of sixteen, ran -away from his employer, bought a note-book, and established himself at -the Riffel Hotel above Zermatt. On every possible occasion he urged -travellers to employ him as guide. - -"Where is your book, young man?" they invariably enquired. - -He showed it to them, but the pages were blank, and so no one would -take him. - -"At last," Imboden went on, "my 20 fr. were all but spent, when I -managed to persuade a young Englishman to let me take him up Monte -Rosa. I told him I knew the mountain well, and I would not charge him -high. So we started. I had never set foot on a glacier before or on -any mountain, but there was a good track up the snow, and I followed -this, and there were other parties on Monte Rosa, so I copied what the -guides did, and roped my gentleman as I saw the guides doing theirs. -It was a lovely day, and we got on very well, and my gentleman was -much pleased, and offered me an engagement to go to Chamonix with him -over high passes. - -"Then I said to myself: 'Lies have been very useful till now, but the -time has come to speak the truth, and I will do so.' - -"So I said to him: 'Herr, until to-day I have never climbed a -mountain, but I am strong and active, and I have lived among -mountaineers and mountains, and I am sure I can satisfy you if you -will take me.' - -"He was quite ready to do so, and we crossed the Col du Géant and went -up Mont Blanc, but could do no more as the weather was bad. Then he -wrote a great deal in my book, and since then I have never been in -want of a gentleman to guide." - -Imboden's eldest son, Roman, began still younger. When only thirteen -he was employed by a member of the Alpine Club, Mr G. S. Barnes, to -carry his lunch on the picnics he made with his friends on the -glaciers near Saas-Fée. The party eventually undertook more ambitious -expeditions, and one evening, Roman, who was very small for his age, -was seen entering his native village at the head of a number of -climbers who had crossed the Ried Pass, the little boy proudly -carrying the largest knapsack of which he could possess himself, a -huge coil of rope, and an ice-axe nearly as big as himself. Thus -commenced the career of an afterwards famous Alpine guide. - -During some fifteen seasons Imboden accompanied me on my climbs, -frequently with Roman as second guide. Once the latter went with me to -Dauphiné, and, though only twenty-three at the time, took me up the -Meije, Ecrins, and other big peaks, his father being detained at home -by reason of a bitter feud with the railway company about to run a -line through his farm. It is sad to look back to the terrible ending -of Roman's career at a period when he was the best young guide in the -Alps. How little, in September 1895, as with the Imbodens, father and -son, I stood on the summit of the Lyskamm, did any of us think that -never again should we be together on a mountain, and that from the -very peak on which we were Roman would be precipitated in one awful -fall of hundreds of feet, his companions, Dr Guntner and the second -guide Ruppen, also losing their lives. - -I shall never forget the evening the news reached us at Zermatt. -Imboden was, as usual, my guide, but Roman was leading guide to Dr -Guntner. A month or two previously this gentleman had written to -Roman asking if he would climb with him. Roman showed the letter to -his father, saying: "I only go with English people, so I shall -refuse." "Do not reply in a hurry," was the answer; "wait and see what -the Herr is like, he is coming here soon." So Roman waited, saw Dr -Guntner, liked him immensely, and engaged himself, not only till the -end of the season, but also for a five months' mountaineering -expedition in the Himalayas. We had all arrived at Zermatt from Fée a -few days before, and while we waited in the valley for good weather, -Dr Guntner, Roman Imboden, and Ruppen went to the Monte Rosa Hut to -get some exercise next day on one of the easier peaks in the -neighbourhood. Dr Guntner much wished to try the Lyskamm. Roman was -against it, as the weather and snow were bad. However, in the morning -there was a slight improvement, and as Dr Guntner was still most -anxious to attempt the Lyskamm and Roman was so attached to him that -he wished to oblige him in every way he could, he consented to, at any -rate, go and look at it. Another party followed, feeling secure in the -wake of such first-rate climbers, and, though the snow was atrocious -and the weather grew worse and worse, no one turned back, and the -summit was not far distant. - -The gentleman in the second party did not feel very well, and made a -long halt on the lower part of the ridge. Something seems to have -aroused his suspicions--some drifting snow above, it was said, but I -could never understand this part of the story--and an accident was -feared. Abandoning the ascent, partly because of illness, partly on -account of the weather, the party went down. At the bottom of the -ridge, wishing to see if indeed something had gone wrong, they bore -over towards the Italian side of the mountain. Directly the snowy -plain at the base of the peak became visible, their worst fears were -confirmed, for they perceived three black specks lying close together. -Examining them through their glasses, it was but too certain that what -they saw were the lifeless bodies of Dr Gunnter, Roman, and Ruppen. - -Meanwhile, unconscious of the awful tragedy being enacted that day on -the mountains, I had sent Imboden down to St Nicholas to see his -family, and, after dinner, was sitting writing in the little salon of -the Hotel Zermatt when two people entered, remarking to each other, -"What a horrible smash on the Lyskamm!" - -I started to my feet. Something told me it must be Roman's party. -Crossing quickly over to the Monte Rosa Hotel, I found a silent crowd -gathering in the street. I went into the office. - -"Who is it?" I asked. - -"Roman's party," was the answer. - -"How do you know?" - -"The other party has telephoned from the Riffel; we wait for them to -arrive to hear particulars." - -The crowd grew larger and larger in the dark without. All waited in -cruel suspense. I could not bear to think of Imboden. - -An hour passed. Then there was a stir among the waiting throng, and I -went out among them and waited too. - -The other party was coming. As the little band filed through the -crowd, one question only was whispered. - -"Is there any hope?" Sadly shaking their heads, the gentleman and his -guides passed into Herr Seiler's room, and there we learned all there -was to hear. - -I need not dwell on Imboden's grief. He will never be the same man -again, though three more sons are left him; but I must put on record -his first words to me when I saw him: "Ruppen has left a young wife -and several children, and they are very poor. Will you get up a -subscription for them, ma'am, and help them as much as possible?" - - [Illustration: STOPPED BY A BIG CREVASSE. - - The party descended a little till a better passage was found by - crossing a snow-bridge (page 37).] - - [Illustration: THE GENTLE PERSUASION OF THE ROPE (page 39).] - -It was done, and for Roman a tombstone was erected, "By his English -friends, as a mark of their appreciation of his sterling qualities as -a man and a guide." Roman was twenty-seven at the time of the -accident. Neither Imboden nor I cared to face the sad associations of -the Alps after the death of Roman, and the next and following years we -mountaineered in Norway instead. - -It will have been noticed that a climber nearly always takes two -guides on an expedition. A visitor at Zermatt, or some other climbing -centre, was heard to enquire: "Why do people take two guides? Is it in -case they lose one?" - -There are several reasons why a climbing party should not number less -than three. In a difficult place, if one slips, his two companions -should be able to check his fall immediately, whereas if the party -number but two the risk of an accident is much greater. Again, a -mishap to one of a party of two is infinitely more serious than had -there been three climbing together. A glance at the accompanying -photograph of some mountaineers reconnoitring a big crevasse will make -my point clear. - -A first-class guide will use the rope very differently to an inferior -man, who allows it to hang about in a tangle, and to catch on every -point of projecting rock. - -A friend of mine, a Senior Wrangler, was extremely anxious to learn -how to use a rope properly. So, instead of watching the method of his -guide, he purchased a handbook, and learned by heart all the maxims -therein contained on the subject. Shortly after these studies of his I -was descending a steep face of rock in his company. I was in advance, -and had gone down as far as the length of rope between us permitted. A -few steps below was a commodious ledge, so I called out: "More rope, -please!" - -My friend hesitated, cleared his throat, and replied: "I am not sure -if I ought to move just now, because, in _Badminton_, on page -so-and-so, line so-and-so, the writer says----" - -"Will you please give the lady more rope, sir!" called out Imboden. - -"He says that if a climber finds himself in a position----" - -"Will you go on, sir, or must I come down and help you?" exclaimed -Imboden from above, and, at last, reluctantly enough, my friend moved -on. He is now a distinguished member of the Alpine Club, so there is, -perhaps, something to be said in favour of learning mountaineering -from precept rather than example! - -Occasionally a guide's manipulation of the rope includes something -more arduous than merely being always ready to stop a slip. If his -traveller is tired and the snow slopes are long and wearisome, it may -happen that a guide will put the rope over his shoulder and pull his -gentleman. A mountaineer of my acquaintance met a couple ascending the -Breithorn in this manner. It was a hot day, and the amateur was very -weary. Furthermore, he could speak no German. So he entreated his -compatriot to intercede for him with the guide, who would insist on -taking him up in spite of his groans of fatigue. - -"Why do you not return when the gentleman wishes it?" queried the -stranger. - -"Sir," replied the guide, "he can go, he must go; he has paid me in -advance!" - -The rope generally used by climbers is made in England, is known as -Alpine Club rope, and may be recognised by the bright red thread which -runs through the centre of it. A climber should have his own rope, and -not trust to any of doubtful quality. - -Should climbers desire to make ascents in seldom explored parts of the -world, such as the Caucasus, the Andes, or the Himalayas, they must -take Alpine guides with them, for mountains everywhere have many -characteristics in common, and as a good rider will go over a country -unknown to him better than a bad horseman to whom it is familiar, so -will a skilful guide find perhaps an easy way up a mountain previously -unexplored, while the natives of the district declare the undertaking -an impossible one. The Canadian Pacific Railway Company have -recognised the truth of this, and have secured the services of Swiss -guides for climbing in the Rockies. - -The devotion of a really trustworthy guide to his employer is a fine -trait in his character. My guide, Joseph Imboden, has often told me -that for years the idea that he might somehow return safe from an -expedition during which his traveller was killed, was simply a -nightmare to him. Directly the rope was removed his anxiety commenced, -and he was just as careful to see that the climber did not slip in an -easy place as he had been on the most difficult part of the ascent. It -is an unbroken tradition that no St. Nicholas guide ever comes home -without his employer; all return safely or all are killed. Alas! the -list of killed is a long one from that little Alpine village. In the -churchyard, from the most recent grave, covered by the beautiful white -marble stone placed there by Roman's English friends, to those -recalling accidents a score or more of years ago, there lies the dust -of many brave men. But I must not dwell on the gloom of the hills; let -me rather recall some of the many occasions when a guide, by his -skill, quickness, or resource, has saved his own and his charges' -lives. - -A famous Oberlander, Lauener by name, noted for his great strength, -performed on one occasion a marvellous feat. He was ascending a steep -ice slope, at the bottom of which was a precipice. He was alone with -his "gentleman," and to this fact, usually by no means a desirable -one, they both owed their lives. A big boulder seemed to be so deeply -imbedded in the ice as to be actually part of the underlying rock. The -traveller was just below it, the guide had cut steps alongside, and -was above with, most happily, the rope taut. As he gained the level of -the boulder he put his foot on it. To his horror it began to move! He -took one rapid step back, and with a superhuman effort positively -swung his traveller clean out of the steps and dangled him against the -slope while the rock, heeling slowly outwards, broke loose from its -icy fetters and plunged down the mountain side, right across the very -place where the climber had been standing but an instant before. - -A small man, whose muscles are in perfect condition, and who knows how -to turn them to account, can accomplish what would really appear to be -almost impossible for any one of his size. - -Ulrich Almer, eldest son of the famous guide, the late Christian -Almer, saved an entire party on one occasion by his own unaided -efforts. They were descending the Ober Gabelhorn, a high mountain near -Zermatt, and had reached a ridge where there is usually a large -cornice. Now, a cornice is an overhanging eave of snow which has been -formed by the wind blowing across a ridge. Sometimes cornices reach an -enormous size, projecting 50 feet or more from the ridge. In climbing, -presence of mind may avail much if a cornice breaks--absence of body -is, however, infinitely preferable. Even first-class guides may err in -deciding whether a party is or is not at an absolutely safe distance -from a cornice. Though not actually on that part of the curling wave -of snow which overhangs a precipice, the party may be in danger, for -when a cornice breaks away it usually takes with it part of the snow -beyond. - - [Illustration: A typical Couloir is seen streaking the peak from - summit to base in the centre of the picture (page 73).] - - [Illustration: The Cross marks the spot where the accident happened on - the cornice of the Ober Gabelhorn in 1880 (page 43).] - - [Illustration: THE WRONG WAY TO DESCEND.] - - [Illustration: Very soft Snow which, on a steep slope, would cause an - Avalanche (page 60).] - -By some miscalculation the first people on the rope walked on to the -cornice. It broke, and they dropped straight down the precipice -below. But at the same moment Ulrich saw and grasped the situation, -and, springing right out on the other side, was able to check them in -their terrible fall. It was no easy matter for the three men, one of -whom had dislocated his shoulder, to regain the ridge, although held -all the time by Ulrich. Still it was at length safely accomplished. -The two gentlemen were so grateful to their guide that they wished to -give him an acceptable present, and after much consideration decided -that they could not do better than present him with a cow! - -In trying to save a party which has fallen off a ridge, either by the -breaking of a cornice or by a slip, I am told by first-rate guides -that the proper thing to do is to jump straight out into the air on -the opposite side. You thus bring a greater strain on the rope, and -are more likely to check the pace at which your companions are -sliding. I had a very awkward experience myself on one occasion when, -owing to the softness of the snow, we started an avalanche, and the -last guide, failing to spring over on the other side, we were all -carried off our feet. Luckily, we were able, by thrusting our axes -through into a lower and harder layer of snow, to arrest our wild -career. - -Piz Palü, in the Engadine, was once nearly the scene of a terrible -tragedy through the breaking of a cornice, the party only being saved -by the quickness and strength of one of their guides. The climbers -consisted of Mrs Wainwright, her brother-in-law Dr B. Wainwright and -the famous Pontresina guides Hans and Christian Grass. Bad weather -overtook them during their ascent, and while they were passing along -the ridge the fog was so thick that Hans Grass, who was leading, got -on to the cornice. He was followed by the two travellers, and then -with a mighty crack the cornice split asunder and precipitated them -down the icy precipice seen to the right. Last on the rope came sturdy -old Christian Grass, who grasped the awful situation in an instant, -and sprang back. He held, but could, of course, do no more. Now was -the critical time for the three hanging against the glassy wall. Both -Hans and the lady had dropped their axes. Dr Wainwright alone retained -his, and to this the party owed their lives. Of course he, hanging at -the top, could do nothing; but after shouting out his intentions to -those below, he called on Hans to make ready to catch the axe when it -should slip by him. A moment of awful suspense, and the weapon was -grasped by the guide, who forthwith hewed a big step out of the ice, -and, standing on it, began the toilsome work of constructing a -staircase back to the ridge. At last it was done, and when the three -lay panting on the snow above, it was seen that by that time one -strand only of the rope had remained intact. - - [Illustration: The dotted line in the top right-hand corner shows the - spot on Piz Palü where the Wainwright accident took place, the slope - being the one the party fell down.] - - [Illustration: HANS AND CHRISTIAN GRASS.] - -The following account of a narrow escape from the result of a cornice -breaking has an especially sad interest, for it was found amongst the -papers of Lord Francis Douglas after his tragic death on the -Matterhorn, and was addressed to the Editor of the _Alpine Journal_. -The ascent described was made on 7th July 1865, and the poor young man -was killed on the 14th of the same month. - -The Gabelhorn is a fine peak, 13,365 feet high, in the Zermatt -district. - -Lord Francis Douglas writes:--"We arrived at the summit at 12.30. -There we found that some one had been the day before, at least to a -point very little below it, where they had built a cairn; but they had -not gone to the actual summit, as it was a peak of snow, and there -were no marks of footsteps. On this peak we sat down to dine, when, -all of a sudden, I felt myself go, and the whole top fell with a crash -thousands of feet below, and I with it, as far as the rope allowed -(some 12 feet). Here, like a flash of lightning, Taugwald came right -by me some 12 feet more; but the other guide, who had only the minute -before walked a few feet from the summit to pick up something, did not -go down with the mass, and thus held us both. The weight on the rope -must have been about 23 stone, and it is wonderful that, falling -straight down without anything to break one's fall, it did not break -too. Joseph Viennin then pulled us up, and we began the descent to -Zermatt." - -Here, again, one of the guides saved the party from certain -destruction. - -It is in time of emergency that a really first-rate guide is so far -ahead of an inferior man. In many cases when fatal results have -followed unexpected bad weather or exceptionally difficult conditions -of a mountain, bad guiding is to blame, while the cases when able -guides have brought down themselves and their employers from very -tight places indeed, are far more frequent than have ever been -related. - -A really wonderful example of a party brought safely home after -terrible exposure is related in _The Pioneers of the Alps_. The -well-known guides, Andreas Maurer and Emile Rey, with an English -climber, had tried to reach the summit of the Aiguille du Plan by the -steep ice slopes above the Chamonix Valley. "After step-cutting all -day, they reached a point when to proceed was impossible, and retreat -looked hopeless. To add to their difficulties, bad weather came on, -with snow and intense cold. There was nothing to be done but to remain -where they were for the night, and, if they survived it, to attempt -the descent of the almost precipitous ice-slopes they had with such -difficulty ascended. They stood through the long hours of that bitter -night, roped together, without daring to move, on a narrow ridge, -hacked level with their ice-axes. I know from each member of the party -that they looked upon their case as hopeless, but Maurer not only -never repined, but affected rather to like the whole thing, and though -his own back was frozen hard to the ice-wall against which he leaned, -and in spite of driving snow and numbing cold, he opened coat, -waistcoat and shirt, and through the long hours of the night he held, -pressed against his bare chest, the half-frozen body of the traveller -who had urged him to undertake the expedition. - -"The morning broke, still and clear, and at six o'clock, having thawed -their stiffened limbs in the warm sun, they commenced the descent. -Probably no finer feat in ice-work has ever been performed than that -accomplished by Maurer and Rey on the 10th August 1880. It took them -ten hours of continuous work to reach the rocks and safety, and their -work was done without a scrap of food, after eighteen hours of -incessant toil on the previous day, followed by a night of horrors -such as few can realize." Had the bad weather continued, the party -could not possibly have descended alive, "and this act of unselfish -devotion would have remained unrecorded!" - -Perhaps the most remarkable instance of endurance took place on the -Croda Grande. The party consisted of Mr Oscar Schuster and the -Primiero guide, Giuseppe Zecchini. They set out on 17th March 1900, -from Gosaldo at 5.10 A.M., the weather becoming unsettled as they went -along. After they had been seven hours on the march a storm arose, -yet, as they were within three-quarters of an hour of the top of their -peak, they did not like to turn back. They duly gained the summit, the -storm momentarily increasing in violence, and then they descended on -the other side of the mountain till they came to an overhanging rock -giving a certain amount of shelter. The guide had torn his gloves to -pieces during the ascent, and his fingers were raw and sore from the -difficult icy rocks he had climbed. As the cold was intense, they now -began to be very painful. The weather grew worse and worse, and the -two unfortunate climbers were obliged to remain in a hole scooped out -of the snow, not only during the night of the 17th, but also during -the whole day and night of the 18th. On the 19th, at 8 A.M., they made -a start, not having tasted food for forty-eight hours. Five feet of -snow had fallen, and the weather was still unsettled, but go they had -to. First they tried to return as they came, but the masses of snow -barred the way. They were delayed so long by the terrible state of the -mountain that they had to spend another night out, and it was not till -6 P.M. on the 20th, after great danger that they reached Gosaldo. The -guide, from whose account in _The Alpine Journal_ I have borrowed, -lost three fingers of his right hand and one of the left from -frost-bite; the traveller appears to have come off scot free. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -THE GUIDES OF THE ALPS--(_continued_). - - -The fathers of modern mountaineering were undoubtedly the two great -Oberland guides, Melchior Anderegg and Christian Almer, who commenced -their careers more than half a century ago. The former is still with -us, the latter passed away some two years ago, accomplishing with ease -expeditions of first-rate importance till within a season or two of -his death. Melchior began his climbing experiences when filling the -humble duties of boots at the Grimsel Inn. He was sent to conduct -parties to the glaciers, his master taking the fee, while Melchior's -share was the _pourboire_. His aptitude for mountain craft was soon -remarked by the travellers whom he accompanied, and in a lucky hour -for him--and indeed for all concerned--he was regularly taken into the -employ of Mr Walker and his family. At that time Melchior could speak -only a little German in addition to his Oberland _patois_, and was -quite unaccustomed to intercourse with English people. He was most -anxious, however, to say the right thing, and thought he could not do -better than copy the travellers, so Mr Walker was somewhat startled on -finding himself addressed as "Pa-pa," while his children were greeted -respectively as "Lucy" and "Horace." The friendship between Melchior -and the surviving members of Mr Walker's family has lasted ever since, -and is worthy of all concerned. Melchior was born a guide, as he was -born a gentleman, and no one who has had the pleasure of his -acquaintance can fail to be impressed by his tact and wonderful -sweetness of disposition, which have enabled him to work smoothly and -satisfactorily with other guides, who might well have felt some -jealousy at his career of unbroken success. - -Melchior's great rival and friend, Christian Almer, was of a more -impetuous disposition, but none the less a man to be respected and -liked for his sturdy uprightness and devotion to his employers. The -romantic tale of his ascent of the Wetterhorn, which first brought him -into notice, has been admirably told by Chief-Justice Wills in his -"Wanderings among the High Alps." Mr Wills, as he then was, had set -out from Grindelwald to attempt the ascent of the hitherto unclimbed -Wetterhorn. He had with him the guides Lauener, Bohren, and Balmat. -The former, a giant in strength and height, had determined to mark the -ascent in a way there should be no mistaking, so, seeking out the -blacksmith, he had a "Flagge," as he termed it, prepared, and with -this upon his back, he joined the rest of the party. The "Flagge" was -a sheet of iron, 3 feet long and 2 broad, with rings to attach it to a -bar of the same metal 10 or 12 feet high, which he carried in his -hand. "He pointed first to the 'Flagge,' and then, with an exulting -look on high, set up a shout of triumph which made the rocks ring -again." - -The Wetterhorn is so well seen from Grindelwald that it was natural -some jealousy should arise as to who should first gain the summit. At -this time Christian Almer was a chamois hunter, and his fine climbing -abilities had been well trained in that difficult sport. He heard of -the expedition, and took his measures accordingly. - -Meanwhile Mr Wills' party, having bivouacked on the mountain side, had -advanced some way upwards towards their goal, and were taking a little -rest. As they halted, "we were surprised," writes Mr Wills, "to behold -two other figures, creeping along the dangerous ridge of rocks we had -just passed. They were at some little distance from us, but we saw -they were dressed in the guise of peasants." - -Lauener exclaimed that they must be chamois hunters, but a moment's -reflection showed them that no chamois hunter would come that way, and -immediately after they noticed that one of them "carried on his back a -young fir-tree, branches, leaves, and all." This young man was -Christian Almer, and a fitting beginning it was to a great career. - -"We had turned aside to take our refreshment," continues Mr Wills, -"and while we were so occupied they passed us, and on our setting -forth again, we saw them on the snow slopes, a good way ahead, making -all the haste they could, and evidently determined to be the first at -the summit." - -The Chamonix guides were furious, declaring that no one at Chamonix -would be capable of so mean an action, and threatening an attack if -they met them. The Swiss guides also began to see the enormity of the -offence. "A great shouting now took place between the two parties, the -result of which was that the piratical adventurers promised to wait -for us on the rocks above, whither we arrived very soon after them. -They turned out to be two chamois hunters, who had heard of our -intended ascent, and resolved to be even with us, and plant their -tree side by side with our 'Flagge.' They had started very early in -the morning, had crept up the precipices above the upper glacier of -Grindelwald before it was light, had seen us soon after daybreak, -followed on our trail, and hunted us down. Balmat's anger was soon -appeased when he found they owned the reasonableness of his desire -that they should not steal from us the distinction of being the first -to scale that awful peak, and instead of administering the fisticuffs -he had talked about, he declared they were '_bons enfants_' after all, -and presented them with a cake of chocolate; thus the pipe of peace -was smoked, and tranquility reigned between the rival forces." - -The two parties now moved upwards together, and eventually reached the -steep final slope of snow so familiar to all who have been up the -Wetterhorn. They could not tell what was above it, but they hoped and -thought it might be the top. - - [Illustration: CHRISTIAN ALMER, 1894.] - -At last, after cutting a passage through the cornice, which hung over -the slope like the crest of a great wave about to break, Mr Wills -stepped on to the ridge. His description is too thrilling to be -omitted. "The instant before, I had been face to face with a blank -wall of ice. One step, and the eye took in a boundless expanse of -crag and glacier, peak and precipice, mountain and valley, lake and -plain. The whole world seemed to lie at my feet. The next moment, I -was almost appalled by the awfulness of our position. The side we had -come up was steep; but it was a gentle slope compared with that which -now fell away from where I stood. A few yards of glittering ice at our -feet, and then nothing between us and the green slopes of Grindelwald, -9000 feet below. Balmat told me afterwards that it was the most awful -and startling moment he had known in the course of his long mountain -experience. We felt as in the immediate presence of Him who had reared -this tremendous pinnacle, and beneath the 'majestical roof' of whose -blue heaven we stood poised, as it seemed, half-way beneath the earth -and sky." - -Another notable ascent by Almer of the Wetterhorn was made exactly -thirty years later, when, with the youngest of his five sons (whom he -was taking up for the first time) and an English climber he repeated -as far as possible all the details of his first climb, the lad -carrying a young fir-tree, as his father had done, to plant on the -summit. Finally, in 1896, Almer celebrated his golden wedding on the -top of the mountain he knew so well. He was accompanied by his wife, -and the sturdy old couple were guided by their sons. - -But all guides are not the Melchiors or the Almers of their -profession. Sometimes, bent on photography from the easier peaks, I -have taken whoever was willing to come and carry the camera, and on -one occasion had rather an amusing experience with an indifferent -specimen of the Pontresina _Führerverein_. All went well at first, and -our large party, mostly of friends who knew nothing of climbing, -trudged along quite happily till after our first halt for food. When -we started again after breakfast our first adventure occurred. We had -one first-class guide with us in the person of Martin Schocker, but -were obliged to make up the number required for the gang by pressing -several inferior men into our service. One of these was leading the -first rope-full (if such an expression may be allowed), and with that -wonderful capacity for discovering crevasses where they would be -avoided by more skilful men, he walked on to what looked like a firm, -level piece of snow, and in a second was gone! The rope ran rapidly -out as we flung ourselves into positions of security, and as we had -kept our proper distances the check came on us all as on one. We -remained as we were, while the second caravan advanced to our -assistance. Its leading guide, held by the others, cautiously -approached the hole, and seeing that our man was dangling, took -measures to haul him up. This was not very easy, as the rope had cut -deeply into the soft snow at the edge; but with so large a party there -was no real difficulty in effecting a rescue. At last our guide -appeared, very red in the face, puffing like a grampus, and minus his -hat. As soon as he had regained breath he began to talk very fast -indeed. It seemed that the crown of his hat was used by him for -purposes similar to those served by the strong rooms and safes of the -rich; for in his head-gear he was in the habit of storing family -documents of value, and among others packed away there was his -marriage certificate! The hat now reposed at the bottom of a profound -crevasse, and his lamentations were, in consequence, both loud and -prolonged. I don't know what happened when he got home, but for the -rest of the day he was a perfect nuisance to us all, explaining by -voice and gesture, repeated at every halt, the terrifying experience -and incalculable loss he had suffered. Another unlucky result of his -dive into the crevasse was its effect upon a lady member of the party, -who had been induced, by much persuasion, to venture for the first -time on a mountain. So startled was she by his sudden disappearance, -that she jibbed determinedly at every crack in the glacier we had to -cross, and, as they were many, our progress became slower and slower, -and it was very late indeed before we regained the valley. - -Mr Clinton Dent, writing in _The Alpine Journal_, justly remarks: -"Guides of the very first rank are still to be found, though they are -rare; yet there are, perhaps, as many of the first rank now as there -have ever been. The demand is so prodigiously great now that the -second-class guide, or the young fully qualified guide who has made -some little reputation for brilliancy, is often employed as leader on -work which may easily overtax his powers. There is no more pressing -question at the present time in connection with mountaineering, than -the proper training of young guides." - - [Illustration: The dust of an Avalanche falling from the Matterhorn - Glacier may be seen to the right.] - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -AN AVALANCHE ON THE HAUT-DE-CRY - - -The Haut-de-Cry is not one of the giants of the Alps. It is a peak of -modest height but fine appearance, rising abruptly from the valley of -the Rhone. In 1864 it had never been climbed in winter, and one of our -countrymen, Mr Philip Gosset, set out in February of that year to -attempt its ascent. He had with him a friend, Monsieur Boissonnet, the -famous guide Bennen, and three men from a village, named Ardon, close -by, who were to act as local guides or porters. - -The party had gained a considerable height on the mountain when it -became necessary to cross a couloir or gully filled with snow. It was -about 150 feet broad at the top, and 400 or 500 at the bottom. "Bennen -did not seem to like the look of the snow very much," writes Mr Gosset -in _The Alpine Journal_. "He asked the local guides whether avalanches -ever came down this couloir, to which they answered that our position -was perfectly safe. We were walking in the following order--Bevard, -Nance, Bennen, myself, Boissonnet, and Rebot. Having crossed over -about three-quarters of the breadth of the couloir, the two leading -men suddenly sank considerably above their waists. Bennen tightened -the rope. The snow was too deep to think of getting out of the hole -they had made, so they advanced one or two steps, dividing the snow -with their bodies. Bennen turned round and told us he was afraid of -starting an avalanche; we asked whether it would not be better to -return and cross the couloir higher up. To this the three Ardon men -opposed themselves; they mistook the proposed precaution for fear, and -the two leading men continued their work. - -"After three or four steps gained in the aforesaid manner, the snow -became hard again. Bennen had not moved--he was evidently undecided -what he should do. As soon, however, as he saw hard snow again, he -advanced, and crossed parallel to, but above, the furrow the Ardon men -had made. Strange to say, the snow supported him. While he was -passing, I observed that the leader, Bevard, had ten or twelve feet of -rope coiled round his shoulder. I of course at once told him to uncoil -it, and get on to the arête, from which he was not more than fifteen -feet distant. Bennen then told me to follow. I tried his steps, but -sank up to my waist in the very first. So I went through the furrows, -holding my elbows close to my body, so as not to touch the sides. This -furrow was about twelve feet long, and as the snow was good on the -other side, we had all come to the false conclusion that the snow was -accidentally softer there than elsewhere. Bennen advanced; he had made -but a few steps when we heard a deep, cutting sound. The snow-field -split in two, about fourteen or fifteen feet above us. The cleft was -at first quite narrow, not more than an inch broad. An awful silence -ensued; it lasted but a few seconds, and then it was broken by -Bennen's voice, 'Wir sind alle verloren.'[1] His words were slow and -solemn, and those who knew him felt what they really meant when spoken -by such a man as Bennen. They were his last words. I drove my -alpenstock into the snow, and brought the weight of my body to bear on -it. I then waited. It was an awful moment of suspense. I turned my -head towards Bennen to see whether he had done the same thing. To my -astonishment I saw him turn round, face the valley, and stretch out -both arms. The ground on which we stood began to move slowly, and I -felt the utter uselessness of any alpenstock. I soon sank up to my -shoulders, and began descending backwards. From this moment I saw -nothing of what had happened to the rest of the party. With a good -deal of trouble I succeeded in turning round. The speed of the -avalanche increased rapidly, and before long I was covered up with -snow. I was suffocating, when I suddenly came to the surface again. I -was on a wave of the avalanche, and saw it before me as I was carried -down. It was the most awful sight I ever saw. The head of the -avalanche was already at the spot where we had made our last halt. The -head alone was preceded by a thick cloud of snow-dust; the rest of the -avalanche was clear. Around me I heard the horrid hissing of the snow, -and far before me the thundering of the foremost part of the -avalanche. To prevent myself sinking again, I made use of my arms, -much in the same way as when swimming in a standing position. At last -I noticed that I was moving slower; then I saw the pieces of snow in -front of me stop at some yards distant; then the snow straight before -me stopped, and I heard on a large scale the same creaking sound that -is produced when a heavy cart passes over frozen snow in winter. I -felt that I also had stopped, and instantly threw up both arms to -protect my head, in case I should again be covered up. I had stopped, -but the snow behind me was still in motion; its pressure on my body -was so strong that I thought I should be crushed to death. This -tremendous pressure lasted but a short time; I was covered up by snow -coming from behind me. My first impulse was to try and uncover my -head--but this I could not do, the avalanche had frozen by pressure -the moment it stopped, and I was frozen in. Whilst trying vainly to -move my arms, I suddenly became aware that the hands as far as the -wrist had the faculty of motion. The conclusion was easy, they must be -above the snow. I set to work as well as I could; it was time for I -could not have held out much longer. At last I saw a faint glimmer of -light. The crust above my head was getting thinner, but I could not -reach it any more with my hands; the idea struck me that I might -pierce it with my breath. After several efforts I succeeded in doing -so, and felt suddenly a rush of air towards my mouth, I saw the sky -again through a little round hole. A dead silence reigned around me; I -was so surprised to be still alive, and so persuaded at the first -moment that none of my fellow-sufferers had survived, that I did not -even think of shouting for them. I then made vain efforts to extricate -my arms, but found it impossible; the most I could do was to join the -ends of my fingers, but they could not reach the snow any longer. -After a few minutes I heard a man shouting; what a relief it was to -know that I was not the sole survivor!--to know that perhaps he was -not frozen in and could come to my assistance! I answered; the voice -approached, but seemed uncertain where to go, and yet it was now quite -near. A sudden exclamation of surprise! Rebot had seen my hands. He -cleared my head in an instant, and was about to try and cut me out -completely, when I saw a foot above the snow, and so near to me that I -could touch it with my arms, although they were not quite free yet. I -at once tried to move the foot; it was my poor friend's. A pang of -agony shot through me as I saw that the foot did not move. Poor -Boissonnet had lost sensation, and was perhaps already dead. - -"Rebot did his best. After some time he wished me to help him, so he -freed my arms a little more, so that I could make use of them. I could -do but little, for Rebot had torn the axe from my shoulder as soon as -he had cleared my head (I generally carry an axe separate from my -alpenstock--the blade tied to the belt, and the handle attached to the -left shoulder). Before coming to me Rebot had helped Nance out of the -snow; he was lying nearly horizontally, and was not much covered over. -Nance found Bevard, who was upright in the snow, but covered up to the -head. After about twenty minutes, the two last-named guides came up. I -was at length taken out; the snow had to be cut with the axe down to -my feet before I could be pulled out. A few minutes after 1 P.M. we -came to my poor friend's face.... I wished the body to be taken out -completely, but nothing could induce the three guides to work any -longer, from the moment they saw it was too late to save him. I -acknowledge that they were nearly as incapable of doing anything as I -was. When I was taken out of the snow the cord had to be cut. We tried -the end going towards Bennen, but could not move it; it went nearly -straight down, and showed us that there was the grave of the bravest -guide the Valais ever had or ever will have." - -Thus ends one of the most magnificent descriptions of an avalanche -which has ever been written. The cause of the accident was a mistaken -opinion as to the state of winter snow, which is very different to -the snow met with in summer, and of which at that time the best guides -had no experience. - - -A RACE FOR LIFE - -Once upon a time, in the year 1872, a certain famous mountaineer, Mr -F. F. Tuckett, had with his party a desperate race for life. The -climbers numbered five in all, three travellers and two guides, and -had started from the Wengern Alp to ascend the Eiger. Nowadays there -is a railway to the Wengern Alp, and so thousands of English people -are familiar with the appearance of the magnificent group of -mountains--the Eiger, the Mönch, and the Jungfrau--which they have -before them as they pass along in the train. Suffice it here to say -that the way up the Eiger lies over a glacier, partly fed by another -high above it, from which, through a narrow, rocky gully, great masses -of ice now and again come dashing down. Unless the fall is a very big -one, climbers skirting along the edge of this glacier are safe enough, -but on the only occasion I have been up the Eiger, I did not fancy -this part of the journey. - - [Illustration: Eiger. Mönch. - - FROM THE LAUBERHORN. - -The Cross marks the Scene of "A Race for Life." The dotted line shows -the steep Ice-Wall of the Eigerjoch (page 208).] - -To return to Mr Tuckett and his friends. They were advancing up the -snowy valley below the funnel-shaped opening through which an -avalanche occasionally falls. The guide, Ulrich Lauener, was -leading, and, remarks Mr Tuckett, "He is a little hard of hearing; and -although his sight, which had become very feeble in 1870, is greatly -improved, both ear and eye were perhaps less quick to detect any -unexpected sound or movement than might otherwise have been the case. -Be this as it may, when all of a sudden I heard a sort of crack -somewhere up aloft, I believe that, for an instant or two, his was the -only head not turned upwards in the direction from which it seemed to -proceed, viz., the hanging ice-cliff; but the next moment, when a huge -mass of sérac broke away, mingled apparently with a still larger -contingent of snow from the slopes above, whose descent may, indeed, -have caused, or at least hastened, the disruption of the glacier, -every eye was on the look-out, though as yet there was no indication -on the part of any one, nor I believe any thought for one or two -seconds more, that we were going to be treated to anything beyond a -tolerably near view of such an avalanche as it rarely falls to -anyone's lot to see. Down came the mighty cataract, filling the -couloir to its brim; but it was not until it had traversed a distance -of 600 to 800 feet, and on suddenly dashing in a cloud of frozen spray -over one of the principal rocky ridges with which, as I have said, the -continuity of the snow-slope was broken, appeared as if by magic to -triple its width, that the idea of danger to ourselves flashed upon -me. I now perceived that its volume was enormously greater than I had -at first imagined, and that, with the tremendous momentum it had by -this time acquired, it might, instead of descending on the right -between us and the rocks of the Klein Eiger, dash completely across -the base of the Eiger itself in front of us, attain the foot of the -Rothstock ridge, and then, trending round, sweep the whole surface of -the glacier, ourselves included, with the besom of destruction. - -"I instinctively bolted for the rocks of the Rothstock--if haply it -might not be too late--yelling rather than shouting to the others, -'Run for your lives!' - -"Ulrich was the last to take the alarm, though the nearest to the -danger, and was thus eight or ten paces behind the rest of us, though -he, too, shouted to Whitwell to run for his life directly he became -aware of the situation. But by this time we were all straining -desperately through the deep, soft snow for dear life, yet with faces -turned upwards to watch the swift on-coming of the foe. I remember -being struck with the idea that it seemed as though, sure of its prey, -it wished to play with us for a while, at one moment letting us -imagine that we had gained upon it, and were getting beyond the line -of its fire, and the next, with mere wantonness of vindictive power, -suddenly rolling out on its right a vast volume of grinding blocks and -whirling snow, as though to show that it could out-flank us at any -moment it chose. - -"Nearer and nearer it came, its front like a mighty wave about to -break, yet that still 'on the curl hangs poising'; now it has -traversed the whole width of the glacier above us, taking a somewhat -diagonal direction; and now run, oh, run! if ever you did, for here it -comes straight at us, still outflanking us, swift, deadly, and -implacable! The next instant we saw no more; a wild confusion of -whirling snow and fragments of ice--a frozen cloud--swept over us, -entirely concealing us from one another, and still we were -untouched--at least I knew that I was--and still we ran. Another half -second and the mist had passed, and there lay the body of the monster, -whose head was still careering away at lightning speed far below us, -motionless, rigid, and harmless. It will naturally be supposed that -the race was one which had not admitted of being accurately timed by -the performers; but I believe that I am speaking with precision when I -say that I do not think the whole thing occupied from first to last -more than five or six seconds. How narrow our escape was may be -inferred from the fact that the spot where I halted for a moment to -look back after it had passed, was found to be just twelve yards from -its edge, and I don't think that in all we had had time to put more -than thirty yards between us and the point where our wild rush for the -rocks first began. Ulrich's momentary lagging all but cost him his -life; for in spite of his giant stride and desperate exertions he only -just contrived to fling himself forwards as the edge of the frozen -torrent dashed past him. This may sound like exaggeration, but he -assured me that he felt some fragments strike his legs; and it will -perhaps appear less improbable when it is considered that he was -certainly several yards in the rear, and when the avalanche came to a -standstill, its edge, intersecting and concealing our tracks along a -sharply defined line, rose rigid and perpendicular, like a wall of -cyclopean masonry, as the old Bible pictures represent the waters of -the Red Sea, standing 'upright as an heap' to let the Israelites -through. - -"The avalanche itself consisted of a mixture, in tolerably equal -proportions, of blocks of sérac of all shapes and sizes, up to -irregular cubes of four or five feet on a size, and snow thoroughly -saturated with water--the most dangerous of all descriptions to -encounter, as its weight is enormous. We found that it covered the -valley for a length of about 3300 feet, and a maximum breadth of 1500, -tailing off above and below to 500 or 1000 feet. Had our position on -the slope been a few hundred feet higher or lower, or in other words, -had we been five minutes earlier or later, we must have been caught -beyond all chance of escape." - - * * * * * - -There was no rashness which can be blamed in the party finding -themselves in the position described. Avalanches, when they fall down -the gully, hardly ever come so far as the one met with on this -occasion, and they very seldom fall at all in the early morning. The -famous guide, Christian Almer, while engaged on another expedition, -visited the spot after the avalanche had fallen, and said that it was -the mightiest he had ever seen in his life. Mr Tuckett roughly -estimated its total weight as about 450,000 tons. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[1] "We are all lost." - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -CAUGHT IN AN AVALANCHE ON THE MATTERHORN - - -The following exciting account is taken from an article by Herr -Lorria, which appeared in _The St Moritz Post_ for 28th January 1888. -The injuries received were so terrible that, I believe, Herr Lorria -never entirely ceased to feel their effects. - -The party consisted of two Austrian gentlemen, Herren Lammer and -Lorria, without guides, who, in 1887, had made Zermatt their -headquarters for some climbs. They had difficulty in deciding which -ascent to begin with, especially as the weather had recently been bad, -and the peaks were not in first-class condition. Herr Lorria writes: - -"I fancied the Pointe de Zinal as the object of our tour; but Lammer, -who had never been on the Matterhorn, wished to climb this mountain by -the western flank--a route which had only once before been attacked, -namely by Mr Penhall. We had with us the drawing of Penhall's route, -published in _The Alpine Journal_. - -"After skirting a jutting cliff, we reached the couloir at its -narrowest point. It was clear that we had followed the route laid down -in _The Alpine Journal_; and although Mr Penhall says that the rocks -here are very easy, I cannot at all agree with him. - -"We could not simply cross over the couloir, for, on the opposite -side, the rocks looked horrible: it was only possible to cross it some -forty or fifty mètres higher. We climbed down into the couloir: the -ice was furrowed by avalanches. We were obliged to cut steps as we -mounted upwards in a sloping direction. In a quarter of an hour we -were on the other side of the couloir. The impression which the -couloir made upon me is best shown by the words which I at the moment -addressed to Lammer: 'We are now completely cut off.' We saw clearly -that it was only the early hour, before the sun was yet upon the -couloir, which protected us from danger. Once more upon the rocks, we -kept our course as much as possible parallel to the N.W. arête. We -clambered along, first over rocks covered with ice, then over glassy -ledges, always sloping downwards. Our progress was slow indeed; the -formation of the rock surface was ever becoming more unfavourable, and -the covering of ice was a fearful hindrance. - -"Such difficult rocks I had rarely seen before; the wrinkled ledges of -the Dent Blanche were easy compared to them. At 1 P.M., we were -standing on a level with the "Grand Tower"; the summit lay close -before us, but as far as we could see, the rocks were completely -coated with a treacherous layer of ice. Immediately before us was a -precipitous ice couloir. All attempts to advance were fruitless, even -our crampons were of no avail. Driven back! If this, in all cases, is -a heavy blow for the mountain climber, we had here, in addition, the -danger which we knew so well, and which was every moment increasing. -It was one o'clock in the afternoon; the rays of the sun already -struck the western wall of the mountain; stone after stone, loosened -from its icy fetters, whistled past us. Back! As fast as possible -back! Lammer pulled off his shoes and I stuffed them into the -knapsack, holding also our two ice-axes. As I clambered down the first -I was often obliged to trust to the rope. The ledges, which had given -us trouble in the ascent, were now fearfully difficult. Across a short -ice slope, in which we had cut steps in the ascent, Lammer was -obliged, as time pressed, to get along without his shoes. The -difficulties increased; every moment the danger became greater; and -already whole avalanches of stones rattled down. The situation was -indeed critical. At last, after immense difficulty, we reached the -edge of the couloir at the place we had left it in the ascent. But we -could find no spot protected from the stones; they literally came down -upon us like hail. Which was the more serious danger, the threatening -avalanches in the couloir or the pelting of the stones which swept -down from every side? On the far side of the couloir there was safety, -as all the stones must in the end reach the couloir, which divides the -whole face of the mountain into two parts. It was now five o'clock in -the afternoon; the burning rays of the sun came down upon us, and -countless stones whirled through the air. We remembered the saying of -Dr Güssfeldt, in his magnificent description of the passage of the Col -du Lion, that only at midnight is tranquility restored. We resolved, -then, to risk the short stretch across the couloir. Lammer pulled on -his shoes; I was the first to leave the rocks. The snow which covered -the ice was suspiciously soft, but we had no need to cut steps. In the -avalanche track before us on the right a mighty avalanche is -thundering down; stones leap into the couloir, and give rise to new -avalanches. - -"Suddenly my consciousness is extinguished, and I do not recover it -till twenty-one days later. I can, therefore, only tell what Lammer -saw. Gently from above an avalanche of snow came sliding down upon us; -it carried Lammer away in spite of his efforts, and it projected me -with my head against a rock. Lammer was blinded by the powdery snow, -and thought that his last hour was come. The thunder of the roaring -avalanche was fearful; we were dashed over rocks, laid bare in the -avalanche track, and leaped over two immense bergschrunds. At every -change of the slope we flew into the air, and then were plunged again -into the snow, and often dashed against one another. For a long time -it seemed to Lammer as if all were over, countless thoughts went -thronging through his brain, until at last the avalanche had expended -its force, and we were left lying on the Tiefenmatten Glacier. Our -fall was estimated at from 550 to 800 English feet. - -"I lay unconscious, quite buried in the snow; the rope had gone twice -round my neck and bound it fast. Lammer, who quickly recovered -consciousness, pulled me out of the snow, cut the rope, and gave me a -good shake. I then awoke, but being delirious, I resisted with all my -might my friend's endeavours to pull me out of the track of the -avalanche. However, he succeeded in getting me on to a stone (I was, -of course, unable to walk), and gave me his coat; and having thus done -all that was possible for me, he began to creep downwards on hands and -knees. He could not stand, having a badly sprained ankle; except for -that he escaped with merely a few bruises and scratches. At length -Lammer arrived at the Stockje hut, but to his intense disappointment -there was nobody there. He did not pause to give vent to his -annoyance, however, but continued his way down. Twice he felt nearly -unable to proceed, and would have abandoned himself to his fate had -not the thought of me kept him up and urged him on. At three o'clock -in the morning he reached the Staffel Alp, but none of the people -there were willing to venture on the glacier. He now gave up all hope -that I could be saved, though he nevertheless sent a messenger to Herr -Seiler, who reached Zermatt at about 4.15 A.M. - -"In half an hour's time a relief party set out from Zermatt. When the -party reached the Staffel Alp, Lammer was unconscious, but most -fortunately he had written on a piece of paper the information that I -was lying at the foot of Penhall's couloir. They found me about -half-past eight o'clock. I had taken off all my clothes in my -delirium, and had slipped off the rock on which Lammer had left me. -One of my feet was broken and both were frozen into the snow, and had -to be cut out with an axe. - -"At 8 P.M. I was brought back to Zermatt, and for twenty days I lay -unconscious at the Monte Rosa Hotel hovering between life and death." - -Herr Lorria pays a warm tribute to the kindness of Seiler and his -wife, and the skill of Dr de Courten, who saved his limbs when other -doctors wished to amputate them. He ends his graphic account as -follows: "The lesson to be learnt from our accident is not 'Always -take guides,' but rather 'Never try the Penhall route on the -Matterhorn, except after a long series of fine, hot days, for -otherwise the western wall of the mountain is the most fearful -mouse-trap in the Alps.'" - - -THE ICE AVALANCHE OF THE ALTELS. - -Those who climbed in the Alps during the summer of 1895 will recollect -how wonderfully dry and warm the weather was, denuding the mountains -of snow and causing a number of rock-falls, so that many ascents -became very dangerous, and, in my own case, after one or two risky -encounters with falling stones, we decided to let the rock peaks alone -for the rest of that campaign. - - [Illustration: In the centre of the picture may be seen an Avalanche, - which a non-climber might mistake for a Waterfall, dropping down the - Rocks of the Wetterhorn.] - -In _The Alpine Journal_ of August 1897, Mr Charles Slater gives an -admirable description of a great ice-avalanche which overwhelmed one -of the fertile pastures near the well-known Gemmi route. From this -account I make some extracts, which will give an idea of the magnitude -of the disaster and its unusual character, as the ice from a falling -glacier rarely ever approaches cultivated land and dwellings. - -The scene of the catastrophe was at Spitalmatten, a pasturage with -châlets used in summer by the shepherds, in a basin at the beginning -of the valley which extends to the pass. Steep slopes bound it on the -east, and above them rises the glacier-capped peak of the Altels. The -glacier was well seen from the Gemmi path, and all tourists who passed -that way must have noticed and admired it. It is believed that a big -crevasse, running right across the glacier, was noticed during the -month of August, and the lower part of the glacier seemed to be -completely cut off from the upper portion by it. - -On the evening of 10th September, the Vice-President of the commune of -Leuk (to which commune the Alp belonged) arrived at the châlets to -settle the accounts of the past summer. Several of the women had -already gone down, taking some of the calves with them, and the rest -of the inhabitants of the little settlement were to follow next day. -The weather was warm but cloudy, with a strong _föhn_ wind.[2] - -On the morning of 11th September, about 5 A.M., the few people who -lived at or near the Schwarenbach Inn heard a roar like an earthquake, -and felt a violent blast of wind. A servant, rushing out of the inn, -saw "what appeared to be a white mist streaming down the Altel's -slope. The huge mass of ice forming the lower end of the glacier had -broken away, rushed down the mountain side, leapt from the Tateleu -plateau into the valley, and, like an immense wave, had swept over the -Alp, up the Uschinen Grat, as if up a 1500 sea-wall, and even sent -its ice-foam over this into the distant Uschinen Thal." - -The only other eye-witness of this appalling catastrophe was a -traveller who was walking up the Kanderthal from Frutigen in the early -morning. "He saw in the Gemmi direction a fearful whirlwind, with dust -and snow-clouds, and experienced later a cold rain falling from a -clear sky, the rain being probably due to the melting of the -ice-cloud." - -The scene after the disaster must have been a terrible one. "Winter -had apparently come in the midst of summer"; the whole pasture was -covered with masses of ice. "The body of the Vice-President was found -lying 180 yards away from the hut. Another body had been flung into -the branches of an uprooted tree, while a third was found still -holding a stocking in one hand, having been killed in the act of -dressing." - -There was no chance of escape for the people, as only a minute or -little more elapsed from the time the avalanche started till it -reached the settlement. The cows were nearly all killed, "they seem to -have been blown like leaves before a storm to enormous distances." - -A year later, much of the avalanche was still unmelted. - -The thickness of the slice of glacier which broke away is believed to -have been about 25 feet, and it fell through a vertical height of 4700 -feet. It moved at about the average rate of two miles a minute. - -"It is difficult to realise these vast figures, and a few comparisons -have been suggested which may help to give some idea of the forces -which were called into play. The material which fell would have -sufficed to bury the City of London to the depth of six feet, and Hyde -Park and Kensington Gardens would have disappeared beneath a layer -six-and-a-half feet deep. The enormous energy of the moving mass may -be dimly pictured when we think that a weight of ice and stones ten -times greater than the tonnage of the whole of England's battle-ships -plunged on to the Alp at a speed of nearly 300 miles an hour." - -An almost exactly similar accident had occurred in 1782. - - -AN AVALANCHE WHICH ROBBED A LADY OF A GARMENT - -One of the greatest advantages in mountaineering as a sport is the -amount of enjoyment it gives even when climbing-days are past. While -actually engaged in the ascent of difficult peaks our minds are apt -to be entirely engrossed with the problem of getting up and down them, -but afterwards we delight in recalling every interesting passage, -every glorious view, every successful climb; and perhaps this gives us -even more pleasure than the experiences themselves. - -If we happen to have combined photography with mountaineering we are -particularly to be envied, for an hour in the company of one of our -old albums will recall with wonderful vividness many an incident which -we should have otherwise forgotten. - -Turning over some prints which long have lain on one side, a wave of -recollection brings before me some especially happy days on snowy -peaks, and makes me long to bring a breath of Alpine air to the -cities, where for so much of the year dwell many of my brother and -sister climbers. - -With the help of the accompanying photographs, which will serve to -generally illustrate my remarks, let me relate what befell me during -an ascent of the Schallihorn--a peak some twelve thousand and odd feet -high, in the neighbourhood of Zermatt. - -Now, although Zermatt is a very familiar playground for mountaineers, -yet even as late as ten years ago one or two virgin peaks and a fair -number of new and undesirable routes up others were still to be found. -I had had my share of success on the former, and was at the time of -which I write looking about for an interesting and moderately safe -way, hitherto untrodden, up one of the lesser-known mountains in the -district. My guide and my friend of many years, Joseph Imboden, racked -his brains for a suitable novelty, and at length suggested that as no -one had hitherto attacked the south-east face of the Schallihorn we -might as well see if it could be ascended. He added that he was not at -all sure if it was possible--a remark I have known him to make on more -than one peak in far away Arctic Norway, when the obvious facility of -an ascent had robbed it of half its interest. However, in those days I -still rose satisfactorily to observations of that sort, and was at -once all eagerness to set out. We were fortunate in securing as our -second guide Imboden's brilliant son Roman, who happened to be -disengaged just then. A further and little dreamed-of honour was in -store for us, as on our endeavouring to hire a porter to take our -things to the bivouac from the tiny village of Taesch no less a person -than the mayor volunteered to accompany us in that capacity. - - [Illustration: MR WHYMPER. ZERMATT, 1896.] - - [Illustration: MRS AUBREY LE BLOND ON A MOUNTAIN TOP. - - _Photographed by her Guide, Joseph Imboden_] - - [Illustration: A HOT DAY IN MID-WINTER ON THE SUMMIT OF A PEAK 13,000 - FEET HIGH.] - -So we started upwards one hot afternoon, bound for some overhanging -rocks, which, we were assured by those who had never visited the spot, -we should find. For the regulation routes up the chief peaks the -climber can generally count on a hut, where, packed in close proximity -to his neighbours, he lies awake till it is time to get up, and sets -forth on his ascent benefited only in imagination by his night's -repose. Within certain limits the less a man is catered for the more -comfortable he is, and the more he has to count on himself the better -are the arrangements for his comfort. Thus I have found a well-planned -bivouac under a great rock infinitely preferable to a night in a hut, -and a summer's campaign in tents amongst unexplored mountains more -really luxurious than a season in an over-thronged Alpine hotel. - -Two or three hours' walking took us far above the trees and into the -region of short grass and stony slopes. Eventually we reached a hollow -at the very foot of our mountain, and here we began to look about for -suitable shelter and a flat surface on which to lay the sleeping-bags. -The pictured rocks of inviting appearance were nowhere to be found, -and what there were offered very inferior accommodation. But the -weather was perfect, and we had an ample supply of wraps, so we -contented ourselves with what protection was given by a steep, rocky -wall, and turned our attention to the Schallihorn. The proposed route -could be well seen. Imboden traced out the way he intended taking for -a long distance up the mighty precipice in front of us. There were -tracks of avalanches at more than one spot, and signs of falling -stones were not infrequent. My guide thought he could avoid all danger -by persistently keeping to the projecting ridges, and his idea was to -descend by whatever way we went up, as the ordinary route is merely a -long, uninteresting grind. - -We now lit a fire, made soup and coffee, and soon after got into our -sleeping-bags. The night passed peacefully, save for the rumble of an -occasional avalanche, when great masses of ice broke loose on the -glacier hard by. Before dawn we were stirring, and by the weird light -of a huge fire were making our preparations for departure. It -gradually grew light as our little party moved in single file towards -the rocky ramparts which threatened to bar the way to the upper world. -As we ascended a stony slope, Imboden remarked, "Why, ma'am, you still -have on that long skirt! Let us leave it here; we can pick it up on -our return." Now, in order not to be conspicuous when starting for a -climbing expedition, I always wore an ordinary walking-skirt over my -mountaineering costume. It was of the lightest possible material, so -that, if returning by a different route, it could be rolled up and -carried in a knapsack. I generally started from the bivouac without -it; but the presence on this occasion of the Mayor of Täsch had quite -overawed me; hence the unusual elegance of my get-up. Lest I be -thought to dwell at undue length on so trifling a matter, I may add -that the skirt had adventures that day of so remarkable a nature that -the disappearance of Elijah in his chariot can alone be compared to -them. - -The skirt was now duly removed, rolled up and placed under a heavy -stone, which we marked with a small cairn, so as to find it the more -easily on our return. Shortly after, the real climb began, and, -putting on the rope, we commenced the varied series of gymnastics -which make life worth living to the mountaineer. We had several -particularly unpleasant gullies to cross, up which Imboden glanced -hastily and suspiciously, and hurried us over, fearing the fall of -stones. At length we came for a little time to easier ground, and as -the day was now intensely hot the men took off their waistcoats, -leaving them and their watches in a hole in the rock. Above this -gentler slope the mountain steepened again, and a ridge in the centre, -running directly upwards, alone gave a possible route to the summit. -This ridge, at first broad and simple, before long narrowed to a -knife-edge. There was always enough to hold; but the rocks were so -loose and rotten that we hardly dared to touch them. Spread out over -those treacherous rocks, adhering by every finger in our endeavour to -distribute our weight, we slowly wormed ourselves upwards. Such -situations are always trying. The most brilliant cragsman finds his -skill of little avail. Unceasing care and patience alone can help him -here. Throwing down the most insecure of the blocks, which fell -sometimes on one side, sometimes on the other of the ridge, we -gradually advanced. The conversation ran rather in a groove: "Not that -one, ma'am, or the big fellow on the top will come down!" "Don't touch -the red one or the little white one!" "Now come up to where I am -without stepping on any of them!" "Roman! look out! I'm letting this -one go!" Then bang! bang! bang! and a disgusting smell as of -gunpowder, while a great boulder dashed in leaps towards the glacier -below, grinding and smashing itself to atoms before it reached the -bottom. - - [Illustration: JOSEPH IMBODEN. MRS AUBREY LE BLOND. - ZERMATT, SEPTEMBER, 1896.] - - [Illustration: CROSSING A SNOW COULOIR (page 73).] - -Thus with untiring thoroughness Imboden led his little band higher and -higher, till at last the summit came in sight and our muscles and -overstrained nerves saw rest ahead. - -I readily agreed to Imboden's decision that we should go down the -ordinary way. - -After descending for a considerable distance we stopped, and the -guides held a short consultation. It seemed that Roman was anxious to -try and fetch the waistcoats and watches and my skirt, and his father -did not object. - -Wishing him the best of good-luck, we parted by the rocks and trudged -on over the snow towards Zermatt. We moved leisurely, as people who -climb for pleasure, with no thought of record-breaking; and as it was -late in September it was dusk as we neared the village. - -Later in the evening I saw Imboden, and asked for news of Roman. He -had not arrived, and as time passed we grew uneasy, knowing the speed -at which, if alone, he would descend. By 10 P.M. we were really -anxious, and great was our relief when a figure with knapsack and -ice-axe came swinging up the narrow, cobbled street. - -It was an exciting tale he had to tell, though it took a good deal of -danger to impress Roman with the notion that there was any at all. -Soon after leaving us he came to the first gully. Just as he was about -to step into it he heard a rumble. Springing back, he squeezed himself -under an overhanging piece of rock, while a huge mass of stones and -snow dashed down the mountain, some of the fragments passing right -over him--though, thanks to his position, none actually touched him. -When tranquility was restored he dashed across to the other side, and -immediately after a fresh fall commenced, which lasted for a -considerable time. At length he approached without injury the spot he -was looking for, far down on the lower slopes, where my skirt had been -left, and here he felt that all danger was past. But the -extraordinarily dry season had thrown out most people's calculations, -and at that very moment he was really in the direst peril. As he ran -gaily down the slope of earth and stones a tremendous crash brought -him to a standstill, and looking back he saw the smoke of a mighty -avalanche of ice coming in a huge wave over the cliffs above. He -rushed for shelter, which was near at hand, and from beneath the -protection of a great rock he saw the avalanche come on and on with -the roar of artillery, and he gazed, fascinated, as it swept -majestically past his place of refuge. He could see the mound where -lay my skirt with its heap of stones. And now a striking sight met -his eyes, for before ever the seething mass could touch it the whole -heap rose from the ground and was carried far out of the path of the -avalanche, borne along by the violence of the wind which preceded it. - -The late John Addington Symonds has related in one of his charming -accounts of winter in the Alps that an old woman, sitting peaceably -before her châlet door in the sun, was transported by the wind of an -avalanche to the top of a lofty pine-tree, where, quite uninjured, she -calmly awaited assistance; but that my skirt should have such an -adventure brought very strongly home to me the dangers Roman had -passed through that afternoon and the escape we had had ourselves. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[2] The exact origin of the _föhn_ wind is still disputed. It is -thought to have no connection with the sirocco, a wind which in Europe -blows always from the south, bears with it sometimes particles of -sand, and is impregnated with damp from its passage over the -Mediterranean. The _föhn_ blows from any quarter (though usually from -the south), and is a dry, warm wind, which causes the snow to melt -rapidly. In German Switzerland it is called the _Schneefresser_, or -Snow Devourer, and it has been said that if no _föhn_ visited the -Alps, Switzerland would still be in the glacial period. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -LOST IN THE ICE FOR FORTY YEARS - - -It was in 1786 that the summit of Mont Blanc was reached for the first -time. It had been attained on only eleven occasions, and no accidents -had happened on it when, in 1820, the catastrophe since known as the -Hamel accident, took place. - -Dr Joseph Hamel was a Russian savant, and Counsellor of State to the -Czar. He much desired to ascend Mont Blanc in order that he might make -scientific experiments on the top, and in August 1820, he came to -Chamonix for the purpose. It is of no use, and of little interest to -general readers, if I enter into particulars of the controversy which -this expedition excited. Some declared that Dr Hamel urged his guides -to proceed against their better judgment. Others say that the whole -party--which included two Englishmen and nine guides--were anxious to -continue the ascent, and, indeed, saw no reason for doing otherwise. -Certain it is, however that in those days no one was a judge of the -condition of snow, and able to tell from its consistency if an -avalanche were likely or not. - - [Illustration: MONT BLANC. - - The black line shows the probable course the bodies took during their - 40 years' descent in the ice. - - _By a local Photographer._] - - [Illustration: Nicolas Winhart, escaping on this occasion with his - life, afterwards perished on the Col des Grands Montets in 1875 (page - 99). - - _By a local Photographer._] - - [Illustration: A Banker at Geneva, who was a most active searcher for - Henry Arkwright's body. He was killed in a duel in 1869. It is - interesting to compare the old-fashioned costume with that of the - present day climber. - - _By a local Photographer._] - - [Illustration: THE RELICS. - - The rope was found round the body but worn through in two places by - the hip bones. The handkerchief, shirt front with studs, prune stones, - watch chain, pencil case, cartridge, spike of alpenstock, coins, glove - tied with spare bootlace, etc., all belonged to Henry Arkwright.] - -The party, which at first numbered fourteen, duly reached the rocks of -the Grands Mulets, where it was usual to spend the night. The sky -clouded over towards evening, and there was a heavy thunderstorm -during the night. Next morning the weather was too unsettled for the -ascent to be tried, so a couple of guides were sent down to Chamonix -for more provisions, and a second night was spent in camp. Early next -morning, in beautiful weather, a start was made, one of the members of -the party, Monsieur Selligne, who felt ill, and two guides leaving the -others and going down to Chamonix. The rest safely reached the Grand -Plateau. The snow, hardened by the night's frost, had thus far -supported the weight of the climbers and made their task easy. It was, -however, far from consolidated beneath the crust, as the warm wind of -the previous days had made it thoroughly rotten. - -All were in excellent spirits during the halt for breakfast on the -Grand Plateau, that snowy valley which is spread out below the steeper -slopes of the final mass of the mountain. Dr Hamel employed part of -his time in writing a couple of notes announcing his arrival on the -top of Mont Blanc leaving a blank on each to insert the hour. These -notes he intended to despatch by carrier pigeon, the bird being with -them, imprisoned in a large kettle. - -At 10.30 they reached the foot of what is now known as the Ancien -Passage. This is a steep snow-slope leading almost directly to the top -of Mont Blanc. When the snow is sound, and the ice above does not -overhang much, this route is as safe as any other; but a steep slope -covered with a layer of rotten snow is always most dangerous. At that -time, the Ancien Passage was the only way ever taken up Mont Blanc. - -They had ascended a considerable distance, the snow being softer and -softer as they rose, and they formed a long line one behind the other, -not mounting straight up, but making their way rather across the -slope. Six guides walked at the head of the troop, and then, after an -interval, the two Englishmen and two more guides, Dr Hamel being last. - -All seemed to be going excellently. Everyone plodded along, and -rejoiced to be so near the culminating point of the expedition. No -thought of danger disturbed them. - -Suddenly there was a dull, harsh sound. Immediately the entire surface -of the snow began to move. "My God! The avalanche! We are lost!" -shrieked the guides. The slope at Dr Hamel's end of the party was not -steep,--barely more than 30°--but up above it was more rapid. The -leading guides were carried straightway off their feet. Hamel was also -swept away by the gathering mass of snow. Using his arms as if -swimming, he managed to bring his head to the surface, and as he did -so the moving snow slowed down and stopped. In those few moments, some -1200 feet had been descended. At first Dr Hamel thought that he alone -had been carried away, but presently he saw his English friends and -their guides--no more. - -"Where are the others?" cried Dr Hamel. Balmat, who a moment before -had let his brother pass on to the head of the party, wrung his hands -and answered, "The others are in the crevasse!" - -The crevasse! Strange that all had forgotten it! The avalanche had -poured into it, filling it to the brim. - -"A terrible panic set in. The guides lost all self-control. Some -walked about aimlessly, uttering loud cries. Matthieu Balmat sat in -sullen silence, rejecting all kind offices with an irritation which -made it painful to approach him. Dornford threw himself on the snow in -despair, and Henderson, says Hamel, 'was in a condition which made one -fear for the consequences.' A few minutes later two other guides -extricated themselves, but the remaining three were seen no more. -Hamel and Henderson descended into the crevasse, and made every -possible attempt to find the lost guides, but without avail; the -surviving guides forced them to come out, and sore at heart they -returned to Chamonix. - -"The three guides who were lost were Pierre Carrier, Pierre Balmat, -and Auguste Tairraz. They were the three foremost in the line and felt -the first effects of the avalanche. Matthieu Balmat, who was fourth in -the line, saved himself by his great personal strength and by presence -of mind. Julien Dévouassoud was hurled across the crevasse, and Joseph -Marie Couttet was dragged out senseless by his companions, 'nearly -black from the weight of snow which had fallen upon him.'"[3] - -Scientific men had already begun to give attention to the movement of -glaciers. In addition to this, cases had occurred where the remains -of persons lost on glaciers had been recovered years afterwards. A -travelling seller of hats, crossing the Tschingel Glacier on his way -from the Bernese Oberland to Valais, had fallen into a crevasse. -Eventually his body and his stock of merchandise was found at the end -of the glacier. Near the Grimsel, the remains of a child were -discovered in the ice. An old man remembered that many years before a -little boy had disappeared in that locality and must doubtless have -been lost in a crevasse. These facts were probably known to Dr Hamel, -and he made the remark that perhaps in a thousand years, the bodies of -his guides might be found. Forbes, who knew more of the subject, -believed that, travelling in the ice, they would reach the end of the -glacier in forty years. - -He was right, for on 15th August 1861, his "bold prediction was -verified, and the ice give up its dead." On that day, the guide, -Ambrose Simond, who happened to be with some tourists on the lower -part of the Glacier des Bossons, discovered some pieces of clothing -and human bones. From that time until 1864 the glacier did not cease -to render up, piece by piece, the remains and the belongings of the -three victims. - -An accident, very similar to that which befell Dr Hamel's party, took -place in 1866. This has for me a very special interest, as I have met -the brother of the Englishman who perished, and have examined all the -documents, letters, newspaper cuttings, and photographs relating to -the catastrophe. The guide, Sylvain Couttet, an old friend of mine, -since dead, has given a moving account of the sad event. Sylvain knew -Mont Blanc better than any other native of Chamonix, and though when I -knew him he had given up guiding, he desired to add one more ascent of -the great white peak to his record, for at that time he had been up -ninety-nine times. I accordingly invited him to come with my party -when we climbed it from the Italian side. He did so--he had never been -up that way before--and I well remember how he slipped himself free of -the rope after the last rocks, saying, "Ah, you young people, you go -on. The old man will follow." Alone he arrived on the top, strode -about over its snowy dome as if to say good-bye, and was just as ready -for his work as any of us when, in a stiff gale, we descended the -ridge of the Bosses. - -But to return to what is known as the Arkwright accident. - -In the year 1866, Henry Arkwright, a young man of twenty-nine, -aide-de-camp to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, was travelling in -Switzerland with his mother and two sisters. Writing from Geneva on -3rd September to a member of his family, he said, "We have ventured to -try our luck higher up, as the weather is so warm and settled--as -otherwise I should leave Switzerland without seeing a glacier." On -what an apparent chance--a run of fine weather--do great issues -depend! - -The party shortly afterwards moved on to Chamonix, where many -excursions were made, thanks to the beautiful weather which still -continued. It had now become quite the fashion to go up Mont Blanc, so -one is not surprised that Henry Arkwright, though no climber, decided -to make the attempt. One of his sisters went with him as far as the -hut at the Grands Mulets, and they were accompanied by the guide -Michael Simond, and the porters Joseph and François Tournier. Another -party proposed also to go up. It consisted of two persons only, -Sylvain Couttet and an _employé_ of the Hotel Royal named Nicolas -Winhart, whom Sylvain had promised to conduct to the top when he had -time and opportunity. It was the 12th October when they left Chamonix, -and all went well across the crevassed Glacier des Bossons, and they -duly reached their night quarters. - -While the climbers were absent next day, Miss Fanny Arkwright employed -herself with writing and finishing a sketch for her brother. - -Meanwhile the two parties, having set out at an early hour, advanced -quickly up the snow-slopes. The days were short, and it was desirable -to take the most direct route. For years the Ancien Passage had been -abandoned, and the more circuitous way by the Corridor used instead. -However, the snow was in good order, and as up to then no accidents -had happened through falling ice, this danger was little dreaded, -though it is sometimes a very real one in the Ancien Passage. So the -guides advised that this should be the way chosen, and both parties -directed their steps accordingly. Sylvain Couttet has left a -remarkable description of the events which followed, and portions of -this I now translate from his own words as they appeared in _The -Alpine Journal_. - -The two parties were together at the beginning of the steep -snow-slope. Sylvain's narrative here commences:--"I said to the -porter, Joseph Tournier, who had thus far been making the tracks, 'Let -us pass on ahead; you have worked long enough. To each of us his -share!' It was to this kindly thought for my comrade that, without the -slightest doubt, Winhart and I owe our salvation! We had been walking -for about ten minutes near some very threatening _séracs_ when a crack -was heard above us a little to the right. Without reasoning, I -instinctively cried, 'Walk quickly!' and I rushed forwards, while -someone behind me exclaimed, 'Not in that direction!' - -"I heard nothing more; the wind of the avalanche caught me and carried -me away in its furious descent. 'Lie down!' I called, and at the same -moment I desperately drove my stick into the harder snow beneath, and -crouched down on hands and knees, my head bent and turned towards the -hurricane. I felt the blocks of ice passing over my back, particles of -snow were swept against my face, and I was deafened by a terrible -cracking sound like thunder. - -"It was only after eight or ten minutes that the air began to clear, -and then, always clinging to my axe, I perceived Winhart 6 feet below -me, with the point of his stick firmly planted in the ice. The rope by -which we were tied to each other was intact. I saw nothing beyond -Winhart except the remains of the cloud of snow and a chaos of -ice-blocks spread over an area of about 600 feet. - -"I called out at the top of my voice--no answer--I became like a -madman, I burst out crying, I began to call out again--always the -same silence--the silence of death. - -"I pulled out my axe, I untied the rope which joined us, and both of -us, with what energy remained to us, with our brains on fire and our -hearts oppressed with grief, commenced to explore in every direction -the enormous mountain of shattered ice-blocks which lay below us. -Finally, about 150 feet further down I saw a knapsack--then a man. It -was François Tournier, his face terribly mutilated, and his skull -smashed in by a piece of ice. The cord had been broken between -Tournier and the man next to him. We continued our search in the -neighbourhood of his body, but after two hours' work could find -nothing more. It was vain to make further efforts! Nothing was visible -amongst the masses of _débris_, as big as houses, and we had no tools -except my axe and Winhart's stick. We drew the body of poor Tournier -after us as far as the Grand Plateau, and with what strength remained -to us we descended as fast as we could towards the hut at the Grands -Mulets, where a terrible ordeal awaited me--the announcement of the -catastrophe to Miss Arkwright. - -"The poor child was sitting quietly occupied with her sketching. - -"'Well, Sylvain!' she cried on seeing me, 'All has gone well?' - -"'Not altogether, Mademoiselle,' I replied, not knowing how to begin. - -"Mademoiselle looked at me, noticed my bent head and my eyes full of -tears--she rose, came towards me--'What is the matter? Tell me all!' - -"I could only answer, 'Have courage, Mademoiselle.' - -"She understood me. The brave young girl knelt down and prayed for a -few moments, and then got up pale, calm, dry-eyed. 'Now you can tell -me everything,' she said, 'I am ready.' - - * * * * * - -"She insisted on accompanying me at once to Chamonix, where she, in -her turn, would have to break the sad tidings to her mother and -sister. - -"At the foot of the mountain the sister of Mademoiselle met us, happy -and smiling. - -"Do not ask me any more details of that awful day, I have not the -strength to tell them to you." - - * * * * * - -Thirty-one years passed, when, in 1897, Colonel Arkwright, a brother -of Henry Arkwright's, received the following telegram from the Mayor -of Chamonix: - -"Restes Henry Arkwright peri Mont Blanc 1866 retrouvés." - -Once more the glacier had given up its dead, and during these -thirty-one years the body of Henry Arkwright had descended 9000 feet -in the ice and had been rendered back to his family at the foot of the -glacier. - -The remains of the Englishman were buried at Chamonix, and perhaps -never has so pathetic a service been held there as that which -consigned to the earth what was left of him who thirty-one years -before had been snatched away in the mighty grip of the avalanche. - -Many belongings of the lost one's came by degrees to light. A -pocket-handkerchief was intact, and on it as well as on his -shirt-front, Henry Arkwright's name and that of his regiment written -in marking-ink were legible. Though the shirt was torn to pieces, yet -two of the studs and the collar-stud were still in the button-holes -and uninjured. The gold pencil-case (I have handled it), opened and -shut as smoothly as it had ever done, and on the watch-chain there was -not a scratch. A pair of gloves were tied together with a boot-lace -which his sister remembered taking from her own boot so that he might -have a spare one, and coins, a used cartridge, and various other odds -and ends, were all recovered from the ice. - -The remains of the guides had been found and brought down soon after -the accident, but that of Henry Arkwright had been buried too deeply -to be discovered. - -In connection with the preservation of bodies in ice the following -extract from _The Daily Telegraph_ for 10th May 1902 is of great -interest. It is headed: - -MAMMOTH 8000 YEARS OLD - - Reuter's representative has had an interview with Mr J. - Talbot Clifton, who has lately returned from an expedition - in Northern Siberia, undertaken for the purpose of - discovering new species of animals. - - Mr Clifton gives the following account of the Herz mammoth, - which he saw on his arrival at Irkutsk. "It is," he said, - "about the size of an elephant, which it resembles somewhat - in form. It possesses a trunk, has five toes instead of - four, and is a heavy beast. It is supposed to have lived - about 8000 years ago. Its age was probably not more than - twenty-six years--very young for a mammoth. Its flesh was - quite complete, except for a few pieces which had been - bitten at by wolves or bears. Most of the hair on the body - had been scraped away by ice, but its mane and near foreleg - were in perfect preservation and covered with long hair. - The hair of the mane was from 4 in. to 5 in. long, and of a - yellowish brown colour, while its left leg was covered with - black hair. In its stomach was found a quantity of - undigested food, and on its tongue was the herbage which it - had been eating when it died. This was quite green." - -FOOTNOTE: - -[3] _The Annals of Mont Blanc_, by C. E. Mathews. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -THE MOST TERRIBLE OF ALL ALPINE TRAGEDIES - - -There is no great mountain in the Alps so easy to ascend as Mont -Blanc. There is not one on which there has been such a deplorable loss -of life. The very facility with which Mont Blanc can be climbed has -tempted hundreds of persons totally unused to and unfitted for -mountaineering to go up it, while the tariff for the guides--£4 -each--has called into existence a crowd of incapable and inexperienced -men who are naturally unable, when the need for it arrives, to face -conditions that masters of craft would have avoided by timely retreat. - -The great danger of Mont Blanc is its enormous size, and to be lost on -its slopes in a snow-storm which may continue for days is an -experience few have survived. On a rocky mountain there are landmarks -which are of the utmost value in time of fog, but when all is snow and -the tracks are obliterated as soon as made, can we wonder if the -results have been disastrous when a poorly equipped party has -encountered bad weather? - -Of all the sad accidents which have happened on Mont Blanc, none -exceeds in pathos that in which Messrs Bean, M'Corkindale, Randall, -and eight guides perished. None of these gentlemen had any experience -of mountaineering. Stimulated rather than deterred by the account -given by two climbers who had just come down from the mountain, and -had had a narrow escape owing to bad weather, these three men, with -their guides, who were "probably about the worst who were then on the -Chamonix roll," set out for the Grands Mulets. The weather was -doubtful, nevertheless the next morning they started upwards, leaving -their only compass at their night quarters. - -During the whole of that 6th of September the big telescope at the -Châlet of Plan-Praz above Chamonix was fixed on their route, but they -could only be seen from time to time, as the mountain was constantly -hidden by driving clouds. At last they were observed close to the -rocks known as the Petits Mulets not far below the summit. It was then -a quarter past two o'clock. There was a terrific wind, and the snow -was whirled in clouds. The party could be seen lying down on the -ground, to avoid being swept away by the hurricane. - - [Illustration: These small figures, in a waste of Snow, may help to - give some faint idea of the extent of Alpine Snow-fields.] - -The Chamonix guide, Sylvain Couttet, had gone to the châlet of -Pierre-Pointue, where the riding path ends, to await the return of the -climbers. On the morning of the 7th, as there was still no sign of -them, Sylvain became uneasy, and mounting to an eminence not far off, -from which he could see nearly all the route to the Grands Mulets, he -carefully searched for tracks with the aid of his telescope. Snow had -fallen during the night, yet there was no trace of footsteps. -Seriously alarmed, Sylvain hurried back to Pierre-Pointue, sent a man -who was there to Chamonix in order that a search party might be held -in readiness, and accompanied by the servant of the little inn he went -up the Grands Mulets. Sylvain had arranged that if no one was there he -would put out a signal and the search party would then ascend without -delay. On reaching the hut at the Grands Mulets his worst fears were -realised--it was empty. He now quickly regained Chamonix from where -fourteen guides were just starting. He remounted with them -immediately. By the time they got a little way above Pierre-Pointue, -the snow was again falling heavily, it was impossible to go further. -Next day the weather was so bad that the party had to descend to -Chamonix, and for several days longer the rain in the valley and the -snow on the heights continued. - -On the 15th the weather cleared, and Sylvain went up to Plan-Praz to -see if from there any traces of the lost ones could be discovered with -the telescope. The first glance showed him five black specks near the -Petit Mulets, which could be nothing else but the bodies of some of -the victims. On the 16th, with twenty-three other guides, Sylvain -spent the night at the Grands Mulets. The 17th, they mounted to the -spot they had examined with the telescope, and there they found the -bodies of Mr M'Corkindale and two porters. Three hundred feet higher -was Mr Bean, with his head leaning on his hand, and by him another -porter. These were in a perfectly natural position, whereas the others -appeared to have slipped to where they were, as their clothes were -torn, and the ropes, knapsacks (still containing food), sticks, and so -on, lay by the others above. - -The five bodies were frozen hard. As complete a search as possible was -now made for the remaining six members of the party, but without -success. Probably they fell either into a crevasse or down the Italian -side of the mountain. - -It is no wonder that Mr Mathews calls this "the most lamentable -catastrophe ever known in the annals of Alpine adventure." - -But the most pathetic part of the story is to come. - -During those terrible, hopeless hours Mr Bean had made notes of what -was happening, and they tell us all we shall ever know about the -disaster: - -"_Tuesday, 6th September._--I have made the ascent of Mont Blanc with -ten persons--eight guides, Mr M'Corkindale, and Mr Randall. We arrived -at the summit at half-past two o'clock. Immediately after leaving it I -was enveloped in clouds of snow. We passed the night in a grotto -excavated out of the snow, affording very uncomfortable shelter, and I -was ill all night. _7th September, morning._--Intense cold--much snow, -which falls uninterruptedly. Guides restless. _7th September, -evening._--We have been on Mont Blanc for two days in a terrible -snowstorm; we have lost our way, and are in a hole scooped out of the -snow at a height of 15,000 feet. I have no hope of descending. Perhaps -this book may be found and forwarded. We have no food. My feet are -already frozen, and I am exhausted. I have only strength to write a -few words. I die in the faith of Jesus Christ, with affectionate -thoughts of my family--my remembrance to all. I trust we may meet in -heaven." - - - - -CHAPTER X - -A WONDERFUL SLIDE DOWN A WALL OF ICE - - -Twice at least in the Alps climbers have lost their footing at the top -of a steep slope, and rolled down it for so long a distance that it -seemed impossible they could survive. The two plucky mountaineers who -have competed in an involuntary race to the bottom of a frozen -hillside are Mr Birkbeck, in his famous slide near Mont Blanc, and Mr -Whymper, when he made his startling glissade on the Matterhorn. - -It was in July 1861 that a party of friends, whose names are well -known to all climbers, set out to cross a high glacier pass in the -chain of Mont Blanc. The Revs. Leslie Stephen, Charles Hudson, and -Messrs Tuckett, Mather, and Birkbeck were the travellers, while in -addition to the three magnificent guides, Melchior Anderegg, Perren, -and Bennen, there were two local guides from the village of St -Gervais. - -Let me give the account of the accident in Mr Hudson's own words. How -sad to think that, only four years later, this capable and brave -mountaineer himself perished on the grim north slopes of the -Matterhorn! - -The Col de Miage is reached by a steep slope of ice or frozen snow, -and is just a gap in the chain of peaks which runs south-west from -Mont Blanc. Col is the word used for a pass in French-speaking -districts. - -"On the morning of the 11th, at 3.30, we left the friendly rock on or -near which we had passed the night, and at 7 o'clock we had reached -the summit of the Col de Miage. Here we sat down on a smooth, hard -plain of snow, and had our second breakfast. Shortly afterwards -Birkbeck had occasion to leave us for a few minutes, though his -departure was not remarked at the time. When we discovered his -absence, Melchior followed his footsteps, and I went after him, and, -to our dismay, we saw the tracks led to the edge of the ice-slope, and -then suddenly stopped. The conclusion was patent at a glance. I was -fastening two ropes together, and Melchior had already bound one end -round his chest, with a view to approach or even descend a portion of -the slope for a better view, when some of the party descried Birkbeck -a long way below us. He had fallen an immense distance. - -"My first impulse led me to wish that Melchior and I should go down to -Birkbeck as fast as possible, and leave the rest to follow with the -ropes; but on proposing this plan some of the party objected. For a -considerable time Birkbeck shouted to us, not knowing whether we could -see his position. His course had been arrested at a considerable -distance above the bottom of the slope, by what means we know not; and -just below him stretched a snow-covered crevasse, across which he must -pass if he went further. We shouted to him to remain where he was, but -no distinguishable sounds reached him; and to our dismay we presently -saw him gradually moving downwards--then he stopped--again he moved -forwards and again--he was on the brink of the crevasse; but we could -do nothing for him. At length he slipped down upon the slope of snow -which bridged the abyss. I looked anxiously to see if it would support -his weight, and, to my relief, a small black speck continued visible. -This removed my immediate cause of apprehension, and after a time he -moved clear of this frail support down to the point where we -afterwards joined him. Bennen was first in the line, and after we had -descended some distance he untied himself and went down to Birkbeck. -It was 9.30 when we reached him. He told us he was becoming faint and -suffering from cold. On hearing this, Melchoir and I determined to -delay no longer, and, accordingly, unroped and trotted down to the -point where we could descend from the rocks to the slope upon which he -was lying. Arrived at the place, I sat on the snow, and let Birkbeck -lean against me, while I asked him if he felt any internal injury or -if his ribs pained him. His manner of answering gave me strong grounds -for hoping that there was little to fear on that score." - -Mr Hudson gives a graphic description of poor Mr Birkbeck's appearance -when he was found on the snow. "His legs, thighs, and the lower part -of his body were quite naked, with his trousers down about his feet. -By his passage over the snow, the skin was removed from the outside of -the legs and thighs, the knees, and the whole of the lower part of the -back, and part of the ribs, together with some from the nose and -forehead. He had not lost much blood, but he presented a most ghastly -spectacle of bloody raw flesh. This, added to his great prostration, -and our consciousness of the distance and difficulties which separated -him from any bed, rendered the sight most trying. He never lost -consciousness. He afterwards described his descent as one of extreme -rapidity, too fast to allow of his realising the sentiment of fear, -but not sufficiently so to deprive him of thought. Sometimes he -descended feet first, sometimes head first, then he went sideways, and -once or twice he had the sensation of shooting through the air. - -"The slope where he first lost his footing was gentle, and he tried to -stop himself with his fingers and nails, but the snow was too hard. He -had no fear during the descent, owing to the extreme rapidity; but -when he came to a halt on the snow, and was ignorant as to whether we -saw, or could reach him, he experienced deep anguish of mind in the -prospect of a lingering death. Happily, however, the true Christian -principles in which he had been brought up, led him to cast himself -upon the protection of that merciful Being who alone could help him. -His prayers were heard, and immediately answered by the removal of his -fears." - -The account of how the injured man was brought down to the valley is -very exciting. Mr Hudson continues:--"The next thing was to get him -down as fast as possible, and the sledge suggested itself as the most -feasible plan. Only the day before, at Contamines, I had had the -boards made for it, and without them the runners (which, tied -together, served me as an alpenstock) would have been useless. Two or -three attempts were made before I could get the screws to fit the -holes in the boards and runners, and poor Melchior, who was watching -me, began to show signs of despair. At length the operation was -completed, and the sledge was ready. We spread a plaid, coats, and -flannel shirts over the boards, then laid Birkbeck at full length on -them, and covered him as well as we could. - -"Now came the 'tug-of-war,' for the snow was much softened by the sun, -the slope was steep, and there were several crevasses ahead; added to -this, there was difficulty in getting good hold of the sledge, and -every five or six steps one of the bearers plunged so deeply in the -snow that we were obliged to halt. Birkbeck was all the time shivering -so much that the sledge was sensibly shaken, and all the covering we -could give him was but of little use. - -"I was well aware of the great danger Birkbeck was in, owing to the -vast amount of skin which was destroyed, and I felt that every quarter -of an hour saved was of very great importance; still the frequent -delay could not be avoided." - -So matters continued till the party was clear of the glacier. Then Mr -Tuckett went ahead to Chamonix, a ten hours' tramp or so, in search -of an English doctor, and on the way left orders for a carriage to be -sent as far as there was a driving road, to meet the wounded man, and -more men beyond to help in carrying him. The chief part of the -transport was done by the three great guides, Melchoir, Bennen, and -Perren, and was often over "abrupt slopes of rock, which to an -ordinary walker would have appeared difficult, even without anything -to carry. We had so secured Birkbeck with ropes and straps, that he -could not slip off the sledge, otherwise he would on these occasions -at once have parted company with his stretcher, and rolled down the -rocks." - -At last, after incredible toil, they reached the pastures, and at -about three o'clock in the afternoon eight hours after the accident, -they got to the home of one of the guides, where they were able to -make poor Mr Birkbeck more comfortable before undertaking the rest of -the journey, warming his feet and wrapping him in blankets. For two -hours more the poor fellow had to be carried down, and then they met -the carriage, in which he was driven to St Gervais, accompanied by the -doctor from Chamonix. - -Thanks to the skilful treatment and excellent nursing he received, Mr -Birkbeck made a good recovery, though, of course, it was weeks before -he could leave his bed. - -Mr Hudson ends his wonderfully interesting narrative with an account -of a visit he paid later in the season to the place where the accident -happened. He says "The result of our observations is as follows: 'The -height of the Col de Miage is 11,095. The height of the point at which -Birkbeck finally came to a standstill is 9328 feet; so the distance he -fell is, in _perpendicular_ height, 1767 feet." As part of the slope -would be at a gentle angle, one may believe that the slip was over -something like a mile of surface! Mr Hudson continues:--"During the -intervening three weeks, vast changes had taken place in the glacier. -The snowy coating had left the couloir in parts, thus exposing ice in -the line of Birkbeck's course, as well as a rock mid-way in the slope, -against which our poor friend would most likely have struck, had the -accident happened later. - -"This is one of that long chain of providential arrangements, by the -combination of which we were enabled to save Birkbeck's life. - - (1) The recent snow, and favourable state of the glacier, - enabled us to take an easier and much quicker route, if not - the only one possible for a wounded man. - - (2) We had a singularly strong party of guides, without - which we could not have got him down in time to afford any - chance of his recovery. - - (3) If we had not had real efficient men as travellers in - the party we should not have got the telegram sent to - Geneva; and a few hours' delay in the arrival of Dr - Metcalfe would probably have been fatal. - - (4) The day was perfectly calm and cloudless; had there - been wind or absence of sun, the cold might have been too - much for such a shaken system to bear. - - (5) We had with us the very unusual addition of a sledge, - without which it would have been scarcely possible to have - carried him down. - -"One thing there was which greatly lessened the mental trial to those -engaged in bringing Birkbeck down to St Gervais, and afterwards in -attending upon him, and that was, his perfect calmness and -patience--and of these I cannot speak too highly. No doubt it -contributed greatly to his recovery." - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -AN ADVENTURE ON THE TRIFT PASS - - -Few passes leading out of the Valley of Zermatt are oftener crossed -than the Trift. It is not considered a difficult pass, but the rocks -on the Zinal side are loose and broken and the risk of falling stones -is great at certain hours in the day. The Zinal side of the Trift is -in shadow in the early morning, and therefore most climbers will -either make so early a start from the Zermatt side that they can be -sure of descending the dangerous part before the sun has thawed the -icy fetters which hold the stones together during the night, or else -they will set out from the Zinal side, and sleep at a little inn on a -patch of rocks which jut out from the glacier at the foot of the pass, -from which the top of the Trift can be reached long before there is -any risk from a cannonade. - -One of the earliest explorers of this pass, however, Mr Thomas W. -Hinchliff, neglected the precaution of a sufficiently early start, -and his party very nearly came to grief in consequence. - -He has given us an excellent description in _Peaks, Passes, and -Glaciers_ of what befell after they had got over the great -difficulties, as they seemed in those days, of descending the steep -wall of rock on the Zinal side. I will now begin to quote from his -article: - -"Being thoroughly tired of the rocks, we resolved as soon as possible -to get upon the ice where it swept the base of the precipices. The -surface, however, was furrowed by parallel channels of various -magnitudes; some several feet in depth, formed originally by the -descent of stones and avalanches from the heights; and we found one of -these troughlike furrows skirting the base of the rocks we stood upon. -One by one we entered, flattering ourselves that the covering of snow -would afford us pretty good footing, but this soon failed; the hard -blue ice showed on the surface, and we found ourselves rather in a -difficulty, for the sides of our furrow were higher here than at the -point where we entered it, and so overhanging that it was impossible -to get out. - -"Delay was dangerous, for the _débris_ far below warned us that at any -moment a shower of stones might come flying down our channel; a -glissade was equally dangerous; for, though we might have shot down -safely at an immense speed for some hundreds of feet, we should -finally have been dashed into a sea of crevasses. Cachat in front -solved the puzzle, and showed us how, by straddling with the feet as -far apart as possible, the heel of each foot could find pretty firm -hold in a mixture of half snow and half ice, his broad back, like a -solid rock, being ready to check any slip of those behind him. - -"We were soon safe upon a fine open plateau of the _névé_, where we -threaded our way among a few snow crevasses requiring caution, and -then prepared for a comfortable halt in an apparently safe place. - -"The provision knapsacks were emptied and used as seats; bottles of -red wine were stuck upright in the snow; a goodly leg of cold mutton -on its sheet of paper formed the centre, garnished with hard eggs and -bread and cheese, round which we ranged ourselves in a circle. High -festival was held under the deep blue heavens, and now and then, as we -looked up at the wonderful wall of rocks which we had descended, we -congratulated ourselves on the victory. M. Seiler's oranges supplied -the rare luxury of a dessert, and we were just in the full enjoyment -of the delicacy when a booming sound, like the discharge of a gun far -over our heads, made us all at once glance upwards to the top of the -Trifthorn. Close to its craggy summit hung a cloud of dust, like dirty -smoke, and in few seconds another and a larger one burst forth several -hundred feet lower. A glance through the telescope showed that a fall -of rocks had commenced, and the fragments were leaping down from ledge -to ledge in a series of cascades. The uproar became tremendous; -thousands of fragments making every variety of noise according to -their size, and producing the effect of a fire of musketry and -artillery combined, thundered downwards from so great a height that we -waited anxiously for some considerable time to see them reach the -snow-field below. As nearly as we could estimate the distance, we were -500 yards from the base of the rocks, so we thought that, come what -might, we were in a tolerably secure position. At last we saw many of -the blocks plunge into the snow after taking their last fearful leap; -presently much larger fragments followed; the noise grew fiercer and -fiercer, and huge blocks began to fall so near to us that we jumped to -our feet, preparing to dodge them to the best of our ability. 'Look -out!' cried someone, and we opened out right and left at the approach -of a monster, evidently weighing many hundredweights, which was -coming right at us like a huge shell fired from a mortar. It fell with -a heavy thud not more than 20 feet from us, scattering lumps of snow -into the circle." - -Years afterwards a very sad accident occurred at this spot, a lady -being struck and killed by a falling stone. In this case the fatality -was unquestionably due to the start having been made at too late an -hour. An inn in the Trift Valley makes it easy to reach the pass soon -after dawn. - - -THE PERILS OF THE MOMING PASS. - -In 1864 many peaks remained unsealed, and passes untraversed in the -Zermatt district, though now almost every inch of every mountain has -felt the foot of man. Yet even now few passes have been made there so -difficult and dangerous (if Mr Whymper's route be exactly followed) as -that of the Moming, from Zinal to Zermatt. Mr Whymper gives a most -graphic and exciting description of what befell his party, which -included Mr Moore and the two famous guides Almer and Croz. Having -slept at some filthy châlets, the climbers, first passing over easy -mountain slopes, gained a level glacier. Beyond this a way towards the -unexplored gap in the ridge, which they called the Moming Pass, had -to be decided on. The choice lay between difficult and perhaps -impassable rocks, and an ice-slope so steep and broken that it -appeared likely to turn out impracticable. In fact it was the sort of -position that whichever route was chosen the climbers were sure, when -once on it, to wish it had been the other. Finally, the ice-slope, -over which a line of ice-cliffs hung threateningly, lurching right -above the track to be taken, was decided on, and the whole party -advanced for the attack. Mr Whymper writes: - -"Across this ice-slope Croz now proceeded to cut. It was executing a -flank movement in the face of an enemy by whom we might be attacked at -any moment. The peril was obvious. It was a monstrous folly. It was -foolhardiness. A retreat should have been sounded.[4] - -"'I am not ashamed to confess,' wrote Moore in his Journal, 'that -during the whole time we were crossing this slope my heart was in my -mouth, and I never felt relieved from such a load of care as when, -after, I suppose, a passage of about twenty minutes, we got on to the -rocks and were in safety.... I have never heard a positive oath come -from Almer's mouth, but the language in which he kept up a running -commentary, more to himself than to me, as we went along, was stronger -than I should have given him credit for using. His prominent feeling -seemed to be one of _indignation_ that we should be in such a -position, and self-reproach at being a party to the proceeding; while -the emphatic way in which, at intervals, he exclaimed, 'Quick; be -quick,' sufficiently betokened his alarm. - -"It was not necessary to admonish Croz to be quick. He was fully as -alive to the risk as any of the others. He told me afterwards that -this place was the most dangerous he had ever crossed, and that no -consideration whatever would tempt him to cross it again. Manfully did -he exert himself to escape from the impending destruction. His head, -bent down to his work, never turned to the right or to the left. One, -two, three, went his axe, and then he stepped on to the spot he had -been cutting. How painfully insecure should we have considered those -steps at any other time! But now, we thought only of the rocks in -front, and of the hideous _séracs_, lurching over above us, apparently -in the act of falling. - -"We got to the rocks in safety, and if they had been doubly as -difficult as they were, we should still have been well content. We sat -down and refreshed the inner man, keeping our eyes on the towering -pinnacles of ice under which we had passed, but which, now, were -almost beneath us. Without a preliminary warning sound, one of the -largest--as high as the Monument at London Bridge--fell upon the slope -below. The stately mass heeled over as if upon a hinge (holding -together until it bent thirty degrees forwards), then it crushed out -its base, and, rent into a thousand fragments, plunged vertically down -upon the slope that we had crossed! Every atom of our track that was -in its course was obliterated; all the new snow was swept away, and a -broad sheet of smooth, glassy ice, showed the resistless force with -which it had fallen. - -"It was inexcusable to follow such a perilous path, but it is easy to -understand why it was taken. To have retreated from the place where -Croz suggested a change of plan, to have descended below the reach of -danger, and to have mounted again by the route which Almer suggested, -would have been equivalent to abandoning the excursion; for no one -would have passed another night in the châlet on the Arpitetta Alp. -'Many' says Thucydides, 'though seeing well the perils ahead, are -forced along by fear of dishonour--as the world calls it--so that, -vanquished by a mere word, they fall into irremediable calamities.' -Such was nearly the case here. No one could say a word in -justification of the course which was adopted; all were alive to the -danger that was being encountered; yet a grave risk was -deliberately--although unwillingly--incurred, in preference to -admitting, by withdrawal from an untenable position, that an error of -judgment had been committed. - -"After a laborious trudge over many species of snow, and through many -varieties of vapour--from the quality of a Scotch mist to that of a -London fog--we at length stood on the depression between the Rothhorn -and the Schallhorn.[5] A steep wall of snow was upon the Zinal side of -the summit; but what the descent was like on the other side we could -not tell, for a billow of snow tossed over its crest by the western -winds, suspended o'er Zermatt with motion arrested, resembling an -ocean-wave frozen in the act of breaking, cut off the view.[6] - -"Croz--held hard in by the others, who kept down the Zinal -side--opened his shoulders, flogged down the foam, and cut away the -cornice to its junction with the summit; then boldly leaped down and -called on us to follow him. - -"It was well for us now that we had such a man as leader. An inferior -or less daring guide would have hesitated to enter upon the descent in -a dense mist; and Croz himself would have done right to pause had he -been less magnificent in _physique_. He acted, rather than said, -'Where snow lies fast, there man can go; where ice exists, a way may -be cut; it is a question of power; I have the power--all you have to -do is to follow me.' Truly, he did not spare himself, and could he -have performed the feats upon the boards of a theatre that he did upon -this occasion, he would have brought down the house with thunders of -applause. Here is what Moore wrote in _his_ Journal "('The descent -bore a strong resemblance to the Col de Pilatte, but was very much -steeper and altogether more difficult, which is saying a good deal. -Croz was in his element, and selected his way with marvellous -sagacity, while Almer had an equally honourable and, perhaps, more -responsible post in the rear, which he kept with his usual -steadiness.... One particular passage has impressed itself on my mind -as one of the most nervous I have ever made. We had to pass along a -crest of ice, a mere knife-edge,--on our left a broad crevasse, whose -bottom was lost in blue haze, and on our right, at an angle of 70°, or -more, a slope falling to a similar gulf below. Croz, as he went along -the edge, chipped small notches in the ice, in which we placed our -feet, with the toes well turned out, doing all we knew to preserve our -balance. While stepping from one of these precarious footholds to -another, I staggered for a moment. I had not really lost my footing; -but the agonised tone in which Almer, who was behind me, on seeing me -waver, exclaimed, "Slip not, sir!" gave us an even livelier impression -than we already had of the insecurity of the position.... One huge -chasm, whose upper edge was far above the lower one, could neither be -leaped nor turned, and threatened to prove an insuperable barrier. But -Croz showed himself equal to the emergency. Held up by the rest of the -party, he cut a series of holes for the hands and feet down and along -the almost perpendicular wall of ice forming the upper side of the -_schrund_. Down this slippery staircase we crept, with our faces to -the wall, until a point was reached where the width of the chasm was -not too great for us to drop across. Before we had done, we got quite -accustomed to taking flying leaps over the _schrunds_.... To make a -long story short; after a most desperate and exciting struggle, and as -bad a piece of ice-work as it is possible to imagine, we emerged on to -the upper plateau of the Hohlicht Glacier.')" - -From here, in spite of many further difficulties necessitating a long -_detour_, the party safely descended to Zermatt by the familiar Trift -path. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[4] The responsibility did not rest with Croz. His part was to advise, -but not to direct. - -[5] The summit of the pass has been marked on Dufour's map, 3793 -mètres, or 12,444 feet. - -[6] These snow-cornices are common on the crests of high mountain -ridges, and it is always prudent (just before arriving upon the summit -of a mountain or ridge), to _sound_ with the alpenstock, that is to -say, drive it in, to discover whether there is one or not. Men have -often narrowly escaped losing their lives from neglecting this -precaution. - -These cornices are frequently rolled round in a volute, and sometimes -take extravagant forms. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -AN EXCITING PASSAGE OF THE COL DE PILATTE - - -Even now the valleys and mountains of Dauphiné are neglected in -comparison with the ranges of Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa, and other famous -mountain chains of the Alps. In 1864, when Mr Whymper with his friends -Messrs Moore and Walker undertook a summer campaign there, it was -practically unexplored from the climbers' point of view. The party was -a skilful and experienced one, the guides, Almer and Croz, of the -highest class, and the _esprit de corps_ in the little army of -invasion most admirable. Thus it is no wonder that peak after peak -fell before them, passes were accomplished at the first assault, and -no accident or annoyance spoilt the splendid series of expeditions -which were so successfully accomplished. Of these I have taken the -account of the crossing of the Col de Pilatte, a high glacier pass, -for, though it was excelled in difficulty by other climbs, yet it is -so wittily described by Mr Whymper in his _Scrambles in the Alps_, -and gives so excellent an idea of the sort of work met with on -glaciers, and the ease with which a thoroughly competent party tackles -it, that it cannot fail to be read with interest. - -The three Englishmen had been joined by a French friend of theirs, -Monsieur Reynaud, and had left their night quarters at Entraigues at -3.30 A.M. on the morning of 27th June. Their course was prodigiously -steep. _In less than two miles difference of latitude they rose one -mile of absolute height._ The route, however, was not really -difficult, and they made good progress. They had reached the foot of -the steep part when I take up the narrative in Mr Whymper's own words: - -"At 9.30 A.M. we commenced the ascent of the couloir leading from the -nameless glacier to a point in the ridge, just to the east of Mont -Bans.[7] So far the route had been nothing more than a steep grind in -an angle where little could be seen, but now views opened out in -several directions, and the way began to be interesting. It was more -so, perhaps, to us than to our companion M. Reynaud, who had no rest -in the last night. He was, moreover, heavily laden. Science was to be -regarded--his pockets were stuffed with books; heights and angles were -to be observed--his knapsack was filled with instruments; hunger was -to be guarded against--his shoulders were ornamented with a huge -nimbus of bread, and a leg of mutton swung behind from his knapsack, -looking like an overgrown tail. Like a good-hearted fellow he had -brought this food thinking we might be in need of it. As it happened, -we were well provided for, and, having our own packs to carry, could -not relieve him of his superfluous burdens, which, naturally, he did -not like to throw away. As the angles steepened, the strain on his -strength became more and more apparent. At last he began to groan. At -first a most gentle and mellow groan; and as we rose so did his -groans, till at last the cliffs were groaning in echo, and we were -moved to laughter. - - [Illustration: START OF A CLIMBING PARTY BY MOONLIGHT.] - - [Illustration: SHADOWS AT SUNRISE.] - - [Illustration: A STANDING GLISSADE.] - - [Illustration: AN EASY DESCENT.] - -"Croz cut the way with unflagging energy throughout the whole of the -ascent, and at 10.45 we stood on the summit of our pass, intending to -refresh ourselves with a good halt; but just at that moment a mist, -which had been playing about the ridge, swooped down and blotted out -the whole of the view on the northern side. Croz was the only one who -caught a glimpse of the descent, and it was deemed advisable to -push on immediately, while its recollection was fresh in his memory. -We are consequently unable to tell anything about the summit of the -pass, except that it lies immediately to the east of Mont Bans, and is -elevated about 11,300 feet above the level of the sea. It is one of -the highest passes in Dauphiné. We called it the Col de Pilatte. - -"We commenced to descend towards the Glacier de Pilatte by a slope of -smooth ice, the face of which, according to the measurement of Mr -Moore, had an inclination of 54°! Croz still led, and the others -followed at intervals of about 15 feet, all being tied together, and -Almer occupying the responsible position of last man: the two guides -were therefore about 70 feet apart. They were quite invisible to each -other from the mist, and looked spectral even to us. But the strong -man could be heard by all hewing out the steps below, while every now -and then the voice of the steady man pierced the cloud: 'Slip not, -dear sirs; place well your feet; stir not until you are certain.' - -"For three-quarters of an hour we progressed in this fashion. The axe -of Croz all at once stopped. 'What is the matter, Croz?' 'Bergschrund, -gentlemen.' 'Can we get over?' 'Upon my word, I don't know; I think we -must jump.' The clouds rolled away right and left as he spoke. The -effect was dramatic! It was a _coup de théâtre_, preparatory to the -'great sensation leap' which was about to be executed by the entire -company. - -"Some unseen cause, some cliff or obstruction in the rocks underneath, -had caused our wall of ice to split into two portions, and the huge -fissure which had thus been formed extended, on each hand, as far as -could be seen. We, on the slope above, were separated from the slope -below by a mighty crevasse. No running up and down to look for an -easier place to cross could be done on an ice-slope of 54°; the chasm -had to be passed then and there. - -"A downward jump of 15 or 16 feet, and a forward leap of 7 or 8 feet -had to be made at the same time. That is not much, you will say. It -was not much. It was not the quantity, but it was the quality of the -jump which gave to it its particular flavour. You had to hit a narrow -ridge of ice. If that was passed, it seemed as if you might roll down -for ever and ever. If it was not attained, you dropped into the -crevasse below, which, although partly choked by icicles and snow that -had fallen from above, was still gaping in many places, ready to -receive an erratic body. - -"Croz untied Walker in order to get rope enough, and warning us to -hold fast, sprang over the chasm. He alighted cleverly on his feet; -untied himself and sent up the rope to Walker, who followed his -example. It was then my turn, and I advanced to the edge of the ice. -The second which followed was what is called a supreme moment. That is -to say, I felt supremely ridiculous. The world seemed to revolve at a -frightful pace, and my stomach to fly away. The next moment I found -myself sprawling in the snow, and then, of course, vowed that it was -nothing, and prepared to encourage my friend Reynaud. - -"He came to the edge and made declarations. I do not believe that he -was a whit more reluctant to pass the place than we others, but he was -infinitely more demonstrative--in a word, he was French. He wrung his -hands, 'Oh! what a _diable_ of a place!' 'It is nothing, Reynaud,' I -said, 'it is nothing.' 'Jump,' cried the others, 'jump.' But he turned -round, as far as one can do such a thing in an ice-step, and covered -his face with his hands, ejaculating, 'Upon my word, it is not -possible. No! no! no! it is not possible.' - -"How he came over I scarcely know. We saw a toe--it seemed to belong -to Moore; we saw Reynaud a flying body, coming down as if taking a -header into water; with arms and legs all abroad, his leg of mutton -flying in the air, his bâton escaped from his grasp; and then we heard -a thud as if a bundle of carpets had been pitched out of a window. -When set upon his feet he was a sorry spectacle; his head was a great -snowball; brandy was trickling out of one side of the knapsack, -chartreuse out of the other--we bemoaned its loss, but we roared with -laughter. - -"I cannot close this chapter without paying tribute to the ability -with which Croz led us, through a dense mist, down the remainder of -the Glacier de Pilatte. As an exhibition of strength and skill, it has -seldom been surpassed in the Alps or elsewhere. On this almost unknown -and very steep glacier, he was perfectly at home, even in the mists. -Never able to see 50 feet ahead, he still went on with the utmost -certainty, and without having to retrace a single step; and displayed -from first to last consummate knowledge of the materials with which he -was dealing. Now he cut steps down one side of a _sérac_, went with a -dash at the other side, and hauled us up after him; then cut away -along a ridge until a point was gained from which we could jump on to -another ridge; then, doubling back, found a snow-bridge, over which he -crawled on hands and knees, towed us across by the legs, ridiculing -our apprehensions, mimicking our awkwardness, declining all help, -bidding us only to follow him. - -"About 1 P.M. we emerged from the mist and found ourselves just -arrived upon the level portion of the glacier, having, as Reynaud -properly remarked, come down as quickly as if there had not been any -mist at all. Then we attacked the leg of mutton which my friend had so -thoughtfully brought with him, and afterwards raced down, with renewed -energy, to La Bérarde." - -FOOTNOTE: - -[7] The upper part of the southern side of the Col de Pilatte, and the -small glaciers spoken of on p. 211, can be seen from the high road -leading from Briançon to Mont Dauphin, between the 12th and 13th -kilomètre stones (from Briançon). - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -AN ADVENTURE ON THE ALETSCH GLACIER - - -Mr William Longman, a former Vice-President of the Alpine Club, has -given us an interesting account in _The Alpine Journal_ of an exciting -adventure which happened to his son in August 1862. - -The party, consisting of Mr Longman, his son, aged fifteen, two -friends, two guides, and a porter, set out one lovely morning from the -Eggischhorn Hotel for an excursion on the Great Aletsch Glacier. The -names of the guides were Fedier and Andreas Weissenflüh. - -Mr Longman writes:--"We started in high spirits; the glacier was in -perfect order; no fresh snow covered the ice; the crevasses were all -unhidden; and no one thought it necessary to use the rope. I felt it -to be a wise precaution, however, to place my son, a boy of fifteen -years of age, under the care of the Eggischhorn porter. It was his -second visit to Switzerland, and he could, I am sure, have taken good -care of himself, but I felt it was my duty to place him under the care -of a guide. I have no wish to throw undeserved blame on the guide; but -his carelessness was unquestionably the cause of the accident. He -began wrong, and I ought to have interfered. He tied his handkerchief -in a knot, and, holding it himself, gave it to my son to hold also in -his hand. This was worse than useless, and, in fact, was the cause of -danger, for it partly deprived him of that free and active use of his -limbs which is essential to safety. It threw him off his guard. Except -at a crevasse, it was unnecessary for the boy to have anything to hold -by; and, at a crevasse, the handkerchief would have been insufficient. -The impression that there was no real danger, and that all that was -required was caution in crossing the crevasses, prevented my -interfering. So the guide went on, his hand holding the handkerchief -behind him, and my son following, his hand also holding the -handkerchief. Many a time I complained to the guide that he took my -boy over wide parts of the crevasses because he would not trouble -himself to diverge from his path, and many a time did I compel him to -turn aside to a narrower chasm. At last, I was walking a few yards to -his left, and had stepped over a narrow crevasse, when I was startled -by an exclamation. I turned round suddenly, and my son was out of -sight! I will not harrow up my own feelings, or those of my readers, -by attempting to describe the frightful anguish that struck me to the -heart; but will only relate, plainly and calmly, all that took place. -When my son fell, the crevasse, which I had crossed so easily, became -wider, and its two sides were joined by a narrow ridge of ice. It was -obviously impossible to ascertain exactly what had taken place; but I -am convinced that the guide went on in his usual thoughtless way, with -his hand behind him, drawing my son after him, and that, as soon as he -placed his foot on the narrow ridge, he slipped and fell. I rushed to -the edge of the crevasse and called out to my poor boy. To my -inexpressible delight he at once answered me calmly and plainly. As I -afterwards ascertained, he was 50 feet from me, and neither could he -see us nor we see him. But he was evidently unhurt; he was not -frightened, and he was not beyond reach. In an instant Weissenflüh was -ready to descend into the crevasse. He buckled on one of my belts,[8] -fixed it to the rope, and told us to lower him down. My two friends -and I, and the other two guides, held on to the rope, and slowly and -gradually, according to Weissenflüh's directions, we paid it out. It -was a slow business, but we kept on encouraging my son, and receiving -cheery answers from him in return. At last Weissenflüh told us, to our -intense joy, that he had reached my son, that he had hold of him, and -that we might haul up. Strongly and steadily we held on, drawing both -the boy and the guide, as we believed, nearer and nearer, till at -length, to our inexpressible horror, we drew up Weissenflüh alone. He -had held my son by the collar of his coat. The cloth was wet, his hand -was cold, and the coat slipped from his grasp. I was told that when my -boy thus again fell he uttered a cry, but either I heard it not or -forgot it. The anguish of the moment prevented my noticing it, and, -fortunately, we none of us lost our presence of mind, but steadily -held on to the rope. Poor Weissenflüh reached the surface exhausted, -dispirited, overwhelmed with grief. He threw himself on the glacier in -terrible agony. In an instant Fedier was ready to descend, and we -began to lower him; but the crevasse was narrow, and Fedier could not -squeeze himself through the ice. We had to pull him up again before he -had descended many feet. By this time the brave young Weissenflüh had -recovered, and was ready again to go down. But we thought it desirable -to take the additional precaution of lowering the other rope, with one -of the belts securely fixed to it. My son quickly got hold of it, and -placed the belt round his body, but he told us his hands were too cold -to buckle it. Weissenflüh now again descended, and soon he told us he -had fixed the belt. With joyful heart some hauled away at one rope and -some at the other, till at length, after my son had been buried in the -ice for nearly half an hour, both he and the guide were brought to the -surface.... Let a veil rest over the happiness of meeting. My boy's -own account of what befell him is, that he first fell sideways on to a -ledge in the crevasse, and then vertically, but providentially with -his feet downwards, till his progress was arrested by the narrowness -of the crevasse. He says he is sure he was stopped by being wedged in, -because his feet were hanging loose. His arms were free. He believes -the distance he fell, when Weissenflüh dropped him, was about three or -four yards, and that he fell to nearly, but not quite, the same place -as that to which he fell at first, and that, in his first position, he -could not have put the belt on. His fall was evidently a slide for the -greater part of the distance; had it been a sheer fall it would have -been impossible to escape severe injury." - - -A LOYAL COMPANION - -The following is taken from _The Times_ of 23rd July 1886. - -"On Tuesday, 13th July, Herr F. Burckhardt, member of the Basel -section of the Swiss Alpine Club, accompanied by the guides Fritz -Teutschmann and Johann Jossi, both from Grindelwald, made an attempt -to ascend the Jungfrau from the side of the Little Scheideck. After -leaving the Guggi cabin the party mounted the glacier of the same -name. The usual precautions were of course taken--that is to say, the -three men were roped together, Herr Burckhardt in the middle, one of -the guides before, the other behind him. When the climbers reached the -_séracs_, at a point marked on the Siegfried Karte as being at an -elevation of 2700 mètres, an enormous piece of ice broke off from the -upper part of the glacier, and came thundering down. Although by good -fortune the mass of the avalanche did not sweep across the path of the -three men, they were struck by several large blocks of ice, and sent -flying. Jossi, who was leading, went head first into a crevasse of -unfathomable depth, dragging after him Herr Burckhardt, who, however, -contrived to hold on to the edge of the crevasse, but in such a -position that he could not budge, and was unable to help either -himself or Jossi. Their lives at that moment depended absolutely on -the staunchness of Teutschmann, who alone had succeeded in keeping his -feet. It was beyond his power to do more; impossible by his own -unaided strength to haul up the two men who hung by the rope. If he -had given way a single step all three would have been precipitated to -the bottom of the crevasse. So there he stood, with feet and ice-axe -firmly planted, holding on for dear life, conscious that the end was a -mere question of time, and a very short time; his strength was rapidly -waning, and then? It would have been easy for the two to escape by -sacrificing the third. One slash of Burckhardt's knife would have -freed both Teutschmann and himself. But no such dastardly idea -occurred to either of them. They were resolved to live or die -together. Half an hour passed; they had almost abandoned hope, and -Teutschmann's forces were well-nigh spent, when help came just in time -to save them. The same morning another party, consisting of two German -tourists, and the two guides Peter Schlegel and Rudolph Kaufmann, had -started from the Little Scheideck for the Jungfrau, and coming on -traces of Burckhardt's party had followed them up, and arrived -before it was too late on the scene of the accident. Without wasting a -moment Schlegel went down into the crevasse and fastened Jossi to -another rope, so that those above were enabled to draw him up and -release Burckhardt and Teutschmann. Jossi, although bruised and -exhausted, was able to walk to the Scheideck, and all reached -Grindelwald in safety." - - [Illustration: ON A SNOW-COVERED GLACIER. - - The party is crossing a Snow Bridge, and the rope between the centre - and last man is too slack for safety.] - -When it is remembered how few people make this expedition, the escape -of Mr Burckhardt's party is the more wonderful, and would not have -been possible unless other climbers had taken the same route that day. -This way up the Jungfrau is always somewhat exposed to falling ice, -though sometimes it is less dangerous than at other times. As the -editor of _The Alpine Journal_ has written, "no amount of experience -can avail against falling missiles, and the best skill of the -mountaineer is shown in keeping out of their way." - - -A BRAVE GUIDE - -The brave actions of guides are so many in number that it would be -impossible to tell of them all, and many noble deeds have never found -their way into print. The following, however, is related of a guide -with whom I have made many ascents, and is furthermore referred to in -_The Alpine Journal_ as "an act of bravery for which it would be hard -to find a parallel in the annals of mountaineering." - -On 1st September 1898, a party of two German gentlemen with a couple -of guides went up Piz Palü, a glacier-clad peak frequently ascended -from Pontresina. One of the guides was a Tyrolese, Klimmer by name, -the other a native of the Engadine, Schnitzler. - -They had completed the ascent of the actual peak, and were on their -way down, some distance below the Bellavista Saddle. Here there are -several large crevasses, and the slope is very steep at this point. I -remember passing down it with Schnitzler the previous January, and -finding much care needed to cross a big chasm. Schnitzler was leading, -then came the two travellers, finally the Tyrolese, who came down last -man. Suddenly Schnitzler, who must have stepped on a snow-bridge, and -Herr Nasse dropped without a sound into the chasm. Dr Borchardt was -dragged some steps after them, but managed to check himself on the -very brink of the abyss. Behind was Klimmer, but on so steep a surface -that he could give no help beyond standing firm. At last, after some -anxious moments, came a call from below, "Pull!" They did their best -but in vain. "My God!" cried Schnitzler from below, "I can't get -out!" A period of terrible apprehension followed. Herr Nasse was -entreated to try and help a little, or to cut himself free from the -rope, as he appeared to be suffering greatly. But he was helpless, -hanging with the rope pressing his chest till he could hardly breathe, -and cried out that he could stand it no longer. Dr Borchardt made a -plucky attempt to render assistance, and the desperate endeavour -nearly caused him to fall also into the crevasse. - - [Illustration: Martin Schocher standing, Schnitzler sitting. On the - Summit of Crast' Agüzza in Mid-Winter.] - - [Illustration: A projecting Cornice of Snow, which might fall at any - moment. The accident on the Lyskamm, described on page 35, was due to - the breaking of a Cornice.] - - [Illustration: Between Earth and Sky (page 163).] - - [Illustration: An extremely narrow Snow Ridge, but a much easier one - to pass than that described by Mr Moore (page 160)] - -The position was terrible, and Herr Nasse was at the end of his -forces. He called out in a dying voice that he could bear no more--it -was the last time he spoke. - -Of Schnitzler nothing was heard, and the others could not tell if he -were still alive. - -But while this terrible scene was passing, Schnitzler had performed an -act of the highest bravery. First he had tried, by using his axe, to -climb out of the icy prison where he hung. This he could not do, so -steadying himself against the glassy wall, he deliberately cut himself -loose from the rope. He dropped to the floor of the crevasse, which, -luckily, was not of extraordinary depth, and being uninjured, he set -himself to find a way out. He followed the crevasse along its entire -length, and discovered a little ledge of ice, with the aid of which, -panting and exhausted, he reached the surface. - -But even with Schnitzler's help it was impossible to raise Herr Nasse -out of the chasm. The rope had cut deeply into the snow. He hung -underneath an eave of the soft surface and could not be moved. Another -willing helper, an Englishman, now came up, and after a time the -body--for Herr Nasse had not survived--was lowered to the floor of the -crevasse. Every effort was made to restore animation, but with no -result, and there was nothing left to do but leave that icy grave and -descend to the valley. Herr Nasse had suffered from a weak heart and -an attack of pleurisy, and these gave him but a poor chance of -withstanding the terrible pressure of the rope. Dr Scriven, from whose -spirited translation from the German I have taken my facts, remarks -that, "The death of Professor Nasse seems to emphasize a warning, -already painfully impressed on us by the loss of Mr Norman Neruda, -that there are special dangers awaiting those whose vital organs are -not perfectly sound, and who undertake the exertion and fatigue of -long and difficult climbs." - -FOOTNOTE: - -[8] In the early days of mountaineering it was the custom to pass the -rope through a ring or spring-hook attached to a strong leather belt, -instead of, as now, attaching it in a loop round the body of each -climber. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -A WONDERFUL FEAT BY TWO LADIES - - -One of the highest and hardest passes in the Alps is the Sesia-Joch, -13,858 feet high, near Monte Rosa. The well-known mountaineer, Mr -Ball, writing in 1863, referred to its first passage by Messrs George -and Moore, as "amongst the most daring of Alpine exploits," and -expressed a doubt whether it would ever be repeated. The party went -_up_ the steep Italian side (on the other, or Swiss side, it is quite -easy). We can, therefore, judge of the astonishment of the members of -the Alpine Club when they learnt that in 1869 "two ladies had not only -crossed this most redoubtable of glacier passes, but crossed it from -Zermatt to Alagna, thus descending the wall of rock, the ascent of -which had until then been looked on as an extraordinary feat for -first-rate climbers." The following extract from an Italian paper, -aided by the notes communicated by the Misses Pigeon to _The Alpine -Journal_, fully explains how this accidental but brilliant feat of -mountaineering was happily brought to a successful termination. - -"On 11th August 1869, Miss Anna and Miss Ellen Pigeon, of London, were -at the Riffel Hotel, above Zermatt, with the intention of making the -passage of the Lys-Joch on the next day, in order to reach Gressonay. -Starting at 3 A.M. on the 12th, accompanied by Jean Martin, guide of -Sierre, and by a porter, they arrived at 4 A.M. at the Gorner Glacier, -which they crossed rapidly to the great plateau, enclosed between the -Zumstein-Spitz, Signal-Kuppe, Parrot-Spitze, and Lyskamm, where they -arrived at 10 A.M. At this point, instead of bearing to the right, -which is the way to the Lys-Joch, they turned too much towards the -left, so that they found themselves on a spot at the extremity of the -plateau, from which they saw beneath their feet a vast and profound -precipice, terminating at a great depth upon a glacier. The guide had -only once, about four years before, crossed the Lys-Joch, and in these -desert and extraordinary places, where no permanent vestiges remain of -previous passages, he had not remembered the right direction, nor -preserved a very clear idea of the localities. At the sight of the -tremendous precipice he began to doubt whether he might not have -mistaken the way, and, to form a better judgment, he left the ladies -on the Col, half-stiffened with cold from the violence of the north -wind, ascended to the Parrot-Spitze, and advanced towards the -Ludwigshöhe, in order to examine whether along this precipice, which -lay inexorably in front, there might be a place where a passage could -be effected. But wherever he turned his eyes he saw nothing but broken -rocks and couloirs yet more precipitous. - -"In returning to the Col after his fruitless exploration, almost -certain that he had lost his way, he saw among some _débris_ of rock, -an empty bottle (which had been placed there by Messrs George and -Moore in 1862). This discovery persuaded him that here must be the -pass, since some one in passing by the place had there deposited this -bottle. He then applied himself to examining with greater attention -the rocks below, and thought he saw a possibility of descending by -them. He proposed this to the ladies, and they immediately commenced -operations. All being tied together, at proper intervals, with a -strong rope, they began the perilous descent, sometimes over the naked -rock, sometimes over more or less extensive slopes of ice, covered -with a light stratum of snow, in which steps had to be cut. It was -often necessary to stop, in order to descend one after the other by -means of the rope to a point where it might be possible to rest -without being held up. The tremendous precipice was all this time -under their eyes, seeming only to increase as they descended. This -arduous and perilous exertion had continued for more than seven hours -when, towards 6 P.M., the party arrived at a point beyond which all -egress seemed closed. Slippery and almost perpendicular rocks beneath, -right and left, and everywhere; near and around not a space sufficient -to stretch one's self upon, the sun about to set, night at hand! What -a position for the courageous travellers, and for the poor guide on -whom devolved the responsibility of the fatal consequences which -appeared inevitable! - -"Nevertheless, Jean Martin did not lose his courage. Having caused the -ladies to rest on the rocks, he ran right and left, climbing as well -as he could, in search of a passage. For about half an hour he looked -and felt for a way, but in vain. At length it appeared to him that it -would be possible to risk a long descent by some rough projections -which occurred here and there in the rocks. With indescribable labour, -and at imminent peril of rolling as shapeless corpses into the -crevasses of the glacier below, the travellers at length set foot upon -the ice. It was 8 P.M.; they had commenced the descent at 11 A.M.; -they crossed the Sesia Glacier at a running pace, on account of the -increasing darkness of the night, which scarcely allowed them to -distinguish the crevasses. After half an hour they set foot on _terra -firma_ at the moraine above the Alp of Vigne, where they perceived at -no great distance a light, towards which they quickly directed their -steps. The shepherd, named Dazza Dionigi, received them kindly, and -lodged them for the night. Until they arrived at the Alp, both the -ladies and the guide believed that they had made the pass of the -Lys-Joch, and that they were now upon an Alp of Gressonay. It was, -therefore, not without astonishment that they learned from the -shepherd that, instead of this, they were at the head of the Val -Sesia, and that they had accomplished the descent of the formidable -Sesia-Joch." - - [Illustration: EXTERIOR OF A CLIMBER'S HUT.] - - [Illustration: INTERIOR OF A CLIMBER'S HUT.] - -As an accompaniment to the foregoing highly-coloured narrative, the -following modest notes, sent to _The Alpine Journal_ by the Misses -Pigeon, will be read with interest: - -"All mountaineers are aware how much the difficulty of a pass is -lessened or increased by the state of the weather. In this we were -greatly favoured. For some days it had been very cold and wet at the -Riffel; and when we crossed the Sesia-Joch we found sufficient snow in -descending the ice-slope to give foothold, which decreased the labour -of cutting steps--the axe was only brought into requisition whenever -we traversed to right or left. Had the weather been very hot we should -have been troubled with rolling stones. It was one of those clear, -bright mornings so favourable for mountain excursions. Our guide had -only once before crossed the Lys-Joch, four years previously, and on a -very misty day. We were, therefore, careful to engage a porter who -professed to know the way. The latter proved of no use whatever except -to carry a knapsack. - -"We take the blame to ourselves of missing the Lys-Joch; for, on -making the discovery of the porter's ignorance, we turned to _Ball's -Guide Book_, and repeatedly translated to Martin a passage we found -there, warning travellers to avoid keeping too much to the right near -the Lyskamm. The result of our interference was that Martin kept too -much to the left, and missed the Lys-Joch altogether. - -"When we perceived the abrupt termination of the actual Col, we all -ascended, with the aid of step-cutting, along the slope of the -Parrot-Spitze, until we came to a place where a descent seemed -feasible. Martin searched for a better passage, but, after all, we -took to the ice-slope, at first, for a little way, keeping on the -rocks. Finding the slope so very rapid, we doubted whether we could -be right in descending it; for we remembered that the descent of the -Lys-Joch is described by Mr Ball as _easy_. We therefore retraced our -steps up the slope to our former halting-place, thus losing -considerable time, for it was now twelve o'clock. Then it was that -Martin explored the Parrot-Spitze still further, and returned in -three-quarters of an hour fully persuaded that there was no other way. -We re-descended the ice-slope, and lower down crossed a couloir, and -then more snow-slopes and rocks brought us to a lower series of rocks, -where our passage seemed stopped at five o'clock. Here the mists, -which had risen since the morning, much impeded our progress, and we -halted, hoping they would disperse. Martin again went off on an -exploring expedition, whilst the porter was sent in another direction. -As both returned from a fruitless search, and sunset was approaching, -the uncomfortable suggestion was made that the next search would be -for the best sleeping quarters. However, Martin himself investigated -the rocks pronounced impracticable by the porter, and by these we -descended to the Sesia Glacier without unusual difficulty. When once -fairly on the glacier, we crossed it at a running pace, for it was -getting dark, and we feared to be benighted on the glacier. It was -dark as we scrambled along the moraine on the other side, and over -rocks and grassy knolls till the shepherd's light at Vigne gave us a -happy indication that a shelter was not far off. The shouts of our -guide brought the shepherd with his oil-lamp to meet us, and it was a -quarter to nine o'clock P.M. when we entered his hut. After partaking -of a frugal meal of bread and milk, we were glad to accept his offer -of a hay bed, together with the unexpected luxury of sheets. When -relating the story of our arrival to the Abbé Farinetti on the -following Sunday at Alagna, the shepherd said that so great was his -astonishment at the sudden apparition of travellers from that -direction, that he thought it must be a visit of angels. - -"We consider the Italian account incorrect as to the time we occupied -in the descent. We could not have left our halting-place near the -summit for the second time before a quarter to one o'clock, and in -eight hours we were in this shepherd's hut. - -"The Italian account exaggerates the difficulty we experienced. The -rope was never used 'to hold up the travellers and let them down one -by one.' On the contrary, one lady went _last_, preferring to see the -awkward porter in front of her rather than behind. At one spot we -came to an abrupt wall of rock and there we gladly availed ourselves -of our guide's hand. The sensational sentence about 'rolling as -shapeless corpses into the crevasses' is absurd, as we were at that -juncture rejoicing in the prospect of a happy termination of our -dilemma, and of crossing the glacier in full enjoyment of our senses." - -The editor of _The Alpine Journal_ concludes with the following -comments: - -"It is impossible to pass over without some further remark the -behaviour of the guide and porter who shared this adventure. Jean -Martin, if he led his party into a scrape, certainly showed no small -skill and perseverance in carrying them safely out of it. Porters have -as a class, and with some honourable exceptions, long afforded a proof -that Swiss peasants are not necessarily born climbers. Their -difficulties and blunders have, indeed, served as one of the standing -jokes of Alpine literature. But we doubt if any porter has ever -exhibited himself in so ignoble a position as the man who, having -begun by obtaining an engagement under false pretences, ended by -allowing one of his employers, a lady, to descend the Italian side of -the Sesia-Joch last on the rope." - - -A PERILOUS CLIMB - -In the year 1865 but few different routes were known up Mont Blanc. It -has now been ascended from every direction and by every conceivable -combination of routes, yet I doubt if any at all rivalling the one I -intend quoting the account of has ever been accomplished. The route in -question is by the Brenva Glacier on the Italian side of the great -mountain, and the travellers who undertook to attempt what the guides -hardly thought a possible piece of work, consisted of Mr Walker, his -son Horace, Mr Mathews, and Mr Moore, the account which I take from -_The Alpine Journal_ having been written by the latter. For guides -they had two very first-rate men, Melchior Anderegg and his cousin, -Jacob Anderegg. - -I shall omit the first part of the narrative, interesting though it -is, and go at once to the point where, not long after sunrise, the -mountaineers found themselves. - -"We had risen very rapidly, and must have been at an elevation of more -than 12,000 feet. Our position, therefore, commanded an extensive view -in all directions. The guides were in a hurry, so cutting our halt -shorter than would have been agreeable, we resumed our way at 7.55, -and after a few steps up a slope at an angle of 50°, found ourselves -on the crest of the buttress, and looking down upon, and across, the -lower part of a glacier tributary to the Brenva, beyond which towered -the grand wall of the Mont Maudit. We turned sharp to the left along -the ridge, Jacob leading, followed by Mr Walker, Horace, Mathews, -Melchior, and myself last. We had anticipated that, assuming the -possibility of gaining the ridge on which we were, there would be no -serious difficulty in traversing it, and so much as we could see ahead -led us to hope that our anticipations would turn out correct. Before -us lay a narrow but not steep arête of rock and snow combined, which -appeared to terminate some distance in front in a sharp peak. We -advanced cautiously, keeping rather below the top of the ridge, -speculating with some curiosity on what lay beyond this peak. On -reaching it, the apparent peak proved not to be a peak at all, but the -extremity of the narrowest and most formidable ice arête I ever saw, -which extended almost on a level for an uncomfortably long distance. -Looking back by the light of our subsequent success, I have always -considered it a providential circumstance that, at this moment, Jacob, -and not Melchior was leading the party. In saying this, I shall not -for an instant be suspected of any imputation upon Melchior's courage. -But in him that virtue is combined to perfection with the equally -necessary one of prudence, while he shares the objection which nearly -all guides have to taking upon themselves, without discussion, -responsibility in positions of doubt. Had he been in front, I believe -that, on seeing the nature of the work before us, we should have -halted and discussed the propriety of proceeding; and I believe -further that, as the result of that discussion, our expedition would -have then and there come to an end. Now in Jacob, with courage as -faultless as Melchior's, and physical powers even superior, the virtue -of prudence is conspicuous chiefly from its absence; and, on coming to -this ugly place, it never for an instant occurred to him that we might -object to go on, or consider the object in view not worth the risk -which must be inevitably run. He therefore went calmly on without so -much as turning to see what we thought of it, while I do not suppose -that it entered into the head of any one of us spontaneously to -suggest a retreat. - -"On most arêtes, however narrow the actual crest may be, it is -generally possible to get a certain amount of support by driving the -pole into the slope on either side. But this was not the case here. -We were on the top of a wall, the ice on the right falling vertically -(I use the word advisedly), and on the left nearly so. On neither side -was it possible to obtain the slightest hold with the alpenstock. I -believe also that an arête of pure ice is more often encountered in -description than in reality, that term being generally applied to hard -snow. But here, for once, we had the genuine article, blue ice without -a speck of snow on it. The space for walking was, at first, about the -breadth of an ordinary wall, in which Jacob cut holes for the feet. -Being last in the line I could see little of what was coming until I -was close upon it, and was therefore considerably startled on seeing -the men in front suddenly abandon the upright position, which in spite -of the insecurity of the steps and difficulty of preserving the -balance, had been hitherto maintained, and sit down _à cheval_. The -ridge had narrowed to a knife edge, and for a few yards it was utterly -impossible to advance in any other way. The foremost men soon stood up -again, but when I was about to follow their example Melchior insisted -emphatically upon my not doing so, but remaining seated. Regular steps -could no longer be cut, but Jacob, as he went along, simply sliced off -the top of the ridge, making thus a slippery pathway, along which -those behind crept, moving one foot carefully after the other. As for -me, I worked myself along with my hands in an attitude safer, perhaps, -but considerably more uncomfortable, and, as I went, could not keep -occasionally speculating, with an odd feeling of amusement, as to what -would be the result if any of the party should chance to slip over on -either side--what the rest would do--whether throw themselves over on -the other side or not--and if so, what would happen then. Fortunately -the occasion for the solution of this curious problem did not arise, -and at 9.30 we reached the end of the arête, where it emerged in the -long slopes of broken _névé_, over which our way was next to lie. As -we looked back along our perilous path, it was hard to repress a -shudder, and I think the dominant feeling of every man was one of -wonder how the passage had been effected without accident. One good -result, however, was to banish from Melchior's mind the last traces of -doubt as to our ultimate success, his reply to our anxious enquiry -whether he thought we should get up, being, 'We must, for we cannot go -back.' In thus speaking, he probably said rather more than he meant, -but the fact will serve to show that I have not exaggerated the -difficulty we had overcome." - -Mr Moore goes on to describe the considerable trouble the party had -in mounting the extremely steep snow-slope on which they were now -embarked. The continual step-cutting was heavy work for the guides. At -last they were much annoyed to find between them and their goal "a -great wall of ice running right across and completely barring the way -upwards. Our position was, in fact, rather critical. Immediately over -our heads the slope on which we were, terminated in a great mass of -broken _séracs_, which might come down with a run at any moment. It -seemed improbable that any way out of our difficulties would be found -in that quarter. But, where else to look? There was no use in going to -the left--to the right we _could_ not go--and back we _would_ not go. -After careful scrutiny, Melchior thought it just possible that we -might find a passage through those séracs on the higher and more level -portion of the glacier to the right of them, and there being obviously -no chance of success in any other direction, we turned towards them. -The ice here was steeper and harder than it had yet been. In spite of -all Melchior's care, the steps were painfully insecure, and we were -glad to get a grip with one hand of the rocks alongside of which we -passed. The risk, too, of an avalanche was considerable, and it was a -relief when we were so close under the séracs that a fall from above -could not well hurt us. Melchior had steered with his usual -discrimination, and was now attacking the séracs at the only point -where they appeared at all practical. Standing over the mouth of a -crevasse choked with _débris_, he endeavoured to lift himself on to -its upper edge, which was about 15 feet above. But to accomplish this -seemed at first a task too great even for his agility, aided as it was -by vigorous pushes. At last, by a marvellous exercise of skill and -activity, he succeeded, pulled up Mr Walker and Horace, and then cast -off the rope to reconnoitre, leaving them to assist Mathews, Jacob and -myself in the performance of a similar manoeuvre. We were all three -still below, when a yell from Melchior sent a thrill through our -veins. 'What is it?' said we to Mr Walker. A shouting communication -took place between him and Melchior, and then came the answer, 'He -says it is all right.' That moment was worth living for." - -Mr Moore tells how, over now easy ground, the party rapidly ascended -higher and higher. "We reached the summit at 3.10, and found ourselves -safe at Chamouni at 10.30. Our day's work had thus extended to nearly -20 hours, of which 17½ hours were actual walking." - -It is interesting to note that in after years a route was discovered -on the opposite, or French side of Mont Blanc, of which the chief -difficulty was an extremely narrow--but in this case also steep--ice -ridge. This ascent, _via_ the Aiguille de Bionnassay, enjoys, I -believe, an even greater reputation than that by the Brenva. It has -been accomplished twice by ladies, the first time by Miss Katherine -Richardson, whose skill and extraordinary rapidity of pace have given -her a record on more than one great peak. Miss Richardson, having done -all the hard part of the climb, descended from the Dome de Gouter. The -second ascent by a lady was undertaken successfully in 1899, by -Mademoiselle Eugénie de Rochat, who has a brilliant list of climbs in -the Mont Blanc district to her credit. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -A FINE PERFORMANCE WITHOUT GUIDES - - -The precipitous peak of the Meije, in Dauphiné, had long, like the -Matterhorn, been believed inaccessible, and it was only after repeated -attempts that at last the summit was reached. The direct route from La -Bérarde will always be an extremely difficult climb to anyone who -desires to do his fair share of the work; the descent of the great -wall of rock is one of the few places I have been down, which took -longer on the descent than on the ascent. - -When the members of the Alpine Club heard that a party of Englishmen -had succeeded, _without guides_, in making the expedition, they were -much impressed by the feat, and on 17th December 1879, one of the -climbers, Mr Charles Pilkington, read a paper before the Club -describing his ascent. From it I quote the following. The party -included the brothers Pilkington and Mr Gardiner. - - [Illustration: The Meije is to the left, the Glacier Carré is the - snow-patch on it, beneath this is the Great Wall.] - - [Illustration: ASCENDING A SNOWY WALL (page 216).] - -"On the 19th July 1878, we reached La Bérarde, where we found Mr -Coolidge with the two Almers. Coolidge knew that we had come to try -the Meije, and he had very kindly given us all the information he -could, not only about it, but about several other peaks and passes in -the district. Almer also, after finding out our plans, was good enough -not to laugh at us, and gave us one or two useful hints. He told us as -well that the difficulty did not so much consist in finding the way as -in getting up it. - -"At two o'clock in the afternoon of 20th July, we left for our bivouac -in the Vallon des Etançons, taking another man with us besides our two -porters, and at four reached the large square rock called the Hôtel -Châteleret, after the ancient name of the valley. We determined to -sleep here instead of at Coolidge's refuge a little higher up. The -Meije was in full view, and we had our first good look at it since we -had read the account of its ascent. - -"We went hopefully to bed, telling our porters to call us at eleven -the same evening, so as to start at midnight; but long before that it -was raining hard, and it required all the engineering skill of the -party and the india-rubber bag to keep the water out. It cleared up at -daybreak. Of course it was far too late to start then; besides that, -we had agreed not to make the attempt unless we had every sign of fine -weather. - -"As we had nothing else to do, we started at 8 A.M. on an exploring -expedition, taking our spare ropes and some extra provisions, to -leave, if possible, at M. Duhamel's cairn, some distance up the -mountain, whilst our porters were to improve the refuge and lay in a -stock of firewood. The snow was very soft, and we were rather lazy, so -it was not until eleven that we reached the upper part of the Brêche -Glacier, and were opposite our work. The way lies up the great -southern buttress, which forms the eastern boundary of the Brêche -Glacier, merging into the general face of the mountain about one-third -of the total height from the Glacier des Etançons, and 700 feet below, -and a little to the west of the Glacier Carré, from whence the final -peak is climbed. The chief difficulty is the ascent from M. Duhamel's -cairn, on the top of the buttress to the Glacier Carré. - -"After a few steps up the snow, we gained the crest of the buttress by -a short scramble. The crest is narrow, but very easy, and we went -rapidly along, until we came to where a great break in the arête -divides the buttress into an upper and a lower part; being no longer -able to keep along the crest, we were forced to cross the rocks to our -left to the couloir. Not quite liking the look of the snow, Gardiner -asked us to hold tight whilst he tried it. Finding it all right he -kicked steps up, and at five minutes past one we reached the cairn, -having taken one hour and thirty-five minutes from the glacier. The -great wall rose straight above us, but the way up, which we had had no -difficulty in making out with the telescope from below, was no longer -to be seen. Our spirits which had been rising during our ascent from -the glacier, sunk once more, and our former uncertainty came back upon -us; for it is difficult to imagine anything more hopeless-looking than -this face of the Meije. It has been said that, after finding all the -most promising ways impossible, this seeming impossibility was tried -as a last chance. We looked at it a long time, but at last gave up -trying to make out the way as a bad job, determined to climb where we -could, if we had luck enough to get so far another day; so, leaving -our spare ropes, a bottle of wine, a loaf of bread, and a tin of -curried fowl carefully covered with stones, we made the best of our -way back, reaching the glacier in one hour and twenty minutes, and our -bivouac in an hour and a half more. There we spent the next night and -following day, but at last we had to give in to the bad weather, and -go sorrowfully down to La Bérarde. It was very disappointing. We had -been looking forward to the attempt for more than six months. I had -to leave in a few days for England. It was not a mountain for two men -to be on alone; what if we had spent all our time and trouble for -nothing, and only carried our bed and provisions to the cairn for -someone else to use? - -"On the evening of the 24th we were again at our bivouac; this time -there was a cold north wind blowing, and the weather looked more -settled than it had yet done since we came into the district. We -watched the last glow of the setting sun fade on the crags of the -Meije, and then crawled into our now well-known holes. At midnight -exactly we were off, and, as we had much to carry, we took our porters -with us as far as the bottom of the buttress, where we waited for -daylight. At last the Tête du Replat opposite to us caught the -reflection of the light, so, leaving a bottle of champagne for our -return, as a reward of victory or consolation for defeat, we started -at 3.15, unfortunately with an omen, for in bidding good-bye to our -porters, we said 'adieu,' instead of 'au revoir, and though we altered -the word at once, they left us with grave faces, old Lagier mournfully -shaking his head. Gardiner took the lead again, and at 4.45 we once -more stood beside the stone-man, finding our _câche_ of provisions all -safe. Here we rearranged our luggage. Both the others took heavy -loads; Gardiner the knapsack, Lawrence the 200 feet of spare rope and -our wine tin, holding three quarts; the sleeping bag only was given to -me, as I was told off to lead. - -"We got under weigh at 5.15, and soon clambered up the remaining part -of the buttress, and reached the bottom of the great wall, the Glacier -Carré being about 700 feet above us, and some distance to our right. -We knew that from here a level traverse had to be made until nearly -under the glacier before it was possible to turn upwards. We had seen -a ledge running in the right direction; crossing some steep rocks and -climbing over a projecting knob (which served us a nasty trick on our -descent), we let ourselves gently down on to the ledge, leaving a -small piece of red rag to guide us in coming back. The ledge, although -4 or 5 feet broad, was not all that could be wished, for it was more -than half-covered with snow, which, as the ledge sloped outwards, was -not to be trusted; the melting and refreezing of this had formed ice -below, nearly covering the available space, forcing us to walk on the -edge. We cut a step here and there. It improved as we went on, and -when half-way across the face we were able to turn slightly upwards, -and at 6.30 were near the spot where later in the day the icicles -from the extreme western end of the Glacier Carré fall. It is not -necessary to go right into the line of fire, and in coming back we -kept even farther away than on the ascent. - -"So far the way had been fairly easy to find, but now came the great -question of the climb; how to get up the 600 feet of rock wall above -us. To our right it rose in one sheer face, the icicles from the -Glacier Carré, fringing the top; to our left the rocks, though not so -steep, were very smooth, and at the top, especially to the right, near -the glacier, they became precipitous. A little above us a bridge ledge -led away to the left, slanting upwards towards the lowest and most -practicable part of the wall, obviously the way up. Climbing to this -ledge, we followed it nearly half-way back across the face, then the -holding-places got fewer and more filled with ice, the outward slope -more and more until at last its insecure and slippery look warned us -off it, and we turned up the steeper but rougher rocks on our right. -In doing so I believe we forsook the route followed by all our -predecessors, but we were obliged to do so by the glazed state of the -rocks. - -"As the direction in which we were now going was taking us towards the -glacier and the steep upper rocks, we soon turned again to our left -to avoid them, the only way being up some smooth slabs, with very -little hold, the sort of rocks where one's waistcoat gives a great -deal of holding power; worming oneself up these we reached a small -shelf where we were again in doubt. It was impossible to go straight -up; to the left the rocks, though easier, only led to the higher part -of the ledge we had forsaken; we spent some minutes examining this -way, but again did not like the look of the glazed rocks; so we took -the only alternative and went to the right. Keeping slightly upwards, -we gained about 50 feet in actual height by difficult climbing. We -were now getting on to the steep upper rocks near the glacier, which -we had wanted to avoid. - -"This last piece of the wall will always remain in our minds as the -most desperate piece of work we have ever done; the rocks so far had -been firm, but now, although far too steep for loose stones to lodge -on, were so shattered that we dared not trust them; at the same time -we had to be very careful, lest in removing any we should bring others -down upon us. - -"One place I shall never forget. Gardiner was below, on a small ledge, -with no hand-hold to speak of, trying to look as if he could stand any -pull; my brother on a knob a little higher up, to help me if -necessary. I was able to pull myself about 8 feet higher, but the next -rock was insecure, and the whole nearly perpendicular. A good many -loose stones had been already pulled out; this one would not come. It -is hard work tugging at a loose stone with one hand, the other in a -crack, and only one foot finding anything to rest on. I looked down, -told them how it was, and came down to rest. - -"For about a minute nothing was said; all our faces turned towards the -Glacier Carré, now only about 60 feet above us. We all felt it would -have been hard indeed to turn back, yet it was not a pleasant place, -and we could not see what was again above. We were on what may be -fairly called a precipice. In removing the loose stones, the slightest -backhanded jerk, just enough to miss the heads of the men behind, sent -them clear into the air; they never touched anything for a long time -after leaving the hand, and disappeared with a disagreeable hum on to -the Glacier des Etançons, 1800 feet below. We looked and tried on both -sides, but it was useless, so we went at it again. After the fourth or -fifth attempt I managed to get up about 10 feet, to where there was -some sort of hold; then my brother followed, giving me rope enough to -get to a firm rock, where I remained till joined by the others. It -was almost as bad above, but we crawled carefully up; one place -actually overhung--fortunately there was plenty of hold, and we slung -ourselves up it! From this point the rocks became rather easier, and -at 9.30 we reached a small sloping shelf of rock, about 20 yards to -the west of the Glacier Carré and on the top of the great rock wall. -Stopping here for a short time to get cool, and to let one of the -party down to get the axes, which had been tied to a rope and had -caught in a crevice in the rock, we changed leaders, and crossing some -shelving rocks, climbed up a gully, or cleft, filled with icicles, and -reached the platform of rock at the south-west end of the Glacier -Carré at 10.15 A.M. - -"The platform we had reached can only be called one by comparison; it -is rather smooth, and slopes too much to form a safe sleeping-place, -but we left our extra luggage there. - -"At 11.10 we started up the glacier, Gardiner going ahead, kicking -steps into the soft, steep snow. - -"We were much more cheerful now than we had been two hours before. My -companions had got rid of their heavy loads, the day was still very -fine, and Almer had told us that, could we but reach the glacier, we -should have a good chance of success. - -"Shortly before 1 P.M. we were underneath the well-known overhanging -top, the rocks of which, cutting across the face, form a triangular -corner. It is the spot where Gaspard lost so much time looking for the -way on the first ascent. We knew that the arête had here to be -crossed, and the northern face on the other side taken to. - -"Almost before I got my head over the crest came the anxious question -from below, 'Will it go on the other side?' I could not see, however; -so when the others came up, Gardiner fixed himself and let us down to -the full extent of the rope. The whole northern face, as far as we -could see, looked terribly icy; but as there was no other way of -regaining the arête higher up without going on to it, we told him to -come down after us. - -"Turning to the right as soon as possible, we had to traverse the -steep, smooth face for a short distance. It took a long time, for the -rocks were even worse than they had appeared; we often had to clear -them of ice for a yard before we could find any hold at all and -sometimes only the left hand could be spared for cutting. After about -50 yards of this work we were able to turn upwards, and with great -difficulty wriggled up the slippery rocks leading to the arête; rather -disgusted to find the north face so difficult--owing, perhaps, to the -lateness of the season. - -"It was our last difficulty, for the arête, though narrow, gives good -hand and foot-hold, and we pressed eagerly onwards. In a few minutes -it became more level, and there, sure enough, were the three -stone-men, only separated from us by some easy rocks and snow, which -we went at with a rush, and at 2.25 we stood on the highest point of -the Meije. - -"Knowing that it would be useless for us to try and descend further -than the Glacier Carré that day, and as it was pleasanter on the top -than there, we went in for a long halt. Untying the rope--for the top -is broad enough to be safe--we examined the central cairn, where the -tokens are kept. We found a tin box, containing the names of our -predecessors; a bottle, hanging by a string, the property of Mr -Coolidge; a tri-coloured flag; and a scented pocket-handkerchief -belonging to M. Guillemin, still retaining its former fragrance, which -it had not 'wasted on the desert air.' We tore a corner off each, -leaving a red-and-yellow rag in exchange; put our names in the tin, -and an English penny with a hole bored through it. - -"Then, after repairing the rather dilapidated southern cairn, we sat -down to smoke and enjoy the view, which the fact of the mountain -standing on the outside of the group, the tremendous depth to which -the eye plunges on each side, the expansive panorama of the Dauphiné -and neighbouring Alps, and the beautiful distant view of the Pennine -chain from Mont Blanc to Monte Rosa, combine to make one of the finest -in the Alps. - -"At four o'clock, after an hour and a half on the top, we started -downwards, soon arriving at the spot where it was necessary to leave -the arête; however, before doing so, we went along it to where it was -cut off, to see if we could let ourselves straight down into the gap, -and so avoid the detour by the northern face, but it was -impracticable; so, putting the middle of the spare rope round a -projecting rock on the arête, we let ourselves down to where we had -gone along on the level, pulling the rope down after us; then -regaining the gap by the morning's route, we crossed it, and leisurely -descended the south-western face to the Glacier Carré, filling our now -empty wine tin with water on the way down. We reached the glacier at -6.30. In skirting the base of the Pic du Glacier we found a nice -hollow in the snow, which looked a good place to sleep in. Gardiner -wanted one of us to stop and build a stone-wall, whilst the others -fetched the bag and provisions from the bottom of the glacier. -Lawrence was neutral; I was rather against it, having slept on snow -before. At last we all went down to the rocky platform where our -luggage had been left. We cleared a place for the bag, but it all -sloped so much, and the edge of the precipice was so near, that we -dared not lie down. We looked for a good rock to tie ourselves to; -even that could not be found. Then some one thought we might scrape a -hole in the steep snow above us, and get into it. That, of course, was -quite out of the question. Nothing therefore remained for us but -Gardiner's hollow above--the only level place we had seen above M. -Duhamel's cairn large enough for us to lay our bag on. There was no -time to be lost; it was getting dark; a sharp frost had already set -in: so we at once shouldered our traps and trudged wearily up the -glacier once more, wishing now that we had left somebody to build a -wall. - -"On reaching the hollow we put the ropes, axes, hats, and knapsack on -the snow as a sort of carpet, placed the bag on the top, then, -pulling off our boots for pillows, and putting on the comfortable -woollen helmets given to us by Mrs Hartley, got into the bag to have -our supper. Fortunately there was not much wind; but it was rather -difficult to open the meat tin. We did as well as we could, however, -and after supper tried to smoke; but the cold air got into the bag and -made that a failure; so we looked at the scene instead. - -"The moon was half full, and shone upon us as we lay, making -everything look very beautiful. We could see the snow just in front of -us, and then, far away through the frosty air all the mountains on the -other side of the Vallon des Etançons, with the silver-grey peak of -the Ecrins behind, its icy ridges standing out sharply against the -clear sky; and deep down in the dark valley below was the signal fire -of our porters. As this could only be seen by sitting bolt upright, we -got tired of looking at it, and the last link connecting us with the -lower world being broken, we felt our utter loneliness. - -"The moon soon going behind a rocky spur of the Pic du Glacier, we lay -down and tried to get warm by pulling the string round the neck of the -bag as tight as possible and breathing inside; but somehow the outside -air got in also. So closing it as well as we could, with only our -heads out, we went to sleep, but not for long. The side on which we -lay soon got chilled. Now, as the bag was narrow, we all had to face -one way on account of our knees; so the one who happened to be the -soonest chilled through would give the word, and we all turned -together. I suppose we must have changed sides every half-hour through -the long night. We got some sleep, however, and felt all right when -the first glimmering of dawn came over the mountains on our left. As -soon as we could see we had breakfast; but the curried fowl was -frozen, and the bread could only be cut with difficulty, as a -shivering seized one every minute. We had the greatest trouble in -getting our boots on. They were pressed out of shape, and, in spite of -having been under our heads, were hard frozen. At last, by burning -paper inside, and using them as lantern for our candle, we thawed them -enough to get them on, and then spent a quarter of an hour stamping -about to thaw ourselves. We rolled the bag up and tied it fast to a -projecting rock, hanging the meat tin near as a guide to anyone -looking for it. - -"At 4.30 we set off, very thankful that we had a fine day before us. -We soon went down the glacier, and down and across to the shelf of -rock where the real descent of the wall was to begin. A few feet -below was a jagged tooth of rock which we could not move; so to it we -tied one end of the 100 feet of rope, taking care to protect the rope -where it pressed on the sharp edges, with pieces of an old -handkerchief; the other end we threw over the edge, and by leaning -over we could just see the tail of it on some rocks below the bad -part,[9] so we knew it was long enough. - -"After a short discussion we arranged to go down one at a time, as -there were places where we expected to throw all our weight on the -rope. Gardiner was to go first as he was the heaviest; my brother -next, carrying all the traps and the three axes, as he had the -strongest pair of hands and arms in the party; whilst I as the -lightest, was to bring down the rear. So tying the climbing rope round -his waist as an extra help, Gardiner started, whilst we paid it out. -He soon disappeared, but we knew how he was getting on, and when he -was in the worst places, by the 'Lower,' 'A little lower,' 'Hold,' -'Hold hard,' which came up from below, getting fainter as he got -lower. Fifty feet of the rope passed through our hands before he -stopped going. 'Can you hold there?' we asked. 'No. Hold me while I -rest a little, and then give me 10 feet more if you can.' So after a -while we got notice to lower, and down he went again until nearly all -our rope was gone; then it slackened. He told us he was fast, and that -we could pull up the rope. - -"Then Lawrence shouldered his burdens, the three axes being tied below -him with a short piece of rope. The same thing happened again, only it -was more exciting, for every now and then the axes caught and loosened -with a jerk, which I felt on the rope I was paying out, although it -was tied to him. At first I thought it was a slip, but soon got used -to it. Lawrence did not go so far as Gardiner, but stopped to help me -at the bottom of the worst piece. - -"It was now my turn. Tying the other end of the loose rope round me, I -crawled cautiously down to where the tight rope was fixed. The others -told me afterwards they did not like it. I certainly did not. The -upper part was all right; but lower down the rocks were so steep that -if I put much weight on the rope it pulled me off them, and gave a -tendency to swing over towards the Glacier Carré, which, as only one -hand was left for climbing with, was rather difficult to resist. I -remember very well sitting on a projecting rock, with nothing below -it but air for at least 100 feet. Leaving this, Lawrence half pulled -me towards him with the loose rope. A few steps more and I was beside -him, and we descended together to Gardiner, cutting off the fixed rope -high up, so as to leave as little as possible, and in a few minutes -more we all three reached the small shelf of rocks above the smooth -slabs by which we had descended the day before. It was the place where -we had spent some time trying to avoid the steep bit we had just -descended, and which had taken us nearly two hours. - -"This ledge is about 3 feet broad. We had got down the only place on -the mountain that had given us any anxiety. It was warm and pleasant; -all the day was before us; so we took more than an hour to lunch and -rest. - -"On starting again we ought to have stuck to our old route and -descended by the slabs, as we could easily have done; but after a -brief discussion we arranged to take a short cut, by fixing a second -rope and letting ourselves straight down the drop on to the lower -slanting ledge, at a point a few feet higher than where we had left it -on the ascent. - -"We descended one at a time, as before, and, what with tying and -untying, took much longer than we should have done had we gone the -other way. On gaining the ledge we turned to our left and soon came -across one of our marks; then striking down sooner than our old route -would have taken us, we gave a wider berth to the falling ice, and got -into the traverse leading to the top of the buttress. Along it we -went; but it looked different, had less snow, and when we came near -the end a steep rock, with a nasty drop below, blocked the way. It -appeared so bad that I said we were wrong. As the others were not -sure, we retraced our steps, and by a very difficult descent gained a -lower ledge. There was no snow on this, but the melting of the snow -above made the rocks we had to take hold of so wet that we often got a -stream of water down our arms and necks. - -"At last, after nearly crossing, it became quite impossible, and we -turned back, having gained nothing but a wetting. - -"Below it was far too steep. Immediately above was the place we had -tried just before. We could not make it out; we had been so positive -about the place above. - -"We were just thinking of trying it again more carefully, when -Lawrence pointed up at something, and there, sure enough, was the bit -of red rag left the day before to show the commencement of the -traverse. - -"We marked where it was, and then crawled back along the ledge on -which we were. Scrambling up the steep drop, we made quickly upwards, -and, turning towards our flag, found that the only way to it was along -the very ledge where we had first tried, and which proved to be the -traverse after all. - -"We were very glad to get into it once more, as for the last three -hours we had been on the look-out for falling ice. Some had already -shot over our heads, sending showers of splinters on to us, and one -piece as big as one's fist had come rather closer than was pleasant. -On our left, the Glacier Carré kept up a regular fire of it, the ice -following with tremendous noise on to the rocks below. Every time it -gave us a start, as we could not always see at once where the fall had -taken place; and although the danger was more imaginary than real, it -is not pleasant to be constantly on the look-out, and flattening one's -self against the rocks to avoid being hit. - -"We soon crossed the snowy part of the traverse, and were again in -front of the rock which had turned us back before. It looked no -better; but on going close up we found a small crack near the top, -just large enough to get our fingers into, giving excellent hold. By -this we swung ourselves up and across the worst part. - -"We thought we had only two hours more easy descent, and our work -would be done. But we made a mistake. - -"At first we went rapidly down, and were soon cheered by the sight of -M. Duhamel's cairn, looking about five minutes off. I was in front at -the time, and was just getting on to a short snow-slope by which we -had ascended the day before, when, doubting its safety, I asked the -others to hold fast whilst I tried it. The moment I put my foot on the -snow, all the top went away, slowly at first, then, taking to the -left, went down the couloir with a rush. We tried again where the -upper layer had gone away, but it was all unsafe; so we had to spend -half an hour getting down the rocks, where we had ascended in ten -minutes, and it was not until 2.30 that we reached the cairn. - -"It was 3.30 before we continued the descent. The couloir was not in -good order and required care. Gardiner, who was in front, did not get -on as well as usual. At last, thinking we might get impatient, he -showed us his fingers, which were bleeding in several places, and -awfully raw and sore. He had pluckily kept it all to himself until -the real difficulties were over; but the snow of the couloir had -softened his hands, and these last rocks were weathered granite, and -very sharp and cutting; so he had to go very gingerly. - -"At the bottom of the buttress a surprise awaited us, for as we -descended the last 20 feet, the weather-beaten face of old Lagier, our -porter, appeared above the rocks. The faithful old fellow said he had -traced our descent by the occasional flashing of the wine tin in the -sun, and had come alone to meet us, bringing us provisions as he -thought we might have run short. He had waited six hours for us, and -had iced the bottle of champagne which had been left on the ascent. We -opened it and then hurried down to the glacier, taking off the rope at -the moraine, and ran all the rest of the way on the snow to our -bivouac, like a lot of colts turned loose in a field, feeling it a -great relief to get on to something on which we could tumble about as -we liked without falling over a precipice." - -That the Meije is a really difficult mountain may be assumed from the -fact that for some years after its first ascent, no party succeeded in -getting up and down it on the same day. When every step of the way -became well known, of course much quicker times were possible, and -when, on 16th September 1892, I went up it with the famous Dauphiné -guide, Maximin Gaspard, and Roman Imboden (the latter aged -twenty-three, and perhaps the finest rock climber in Switzerland), we -had all in our favour. There was neither ice nor snow on the rocks, -and no icicles hung from the Glacier Carré, while the weather was -still and cloudless. We slept at the bottom of the buttress--just at -the spot where Mr Pilkington met his porter--and from here were -exactly four hours (including a halt of one hour) reaching the top of -the Meije. - -It is now the fashion to cross the Meije from La Bérarde to La Grave, -the descent on the other side being also extremely hard. For a couple -of hours after leaving the summit a narrow ridge is traversed with -several formidable gaps in it. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[9] The remains of this rope hung for years where Mr Pilkington had -placed it, and when I ascended the Meije I saw the bleached end of it -hanging over as sickening looking a place as I have ever desired to -avoid. The ordinary route passes more to the west. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -THE PIZ SCERSCEN TWICE IN FOUR DAYS--THE FIRST ASCENT OF MONT BLANC BY -A WOMAN. - - -It was a mad thing to do. I realised that when thinking of it -afterwards; but this is how it happened. - -I had arranged with a friend, Mr Edmund Garwood, to try a hitherto -unattempted route on a mountain not far from Maloja. He was to bring -his guide, young Roman Imboden; I was to furnish a second man, -Wieland, of St Moritz. - - [Illustration: WIELAND ON THE HIGHEST POINT OF PIZ SCERSCEN (page - 200).] - - [Illustration: A PARTY ON A MOUNTAIN TOP.] - - [Illustration: THE OTHER PARTY DESCENDING PIZ BERNINA (page 202).] - - [Illustration: A PARTY COMMENCING THE DESCENT OF A SNOW RIDGE.] - -The hour had come to start, the carriage was at the door and the -provisions were in it, and Wieland and I were in readiness when, to -our surprise, Roman turned up without Mr Garwood. A note which he -brought explained that the latter was not well, but hoped I would make -the expedition all the same, and take Roman with me. I was unwilling -to monopolise a new ascent, though probably only an easy one, so I -refused to go till my friend was better, and asked the guides to -suggest something else. The weather was lovely and our food ready, and -it seemed a pity to waste either. - -Wieland could not think of a suitable climb, so I turned to Roman, who -had only arrived at Pontresina two days before, and asked him his -ideas. - -He very sensibly inquired: "What peaks have you not done yet here, -ma'am?" - -"All but the Scerscen." - -"Then we go for the--whatever you call it." - -"Oh, but Roman," I exclaimed, "the Scerscen is very difficult, and -there is 3 feet of fresh snow on the mountains, and it is out of the -question!" - -"I don't believe any of these mountains are difficult," said Roman -doggedly, with that contempt for all Engadine climbing shown by guides -from the other side of Switzerland. - -"Ask Wieland," I suggested. - -Wieland smiled at the question, and said he did not at all mind going -to look at the Scerscen, but, as to ascending it under the present -conditions, of course it was absurd. - -"Besides," he added, "we are much too late to go to the Marinelli Hut -to-day." - -"Why not do it from the Mortel Hut?" I remarked, on the "in for a -penny in for a pound" principle. - -He smiled again; indeed, I think he laughed, and agreed that, as -anyhow we could not go up the Scerscen, we might as well sleep at the -Mortel Hut as anywhere else. - -"Have you ever been up it?" Roman inquired. - -Wieland answered that he had not. Roman turned to me: "Can you find -the mountain? Should you know it if you saw it? Don't let us go up the -wrong one, ma'am!" - -I promised to lead them to the foot of the peak, and Roman repeated -his conviction that all Engadine mountains were perfectly easy, and -that we should find ourselves on the top of the Scerscen next morning. -However, he made no objection to taking an extra rope of 100 feet, -and, telling one friend our plan in strictest confidence, we climbed -into the carriage. - -We duly arrived at the Mortel Hut and were early in bed, as Roman -wished us to set out at an early hour, or a late one, if I may thus -allude to 11 P.M. He was still firmly convinced that to the top of the -Scerscen we should go, and wanted every moment in hand, in spite of -his recent criticisms of Engadine mountains. There was a very useful -moon, and by its light we promised Roman to take him to the foot of -the peak, where its rocky sides rise abruptly from the Scerscen -Glacier. - -I must here explain that there are several ways up the Scerscen. I -wished to ascend by the rocks on the south side, which, though harder, -were safer than the other routes. As for the descent (if we got up!) -we intended coming down the way we had ascended, little knowing not -only that no one had been down by this route, but also that a party -had attempted to get down it and had been driven back. As for finding -our way up, some notes in the _Alpine Journal_ were our only guide. -The mountain had been previously ascended but a few times altogether, -and only, I think, once or twice by the south face. No lady had up -till then tried it. - -We were off punctually at 11 P.M., and by the brilliant light of the -moon made good time over the glacier and up the snow slopes leading to -the Sella Pass. This we reached in three hours, without a pause, from -the hut, and, making no halt there, immediately plunged into the -softer snow on the Italian side, and began to skirt the precipices on -our left. Even in midsummer, it was still dark at this early hour, -and the moon had already set. A great rocky peak rose near us, and -Wieland gave it as his opinion that it was the Scerscen. I differed -from him, believing our mountain to be some distance farther, so it -was mutually agreed that we should halt for food, after which we -should have more light to enable us to determine our position. - -Gradually the warmth of dawn crept over the sky, and soon the -beautiful spectacle of an Alpine sunrise was before us, with the -wonderful "flush of adoration" on the mountain heads. There was no -doubt now where we were; our peak was some way beyond, and the only -question was, how to go up it? I repeated to Roman the information I -had gleaned from the Journal, and he thanked me, doubtless having his -own ideas, which he intended alone to be guided by. Luckily, as we -advanced the mountain became visible from base to summit, so that -Roman could trace out his way up it as upon a map. We walked up the -glacier to the foot of the mighty wall, and soon began to go up it, -advancing for some time with fair rapidity, in spite of the fresh -snow. After, perhaps, a couple of hours or so, we came to our first -real difficulty. This was a tall, red cliff, with a cleft up part of -it, and, as there was an evil-looking and nearly perpendicular gully -of ice to the right and overhanging rocks to the left, we had either -to go straight up or abandon the expedition. The cleft was large and -was garnished with a sturdy icicle, or column of ice, some 5 feet or -more in diameter. Bidding me wedge myself into a firm place, Roman -began to cut footholds up the icicle, and then, when after a few steps -the cleft or chimney ended, he turned to his right and wormed himself -along the very face of the cliff, holding on by the merest -irregularities, which can hardly be termed ledges. After a couple of -yards he struck straight up, and wriggling somehow on the surface, -rendered horribly slippery by the snow, he at last, after what seemed -an age, called on Wieland to follow. What was a _tour de force_ for -the first man was comparatively easy for the second, and soon my turn -came to try my hand--or rather my feet and knees and any other -adhesive portion of my person--on the business. The first part was the -worst, for, as the rope came from the side and not above till the -traverse was made, I had no help. Eventually I, too, emerged on to the -wall, and saw right over me the rope passing through a gap, behind -which, excellently placed, were the guides. I helped myself to the -utmost of my capacity, but a pull was not unwelcome towards the end, -when, exhausted and breathless, I could struggle no more. As I joined -the guides they moved to give me space on the ledge, and we spent a -well-earned quarter of an hour in rest and refreshment. The worst was -now over, but owing to the snow, which covered much of the rock to a -depth of about 2 or 3 feet, the remainder of the way was distinctly -difficult, and as the mountain was totally unknown to us we never -could tell what troubles might be in store. However, having left the -foot of the actual peak at 5.40 A.M., we arrived on the top at 10.40 -A.M., and as we lifted our heads above the final rocks, hardly daring -to believe that we really were on the summit, a distant cheer was -borne to our ears from Piz Bernina, and we knew that our arrival had -been observed by another party. - -So formidable did we consider the descent that we only allowed -ourselves ten minutes on the top, and then we prepared to go. Could we -cross the ridge to Piz Bernina and so avoid the chimney? It had a -great reputation, and we feared to embark on the unknown. So at 10.50 -A.M. we began the descent, moving one at a time with the utmost -caution. Before long the difficulties increased as we reached the -steeper part of the mountain. The rocks now streamed with water from -the rapidly melting snow, under the rays of an August sun. As I held -on, streams ran in at my wristbands, and soon I was soaked through. -But the work demanded such close attention that a mere matter of -discomfort was nothing. Presently we had to uncoil our spare 100 feet -of rope, and now our progress grew slower and slower. After some hours -we came to the chimney. No suitable rock could be found to attach the -rope to, so Roman sat down and thought the matter out. The difficulty -was to get the last man down; for the two first, held from above, the -descent was easy. Roman soon hit upon an ingenious idea. Wieland and I -were to go down to the bottom of the cleft. Wieland was to unrope me -and, leaving me, was to cut steps _across_ the ice-slope to our left -till leverage was obtainable for the rope across the boss of rock -where Roman stood, and where it would remain in position so long as it -was kept taut, with Roman at one end and Wieland slowly paying out -from below. The manoeuvre succeeded, and after about two hours' work -Wieland had hewn a large platform in the ice and prepared to gradually -let out the rope as Roman came down. He descended in grand form, -puffing at his pipe and declared the difficulty grossly over-rated, -though he did not despise the precaution. At 2.30 A.M. we re-entered -the Mortel Hut, somewhat tired, but much pleased with the success of -our expedition. - -Our second ascent of Piz Scerscen is soon told. - -Four days later Roman casually remarked to me: "It is a pity, ma'am, -we have not crossed the Scerscen to the Bernina." - -"It is," I replied. "Let us start at once and do it." - -Wieland was consulted, and was only too delighted to go anywhere under -Roman's leadership. Our times will give an idea of the changed state -of the mountain, for, leaving the Mortel Hut at 12.30 midnight, we -were on the top of the Scerscen at 8 A.M. At nine we set off, and -taking things leisurely, with halts for food, we passed along the -famous arête, and, thanks to Roman's choice of route, met with not one -really hard step. At 2.30 P.M. we found ourselves on the top of Piz -Bernina, and had a chat with another party, who had arrived not long -before. I waited to see them start, and rejoiced that I had kept two -plates. Then we, too, set forth, and were in the valley by 7 P.M. - - -THE FIRST ASCENT OF MONT BLANC BY A WOMAN, AND SOME SUBSEQUENT ASCENTS - -The first woman who reached the summit of Mont Blanc was a native of -Chamonix, Maria Paradis by name. Her account of her expedition is so -admirably graphic and picturesque that I shall give a translation of -it as like the original as I can. Though it was so far back as the -year 1809, Maria writes quite in the spirit of modern journalism. - -She begins:--"I was only a poor servant. One day the guides said to -me, 'We are going up there, come with us. Travellers will come and see -you afterwards and give you presents.' That decided me, and I set out -with them. When I reached the Grand Plateau I could not walk any -longer. I felt very ill, and I lay down on the snow. I panted like a -chicken in the heat. They held me up by my arms on each side and -dragged me along. But at the Rochers-Rouge I could get no further, and -I said to them 'Chuck me into a crevasse and go on yourselves.' - -"'You must go to the top,' answered the guides. They seized hold of -me, they dragged me, they pushed me, they carried me, and at last we -arrived. Once at the summit, I could see nothing clearly, I could not -breathe, I could not speak." - -Maria was thirty years of age, and made quite a fortune out of her -achievement. From that time, tourists returning from Mont Blanc -noticed with surprise, as they passed through the pine woods, a feast -spread out under the shade of a huge tree. Cream, fruit, etc., were -tastefully displayed on the white cloth. A neat-looking peasant woman -urged them to partake. "It is Maria of Mont Blanc!" the guides would -cry, and the travellers halted to hear the story of her ascent and to -refresh themselves. - -The second woman, and the first lady to climb Mont Blanc, was a -Frenchwoman, Mademoiselle d'Angeville. For years she had determined to -make the attempt, but it was only in 1838, when she was 44 years of -age, that she came to Chamonix with the intention of immediately -setting out for the great mountain. She had many difficulties to -surmount. The guides feared the responsibility of taking up a woman, -many of the Chamonix people thought her mad, and while one was ready -to offer a thousand francs to five that she would not reach the top, -another was prepared to accept heavy odds that there would be a -catastrophe. At last, however, all was ready, and she started. Two -other parties offered to join her. She declined with thanks. After -half an hour on the glacier she detached herself from the rope and -would accept no help. This was far from being out of sheer bravado, it -was simply that she desired to inspire confidence in her powers. -During the night on the rocks of the Grands Mulets she suffered -terribly from cold and could not snatch a moment's sleep. When the -party stopped for breakfast at the Grand Plateau, she could eat -nothing. At the Corridor, feverishness, and fearful thirst overcame -her; she fell to the ground from weakness and drowsiness. After a -little rest, however, she was able to go on, but at the Mur de la Cote -she felt desperately ill. Violent palpitation seized on her and her -limbs felt like lead. With a tremendous effort she moved on. The -beatings of her heart became more suffocating, her pulse was too rapid -to count, she could not take more than ten steps without stopping. One -thing only remained strong in her--the _will_. During these frequent -halts she heard the murmuring of talk between the guides, as in a -dream. "We shall fail! Look at her, she has fallen asleep! Shall we -try and carry her?" while Couttet cried, "If ever I find myself again -with a lady on Mont Blanc!" At these words Mademoiselle d'Angeville, -with a desperate effort, shook off her torpor and stood up. She clung -with desperate energy to the one idea: "If I die," she said to the -guides, "promise to carry me up there and bury me on the top!" And the -men, stupified with such persistence, answered gravely, "Make your -mind easy, mademoiselle, you shall go there, dead or alive!" - - [Illustration: HARD WORK.] - - [Illustration: MRS AUBREY LE BLOND SETS OUT IN A LONG SKIRT (page - 87).] - -As she approached the top she felt better, and was able to advance -without support, and when she stepped on to the summit, and knew that -her great wish was at last accomplished, all sensation of illness -vanished as if by enchantment. - -"And now, mademoiselle, you shall go higher than Mont Blanc!" -exclaimed the guides, and joining hands they lifted her above their -shoulders. - -One more ascent by a lady deserves mention here, that of Miss -Stratton, on 31st January 1876. She was the first person to reach the -summit of Mont Blanc in mid-winter. - -It is difficult to understand why these early climbers of Mont Blanc, -men as well as women, suffered so terribly from mountain sickness, a -disease one rarely hears of nowadays in the Alps. The question is too -vexed a one for me to discuss it here, but I may say that want of -training and unsuitable food bring it on in most cases. "The -stagnation of the air in valleys above the snow-line," was believed to -produce it, and I cannot help thinking that this does have some -effect. The first time I went up Mont Blanc I did not feel well on the -Grand Plateau, but was all right when I reached the breezy ridge of -the Bosses. The second time, ascending by the route on the Italian -side of the peak, where there are no snowy valleys, I did not suffer -at all. The third time I felt uncomfortable on the slope leading to -the Corridor, but quite myself again above. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -THE ASCENT OF A WALL OF ICE - - -Of all the writers on Alpine matters none has a more charming style, -or has described his adventures in a more modest manner, than Sir -Leslie Stephen. Perhaps the most delightful passages in his -_Playground of Europe_ are those in which he tells how, in company -with the Messrs Mathews, he managed to get up the great wall of ice -between the Mönch and the Eiger, known as the Eigerjoch. The Messrs -Mathews had with them two Chamonix guides, while Mr Leslie Stephen had -engaged the gigantic Oberlander Ulrich Lauener. In those days there -was often keen rivalry--and something more--between French and -German-speaking guides, and Lauener was apt to be rather an autocrat -on the mountains. "As, however, he could not speak a word of French, -nor they of German, he was obliged to convey his 'sentiments' in -pantomime, which, perhaps, did not soften 'their vigour.' I was -accordingly prepared for a few disputes next day. - -"About four on the morning of 7th August we got off from the inn on -the Wengern Alp, notwithstanding a few delays, and steered straight -for the foot of the Eiger. In the early morning the rocks around the -glacier and the lateral moraines were hard and slippery. Before long, -however, we found ourselves well on the ice, near the central axis of -the Eiger Glacier, and looking up at the great terrace-shaped -ice-masses, separated by deep crevasses, which rose threateningly over -our heads, one above another, like the defences of some vast -fortification. And here began the first little dispute between -Oberland and Chamouni. The Chamouni men proposed a direct assault on -the network of crevasses above us. Lauener said that we ought to turn -them by crossing to the south-west side, immediately below the Mönch. -My friends and their guides forming a majority, and seeming to have -little respect for the arguments urged by the minority, we gave in and -followed them, with many muttered remarks from Lauener. We soon found -ourselves performing a series of manoeuvres like those required for -the ascent of the Col du Géant. At times we were lying flat in little -gutters on the faces of the _séracs_, worming ourselves along like -boa-constrictors. At the next moment we were balancing ourselves on a -knife-edge of ice between two crevasses, or plunging into the very -bowels of the glacier, with a natural arch of ice meeting above our -heads. I need not attempt to describe difficulties and dangers -familiar to all ice-travellers. Like other such difficulties, they -were exciting, and even rather amusing for a time, but, unfortunately, -they seemed inclined to last rather too long. Some of the deep -crevasses apparently stretched almost from side to side of the -glacier, rending its whole mass into distorted fragments. In -attempting to find a way through them, we seemed to be going nearly as -far backwards as forwards, and the labyrinth in which we were involved -was as hopelessly intricate after a long struggle as it had been at -first. Moreover, the sun had long touched the higher snow-fields, and -was creeping down to us step by step. As soon as it reached the huge -masses amongst which we were painfully toiling, some of them would -begin to jump about like hailstones in a shower, and our position -would become really dangerous. The Chamouni guides, in fact, declared -it to be dangerous already, and warned us not to speak, for fear of -bringing some of the nicely-poised ice-masses down on our heads. On my -translating this well-meant piece of advice to Lauener, he -immediately selected the most dangerous looking pinnacle in sight, and -mounting to the top of it sent forth a series of screams, loud enough, -I should have thought, to bring down the top of the Mönch. They -failed, however, to dislodge any _séracs_, and Lauener, going to the -front, called to us to follow him. By this time we were all glad to -follow any one who was confident enough to lead. Turning to our right, -we crossed the glacier in a direction parallel to the deep crevasses, -and therefore unobstructed by any serious obstacles, till we found -ourselves immediately beneath the great cliffs of the Mönch. Our -prospects changed at once. A great fold in the glacier produces a kind -of diagonal pathway, stretching upwards from the point where we stood -towards the rocks of the Eiger--not that it was exactly a -carriage-road--but along the line which divides two different systems -of crevasse, the glacier seemed to have been crushed into smaller -fragments, producing, as it were, a kind of incipient macadamisation. -The masses, instead of being divided by long regular trenches, were -crumbled and jammed together so as to form a road, easy and pleasant -enough by comparison with our former difficulties. Pressing rapidly up -this rough path, we soon found ourselves in the very heart of the -glacier, with a broken wilderness of ice on every side. We were in -one of the grandest positions I have ever seen for observing the -wonders of the ice-world; but those wonders were not all of an -encouraging nature. For, looking up to the snow-fields now close above -us, an obstacle appeared which made us think that all our previous -labours had been in vain. From side to side of the glacier a vast -_chevaux de frise_ of blue ice-pinnacles struck up through the white -layers of _névé_ formed by the first plunge of the glacier down its -waterfall of ice. Some of them rose in fantastic shapes--huge blocks -balanced on narrow footstalks, and only waiting for the first touch of -the sun to fall in ruins down the slope below. Others rose like church -spires, or like square towers, defended by trenches of unfathomable -depths. Once beyond this barrier we should be safe upon the highest -plateau of the glacier at the foot of the last snow-slope. But it was -obviously necessary to turn them by some judicious strategical -movement. One plan was to climb the lower rocks of the Eiger; but, -after a moment's hesitation, we fortunately followed Lauener towards -the other side of the glacier, where a small gap between the _séracs_ -and the lower slopes of the Mönch seemed to be the entrance to a -ravine that might lead us upwards. Such it turned out to be. Instead -of the rough footing in which we had hitherto been unwillingly -restricted, we found ourselves ascending a narrow gorge, with the -giant cliffs of the Mönch on our right, and the toppling ice-pinnacles -on our left. A beautifully even surface of snow, scarcely marked by a -single crevasse, lay beneath our feet. We pressed rapidly up this -strange little pathway, as it wound steeply upwards between the rocks -and the ice, expecting at every moment to see it thin out, or break -off at some impassable crevasse. It was, I presume, formed by the -sliding of avalanches from the slopes of the Mönch. At any rate, to -our delight, it led us gradually round the barrier of _séracs_, till -in a few minutes we found ourselves on the highest plateau of the -glacier, the crevasses fairly beaten, and a level plain of snow -stretching from our feet to the last snow-slope. - -"We were now standing on the edge of a small level plateau. One, and -only one, gigantic crevasse of really surpassing beauty stretched -right across it. This was, we guessed, some 300 feet deep, and its -sides passed gradually into the lovely blues and greens of -semi-transparent ice, whilst long rows and clusters of huge icicles -imitated (as Lauener remarked) the carvings and ecclesiastical -furniture of some great cathedral. - -"To reach our pass, we had the choice either of at once attacking the -long steep slopes which led directly to the shoulder of the Mönch, or -of first climbing the gentle slope near the Eiger, and then forcing -our way along the backbone of the ridge. We resolved to try the last -plan first. - -"Accordingly, after a hasty breakfast at 9.30, we started across our -little snow-plain and commenced the ascent. After a short climb of no -great difficulty, merely pausing to chip a few steps out of the hard -crust of snow, we successively stepped safely on to the top of the -ridge. As each of my predecessors did so, I observed that he first -looked along the arête, then down the cliffs before him, and then -turned with a very blank expression of face to his neighbour. From our -feet the bare cliffs sank down, covered with loose rocks, but too -steep to hold more than patches of snow, and presenting right -dangerous climbing for many hundred feet towards the Grindelwald -glaciers. The arête offered a prospect not much better: a long ridge -of snow, sharp as the blade of a knife, was playfully alternated with -great rocky teeth, striking up through their icy covering, like the -edge of a saw. We held a council standing, and considered the -following propositions:--First, Lauener coolly proposed, and nobody -seconded, a descent of the precipices towards Grindelwald. This -proposition produced a subdued shudder from the travellers and a -volley of unreportable language from the Chamouni guides. It was -liable, amongst other things, to the trifling objection that it would -take us just the way we did not want to go. The Chamouni men now -proposed that we should follow the arête. This was disposed of by -Lauener's objection that it would take at least six hours. We should -have had to cut steps down the slope and up again round each of the -rocky teeth I have mentioned; and I believe that this calculation of -time was very probably correct. Finally, we unanimously resolved upon -the only course open to us--to descend once more into our little -valley, and thence to cut our way straight up the long slopes to the -shoulder of the Mönch. - -"Considerably disappointed at this unexpected check, we retired to the -foot of the slopes, feeling that we had no time to lose, but still -hoping that a couple of hours more might see us at the top of the -pass. It was just eleven as we crossed a small bergschrund and began -the ascent. Lauener led the way to cut the steps, followed by the two -other guides, who deepened and polished them up. Just as we started, I -remarked a kind of bright tract drawn down the ice in front of us, -apparently by the frozen remains of some small rivulet which had been -trickling down it. I guessed it would take some fifty steps and -half-an-hour's work to reach it. We cut about fifty steps, however, in -the first half-hour, and were not a quarter of the way to my mark; and -as even when there we should not be half-way to the top, matters began -to look serious. The ice was very hard, and it was necessary, as -Lauener observed, to cut steps in it as big as soup-tureens, for the -result of a slip would in all probability have been that the rest of -our lives would have been spent in sliding down a snow-slope, and that -that employment would not have lasted long enough to become at all -monotonous. Time slipped by, and I gradually became weary of a sound -to which at first I always listened with pleasure--the chipping of the -axe, and the hiss of the fragments as they skip down the long incline -below us. Moreover, the sun was very hot, and reflected with -oppressive power from the bright and polished surface of the ice. I -could see that a certain flask was circulating with great steadiness -amongst the guides, and the work of cutting the steps seemed to be -extremely severe. I was counting the 250th step, when we at last -reached the little line I had been so long watching, and it even then -required a glance back at the long line of steps behind to convince -me that we had in fact made any progress. The action of resting one's -whole weight on one leg for about a minute, and then slowly -transferring it to the other, becomes wearisome when protracted for -hours. Still the excitement and interest made the time pass quickly. I -was in constant suspense lest Lauener should pronounce for a retreat, -which would have been not merely humiliating, but not improbably -dangerous, amidst the crumbling _séracs_ in the afternoon sun. I -listened with some amusement to the low moanings of little Charlet, -who was apparently bewailing his position to Croz, and being heartless -chaffed in return. One or two measurements with a clinometer of -Mathews' gave inclinations of 51° or 52°, and the slope was perhaps -occasionally a little more. - - [Illustration: A VERY STEEP ICE SLOPE.] - - [Illustration: HARD SNOW IN THE EARLY MORNING ON THE TOP OF A GLACIER - PASS NEARLY 12,000 FEET ABOVE SEA.] - -"At last, as I was counting the 580th step, we reached a little patch -of rock, and felt ourselves once more on solid ground, with no small -satisfaction. Not that the ground was specially solid. It was a small -crumbling patch of rock, and every stone we dislodged went bounding -rapidly down the side of the slope, diminishing in apparent size till -it disappeared in the bergschrund, hundreds of feet below. However, -each of us managed to find some nook in which he could stow himself -away, whilst the Chamouni men took their turn in front, and cut steps -straight upwards to the top of the slope. By this means they kept -along a kind of rocky rib, of which our patch was the lowest point, -and we thus could occasionally get a footstep on rock instead of ice. -Once on the top of the slope, we could see no obstacle intervening -between us and the point over which our pass must lie. - -"Meanwhile we meditated on our position. It was already four o'clock. -After twelve hours' unceasing labour, we were still a long way on the -wrong side of the pass. We were clinging to a ledge in the mighty -snow-wall which sank sheer down below us and rose steeply above our -heads. Beneath our feet the whole plain of Switzerland lay with a -faint purple haze drawn over it like a veil, a few green sparkles just -pointing out the Lake of Thun. Nearer, and apparently almost -immediately below us, lay the Wengern Alp, and the little inn we had -left twelve hours before, whilst we could just see the back of the -labyrinth of crevasses where we had wandered so long. Through a -telescope I could even distinguish people standing about the inn, who -no doubt were contemplating our motions. As we rested, the Chamouni -guides had cut a staircase up the slope, and we prepared to follow. It -was harder work than before, for the whole slope was now covered with -a kind of granular snow, and resembled a huge pile of hailstones. The -hailstones poured into every footstep as it was cut, and had to be -cleared out with hands and feet before we could get even a slippery -foothold. As we crept cautiously up this treacherous staircase, I -could not help reflecting on the lively bounds with which the stones -and fragments of ice had gone spinning from our last halting place -down to the yawning bergschrund below. We succeeded, however, in -avoiding their example, and a staircase of about one hundred steps -brought us to the top of the ridge, but at a point still at some -distance from the pass. It was necessary to turn along the arête -towards the Mönch. We were preparing to do this by keeping on the -snow-ridge, when Lauener, jumping down about 6 feet on the side -opposite to that by which we had ascended, lighted upon a little ledge -of rock, and called to us to follow. He assured us that it was -granite, and that therefore there was no danger of slipping. It was -caused by the sun having melted the snow on the southern side of the -ridge, so that it no longer quite covered the inclined plane of rock -upon which it rested. It was narrow and treacherous enough in -appearance at first; soon, however, it grew broader, and, compared -with our ice-climb, afforded capital footing. The precipice beneath us -thinned out as the Viescher Glacier rose towards our pass, and at last -we found ourselves at the edge of a little mound of snow, through -which a few plunging steps brought us, just at six o'clock, to the -long-desired shoulder of the Mönch. - -"I cannot describe the pleasure with which we stepped at last on to -the little saddle of snow, and felt that we had won the victory." - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -THE AIGUILLE DU DRU - - -Few mountains have been the object of such repeated attempts by -experienced climbers to reach their summits, as was the rocky pinnacle -of the Aiguille du Dru, at Chamonix. While the name of Whymper will -always be associated with the Matterhorn, so will that of Clinton Dent -be with the Aiguille du Dru, and the accounts given by him in his -delightful little work, _Above the Snow Line_, of his sixteen -unavailing scrambles on the peak, followed by the stirring description -of how at last he got up it, are amongst the romances of -mountaineering. - -I have space for only a few extracts describing Mr Dent's early -attempts, which even the non-climber would find very entertaining to -read about in the work from which I quote. The Chamonix people, -annoyed that foreign guides should monopolise the peak, threw cold -water on the idea of ascending it, and were ready, if they got a -chance, to deny that it had been ascended. An honourable exception to -the attitude adopted by these gentry, was, however, furnished by that -splendid guide, Edouard Cupelin, who always asserted that the peak was -climbable, and into whose big mind no trace of jealousy was ever known -to enter. - -Very witty are some of the accounts of Mr Dent's earlier starts for -the Aiguille du Dru. On one occasion, starting in the small hours of -the morning from Chamonix, he reached the Montanvert at 3.30 A.M. "The -landlord at once appeared in full costume," he writes; "indeed I -observed that during the summer it was impossible to tell from his -attire whether he had risen immediately from bed or no. Our friend had -cultivated to great perfection the art of half sleeping during his -waking hours--that is, during such time as he might be called upon to -provide entertainment for man and beast. Now, at the Montanvert, -during the tourists' season, this period extended over the whole -twenty-four hours. It was necessary, therefore, in order that he might -enjoy a proper physiological period of rest, for him to remain in a -dozing state--a sort of æstival hybernation--for the whole time, which -in fact he did; or else he was by nature a very dull person, and had -actually a very restricted stock of ideas. - -"The sight of a tourist with an ice-axe led by a kind of reflex -process to the landlord's unburdening his mind with his usual remarks. -Like other natives of the valley he had but two ideas of -'extraordinary' expeditions. 'Monsieur is going to the Jardin?' he -remarked. 'No, monsieur isn't.' 'Then, beyond a doubt, monsieur will -cross the Col du Géant?' he said, playing his trump card. 'No, -monsieur will not.' 'Pardon--where does monsieur expect to go?' 'On -the present occasion we go to try the Aiguille du Dru.' The landlord -smiled in an aggravating manner. 'Does monsieur think he will get up?' -'Time will show.' 'Ah!' The landlord, who had a chronic cold in the -head, searched for his pocket-handkerchief, but not finding it, -modified the necessary sniff into one of derision." On this day the -party did not get up, nor did they gain the summit a little later when -they made another attempt. They then had with them a porter who gave -occasion for an excellent bit of character-sketching. "He was," says -Mr Dent, "as silent as an oyster, though a strong and skilful climber, -and like an oyster when its youth is passed, he was continually on the -gape." They mounted higher and higher, and began at last to think that -success awaited them. "Old Franz chattered away to himself, as was his -wont when matters went well, and on looking back on one occasion I -perceived the strange phenomenon of a smile illuminating the porter's -features. However, this worthy spoke no words of satisfaction, but -pulled ever at his empty pipe. - -"By dint of wriggling over a smooth sloping stone slab, we had got -into a steep rock gully which promised to lead us to a good height. -Burgener, assisted by much pushing and prodding from below, and aided -on his own part by much snorting and some strong language, had managed -to climb on to a great overhanging boulder that cut off the view from -the rest of the party below. As he disappeared from sight we watched -the paying out of the rope with as much anxiety as a fisherman eyes -his vanishing line when the salmon runs. Presently the rope ceased to -move, and we waited for a few moments in suspense. We felt that the -critical moment of the expedition had arrived, and the fact that our -own view was exceedingly limited, made us all the more anxious to hear -the verdict. 'How does it look?' we called out. The answer came back -in _patois_, a bad sign in such emergencies. For a minute or two an -animated conversation was kept up; then we decided to take another -opinion, and accordingly hoisted up our second guides. The chatter was -redoubled. 'What does it look like?' we shouted again. 'Not -possible from where we are,' was the melancholy answer, and in a tone -that crushed at once all our previous elation. I could not find words -at the moment to express my disappointment; but the porter could, and -gallantly he came to the rescue. He opened his mouth for the first -time and spoke, and he said very loud indeed that it was 'verdammt.' -Precisely: that is just what it was." - - [Illustration: ON A VERY STEEP, SMOOTH SLAB OF ROCK.] - - [Illustration: NEGOTIATING STEEP PASSAGES OF ROCK.] - -It was not till 1878 that Mr Dent was able to return to Chamonix. He -had now one fixed determination with regard to the Dru:--either he -would get to the top or prove that the ascent was impossible. - -His first few attempts that season were frustrated by bad weather, and -so persistently did the rain continue to fall that for a couple of -weeks no high ascents could be thought of. During this time, Mr Maund, -who had been with Mr Dent on many of his attempts, was obliged to -return to England. - -"On a mountain such as we knew the Aiguille du Dru to be, it would not -have been wise to make any attempt with a party of more than four. No -doubt three--that is, an amateur with two guides--would have been -better still, but I had, during the enforced inaction through which we -had been passing, become so convinced of ultimate success, that I was -anxious to find a companion to share it. Fortunately, J. Walker -Hartley, a highly skilful and practised mountaineer, was at Chamouni, -and it required but little persuasion to induce him to join our party. -Seizing an opportunity one August day, when the rain had stopped for a -short while, we decided to try once more, or, at any rate, to see what -effects the climatic phases through which we had been passing had -produced on the Aiguille. With Alexander Burgener and Andreas Maurer -still as guides, we ascended once again the slopes by the side of the -Charpoua Glacier, and succeeded in discovering a still more eligible -site for a bivouac than on our previous attempts. A little before four -the next morning we extracted each other from our respective sleeping -bags, and made our way rapidly up the glacier. The snow still lay -thick everywhere on the rocks, which were fearfully cold, and glazed -with thin layers of slippery ice; but our purpose was very serious -that day, and we were not to be deterred by anything short of -unwarrantable risk. We intended the climb to be merely one of -exploration, but were resolved to make it as thorough as possible, and -with the best results. From the middle of the slope leading up to the -ridge the guides went on alone, while we stayed to inspect and work -out bit by bit the best routes over such parts of the mountain as lay -within view. In an hour or two Burgener and Maurer came back to us, -and the former invited me to go on with him back to the point from -which he had just descended. His invitation was couched in gloomy -terms, but there was a twinkle at the same time in his eye which it -was easy to interpret--_ce n'est que l'oeil qui rit_. We started -off, and climbed without the rope up the way which was now so -familiar, but which on this occasion, in consequence of the glazed -condition of the rocks, was as difficult as it could well be; but for -a growing conviction that the upper crags were not so bad as they -looked, we should scarcely have persevered. 'Wait a little,' said -Burgener, 'I will show you something presently.' We reached at last a -great knob of rock close below the ridge, and for a long time sat a -little distance apart silently staring at the precipices of the upper -peak. I asked Burgener what it might be that he had to show me. He -pointed to a little crack some way off, and begged that I would study -it, and then fell again to gazing at it very hard himself. Though we -scarcely knew it at the time this was the turning point of our year's -climbing. Up to that moment I had only felt doubts as to the -inaccessibility of the mountain. Now a certain feeling of confident -elation began to creep over me. The fact is, that we gradually worked -ourselves up into the right mental condition, and the aspect of a -mountain varies marvellously according to the beholder's frame of -mind. These same crags had been by each of us independently, at one -time or another, deliberately pronounced impossible. They were in no -better condition that day than usual, in fact, in much worse order -than we had often seen them before. Yet, notwithstanding that good -judges had ridiculed the idea of finding a way up the precipitous -wall, the prospect looked different that day as turn by turn we -screwed our determination up to the sticking point. Here and there we -could clearly trace short bits of practicable rock ledges along which -a man might walk, or over which at any rate he might transport -himself, while cracks and irregularities seemed to develop as we -looked. Gradually, uniting and communicating passages appeared to -form. Faster and faster did our thoughts travel, and at last we rose -and turned to each other. The same train of ideas had independently -been passing through our minds. Burgener's face flushed, his eyes -brightened, and he struck a great blow with his axe as we exclaimed -almost together, 'It must, and it shall be done!' - -"The rest of the day was devoted to bringing down the long ladder, -which had previously been deposited close below the summit of the -ridge, to a point much lower and nearer to the main peak. This ladder -had not hitherto been of the slightest assistance on the rocks, and -had, indeed, proved a source of constant anxiety and worry, for it was -ever prone to precipitate its lumbering form headlong down the slope. -We had, it is true, used it occasionally on the glacier to bridge over -the crevasses, and had saved some time thereby. Still, we were loth to -discard its aid altogether, and accordingly devoted much time and no -little exertion to hauling it about and fixing it in a place of -security. It was late in the evening before we had made all our -preparations for the next assault and turned to the descent, which -proved to be exceedingly difficult on this occasion. The snow had -become very soft during the day; the late hour and the melting above -caused the stones to fall so freely down the gully that we gave up -that line of descent and made our way over the face. Often, in -travelling down, we were buried up to the waist in soft snow overlying -rock slabs, of which we knew no more than that they were very smooth -and inclined at a highly inconvenient angle. It was imperative for one -only to move at a time, and the perpetual roping and unroping was -most wearisome. In one place it was necessary to pay out 150 feet of -rope between one position of comparative security and the one next -below it, till the individual who was thus lowered looked like a bait -at the end of a deep sea-line. One step and the snow would crunch up -in a wholesome manner and yield firm support. The next, and the leg -plunged in as far as it could reach, while the submerged climber -would, literally, struggle in vain to collect himself. Of course those -above, to whom the duty of paying out the rope was entrusted, would -seize the occasion to jerk as violently at the cord as a cabman does -at his horse's mouth when he has misguided the animal round a corner. -Now another step, and a layer of snow not more than a foot deep would -slide off with a gentle hiss, exposing bare, black ice beneath, or -treacherous loose stones. Nor were our difficulties at an end when we -reached the foot of the rocks, for the head of the glacier had fallen -away from the main mass of the mountain, even as an ill-constructed -bow-window occasionally dissociates itself from the façade of a -jerry-built villa, and some very complicated manoeuvring was -necessary in order to reach the snow slopes. It was not till late in -the evening that we reached Chamouni; but it would have mattered -nothing to us even had we been benighted, for we had seen all that we -had wanted to see, and I would have staked my existence now on the -possibility of ascending the peak. But the moment was not yet at hand, -and our fortress held out against surrender to the very last by -calling in its old allies, sou'-westerly winds and rainy weather. The -whirligig of time had not yet revolved so as to bring us in our -revenge. - - * * * * * - -"Perhaps the monotonous repetition of failures on the peak influences -my recollection of what took place subsequently to the expedition last -mentioned. Perhaps (as I sometimes think even now) an intense desire -to accomplish our ambition ripened into a realisation of actual -occurrences which really were only efforts of imagination. This much I -know, that when on 7th September we sat once more round a blazing wood -fire at the familiar bivouac gazing pensively at the crackling fuel, -it seemed hard to persuade one's self that so much had taken place -since our last attempt. Leaning back against the rock and closing the -eyes for a moment it seemed but a dream, whose reality could be -disproved by an effort of the will, that we had gone to Zermatt in a -storm and hurried back again in a drizzle on hearing that some other -climbers were intent on our peak; that we had left Chamouni in rain -and tried, for the seventeenth time, in a tempest; that matters had -seemed so utterly hopeless, seeing that the season was far advanced -and the days but short, as to induce me to return to England, leaving -minute directions that if the snow should chance to melt and the -weather to mend I might be summoned back at once; that after -eight-and-forty hours of sojourn in the fogs of my native land an -intimation had come by telegraph of glad tidings; that I had posted -off straightway by _grande vitesse_ back to Chamouni; that I had -arrived there at four in the morning." - -Once more the party mounted the now familiar slopes above their -bivouac, and somehow on this occasion they all felt that something -definite would come of the expedition, even if they did not on that -occasion actually reach the top. - -I give the remainder of the account in Mr Dent's own words: - -"Now, personal considerations had to a great extent to be lost sight -of in the desire to make the most of the day, and the result was that -Hartley must have had a very bad time of it. Unfortunately, perhaps -for him, he was by far the lightest member of the party; accordingly -we argued that he was far less likely to break the rickety old ladder -than we were. Again, as the lightest weight, he was most conveniently -lowered down first over awkward places when they occurred. - -"In the times which are spoken of as old, and which have also, for -some not very definable reason, the prefix good, if you wanted your -chimneys swept you did not employ an individual now dignified by the -title of a Ramoneur, but you adopted the simpler plan of calling in a -master sweep. This person would come attended by a satellite, who wore -the outward form of a boy and was gifted with certain special physical -attributes. Especially was it necessary that the boy should be of such -a size and shape as to fit nicely to the chimney, not so loosely on -the one hand as to have any difficulty in ascending by means of his -knees and elbows, nor so tightly on the other as to run any peril of -being wedged in. The boy was then inserted into the chimney and did -all the work, while the master remained below or sat expectant on the -roof to encourage, to preside over, and subsequently to profit by, his -apprentice's exertions. We adopted much the same principle. Hartley, -as the lightest, was cast for the _rôle_ of the _jeune premier_, or -boy, while Burgener and I on physical grounds alone filled the part, -however unworthily, of the master sweep. As a play not infrequently -owes its success to one actor so did our _jeune premier_, sometimes -very literally, pull us through on the present occasion. Gallantly -indeed did he fulfil his duty. Whether climbing up a ladder slightly -out of the perpendicular, leaning against nothing in particular and -with overhanging rocks above; whether let down by a rope tied round -his waist, so that he dangled like the sign of the 'Golden Fleece' -outside a haberdasher's shop, or hauled up smooth slabs of rock with -his raiment in an untidy heap around his neck; in each and all of -these exercises he was equally at home, and would be let down or would -come up smiling. One place gave us great difficulty. An excessively -steep wall of rock presented itself and seemed to bar the way to a -higher level. A narrow crack ran some little way up the face, but -above the rock was slightly overhanging, and the water trickling from -some higher point had led to the formation of a huge bunch of gigantic -icicles, which hung down from above. It was necessary to get past -these, but impossible to cut them away, as they would have fallen on -us below. Burgener climbed a little way up the face, planted his back -against it, and held on to the ladder in front of him, while I did the -same just below: by this means we kept the ladder almost -perpendicular, but feared to press the highest rung heavily against -the icicles above lest we should break them off. We now invited -Hartley to mount up. For the first few steps it was easy enough; but -the leverage was more and more against us as he climbed higher, seeing -that he could not touch the rock, and the strain on our arms below was -very severe. However, he got safely to the top and disappeared from -view. The performance was a brilliant one, but, fortunately, had not -to be repeated; as on a subsequent occasion, by a deviation of about -15 or 20 feet, we climbed to the same spot in a few minutes with -perfect ease and without using any ladder at all. On this occasion, -however, we must have spent fully an hour while Hartley performed his -feats, which were not unworthy of a Japanese acrobat. Every few feet -of the mountain at this part gave us difficulty, and it was curious to -notice how, on this the first occasion of travelling over the rock -face, we often selected the wrong route in points of detail. We -ascended from 20 to 25 feet, then surveyed right and left, up and -down, before going any further. The minutes slipped by fast, but I -have no doubt now that if we had had time we might have ascended to -the final arête on this occasion. We had often to retrace our steps, -and whenever we did so found some slightly different line by which -time could have been saved. Though the way was always difficult -nothing was impossible, and when the word at last was given, owing to -the failing light, to descend, we had every reason to be satisfied -with the result of the day's exploration. There seemed to be little -doubt that we had traversed the most difficult part of the mountain, -and, indeed, we found on a later occasion, with one or two notable -exceptions, that such was the case. - -"However, at the time we did not think that, even if it were possible, -it would be at all advisable to make our next attempt without a second -guide. A telegram had been sent to Kaspar Maurer, instructing him to -join us at the bivouac with all possible expedition. The excitement -was thus kept up to the very last, for we knew not whether the message -might have reached him, and the days of fine weather were precious. - -"It was late in the evening when we reached again the head of the -glacier, and the point where we had left the feeble creature who had -started with us as a second guide. On beholding us once more he wept -copiously, but whether his tears were those of gratitude for release -from the cramped position in which he had spent his entire day, or of -joy at seeing us safe again, or whether they were the natural overflow -of an imbecile intellect stirred by any emotion whatever, it were hard -to say; at any rate he wept, and then fell to a description of some -interesting details concerning the proper mode of bringing up infants, -and the duties of parents towards their children; the most important -of which, in his estimation, was that the father of a family should -run no risk whatever on a mountain. Reaching our bivouac, we looked -anxiously down over the glacier for any signs of Kaspar Maurer. Two or -three parties were seen crawling homewards towards the Montanvert over -the ice-fields, but no signs of our guide were visible. As the shades -of night, however, were falling, we were able indistinctly to see in -the far-off distance a little black dot skipping over the Mer de Glace -with great activity. Most eagerly did we watch the apparition, and -when finally it headed in our direction, and all doubt was removed as -to the personality, we felt that our constant ill-luck was at last on -the eve of changing. However, it was not till two days later that we -left Chamouni once more for the nineteenth, and, as it proved, for the -last time to try the peak. - -"On 11th September we sat on the rocks a few feet above the -camping-place. Never before had we been so confident of success. The -next day's climb was no longer to be one of exploration. We were to -start as early as the light would permit, and we were to go up and -always up, if necessary till the light should fail. Possibly we might -have succeeded long before if we had had the same amount of -determination to do so that we were possessed with on this occasion. -We had made up our minds to succeed, and felt as if all our previous -attempts had been but a sort of training for this special occasion. We -had gone so far as to instruct our friends below to look out for us on -the summit between twelve and two the next day. We had even gone to -the length of bringing a stick wherewith to make a flagstaff on the -top. Still one, and that a very familiar source of disquietude, -harassed us as our eyes turned anxiously to the west. A single huge -band of cloud hung heavily right across the sky, and looked like a -harbinger of evil, for it was of a livid colour above, and tinged -with a deep crimson red below. My companion was despondent at the -prospect it suggested, and the guides tapped their teeth with their -forefingers when they looked in that direction; but it was suggested -by a more sanguine person that its form and very watery look suggested -a Band of Hope. An insinuating smell of savoury soup was wafted up -gently from below-- - - 'Stealing and giving odour.' - -We took courage; then descended to the tent, and took sustenance. - -"There was no difficulty experienced in making an early start the next -day, and the moment the grey light allowed us to see our way we set -off. On such occasions, when the mind is strung up to a high pitch of -excitement, odd and trivial little details and incidents fix -themselves indelibly on the memory. I can recall as distinctly now, as -if it had only happened a moment ago, the exact tone of voice in which -Burgener, on looking out of the tent, announced that the weather would -do. Burgener and Kaspar Maurer were now our guides, for our old enemy -with the family ties had been paid off and sent away with a flea in -his ear--an almost unnecessary adjunct, as anyone who had slept in the -same tent with him could testify. Notwithstanding that Maurer was far -from well, and, rather weak, we mounted rapidly at first, for the way -was by this time familiar enough, and we all meant business. - -"Our position now was this. By our exploration on the last occasion we -had ascertained that it was possible to ascend to a great height on -the main mass of the mountain. From the slope of the rocks, and from -the shape of the mountain, we felt sure that the final crest would be -easy enough. We had then to find a way still up the face, from the -point where we had turned back on our last attempt, to some point on -the final ridge of the mountain. The rocks on this part we had never -been able to examine very closely, for it is necessary to cross well -over to the south-eastern face while ascending from the ridge between -the Aiguille du Dru and the Aiguille Verte. A great projecting -buttress of rock, some two or three hundred feet in height, cuts off -the view of that part of the mountain over which we now hoped to make -our way. By turning up straight behind this buttress, we hoped to hit -off and reach the final crest just above the point where it merges -into the precipitous north-eastern wall visible from the Chapeau. This -part of the mountain can only be seen from the very head of the -Glacier de la Charpoua just under the mass of the Aiguille Verte. But -this point of view is too far off for accurate observations, and the -strip of mountain was practically, therefore, a _terra incognita_ to -us. - -"We followed the gully running up from the head of the glacier towards -the ridge above mentioned, keeping well to the left. Before long it -was necessary to cross the gully on to the main peak. To make the -topography clearer a somewhat prosaic and domestic simile may be -employed. The Aiguille du Dru and the Aiguille Verte are connected by -a long sharp ridge, towards which we were now climbing; and this ridge -is let in, as it were, into the south-eastern side of the Aiguille du -Dru, much as a comb may be stuck into the middle of a hairbrush, the -latter article representing the main peak. Here we employed the ladder -which had been placed in the right position the day previously. Right -glad were we to see the rickety old structure, which had now spent -four years on the mountain, and was much the worse for it. It creaked -and groaned dismally under our weight, and ran sharp splinters into us -at all points of contact, but yet there was a certain companionship -about the old ladder, and we seemed almost to regret that it was not -destined to share more in our prospective success. A few steps on and -we came to a rough cleft some five-and-twenty feet in depth, which -had to be descended. A double rope was fastened to a projecting crag, -and we swung ourselves down as if we were barrels of split peas going -into a ship's hold; then to the ascent again, and the excitement waxed -stronger as we drew nearer to the doubtful part of the mountain. -Still, we did not anticipate insuperable obstacles; for I think we -were possessed with a determination to succeed, which is a sensation -often spoken of as a presentiment of success. A short climb up an easy -broken gully, and of a sudden we seemed to be brought to a stand -still. A little ledge at our feet curled round a projecting crag on -the left. 'What are we to do now?' said Burgener, but with a smile on -his face that left no doubt as to the answer. He lay flat down on the -ledge and wriggled round the projection, disappearing suddenly from -view, as if the rock had swallowed him up. A shout proclaimed that his -expectations had not been deceived, and we were bidden to follow; and -follow we did, sticking to the flat face of the rock with all our -power, and progressing like the skates down the glass sides of an -aquarium tank. When the last man joined us we found ourselves all -huddled together on a very little ledge indeed, while an overhanging -rock above compelled us to assume the anomalous attitude enforced on -the occupant of a little-ease dungeon. What next? An eager look up -solved part of the doubt. 'There is the way,' said Burgener, leaning -back to get a view. 'Oh, indeed,' we answered. No doubt there was a -way, and we were glad to hear that it was possible to get up it. The -attractions of the route consisted of a narrow flat gully plastered up -with ice, exceeding straight and steep, and crowned at the top with a -pendulous mass of enormous icicles. The gully resembled a half-open -book standing up on end. Enthusiasts in rock-climbing who have -ascended the Riffelhorn from the Gorner Glacier side will have met -with a similar gully, but, as a rule, free from ice, which, in the -present instance, constituted the chief difficulty. The ice, filling -up the receding angle from top to bottom, rendered it impossible to -find handhold on the rocks, and it was exceedingly difficult to cut -steps in such a place, for the slabs of ice were prone to break away -entire. However, the guides said they could get up, and asked us to -keep out of the way of chance fragments of ice which might fall down -as they ascended. So we tucked ourselves away on one side, and they -fell to as difficult a business as could well be imagined. The rope -was discarded, and slowly they worked up, their backs and elbows -against one sloping wall, their feet against the other. But the angle -was too wide to give security to this position, the more especially -that with shortened axes they were compelled to hack out enough of the -ice to reveal the rock below. In such places the ice is but loosely -adherent, being raised up from the face much as pie-crust dissociates -itself from the fruit beneath under the influence of the oven. Strike -lightly with the axe, and a hollow sound is yielded without much -impression on the ice; strike hard, and the whole mass breaks away. -But the latter method is the right one to adopt, though it -necessitates very hard work. No steps are really reliable when cut in -ice of this description. - -"The masses of ice, coming down harder and harder as they ascended -without intermission, showed how they were working, and the only -consolation we had during a time that we felt to be critical, was that -the guides were not likely to expend so much labour unless they -thought that some good result would come of it. Suddenly there came a -sharp shout and cry; then a crash as a great slab of ice, falling from -above, was dashed into pieces at our feet and leaped into the air; -then a brief pause, and we knew not what would happen next. Either the -gully had been ascended or the guides had been pounded, and failure -here might be failure altogether. It is true that Hartley and I had -urged the guides to find a way some little distance to the right of -the line on which they were now working; but they had reported that, -though easy below, the route we had pointed out was impossible -above.[10] A faint scratching noise close above us, as of a mouse -perambulating behind a wainscot. We look up. It is the end of a rope. -We seize it, and our pull from below is answered by a triumphant yell -from above as the line is drawn taut. Fastening the end around my -waist, I started forth. The gully was a scene of ruin, and I could -hardly have believed that two axes in so short a time could have dealt -so much destruction. Nowhere were the guides visible, and in another -moment there was a curious sense of solitariness as I battled with the -obstacles, aided in no small degree by the rope. The top of the gully -was blocked up by a great cube of rock, dripping still where the -icicles had just been broken off. The situation appeared to me to -demand deliberation, though it was not accorded. 'Come on,' said -voices from above. 'Up you go,' said a voice from below. I leaned as -far back as I could, and felt about for a handhold. There was none. -Everything seemed smooth. Then right, then left; still none. So I -smiled feebly to myself, and called out, 'Wait a minute.' This was, of -course, taken as an invitation to pull vigorously, and, struggling and -kicking like a spider irritated by tobacco smoke, I topped the rock, -and lent a hand on the rope for Hartley to follow. Then we learnt that -a great mass of ice had broken away under Maurer's feet while they -were in the gully, and that he must have fallen had not Burgener -pinned him to the rock with one hand. From the number of times that -this escape was described to us during that day and the next, I am -inclined to think that it was rather a near thing. At the time, and -often since, I have questioned myself as to whether we could have got -up this passage without the rope let down from above. I think either -of us could have done it in time with a companion. It was necessary -for two to be in the gully at the same time, to assist each other. It -was necessary, also, to discard the rope, which in such a place could -only be a source of danger. But no amateur should have tried the -passage on that occasion without confidence in his own powers, and -without absolute knowledge of the limit of his own powers. If the -gully had been free from ice it would have been much easier. - -"'The worst is over now,' said Burgener. I was glad to hear it, but -looking upwards, had my doubts. The higher we went the bigger the -rocks seemed to be. Still there was a way, and it was not so very -unlike what I had, times out of mind, pictured to myself in -imagination. Another tough scramble, and we stood on a comparatively -extensive ledge. With elation we observed that we had now climbed more -than half of the only part of the mountain of the nature of which we -were uncertain. A few steps on and Burgener grasped me suddenly by the -arm. 'Do you see the great red rock up yonder?' he whispered, hoarse -with excitement-- 'in ten minutes we shall be there and on the arête, -and then----' Nothing could stop us now; but a feverish anxiety to see -what lay beyond, to look on the final slope which we knew must be -easy, impelled us on, and we worked harder than ever to overcome the -last few obstacles. The ten minutes expanded into something like -thirty before we really reached the rock. Of a sudden the mountain -seemed to change its form. For hours we had been climbing the hard, -dry rocks. Now these appeared suddenly to vanish from under our feet, -and once again our eyes fell on snow which lay thick, half hiding, -half revealing, the final slope of the ridge. A glance along it showed -that we had not misjudged. Even the cautious Maurer admitted that, as -far as we could see, all appeared promising. And now, with the prize -almost within our grasp, a strange desire to halt and hang back came -on. Burgener tapped the rock with his axe, and we seemed somehow to -regret that the way in front of us must prove comparatively easy. Our -foe had almost yielded, and it appeared something like cruelty to -administer the final _coup de grâce_. We could already anticipate the -half-sad feeling with which we should reach the top itself. It needed -but little to make the feeling give way. Some one cried 'Forward,' and -instantly we were all in our places again, and the leader's axe -crashed through the layers of snow into the hard blue ice beneath. A -dozen steps, and then a short bit of rock scramble; then more steps -along the south side of the ridge, followed by more rock, and the -ridge beyond, which had been hidden for a minute or two, stretched out -before us again as we topped the first eminence. Better and better it -looked as we went on. 'See there,' cried Burgener suddenly, 'the -actual top!' - -"There was no possibility of mistaking the two huge stones we had so -often looked at from below. They seemed, in the excitement of the -moment, misty and blurred for a brief space, but grew clear again as -I passed my hand over my eyes, and seemed to swallow something. A few -feet below the pinnacles and on the left was one of those strange -arches formed by a great transverse boulder, so common near the -summits of these aiguilles, and through the hole we could see blue -sky. Nothing could lay beyond, and, still better, nothing could be -above. On again, while we could scarcely stand still in the great -steps the leader set his teeth to hack out. Then there came a short -troublesome bit of snow scramble, where the heaped-up cornice had -fallen back from the final rock. There we paused for a moment, for the -summit was but a few feet from us, and Hartley, who was ahead, -courteously allowed me to unrope and go on first. In a few seconds I -clutched at the last broken rocks, and hauled myself up on to the -sloping summit. There for a moment I stood alone gazing down on -Chamouni. The holiday dream of five years was accomplished; the -Aiguille du Dru was climbed. Where in the wide world will you find a -sport able to yield pleasure like this?" - -FOOTNOTE: - -[10] It has transpired since that our judgment happened to be right in -this matter, and we might probably have saved an hour or more at this -part of the ascent. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -THE MOST FAMOUS MOUNTAIN IN THE ALPS--THE CONQUEST OF THE MATTERHORN - - -The story of the Matterhorn must always be one of unique attraction. -Like a good play, it resumes and concentrates in itself the incidents -of a prolonged struggle--the conquest of the Alps. The strange -mountain stood forth as a Goliath in front of the Alpine host, and -when it found its conqueror there was a general feeling that the -subjugation of the High Alps by human effort was decided, a feeling -which has been amply justified by events. The contest itself was an -eventful one. It was marked by a race between eager rivals, and the -final victory was marred by the most terrible of Alpine accidents. - - [Illustration: MR AND MRS SEILER AND THREE OF THEIR DAUGHTERS. - ZERMATT, 1890.] - - [Illustration: GOING LEISURELY TO ZERMATT WITH A MULE FOR THE LUGGAGE - IN THE OLDEN DAYS.] - -"As a writer, Mr Whymper has proved himself equal to his subject. His -serious, emphatic style, his concentration on his object, take hold of -his readers and make them follow his campaigns with as much -interest as if some great stake depended on the result. No one can -fail to remark the contrast between the many unsuccessful attacks -which preceded the fall of the Matterhorn, and the frequency with -which it is now climbed by amateurs, some of whom it would be courtesy -to call indifferent climbers. The moral element has, of course, much -to do with this. But allowance must also be made for the fact that the -Breil ridge, which looks the easiest, is still the most difficult, and -in its unbechained state was far the most difficult. The terrible -appearance of the Zermatt and Zmutt ridges long deterred climbers, yet -both have now yielded to the first serious attack." - -These words, taken from a review of Mr Whymper's _Ascent of the -Matterhorn_, occur in vol. ix. on page 441 of _The Alpine Journal_. -They are as true now as on the day when they appeared, but could the -writer have known the future history of the great peak, and the -appalling vengeance it called down over and over again on "amateurs" -and the guides who, themselves unfit, tempted their ignorant charges -to go blindly to their deaths, one feels he would have stood aghast at -the contemplation of the tragedies to be enacted on the blood-stained -precipices of that hoary peak. - - -THE CONQUEST OF THE MATTERHORN - -When one remembers all the facilities for climbing which are found at -present in every Alpine centre, the experienced guides who may be had, -the comfortable huts which obviate the need for a bivouac out of -doors, the knowledge of the art of mountaineering which is available -if any desire to acquire it, one marvels more and more at the -undaunted persistence displayed by the pioneers of present-day -mountaineering in their struggle with the immense difficulties which -beset them on every side. - -When, in 1861, Mr Whymper made his first attempt on the Matterhorn, -the first problem he had to solve was that of obtaining a skilful -guide. Michael Croz of Chamonix believed the ascent to be impossible. -Bennen thought the same. Jean Antoine Carrel was dictatorial and -unreasonable in his demands, though convinced that the summit could be -gained. Peter Taugwalder asked 200 francs whether the top was reached -or not. "Almer asked, with more point than politeness, 'Why don't you -try to go up a mountain which _can_ be ascended?'" - -In 1862 Mr Whymper, who had three times during the previous summer -tried to get up the mountain, returned to Breuil on the Italian side, -and thence made five plucky attempts, sometimes with Carrel, and once -alone, to go to the highest point it was possible to reach. On the -occasion of his solitary climb, Mr Whymper had set out from Breuil to -see if his tent, left on a ledge of the mountain, was still, in spite -of recent storms, safely in its place. He found all in good order, and -tempted to linger by the lovely weather, time slipped away, and he at -last decided to sleep that night in the tent, which contained ample -provisions for several days. The next morning Mr Whymper could not -resist an attempt to explore the route towards the summit, and -eventually he managed to reach a considerable height, much above that -attained by any of his predecessors. Exulting in the hope of entire -success in the near future, he returned to the tent. "My exultation -was a little premature," he writes, and goes on to describe what -befell him on the way down. I give the thrilling account of his -adventure in his own words:-- - -"About 5 P.M. I left the tent again, and thought myself as good as at -Breuil. The friendly rope and claw had done good service, and had -smoothened all the difficulties. I lowered myself through the chimney, -however, by making a fixture of the rope, which I then cut off, and -left behind, as there was enough and to spare. My axe had proved a -great nuisance in coming down, and I left it in the tent. It was not -attached to the bâton, but was a separate affair--an old navy -boarding-axe. While cutting up the different snow-beds on the ascent, -the bâton trailed behind fastened to the rope; and, when climbing, the -axe was carried behind, run through the rope tied round my waist, and -was sufficiently out of the way; but in descending when coming down -face outwards (as is always best where it is possible), the head or -the handle of the weapon caught frequently against the rocks, and -several times nearly upset me. So, out of laziness if you will, it was -left in the tent. I paid dearly for the imprudence. - -"The Col du Lion was passed, and fifty yards more would have placed me -on the 'Great Staircase,' down which one can run. But, on arriving at -an angle of the cliffs of the Tête du Lion, while skirting the upper -edge of the snow which abuts against them, I found that the heat of -the two past days had nearly obliterated the steps which had been cut -when coming up. The rocks happened to be impracticable just at this -corner, and it was necessary to make the steps afresh. The snow was -too hard to beat or tread down, and at the angle it was all but ice; -half a dozen steps only were required, and then the ledges could be -followed again. So I held to the rock with my right hand, and prodded -at the snow with the point of my stick until a good step was made, and -then, leaning round the angle, did the same for the other side. So far -well, but in attempting to pass the corner (to the present moment I -cannot tell how it happened), I slipped and fell. - -"The slope was steep on which this took place, and was at the top of a -gully that led down through two subordinate buttresses towards the -Glacier du Lion--which was just seen a thousand feet below. The gully -narrowed and narrowed, until there was a mere thread of snow lying -between two walls of rock, which came to an abrupt termination at the -top of a precipice that intervened between it and the glacier. Imagine -a funnel cut in half through its length, placed at an angle of 45° -with its point below, and its concave side uppermost, and you will -have a fair idea of the place. - -"The knapsack brought my head down first, and I pitched into some -rocks about a dozen feet below; they caught something and tumbled me -off the edge, head over heels, into the gully; the bâton was dashed -from my hands, and I whirled downwards in a series of bounds, each -longer than the last; now over ice, now into rocks; striking my head -four or five times, each time with increased force. The last bound -sent me spinning through the air, in a leap of 50 or 60 feet, from one -side of the gully to the other, and I struck the rocks, luckily, with -the whole of my left side. They caught my clothes for a moment, and I -fell back on to the snow with motion arrested. My head, fortunately, -came the right side up, and a few frantic catches brought me to a halt -in the neck of the gully, and on the verge of the precipice. Bâton, -hat, and veil skimmed by and disappeared, and the crash of the -rocks--which I had started--as they fell on to the glacier, told how -narrow had been the escape from utter destruction. As it was, I fell -nearly 200 feet in seven or eight bounds. Ten feet more would have -taken me in one gigantic leap of 800 feet on to the glacier below. - -"The situation was sufficiently serious. The rocks could not be let go -for a moment, and the blood was spirting out of more than twenty cuts. -The most serious ones were in the head, and I vainly tried to close -them with one hand, whilst holding on with the other. It was useless; -the blood jerked out in blinding jets at each pulsation. At last, in a -moment of inspiration, I kicked out a big lump of snow, and stuck it -as a plaster on my head. The idea was a happy one, and the flow of -blood diminished. Then, scrambling up, I got, not a moment too soon, -to a place of safety, and fainted away. The sun was setting when -consciousness returned, and it was pitch dark before the Great -Staircase was descended; but, by a combination of luck and care, the -whole 4900 feet of descent to Breuil was accomplished without a slip, -or once missing the way. I slunk past the cabin of the cowherds, who -were talking and laughing inside, utterly ashamed of the state to -which I had been brought by my imbecility, and entered the inn -stealthily, wishing to escape to my room unnoticed. But Favre met me -in the passage, demanded 'Who is it?' screamed with fright when he got -a light, and aroused the household. Two dozen heads then held solemn -council over mine, with more talk than action. The natives were -unanimous in recommending that hot wine mixed with salt should be -rubbed into the cuts; I protested, but they insisted. It was all the -doctoring they received. Whether their rapid healing was to be -attributed to that simple remedy or to a good state of health is a -question. They closed up remarkably quickly, and in a few days I was -able to move again." - -In 1863 Mr Whymper once more returned to the attack, but still without -success. In 1864 he was unable to visit the neighbourhood of the -Matterhorn, but in 1865 he made his eighth and last attempt on the -Breuil, or Italian side. - -The time had now come when Mr Whymper became convinced that it was an -error to think the Italian side the easier. It certainly looked far -less steep than the north, or Zermatt side, but on mountains quality -counts for far more than quantity; and though the ledges above Breuil -might sometimes be broader than those on the Swiss side, and the -general slope of the mountain appear at a distance to be gentler, yet -the rock had an unpleasant outward dip, giving sloping, precarious -hold for hand or foot, and every now and then there were abrupt walls -of rock which it was hardly possible to ascend, and out of the -question to descend without fixing ropes or chains. - - [Illustration: THE GUIDES' WALL, ZERMATT.] - -Now the Swiss side of the great peak differs greatly from its Italian -face. The slope is really less steep, and the ledges, if narrow, slope -inward, and are good to step on or grasp. Mr Whymper had noticed that -large patches of snow lay on the mountain all the summer, which they -could not do if the north face was a precipice. He determined, -therefore, to make his next attempt on that side. He had, in 1865, -intended to climb with Michel Croz, but some misunderstanding had -arisen, and Croz, believing that he was free, had engaged himself -to another traveller. His letter, "the last one he wrote to me," says -Mr Whymper, is "an interesting souvenir of a brave and upright man." -The following is an extract from it: - - "enfin, Monsieur, je regrette beaucoup d'être engagè avec - votre compatriote et de ne pouvoir vous accompagner dans - vos conquetes mais dès qu'on a donnè sa parole on doit la - tenir et être homme. - - "Ainsi, prenez patience pour cette campagne et esperons que - plus tard nous nous retrouverons. - - "En attendant recevez les humbles salutations de votre tout - devoué. - - "CROZ MICHEL-AUGUSTE." - -By an extraordinary series of chances, however, when Mr Whymper -reached Zermatt, whom should he see sitting on the guides' wall but -Croz! His employer had been taken ill, and had returned home, and the -great guide was immediately engaged by the Rev. Charles Hudson for an -attempt on the Matterhorn! Mr Whymper had been joined by Lord Francis -Douglas and the Taugwalders, father and son, and thus two parties were -about to start for the Matterhorn at the same hour next day. This was -thought inadvisable, and eventually they joined forces and decided to -set out the following morning together. Mr Hudson had a young man -travelling with him, by name Mr Hadow, and when Mr Whymper enquired if -he were sufficiently experienced to take part in the expedition, Mr -Hudson replied in the affirmative, though the fact that Mr Hadow had -recently made a very rapid ascent of Mont Blanc really proved nothing. -Here was the weakest spot in the whole business, the presence of a -youth, untried on difficult peaks, on a climb which might involve work -of a most unusual kind. Further, we should now-a-days consider the -party both far too large and wrongly constituted, consisting as it did -of four amateurs, two good guides, and a porter. - -On 13th July, 1865, at 5.30 A.M., they started from Zermatt in -cloudless weather. They took things leisurely that day, for they only -intended going a short distance above the base of the peak, and by 12 -o'clock they had found a good position for the tent at about 11,000 -feet above sea. The guides went on some way to explore, and on their -return about 3 P.M. declared that they had not found a single -difficulty, and that success was assured. - - [Illustration: THE ZERMATT SIDE OF THE MATTERHORN. - - The route now usually followed has been kindly marked by Sir W. Martin - Conway. The first party, on reaching the snow patch near the top, bore - somewhat to their right to avoid a nearly vertical wall of rock, where - now hangs a chain. - - _From a Photograph by the late W. F. Donkin._] - - [Illustration: RISING MISTS.] - -The following morning, as soon as it was light enough to start, they -set out, and without trouble they mounted the formidable-looking -north face, and approached the steep bit of rock which it is now -customary to ascend straight up by means of a fixed chain. But they -were obliged to avoid it by diverging to their right on to the slope -overhanging the Zermatt side of the mountain. This involved somewhat -difficult climbing, made especially awkward by the thin film of ice -which at places overlay the rocks. "It was a place over which any fair -mountaineer might pass in safety," writes Mr Whymper, and neither here -nor anywhere else on the peak did Mr Hudson require the slightest -help. With Mr Hadow, however, the case was different, his inexperience -necessitating continual assistance. - -Before long this solitary difficulty was passed, and, turning a rather -awkward corner, the party saw with delight that only 200 feet or so of -easy snow separated them from the top! - -Yet even then it was not certain that they had not been beaten, for a -few days before another party, led by Jean Antoine Carrel, had started -from Breuil, and might have reached the much-desired summit before -them. - -The slope eased off more and more, and at last Mr Whymper and Croz, -casting off the rope, ran a neck and neck race to the top. Hurrah! not -a footstep could be seen, and the snow at both ends of the ridge was -absolutely untrampled. - -"Where were the men?" Mr Whymper wondered, and peering over the cliffs -of the Italian side he saw them as dots far down. They were 1250 feet -below, yet they heard the cries of the successful party on the top, -and knew that victory was not for them. Still a measure of success -awaited them too, for the next day the bold Carrel, with J. B. Bich, -in his turn reached the summit by the far more difficult route on the -side of his native valley. Carrel was the one man who had always -believed that the Matterhorn could be climbed, and one can well -understand Mr Whymper's generous wish that he could have shared in the -first ascent. - -One short hour was spent on the summit. Then began the ever-eventful -descent. - -The climbers commenced to go down the difficult piece in the following -order: Croz first, Hadow next, then Mr Hudson, after him Lord Francis -Douglas, then old Taugwalder, and lastly Mr Whymper, who gives an -account of what happened almost immediately after in the following -words: - -"A few minutes later a sharp-eyed lad ran into the Monte Rosa Hotel to -Seiler, saying that he had seen an avalanche falling from the summit -of the Matterhorn on to the Matterhorngletscher. The boy was reproved -for telling idle stories; he was right, nevertheless, and this was -what he saw: - -"Michel Croz had laid aside his axe, and in order to give Mr Hadow -greater security, was absolutely taking hold of his legs, and putting -his feet, one by one, into their proper positions.[11] So far as I -know, no one was actually descending. I cannot speak with certainty, -because the two leading men were partially hidden from my sight by an -intervening mass of rock, but it is my belief, from the movements of -their shoulders, that Croz, having done as I have said, was in the act -of turning round, to go down a step or two himself; at this moment Mr -Hadow slipped, fell against him, and knocked him over. I heard one -startled exclamation from Croz, then saw him and Mr Hadow flying -downwards. In another moment Hudson was dragged from his steps, and -Lord Francis Douglas immediately after him.[12] All this was the work -of a moment. Immediately we heard Croz's exclamation old Peter and I -planted ourselves as firmly as the rocks would permit;[13] the rope -was taut between us, and the jerk came on us both as on one man. We -held, but the rope broke midway between Taugwalder and Lord Francis -Douglas. For a few seconds we saw our unfortunate companions sliding -downwards on their backs, and spreading out their hands, endeavouring -to save themselves. They passed from our sight uninjured, disappeared -one by one, and fell from precipice to precipice on to the -Matterhorngletscher below, a distance of nearly 4000 feet in height. -From the moment the rope broke it was impossible to help them. So -perished our comrades!" - - [Illustration: A BITTERLY COLD DAY, 13,000 FEET ABOVE SEA.] - - [Illustration: The Matterhorn from the Zmutt side. - - The dotted line shows the course which the unfortunate party probably - took in their fatal fall.] - -A more terrible position than that of Mr Whymper and the Taugwalders -it is difficult to imagine. The Englishman kept his head, however, -though the two guides, absolutely paralysed with terror, lost all -control over themselves, and for a long time could not be induced to -move. At last old Peter changed his position, and soon the three stood -close together. Mr Whymper then examined the broken rope, and found to -his horror that it was the weakest of the three ropes, and had only -been intended as a reserve to fix to rocks and leave behind. How it -came to have been used will always remain a mystery, but that it broke -and was not cut there is no doubt. Taugwalder's neighbours at Zermatt -persisted in asserting that he severed the rope. "In regard to this -infamous charge," writes Mr Whymper, "I say that he _could_ not do so -at the moment of the slip, and that the end of the rope in my -possession shows that he did not do so beforehand." - -At 6 P.M., after a terribly trying descent, during any moment of which -the Taugwalders, still completely unnerved, might have slipped and -carried the whole party to destruction, they arrived on "the ridge -descending towards Zermatt, and all peril was over." But it was still -a long way to the valley, and an hour after nightfall the climbers -were obliged to seek a resting-place, and upon a slab barely large -enough to hold the three they spent six miserable hours. At daybreak -they started again, and descended rapidly to Zermatt. - -"Seiler met me at the door. 'What is the matter?' 'The Taugwalders and -I have returned.' He did not need more, and burst into tears." - -At 2 A.M. on Sunday the 16th, Mr Whymper and two other Englishmen, -with a number of Chamonix and Oberland guides, set out to discover the -bodies. The Zermatt men, threatened with excommunication by their -priests if they failed to attend early Mass were unable to accompany -them, and to some of them this was a severe trial. By 8.30 they -reached the plateau at the top of the glacier, and came within sight -of the spot where their companions must be. "As we saw one -weather-beaten man after another raise the telescope, turn deadly -pale, and pass it on without a word to the next, we knew that all hope -was gone." - -They drew near, and found the bodies of Croz, Hadow and Hudson close -together, but of Lord Francis Douglas they could see nothing, though a -pair of gloves, a belt and a boot belonging to him were found. The -boots of all the victims were off, and lying on the snow close by. -This frequently happens when persons have fallen a long distance down -rocks. - -Eventually the remains were brought down to Zermatt, a sad and -dangerous task. - -So ends the story of the conquest of the Matterhorn. Its future -history is marred by many a tragedy, of which perhaps none are more -pathetic, or were more wholly unnecessary, than what is known as the -Borckhardt accident. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[11] Not at all an unusual proceeding, even between born mountaineers. -I wish to convey the impression that Croz was using all pains, rather -than to indicate inability on the part of Mr Hadow. The insertion of -the word "absolutely" makes the passage, perhaps, rather ambiguous. I -retain it now in order to offer the above explanation. - -[12] At the moment of the accident Croz, Hadow, and Hudson were close -together. Between Hudson and Lord Francis Douglas the rope was all but -taut, and the same between all the others who were above. Croz was -standing by the side of a rock which afforded good hold, and if he had -been aware, or had suspected that anything was about to occur, he -might and would have gripped it, and would have prevented any -mischief. He was taken totally by surprise. Mr Hadow slipped off his -feet on to his back, his feet struck Croz in the small of the back, -and knocked him right over, head first. Croz's axe was out of his -reach, and without it he managed to get his head uppermost before he -disappeared from our sight. If it had been in his hand I have no doubt -that he would have stopped himself and Mr Hadow. Mr Hadow, at the -moment of the slip, was not occupying a bad position. He could have -moved either up or down, and could touch with his hand the rock of -which I have spoken. Hudson was not so well placed, but he had liberty -of motion. The rope was not taut from him to Hadow, and the two men -fell 10 or 12 feet before the jerk came upon him. Lord Francis Douglas -was not favourably placed, and could neither move up nor down. Old -Peter was firmly planted, and stood just beneath a large rock, which -he hugged with both arms. I enter into these details to make it more -apparent that the position occupied by the party at the moment of the -accident was not by any means excessively trying. We were compelled to -pass over the exact spot where the slip occurred, and we found--even -with shaken nerves--that _it_ was not a difficult place to pass. I -have described the _slope generally_ as difficult, and it is so -undoubtedly to most persons, but it must be distinctly understood that -Mr Hadow slipped at a comparatively easy part. - -[13] Or, more correctly, we held on as tightly as possible. There was -no time to change our position. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -SOME TRAGEDIES ON THE MATTERHORN - - -By the summer of 1886 it had become common for totally inexperienced -persons with incompetent guides (for no first-rate guide would -undertake such a task) to make the ascent of the Matterhorn. In fine -settled weather they contrived to get safely up and down the mountain. -But like all high peaks the Matterhorn is subject to sudden -atmospheric changes, and a high wind or falling snow will in an hour -or less change the whole character of the work and make the descent -one of extreme difficulty even for experienced mountaineers. -Practically unused to Alpine climbing, thinly clothed, and accompanied -by young guides of third-rate ability, what wonder is it that when -caught in a storm, a member of the party, whose expedition is -described below, perished? - - [Illustration: JOST, FOR MANY YEARS PORTER OF THE MONTE ROSA HOTEL, - ZERMATT. ] - -The editor of _The Alpine Journal_ writes: "On the morning of 17th -August last four parties of travellers left the lower hut on the -mountain and attained the summit. One of them, that of Mr Mercer, -reached Zermatt the same night. The three others were much delayed by -a sudden storm which came on during the descent. Two Dutch gentlemen, -led by Moser and Peter Taugwald, regained the lower hut at an advanced -hour of the night; but Monsieur A. de Falkner and his son (with J. P. -and Daniel Maquignaz, and Angelo Ferrari, of Pinzolo), and Messrs John -Davies and Frederick Charles Borckhardt (with Fridolin Kronig and -Peter Aufdemblatten), were forced to spend the night out; the latter -party, indeed, spent part of the next day (18th August) out as well, -and Mr Borckhardt unfortunately succumbed to the exposure in the -afternoon. He was the youngest son of the late vicar of Lydden, and -forty-eight years of age. Neither he nor Mr Davies was a member of the -Alpine Club." - -_The Pall Mall Gazette_ published on 24th August the account given by -Mr Davies to an interviewer. It is as follows, and the inexperience of -the climbers is made clear in every line:- - -"We left Zermatt about 2 o'clock on Monday afternoon in capital -spirits. The weather was lovely, and everything promised a favourable -ascent. We had two guides whose names were on the official list, whose -references were satisfactory, and who were twice over recommended to -us by Herr Seiler, whose advice we sought before we engaged them, and -who gave them excellent credentials. We placed ourselves in their -hands, as is the rule in such cases, ordered the provisions and wine -which they declared to be necessary, and made ready for the ascent. I -had lived among hills from my boyhood. I had some experience of -mountaineering in the Pyrenees, where I ascended the highest and other -peaks. In the Engadine I have also done some climbing; and last week, -together with Mr Borckhardt, who was one of my oldest friends, I made -the ascent of the Titlis, and made other excursions among the hills. -Mr Borckhardt was slightly my senior, but as a walker he was quite -equal to me in endurance. When we arrived at Zermatt last Saturday we -found that parties were going up the Matterhorn on Monday. We knew -that ladies had made the ascent, and youths; and the mountain besides -had been climbed by friends of ours whose physical strength, to say -the least, was not superior to ours. It was a regular thing to go up -the Matterhorn, and we accordingly determined to make the ascent. - -"We started next morning at half-past two or three. We were the third -party to leave the cabin, but, making good speed over the first stage -of the ascent, we reached the second when the others were breakfasting -there, and then resumed the climb. Mr Mercer, with his party, followed -by the Dutch party, started shortly before us. We met them about a -quarter-past eight returning from the top. They said that they had -been there half an hour, and that there was no view. We passed them, -followed by the Italians, and reached the summit about a quarter to -nine. The ascent, though toilsome, had not exhausted us in the least. -Both Mr Borckhardt and myself were quite fresh, although we had made -the summit before the Italians, who started together with us from the -second hut. Had the weather remained favourable, we could have made -the descent with ease.[14] - -"Even while we were on the summit I felt hail begin to fall, and -before we were five minutes on our way down it was hailing heavily. -It was a fine hail, and inches of it fell in a very short time, and -the track was obliterated. We pressed steadily downwards, followed by -the Italians, nor did it occur to me at that time that there was any -danger. We got past the ropes and chains safely, and reached the snowy -slope on the shoulder. At this point we were leading. But as the -Italians had three guides, and we only two, we changed places, so that -their third guide could lead. They climbed down the slope, cutting -steps for their feet in the ice. We trod closely after the Italians, -but the snow and hail filled up the holes so rapidly, that, in order -to make a safe descent, our guides had to recut the steps. This took -much time--as much as two hours I should say--and every hour the snow -was getting deeper. At last we got down the snow-slope on to the steep -rocks below. The Italians were still in front of us, and we all kept -on steadily descending. We were still in good spirits, nor did we feel -any doubt that we should reach the bottom. Our first alarm was -occasioned by the Italians losing their way. They found their progress -barred by precipitous rocks, and their guides came back to ours to -consult as to the road. Our guides insisted that the path lay down the -side of a steep couloir. Their guides demurred; but after going down -some ten feet, they cried out that our guides were right, and they -went on--we followed. By this time it was getting dark. The hail -continued increasing. We began to get alarmed. It seemed impossible to -make our way to the cabin that night. We had turned to the right after -leaving the couloir, crossed some slippery rocks, and after a short -descent turned to the left and came to the edge of the precipice where -Mosely fell, where there was some very slight shelter afforded by an -overhanging rock, and there we prepared to pass the night, seeing that -all further progress was hopeless. We were covered with ice. The night -was dark. The air was filled with hail. We were too cold to eat. The -Italians were about an hour below us on the mountain side. We could -hear their voices and exchanged shouts. Excepting them, we were -thousands of feet above any other human being. I found that while -Borckhardt had emptied his brandy-flask, mine was full. I gave him -half of mine. That lasted us through the night. We did not try the -wine till the morning, and then we found that it was frozen solid. - -"Never have I had a more awful experience than that desolate night on -the Matterhorn. We were chilled to the bone, and too exhausted to -stand. The wind rose, and each gust drove the hail into our faces, -cutting us like a knife. Our guides did everything that man could do -to save us. Aufdemblatten did his best to make us believe that there -was no danger. 'Only keep yourselves warm; keep moving; and we shall -go down all right to-morrow, when the sun rises.' 'It is of no use,' I -replied; 'we shall die here!' They chafed our limbs, and did their -best to make us stand up; but it was in vain. I felt angry at their -interference. Why could they not leave us alone to die? I remember -striking wildly but feebly at my guide as he insisted on rubbing me. -Every movement gave me such agony, I was racked with pain, especially -in my back and loins--pain so intense as to make me cry out. The -guides had fastened the rope round the rock to hold on by, while they -jumped to keep up the circulation of the blood. They brought us to it, -and made us jump twice or thrice. Move we could not; we lay back -prostrate on the snow and ice, while the guides varied their jumping -by rubbing our limbs and endeavouring to make us move our arms and -legs. They were getting feebler and feebler. Borckhardt and I, as soon -as we were fully convinced that death was imminent for us, did our -best to persuade our guides to leave us where we lay and make their -way down the hill. They were married men with families. To save us was -impossible; they might at least save themselves. We begged them to -consider their wives and children and to go. This was at the beginning -of the night. They refused. They would rather die with us, they said; -they would remain and do their best. - - [Illustration: Hoar Frost in the Alps.] - - [Illustration: Hoar Frost in the Alps.] - -"Borckhardt and I talked a little as men might do who are at the point -of death. He bore without complaining pain that made me cry out from -time to time. We both left directions with the guides that we were to -be buried at Zermatt. Borckhardt spoke of his friends and his family -affairs, facing his death with manly resignation and composure. As the -night wore on I became weaker and weaker. I could not even make the -effort necessary to flick the snow off my companion's face. By degrees -the guides began to lose hope. The cold was so intense, we crouched -together for warmth. They lay beside us to try and impart some heat. -It was in vain. 'We shall die!' 'We are lost!' 'Yes,' said -Aufdemblatten, 'very likely we shall.' He was so weak, poor fellow, he -could hardly keep his feet; but still he tried to keep me moving. It -was a relief not to be touched. I longed for death, but death would -not come. - -"Towards half-past two on Wednesday morning--so we reckoned, for all -our watches had stopped with the cold--the snow ceased, and the air -became clear. It had been snowing or hailing without intermission for -eighteen hours. It was very dark below, but above all was clear, -although the wind still blew. When the sun rose, we saw just a gleam -of light. Then a dark cloud came from the hollow below, and our hopes -went out. 'Oh, if only the sun would come out!' we said to each other, -I do not know how many times. But it did not, and instead of the sun -came the snow once more. Towards seven, as near as I can make it, a -desperate attempt was made to get us to walk. The guides took -Borckhardt, and between them propped him on his feet and made him -stagger on a few steps. They failed to keep him moving more than a -step or two. The moment they let go he dropped. They repeated the same -with me. Neither could I stand. I remember four distinct times they -drove us forward, only to see us drop helpless after each step. It was -evidently no use. Borckhardt had joined again with me in repeatedly -urging the guides to leave us and to save themselves. They had -refused, and continued to do all that their failing strength allowed -to protect us from the bitter cold. As the morning wore on, my -friend, who during the night had been much more composed and tranquil -than I, began to grow perceptibly weaker. We were quite resigned to -die, and had, in fact, lost all hope. We had been on the mountain from -about 3 A.M. on Tuesday to 1 P.M. on Wednesday--thirty-four hours in -all. Eighteen of these were spent in a blinding snowstorm, and we had -hardly tasted food since we left the summit at nine on the Tuesday -morning. At length (about one) we heard shouts far down the mountain. -The guides said they probably proceeded from a search party sent out -to save us. I again urged the guides to go down by themselves to meet -the searchers, and to hurry them up. This they refused to do unless I -accompanied them. Borckhardt was at this time too much exhausted to -stand upright, and was lying in a helpless condition. The guides, -although completely worn out, wished to attempt the descent with me, -and they considered that by so doing we should be able to indicate to -the searchers the precise spot where my friend lay, and to hasten -their efforts to reach him with stimulants. Since early morning the -snow had ceased falling. We began the descent, and at first I required -much assistance from the guides, but by degrees became better able to -move, and the hope of soon procuring help from the approaching party -for my poor friend sustained us. After a most laborious descent of -about an hour and a half, we reached the first members of the rescue -party, and directed them to where Borckhardt lay, requesting them to -proceed there with all haste, and, after giving him stimulants, to -bring him down to the lower hut in whatever condition they found him. -We went on to the hut to await his arrival, meeting on the way Mr -King, of the English Alpine Club, with his guides, who were hurrying -up with warm clothing. A few hours later we heard the terrible news -that the relief party had found him dead." - -A letter to _The Times_, written by Mr (now Sir Henry Seymour) King -comments as follows on this deplorable accident. It is endorsed by all -the members of the Alpine Club then at Zermatt. After describing the -circumstances of the ascent, the writer continues: "Instead of staying -all together, as more experienced guides would have done, and keeping -Mr Borckhardt warm and awake until help came, they determined at about -1 P.M. to leave him alone on the mountain. According to their account, -the snow had ceased and the sun had begun to shine when they left -him. At that moment a relief party was not far off, as the guides must -have known. They heard the shouts of the relief party soon after -leaving Mr Borckhardt, and there was, as far as I can see, no pressing -reason for their departure. They reached the lower hut at about 5 -P.M., and at about the same time a rescue party from Zermatt, which -had met them descending, reached Mr Borckhardt, and found him dead, -stiff, and quite cold, and partly covered with freshly-fallen snow. No -doubt he had succumbed to drowsiness soon after he was left. - -"The moral of this most lamentable event is plain. The Matterhorn is -not a mountain to be played with; it is not a peak which men ought to -attempt until they have had some experience of climbing. Above all, it -is not a peak which should ever be attempted except with thoroughly -competent guides. In a snowstorm no member of a party should ever be -left behind and alone. He will almost certainly fall into a sleep, -from which it is notorious that he will never awake. If he will not -walk, he must be carried. If he sits down, he must be made to get up. -Guides have to do this not unfrequently. A stronger and more -experienced party would undoubtedly have reached Zermatt without -misfortune. In fact, one party which was on the mountain on the same -day did reach Zermatt in good time." - -It is fitting that this short, and necessarily incomplete, account of -the conquest of the Matterhorn, and events occurring subsequently on -it, should conclude with the recital of a magnificent act of heroism -performed by Jean-Antoine Carrel, whose name, more than that of any -other guide, is associated with the history of the peak. No more -striking instance of the devotion of a guide to his employers could be -chosen to bring these true tales of the hills to an appropriate end. - -I take the account from _Scrambles Among the Alps_. - -"When telegrams came in, at the beginning of September 1890, stating -that Jean-Antoine Carrel had died from fatigue on the south side of -the Matterhorn, those who knew the man scarcely credited the report. -It was not likely that this tough and hardy mountaineer would die from -fatigue anywhere, still less that he would succumb upon 'his own -mountain.' But it was true. Jean-Antoine perished from the combined -effects of cold, hunger, and fatigue, upon his own side of his own -mountain, almost within sight of his own home. He started on the 23rd -of August from Breuil, with an Italian gentleman and Charles Gorret -(brother of the Abbé Gorret), with the intention of crossing the -Matterhorn in one day. The weather at the time of their departure was -the very best, and it changed in the course of the day to the very -worst. They were shut up in the _cabane_ at the foot of the Great -Tower during the 24th, with scarcely any food, and on the 25th -retreated to Breuil. Although Jean-Antoine (upon whom, as leading -guide, the chief labour and responsibility naturally devolved) -ultimately succeeded in getting his party safely off the mountain, he -himself was so overcome by fatigue, cold, and want of food, that he -died on the spot." - -Jean-Antoine Carrel entered his sixty-second year in January 1901,[15] -and was in the field throughout the summer. On 21st August, having -just returned from an ascent of Mont Blanc, he was engaged at -Courmayeur by Signor Leone Sinigaglia, of Turin, for an ascent of the -Matterhorn. He proceeded to the Val Tournanche, and on the 23rd set -out with him and Charles Gorret, for the last time, to ascend his own -mountain by his own route. A long and clear account of what happened -was communicated by Signor Sinigaglia to the Italian Alpine Club, and -from this the following relation is condensed: - -"We started for the Cervin at 2.15 A.M. on the 23rd, in splendid -weather, with the intention of descending the same night to the hut at -the Hörnli on the Swiss side. We proceeded pretty well, but the glaze -of ice on the rocks near the Col du Lion retarded our march somewhat, -and when we arrived at the hut at the foot of the Great Tower, -prudence counselled the postponement of the ascent until the next day, -for the sky was becoming overcast. We decided upon this, and stopped. - -"Here I ought to mention that both I and Gorret noticed with -uneasiness that Carrel showed signs of fatigue upon leaving the Col du -Lion. I attributed this to temporary weakness. As soon as we reached -the hut he lay down and slept profoundly for two hours, and awoke much -restored. In the meantime the weather was rapidly changing. Storm -clouds coming from the direction of Mont Blanc hung over the Dent -d'Hérens, but we regarded them as transitory, and trusted to the north -wind, which was still continuing to blow. Meanwhile, three of the -Maquignazs and Edward Bich, whom we found at the hut, returned from -looking after the ropes, started downwards for Breuil, at parting -wishing us a happy ascent, and holding out hopes of a splendid day for -the morrow. - -"But, after their departure, the weather grew worse very rapidly; the -wind changed, and towards evening there broke upon us a most violent -hurricane of hail and snow, accompanied by frequent flashes of -lightning. The air was so charged with electricity that for two -consecutive hours in the night one could see in the hut as in broad -daylight. The storm continued to rage all night, and the day and night -following, continuously, with incredible violence. The temperature in -the hut fell to 3 degrees. - -"The situation was becoming somewhat alarming, for the provisions were -getting low, and we had already begun to use the seats of the hut as -firewood. The rocks were in an extremely bad state, and we were afraid -that if we stopped longer, and the storm continued, we should be -blocked up in the hut for several days. This being the state of -affairs, it was decided among the guides that if the wind should abate -we should descend on the following morning; and, as the wind did abate -somewhat, on the morning of the 25th (the weather, however, still -remaining very bad) it was unanimously settled to make a retreat. - -"At 9 A.M. we left the hut. I will not speak of the difficulties and -dangers in descending the _arête_ to the Col du Lion, which we reached -at 2.30 P.M. The ropes were half frozen, the rocks were covered with a -glaze of ice, and fresh snow hid all points of support. Some spots -were really as bad as could be, and I owe much to the prudence and -coolness of the two guides that we got over them without mishap. - -"At the Col du Lion, where we hoped the wind would moderate, a -dreadful hurricane recommenced, and in crossing the snowy passages we -were nearly _suffocated_ by the wind and snow which attacked us on all -sides.[16] Through the loss of a glove, Gorret, half an hour after -leaving the hut, had already got a hand frost-bitten. The cold was -terrible here. Every moment we had to remove the ice from our eyes, -and it was with the utmost difficulty that we could speak so as to -understand one another. - -"Nevertheless, Carrel continued to direct the descent in a most -admirable manner, with a coolness, ability, and energy above all -praise. I was delighted to see the change, and Gorret assisted him -splendidly. This part of the descent presented unexpected -difficulties, and at several points great dangers, the more so because -the _tourmente_ prevented Carrel from being sure of the right -direction, in spite of his consummate knowledge of the Matterhorn. At -11 P.M. (or thereabouts, it was impossible to look at our watches, as -all our clothes were half frozen) we were still toiling down the -rocks. The guides sometimes asked each other where they were; then we -went forward again--to stop, indeed, would have been impossible. -Carrel at last, by marvellous instinct, discovered the passage up -which we had come, and in a sort of grotto we stopped a minute to take -some brandy. - -"While crossing some snow we saw Carrel slacken his pace, and then -fall back two or three times to the ground. Gorret asked him what was -the matter, and he said 'nothing,' but he went on with difficulty. -Attributing this to fatigue through the excessive toil, Gorret put -himself at the head of the caravan, and Carrel, after the change, -seemed better, and walked well, though with more circumspection than -usual. From this place a short and steep passage takes one down to the -pastures, where there is safety. Gorret descended first, and I after -him. We were nearly at the bottom when I felt the rope pulled. We -stopped, awkwardly placed as we were, and cried out to Carrel several -times to come down, but we received no answer. Alarmed, we went up a -little way, and heard him say, in a faint voice, 'Come up and fetch -me; I have no strength left.' - -"We went up and found that he was lying with his stomach to the -ground, holding on to a rock, in a semi-conscious state, and unable to -get up or to move a step. With extreme difficulty we carried him to a -safe place, and asked him what was the matter. His only answer was, 'I -know no longer where I am.' His hands were getting colder and colder, -his speech weaker and more broken, and his body more still. We did all -we could for him, putting with great difficulty the rest of the cognac -into his mouth. He said something, and appeared to revive, but this -did not last long. We tried rubbing him with snow, and shaking him, -and calling to him continually, but he could only answer with moans. - -"We tried to lift him, but it was impossible--he was getting stiff. We -stooped down, and asked in his ear if he wished to commend his soul to -God. With a last effort he answered 'Yes,' and then fell on his back, -dead, upon the snow. - -"Such was the end of Jean-Antoine Carrel--a man who was possessed with -a pure and genuine love of mountains; a man of originality and -resource, courage and determination, who delighted in exploration. His -special qualities marked him out as a fit person to take part in new -enterprises, and I preferred him to all others as a companion and -assistant upon my journey amongst the Great Andes of the Equator. -Going to a new country, on a new continent, he encountered much that -was strange and unforeseen; yet when he turned his face homewards he -had the satisfaction of knowing that he left no failures behind -him.[17] After parting at Guayaquil in 1880 we did not meet again. In -his latter years, I am told, he showed signs of age, and from -information which has been communicated to me it is clear that he had -arrived at a time when it would have been prudent to retire--if he -could have done so. It was not in his nature to spare himself, and he -worked to the very last. The manner of his death strikes a chord in -hearts he never knew. He recognised to the fullest extent the duties -of his position, and in the closing act of his life set a brilliant -example of fidelity and devotion. For it cannot be doubted that, -enfeebled as he was, he could have saved himself had he given his -attention to self-preservation. He took a nobler course; and, -accepting his responsibility, devoted his whole soul to the welfare of -his comrades, until, utterly exhausted, he fell staggering on the -snow. He was already dying. Life was flickering, yet the brave spirit -said 'It is _nothing_.' They placed him in the rear to ease his work. -He was no longer able even to support himself; he dropped to the -ground, and in a few minutes expired."[18] - -FOOTNOTES: - -[14] Here the whole contention that the party was a competent one -falls to the ground. No one without a reserve of strength and skill to -meet possible bad weather should embark on an important ascent. -Fair-weather guides and climbers should keep to easy excursions. - -[15] The exact date of his birth does not seem to be known. He was -christened at the Church of St Antoine, Val Tournanche, on 17th -January 1829. - -[16] Signor Peraldo, the innkeeper at Breuil, stated that a relief -party was in readiness during the whole of 25th August (the day on -which the descent was made), and was prevented from starting by the -violence of the tempest. - -[17] See _Travels amongst the Great Andes of the Equator_, 1892. - -[18] Signor Sinigaglia wrote a letter to a friend, from which I am -permitted to quote: "I don't try to tell you of my intense pain for -Carrel's death. He fell after having saved me, and no guide could have -done more than he did." Charles Gorret, through his brother the Abbé, -wrote to me that he entirely endorsed what had been said by Signor -Sinigaglia, and added, "We would have given our own lives to have -saved his." - -Jean-Antoine died at the foot of "the little Staircase." On the 26th -of August his body was brought to Breuil, and upon 29th it was -interred at Valtournanche. At the beginning of July 1893 an iron cross -was placed on the spot where he expired at the expense of Signor -Sinigaglia, who went in person, along with Charles Gorret, to -superintend its erection. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -THE WHOLE DUTY OF THE CLIMBER--ALPINE DISTRESS SIGNALS - - -I cannot bring this book to a more fitting end than by quoting the -closing words of a famous article in _The Alpine Journal_ by Mr C. E. -Mathews entitled "The Alpine Obituary." It was written twenty years -ago, but every season it becomes if possible more true. May all who go -amongst the mountains lay it to heart! - -"Mountaineering is extremely dangerous in the case of incapable, of -imprudent, of thoughtless men. But I venture to state that of all the -accidents in our sad obituary, there is hardly one which need have -happened; there is hardly one which could not have been easily -prevented by proper caution and proper care. Men get careless and too -confident. This does not matter or the other does not matter. The fact -is, that everything matters; precautions should be not only ample but -excessive. - - 'The little more, and how much it is, - And the little less and what worlds away.' - -"Mountaineering is not dangerous, provided that the climber knows his -business and takes the necessary precautions--all within his own -control--to make danger impossible. The prudent climber will recollect -what he owes to his family and to his friends. He will also recollect -that he owes something to the Alps, and will scorn to bring them into -disrepute. He will not go on a glacier without a rope. He will not -climb alone, or with a single companion. He will treat a great -mountain with the respect it deserves, and not try to rush a dangerous -peak with inadequate guiding power. He will turn his back steadfastly -upon mist and storm. He will not go where avalanches are in the habit -of falling after fresh snow, or wander about beneath an overhanging -glacier in the heat of a summer afternoon. Above all, if he loves the -mountains for their own sake, for the lessons they can teach and the -happiness they can bring, he will do nothing that can discredit his -manly pursuit or bring down the ridicule of the undiscerning upon the -noblest pastime in the world." - - -ALPINE DISTRESS SIGNALS - -No book on climbing should be issued without a reminder to its readers -that tourists (who may need it even oftener than mountaineers) have a -means ready to hand by which help can be signalled for if they are in -difficulties. That in many cases a signal might not be seen is no -reason for neglecting to learn and use the simple code given below and -recommended by the Alpine Club. It has now been adopted by all -societies of climbers. - -The signal is the repetition of a sound, a wave of a flag, or a flash -of a lantern _at regular intervals_ at the rate of six signals per -minute, followed by a pause of a minute, and then repeated every -alternate minute. The reply is the same, except that three and not six -signals are made in a minute. The regular minute's interval is -essential to the clearness of the code. - - - - -GLOSSARY AND INDEX - - - - -GLOSSARY. - - - ALP A summer pasture. - - ARÊTE The crest of a ridge. Sometimes spoken - of as a knife-edge, if very narrow. - - BERGSCHRUND A crevasse forming between the snow still - clinging to the face of a peak, and that - which has broken away from it. - - COL A pass between two peaks. - - COULOIR A gully filled with snow or stones. - - GRAT The same as _arête_. - - JOCH The same as _col_. - - KAMM The same as _arête_. - - MORAINE See chapter on glaciers, page 7. - - MOULIN See chapter on glaciers, page 7. - - NÉVÉ See chapter on glaciers, page 7. - - PITZ An Engadine name for a peak. - - SCHRUND A crevasse. - - SÉRAC A cube of ice, formed by intersecting - crevasses where a glacier is very steep. - Called thus after a sort of Chamonix - cheese, which it is said to resemble. - - - - - A - - Albula Pass, 20 - - Aletsch glacier, 12, 142 - - Almer, Christian, 29, 50, 51, 71, 126, 134 - - Almer, Ulrich, 42 - - Altels, Ice-avalanche of the, 78 - - Anderegg, Jacob, 162 - - Anderegg, Melchior, 24, 50, 113, 162 - - d'Angeville, Mademoiselle, 204 - - Ardon, 59 - - Arkwright, Henry, 98 - - Aufdemblatten, Peter, 269 - - Avalanches, different kinds of, 15 - - - B - - Balmat, 52 - - Barnes, Mr G. S., 32 - - Bean, Mr, 108 - - Bennen, 59, 113, 252 - - Bich, J. B., 262 - - Bionnassay, Aiguille de, 169 - - Birkbeck, Mr, 113 - - Blanc, Mont, 3, 92, 107, 162, 203 - - Bohren, 52 - - Boissonnet, Monsieur, 59 - - Borchart, Dr, 150 - - Borckhardt, F. C., 269 - - Bossons, Glacier des, 9 - - Breil, 253 - - Brenva Glacier, Ascent of Mont Blanc by, 162 - - Burckhardt, Herr F., 147 - - Burgener, Alexander, 226 - - - C - - Carré, Glacier, 172 - - Carrel, J. A., 252, 259, 261, - death of, 280 - - Coolidge, Rev. W. A. B., 30, 171 - - Couttet, Sylvain, 89, 99, 109 - - Croda Grande, feat of endurance on, 48 - - Croz, Michel, 126, 134, 252 - - - D - - Davies, John, 269 - - Dent, Clinton, 58, 221 - - Douglas, Lord Francis, 45, 259 - - Distress Signals, Alpine, 291 - - Dru, Aiguille du, 221 - - - E - - Eigerjoch, 208 - - - F - - Falkner, Monsieur de, 269 - - Föhn Wind, Note on the, 80 - - - G - - Gabelhorn, Ober, 42, 45 - - Gardiner, Mr, 170 - - Garwood, Mr Edmund, 194 - - Glacier tables, 11 - - Gorret, Charles, 281 - - Gosaldo, 48 - - Gosset, Mr Philip, 59 - - Grass, Hans and Christian, 44 - - Greenland, Glaciers of, 7 - - Guntner, Dr, 33 - - - H - - Hadow, Mr, 260 - - Hamel, Dr Joseph, 92 - - Hartley, Mr Walker, 226 - - Haut-de-Cry, 59 - - Hinchliff, Mr T. W., 122 - - Hudson, Rev. C., 113, 269 - - - I - - Imboden, Joseph, 5, 30, 35, 38, 40, 84 - - Imboden, Roman, 32, 84, 194 - - - J - - Jungfrau, 147 - - - K - - King, Sir H. Seymour, 278 - - Klimmer, 150 - - Kronig, F., 269 - - - L - - Lammer, Herr, 72 - - Lauener, 41, 52, 66, 208 - - Longman, W., 142 - - Lorria, Herr, 72 - - - M - - M'Corkindale, Mr, 108 - - Mammoth, 105 - - Maquignaz, J. P. and D., 269 - - Martin, Jean, 154 - - Mather, Mr, 113 - - Mathews, Mr C. E., 289 - - Mathews, Messrs, 208 - - Matterhorn, 23, 72, 250 - - Maurer, Andreas, 46, 226 - - Maurer, Kaspar, 239 - - Meije, 170 - - Mercer, Mr, 269 - - Miage, Col de, 114 - - Moming, Pass, 126 - - Moore, Mr, 126, 134, 162 - - Moraines, 10 - - Moser, 269 - - - N - - Nasse, Herr, 150 - - - P - - Palü, Piz, 44, 150 - - Paradis, Maria, 203 - - Penhall, Mr, 72 - - Perren, 113 - - Pigeon, The Misses, 153 - - Pilatte, Col de, 134 - - Pilkington, Messrs, 170 - - Plan, Aiguille du, 46 - - - R - - Randall, Mr, 108 - - Rey, Emile, 46 - - Reynaud, Monsieur, 135 - - Richardson, Miss K., 169 - - Riva, Valley Susa, 18 - - Rochat, Mademoiselle E. de, 169 - - - S - - Saas, Prättigau, 17 - - Schallihorn, 83 - - Schnitzler, 150 - - Schuster, Oscar, 48 - - Scerscen, Piz, 194 - - Sesia, Joch, 153 - - Sinigaglia, Leone, 281 - - Stephen, Sir Leslie, 113, 208 - - Stratton, Miss, 206 - - - T - - Taugwald, Peter, 269 - - Taugwalder, 259 - - Trift Pass, 112 - - Tuckett, Mr F. F., 66, 113 - - - W - - Wainwright, Mrs and Dr, 44 - - Walker, Mr, 50, 134, 162 - - Wetterhorn, 51 - - Wieland, 194 - - Wills, Chief Justice, 51 - - Whymper, Mr C., 126, 134, 250 - - - Z - - Zecchini, G., 48 - - - - - Printed at - The Edinburgh Press - 9 & 11 Young Street - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of True Tales of Mountain Adventures, by -Mrs. Aubrey Le Blond - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TRUE TALES OF MOUNTAIN ADVENTURES *** - -***** This file should be named 42758-8.txt or 42758-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/2/7/5/42758/ - -Produced by Melissa McDaniel and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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