First Page:
ABOVE THE SNOW LINE LONDON: PRINTED BY SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW STREET SQUARE AND PARLIAMENT STREET
[Illustration: THE BIETSCHHORN. FROM THE PETERSGRAT]
ABOVE THE SNOW LINE
MOUNTAINEERING SKETCHES BETWEEN 1870 AND 1880
BY CLINTON DENT VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ALPINE CLUB
" Celui qui n'a jamais ses heures de folie est moins sage qu'il ne le pense " LA BRUYÈRE
WITH TWO ENGRAVINGS BY EDWARD WHYMPER AND AN ILLUSTRATION BY PERCY MACQUOID
LONDON LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 1885
All rights reserved
THESE SKETCHES OF MOUNTAINEERING I DEDICATE TO T. I. D. IN THE HOPE THAT A BOOK WITHOUT A HEROINE MAY, AT LEAST, ACQUIRE SOME FEMININE INTEREST
PREFACE
Some of the following sketches do not now appear for the first time; but such as have been before published in other form have been entirely re written, and, in great measure, recast.
To the writer the work has afforded an occasional distraction from more serious professional work, and he cannot wish better than that it should serve the same purpose to the reader.
CORTINA DI AMPEZZO: September 1884 .
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I. AN EXPEDITION IN THE OLDEN STYLE PAGE Buried records Litera scripta manet The survival of the unfit A 1 literary octopus Sybaritic mountaineering On mountain "form" Lessons to be learned in the Alps The growth and spread of the climbing craze Variations of the art A tropical day in the valley A deserted hostelry The hotel staff appears in several characters Ascent of the Balfrinhorn Our baggage train and transport department A well ventilated shelter On sleeping out: its advantages on the present occasion The Mischabelhörner family group A plea for Saas and the Fée plateau We attack the Südlenzspitz The art of detecting hidden crevasses Plans for the future Sentiment on a summit The feast is spread The Alphubeljoch We meet our warmest welcome at an inn CHAPTER II. THE ROTHHORN (MOMING) FROM ZERMATT The Alpine dramatis personæ Mountaineering fact and romance The 31 thirst for novelty and its symptoms The first ascent of the Moming Preliminaries are observed Rock v. snow mountains The amateur and the guide on rocks and on snow The programme is made out Franz Andermatten Falling stones in the gully We smooth away the difficulties The psychological effects of reaching mountain summits A rock bombardment and a narrow escape The youthful tourist and his baggage Hotel trials We are interviewed The gushers CHAPTER III. EARLY ATTEMPTS ON THE AIGUILLE DU DRU The Alps and the early mountaineers The last peaks to 56 surrender The Aiguille du Dru Messrs. Kennedy and Pendlebury's attempt on the peak One day expeditions in the Alps and thoughts on huts and sleeping out The Chamouni guide system A word on guides, past and present The somnolent landlord and his peculiarities Some of the party see a chamois Doubts as to the peak and the way The duplicity of the Aiguille deceives us Telescopic observations An ill arranged glacier Franz and his mighty axe A start on the rocks in the wrong direction Progress reported An adjournment The rocks of the lower peak of the Aiguille du Dru Our first failure The expedition resumed A new line of ascent We reach the sticking point Beaten back The results gained by the two days' climbing CHAPTER IV... Continue reading book >>
