The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-01-29
LETTER FROM GERMANY.
BERLIN, October 25, 1854.

To The IntelHgencer On August 25th,
we ascended the Breithorn. We con-
cluded to ascend this snow mountain in
preference to another for several reasons.
Its height and fine position ensure fine
view in good weather. Then, guide
costs but about 80 francs (about six dol
lars), and one guide agreed to conduct
our party alone. Ut is unusual for guide
to conduct as many as four, but he was
our guide on the previous ice tour.)
To ascend Monte Rosa, each person is
said to require two guides, at 40 francs
each, for the Matterhorn, the guides cost
hundred francs each, and for Mt. Blanc,
the ascent is computed at 800 to $50
francs. As to the ascent of Mt. Blanc,
which is 1000 feet higher than the
Breithorn, the guide-book of Baedeker,
who resides in Leipzig and is perfectly
reliable. says, "In fine weather The ascent
is attended with no serious difficulty or
danger, but travellers are cautioned
against attempting the expedition in
foggy or stormy weather" AS to the
uie,c, this author says it is "uusatisfac-
tory" As to the Breithorn, he says it
commands very imposing view"
I take this opportunity of making this
quotation because some who ascend these
mountains picture the dangers rather
fancifully. 1t is easy to understand that
the higher one goes the greater the ten
dency to become sick, and the sicker one
is the greater the tendency to exaggerate
the difficulties, but that does not make it
specially dangerous. In fact, ladies have
made most of these tours and even more
difficult ones than Mt. Blanc.
Of our route Baedeker says, "from the
Theodule pass the Breithorn may be
ascended with little difficulty =
lastly mounting sleeper slope of ice
where step cutting is sometimes nee.
essary." We did not find it necessary to
cut steps, though this would have rem
dered part ofthe ascent easier. Though
the ascent from the pass is easy, the trav-
eler who attempts it from Zermatt in one
morning will be fatigued on arriving at
the summit.
Several made the ascent on the day
upon which ne did, but all, with one ex.
ception, went part of the way the even
ing before, which made the ascent easier.
We, however, were not sure that the
weather would be good, and chose to try
the tour from Zermatt in the morning.
We rose before three o'clock, and were at
breakfast with young German gentle
man who had engaged guide to take
him up. This gentleman, with his guide,
left some minutes before our party.
We departed before four Each of US
had nails projecting from the bottoms of
our shoes, which was absolutely necessary
to enable us to climb upon the ice, and
each carried an "Alpenstock." This
"Alpine stick" is about six feet long aud
very strong, with sharp iron point in
one end, by sticking which into the snow
and ice the tourist is enabled to climb !
much more easily and securely. Such a
stick aids very much in ascending
and descending any mountain, and for a
Snow mountain either the stick or an ice.
axe is indispensable, and we must often
trust our lives to our sticks. We had
already tested the merits of our sticks on
q previous excursion where, just after
passing the Rhope glacier, we had to
descend snow slope too steep for one to
stand upon it, We had no ice axe and
had to trust to our sticks. Placing them
behind us with their sharp points in the
snow, and resting almost our entire weight
upon them, we came down quite finely
The guide carried his ice.axe and our
provisions, and we carried the rope and a
little wooden flask of wine "time about"
Though the weather was fine, it was still
quite dark in the valley, and we could
see but the outlines of the great peaks
around US. The guide carried lantern,
stopping occasionally to caution us to be
careful, that we were upon the edge of q
steep precipice. The path was narrow
but it was so dark that we were uncon.
scious of danger, and even the roaring of
the mountain torrent beneath US attracted
less notice than the sombre forms tower.
ing above US. At length the day began
to dawn aud our lantern was left in Il
little hut on the mountain.
The spectacle was sublime. To our
right we watched the rays of the morning
sun as they crept slowly down the tower
ing pyramid of the Matterhorn, while to
our left we saw the crimsoned summit of
Monte Rosa. In front of US rose the
lovely Breithorn towards which we bent
our step and eye. The retrospective
view of the valley and the surrounding
snow. mountains vas also exceedingly
fine.
We journeyed along the moraines of
the glaciers and we could see the glacier
streams leaping over the frozen walls.
Before four hours had elapsed, we had
arrived at the snow on the Theodnle
pass. Here we ate lunch and were tied
with the rope at intervals of eight or ten
feet from each other, and proceeded on
our march over the snow. The precau.
tion of using the rope SHOULD never be
neglected in going over the snow fields
or in making ascents upon the snow