The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-10-30
ALPINE CLIMBERS.
HOPEFUL TOURISTS WHO REACH
THE HIGHEST POINT IN EUROPE
Thrilling Account Given by = Traveller
Dangers Of the Trip How Climb
a....rr srs Are Anectsd-on ths "a
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rpamnrast,s MontbIxI

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It costs from $40 to $50 to make the ascent
OF Mont Blanc Each person must have
guide and q porter to carry luggage. pro-
visions, etc The luggage 10 limited to four
teen pounds for each person On the after
noon Of the first day the party ascsnds
generally by tbs Pavilion OF the Pierre
Pointus. a series OF huge pointed rocks,
where the first rest b taken, to the Grand
Mulets where the night Is passed. In two
stone huts or cabsne', as they ar, called.
We say the night; properly only PARTON
Of the night for toe party Is rousel by the
guides as early as l o'clock in the morning
for the start An American gentleman,
who made the ascent some twenty years ago,
gave a thrilling account OF the night spent
on the Grand Mulets %.
"After the sun went down." he said, ave
sat a long time on the narrow ledge OF rock
on which the huts are built. to watch ths
daylight die along the length OF the valley.
All was peace and stiffness about Us in our
isolation. We could hear the tinkls Of bells
aud see the glimmsr Of lights in the hotels
OF the village far below. Looking up. there
were the three peaks cleaving the star-lit
sky above US. the Dome du Coulter, Mont
Blanc, an tn, Aiglill, du Mill We shui-
dersI as we thought OF what lay
Letween u and tho silent submits
from which we were, God willing. to
see the sun rise over tas hsight' Of Italy.
Silentl We puff,l our cigars, watching
the stars thicken AM ciu t,r in the dark m
ing sky The guiies gathered about the
fire on which our suppsr had been prepared.
and sat like weird company smoking their
pipes and singing wild mountain songs in
their strange Swiss patois
@Ons by one we disappeared in the little
hut, rolled ourselves In our blankets, AMI
lay down to rest The songs ceased, the
fires went out and 1t drew on to midnight
We C u!d not sleep SleepI With the
sound Of the falling avalanches in the dis
lance laundering and booming In our
cara, and feeling as we did that into that
wild chaos AMI fury We were 60
oct In a few hoursi Ones courage
sinks low, and like the sad, still picture Of q
lost happiness, all that II left behiri Of love
and life comes before us. 'Messieursi II faut
leverr The voice of the guide rings in our
ears. In an instant all is action aud in .pira-
ton. Rops. axes packages, everything
for safety and strength, is arran eel by the
guides in the NEST business-like manner
The pas age OF the broii plate "a OF snow,
the intro luction OF what can never cea . to
be q haz IT lou' uidsr:a kin; y b,,un
work follow. Deep creva .ses, VIII re treaci-
erous chnsmS are o;ts covtrsl by n fall OF
snow. whose lghtns - Is only r.cJsnz by
the eye Of tie prl :tics gail,. yasi uJfJ:s
the careless step
on THE MOUNTAIN TOP.
AIN som. pIrtions IT tn = III, u ID roken
silence is preserved, lest the si sh'eSt vibra-
ton. even from the voices in that rare
ntna .t,r,t a -. la p
snow and tones trembling il IA U4iancs.
And then til, last des ,srlts elm A srlil
wall OF leo, which must he mt WITH all the
defiant. resoluts cnur rgs o. a mans nature.
One by one, gui ls AMI trtv"ier Alternating.
clinging AMI bracing our elves, while the
leader cuts the step In tie cold blue c we
60 surely, firmly up"
The view, even at its he t. is sal to be
unsatisfactory; only tho outline. o. the Jura
and the kptnnines loom dimly ~ on &C.
cunt OF tn, great ,listarc'. But the 1t Il
the highest point Ia j. rope. Nothing Of
earth stands between on an I the cvsrla-t
ing firmansn. le wa som tat ons
might look iatb til, very !a.s OF g i
through ths pure eth,r OF that tainlssS
earth-ril height
Climber are aff,c:el b. various emo
tion4 it is sail, when this climax OF eli
makes is attained Some givs way to the
most violent demonstrations of Joy. singing
AMI dancing like AN milan brave while
others are dazsl and stunned at the realza-
ton Of such hi IA hope. One lady. whose
spirit was stronger than her bbIy. WIS so
enthusiastic that when there VIC, danger Of
her giving out on the way up. shs inside the
guide promise that, SHOULD she die from ex-
haustion, he wJuiI carry h,r lifelsi' body
TO the summit
We know o; several American geutlsme
who have made. the ascent OF Mont Blanc,
and In each cass they went tn Chinook as
ordinary visito $, and were inSpirsl TO I'M
dertake the trip by hearing Of the exploits
Of their predecessors. With members Of
the Alpine club, who have yearly meeting
in London, this climbing or 'w' int, a pas
sion. Any one who can. duriuy tls sum-
mer, reach soma heiy III. wlsr,ou tls rot Of
man has never before restel. has an ac-
count to give which he con iders in some
degree worthy the con Iteration OF hi curps
NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE.
The word "practicable" /. literally en-
struei by these Alpine climber Noshin,
IL ~ilnpracticabs" which - Ia the power of
man to accomplish. and nothing /, dan yer.
GUS that can be ssfely done Tue air ut the
height Of 10000 or 1900 feet is 20 retire sh-
ing to them that to live in the valley pro-
duces the effect Of suffocation, All on the
brink OF d precipiec thousa IL o; feet high
they are rs free from dizziness as in their
beds. And so, we ind in tneir club 'urnal
accounts that take away the breath ~ ice
bound cliffs, mounted step by step, a we
have said, by the intrepid gui .e w..o clears
the way for the party following attached to
each other, and to him y ropes tied around
the body. Each man plant, his pick iirmy
In the solid ice and rests upon it Will, the
steps are cut .. ..F..
Sometimes one Of the party may mako q
false step, lose his hold, and then 1t is on the
strength Of the rops and the rvs ~ his
companions that tho safety OF all d'pends
II Is but the que ,tion Of a moment whether
he Is to be drawn back into place, or
whether he Il to drag the whole company to
the bottom Of the precipice hun ireds OF feet
below