The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-18


the end of a rope. without being conscious
of the danger, and l really do not know
how / escaped in safety
The description gives some idea of what
stiff rock climbing is really like; and IL
should he remembered that. in the Dolo-
mites. moro awkward places even than the
Lochmatters' corner have often been
passed and that when, as often happens,
the rocks are glazed with ice, the danger
of climbing them is more than doubled.
1t is always assumed that the Dent
Blanche is inaccessible in such a case.
Yet the story is told of an inexperienced
climber who managed to get to the sum
NIT in spite of the ice.
He was on his first visit to Switzerland.
and as soon as he got to Zermatt he en-
gagged the best available guide.
What are considered the hardest noun
tains here?" he asked.
The guide told him.
1.-THE Dent Blanche the Welsshorn and
the OberEabelhorn."
VERY we'll" said the novice. 'we'n be-
gin with the Dent Blanche
The guide protested. Did not his herr
think il would be better 10 begin with
something easier-with the ROthhorn. for
instance. or the Strahlhorn, or the Inter
Gabelhorn?
NO" was the reply, you've got 70 take
me M the Dent Blclche. I've climbed
in Wales. and I'll undertake to climb any
rock YOU show me-
So the guide yielded. and the two started
with porter. and for certain distance
got on very well. But at last they came
to point where all the handholds within
reach were frozen M: the nearest practi-
cable handhold could only Just he found
by stretching ont the ice-ax. The guido
explained the situation and insisted that
they must turn back. But his EMPLOYER
hn n a Mitch excite
nant that he would not hear Of II.
Look here" he said: you're n hache-
lor: I'm a married man with a family. II
can afford 70 risk my life Won can afford
70 risk yours You've got TO 20 on up this
mountain. Otherwise I'll throw myself
over tho precipice. and as you're roped to
me- you'll have 10 come. too
Tho man was absolutely mad. Thcre
was no question that IN his excitement.
he would do what he threatened II he were
not oboyed. So the guide sulienly struck
his ice Ak into the assure and climbed M
IL hand over hand and took his lUratic Up
and down the Dent Blanche at time
when It's ascent ought, by all the laws of
icecraft TO have been impossible.
To turn from rock 70 snow climbing.
Accidents arc constantly hapncning on
glaciers vet the observance Of the most
elementary precautions ought TO make
such accidents absolutely impossible.
An open glacier. OF COURSE - are enough
under any circumstances. The one thing
needful is 10 look where Won arc going and
not try 70 make flying leaps across ere
vases But even when the creva sses are
masked by snow all danger NAV still quite
easily he obviated. The simple rule is that
the party crossing the glacier should never
consist OF less than three. and that the
three should be roped together in such
wav that If one falls into a crevasse. the
other two can pull him out And this. Of
course involves the further rule that the
rome must always be kept taut. so that
fall may he checked before IL has gained
an impetus which would make IL difficult
10 resist.
BY experience IL is possible to recognize
n crevasse with tolerable accuracy. in suite
% its snow covering: and by sounding
with the ice ak before treading on it one
ought 70 nc able to tell whether the snow
bridge viii bear ones weight. But now
and again IL viii happen that the most
exnerienced mans Judgment ia at fault
RELYING unOn their instructive perception
Of such things. the Swiss peasantrv con
stantlv traverse glaciers alone in midwin-
ter. But accidents are very frequent. and
when guides tourists or porters have at
tempted the same thing accidents have
constantly befelIen them as well. As az
iliust~at ton may he quoted the case OF a
reporter who fooiishIv ventured 70 return
alone over the Loetschen pass. A snow
bridge broke and he fell into a crevasse
where only his kuapsack saved him from
breaking his neck. He lay on his back
wedged into the fee In such way that ne
could not move. and IL was by the uercat
accident that he was discovered in time
and rescued by 4 party journeying in the
same direction.
So much. as Herodotus would say. for
crevasses. Another serious Alpine danger
is that Of bad weather. and bad weather
as Leslie Stephen has pointed out, may