The Washington times., 1901-09-22
THE ALPINE DEATH ROLL.
Disasters in Mountain Climbing
Are Rapidly Increasing.
Records Kept by CIubs-How Inex-
perience Hefghtens the PeriIs of
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Attempts to
Scale Mont BIanc-Other Examples.

ScaIe Mont Blanc-Other Examples.
The current summer would appear to
have been exceptionally prolific in mount
aincering accidents So frequent, indeed.
have been the reports of Alpine casualties
that the impression gains ground that the
toll of human life annually demanded of
climbers is increasing with some rapidity.
Our own Alpine Club has apparently no
statistics on the point Its personal inter-
est in the question is. happily, not very
large one, for on a rough estimate, only
some dozen or so of its members have met
with fatal accidents since its inception in
1851 and of these a small proportion have
come to grief not on the Alps, but in the
Caucasus and in India. Continental clubs,
however, have been at pains to keep very
accurate statistics, and their figures do
undoubtedly show an augmented loss of
life on the Alps in recent years. In a GER
tain sense this ought not to be the case,
for this great European rar ge may be re-
garded as having by this time been prac-
tically explored, and the craze for sensa-
tional achievement is more or less con-
fined, of necessity. to the discovery of
new and perhaps difficult routes. On the
other hand, it must be remembered that
Switzerland and the bordering country is
every year becoming in a greater degree
the holiday ground of Europe. which
means that there are far more people
climbing than there used to be. Once
grant the possibility that the really eff
cient climbers have not increased proper
tionately to the total, and an augmented
number of accidents. so far from being
matter for surprises, is precisely what is
to be expected.
1t is pretty safe to say that herein lies
the explanation of the growing death roll
of the Alps Where one tourist trod the
mountain side decade ago there are
probably ten now. and the old idea that
anybody can climb is. unfortunately, just
as rampant as ever. In regard to every
other form of sport, the tourist will will
ingly admit that training and experience
are essential if a man is TO excel. but
mountaineering he considers the exception
which proves the rule, and he deems him
self safe on the most hazardous expedi-
ton If only he can secure the services of
competent guide. This is the crowning
fallacy of all, for the most trusted of
guides is powerless to prevent accidents
to inefficient climbers. Mountaineering, in
a word. is a risky business for those who
do not understand it, however, extensive
may be their pecuniary precautions. But
to those who regard it seriously it is an
excellent and a tolerably safe sport, more
capable than any other probably OF test
ing the powers of human endurance, fore
sight. and patience. Just as your real
mountaineer learns how to climb the
seemingly inaccessible, and always to pre-
serve his nerve at the critical moment, so
by experience he comes TO read the face
of nature until he can tell from the look
of mountain which is the best route
from which to approach its summit and
where and between what hours there will
be risk from falling stones. Zurbiggen,
famous Swiss guide, Was taken out to
New Zealand to attempt the ascent of
Mount Cook He looked at the mountain
one evening. and the next day he reached
its topmost point in safety. Yet the tour
ist imagines that because one man can
accomplish such a feat it is open to any
other to do the same. although he may
never before have seen a snow-clad peak.
A few years ago it was the generally ac-
cepted theory that people who made the
ascent of Mount Blanc must be classed as
lunatics Certain it is that this summer
there seems to have been quite a number
of accidents to tourists who have at
tempted to scale its heights. Here 1t is
the meteorological conditions rather than
the mountain itself which are especially
to be feared If the weather breaks and
the snow gets into bad condition climbers
may be unable to get down again. The
ascent, in fact, may involve the severest
test of the powers of physical endurance,
which points to the absolute desirability
of tho lountaineer being in the pink of
condition, as well being the poSseSsor
of climbing experience. 1t is an accepted
axiom that one ''seedy" man may bring a
whole party into danger, and that man is
very likely to be the one who has hurried
out from England with nerves exhausted
and muscles relaxed by some sedentary
occupation. One of the most risky things
for the amateur climber is to find himself,
without nails in his boots, on grassy
slope in a dry season Then he may
thank his lucky stars IL he gets off it at
all. That people should think of noun
taineering in ordinary boots is typical of
the indifference with which the enterprise
is occasionally regarded. But even the
expert climber is sometimes rash, al
though not usually in point of equipment.
The wise man is he who knows where
danger is and avoids it. The other is he
whose very acquaintance with danger
makes him incautious in respect of 1t.
IL
climber, lost his life some three years ago
on Dent Blanche because he did not allow
sufficient time for his work. and because
the weather rendered 1t too difficult.
Then there was DIR. Hopkinson, of Man
chester. who. himself an efficient climber
and a member of the Alpine Club, per-
ished because all the members of his par
~ were not equally efficient. Such cases
suggest that in mountaineering familiar
ity should never be allowed to breed con-
tempt, or even carelessness.
A mountaineer should begin young and
he can make a good start in this country
either in the lake district, where there are
several climbers clubs. or in Wales or
Scotland. In all three districts a good
deal may be learned about snowcraft
The snow and ice climber, by the way
looks down with some amount of con-
tempt on the mere rock climber, because
the latter's work is considered to afford
a less considerable test of endurance and
ability. There is no glacier work to be
done in these islands, 1t is true, but the
knowledge which is picked up gives the
climber a good start. enabling him to take
in hand the smaller things in Switzerland,
and gradually attain to the larger. Climb
ing, however. must be climbing, and not
hauling up, a point about which our AL
pine Club is very particular when applica-
tion is made for membership. There are
those who, after a certain amount of
in their youth, drop it for a
while and vet find themselves able to
take it up again later in life. But for i'm
portant expeditions considerable staying
power and the habit of climbing are really
essential. With these a man may grad
ually pass into the category of those who
are so well qualified as to dispense with
guides except, perhaps for the purpose of