Hattiesburg daily progress. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 18??-1909, 1903-11-11
RISKS BY ALPINE GUIDES.
Dangerous and Difficult
Every Year.

With the increase in the number OF
club huts, ladders and other facilities for
mountain climbing, it has become the
fashion, especially among those VINO
know very little about the subject. to
speak of the modern Alpine ascension
ist," though he had fewer Dangers and
difficulties to encounter than the man
who undertakes to walk to Brighton.
But, while it is undoubtedly true that, for
instance, the ascent Of Mont Blanc is
very much easier task to-day than 1t was
when JACQUES Balmat first made his way
to the summit in 1856, the Alpine guides.
as a class. are finding that their profess
sion is growing more dangerous and dit
fcult every year, says the London Times.
This is due to the fact that, as Switzer-
land is continually being opened up more
and more for the ordinary tourist, there
an ever-increasing number of men
land women, tool who, without possess
ing any of the necessary knowledge,
training or experience, are anxious to
emulate. and if possible Guido, the feats
of world-famous members OF the Alpine
club. The expert mountaineer, VINO mas
made a careful study of his hobby from
the beginning, knows that the first and
most important thing TO be done is to
choose guides that he knows he can trust.
and. having done so, to accept their de-
cisions and obey their instructions IN all
matters in which their knowledge and
experience are likely to be superior to
his own.
The "tenderfoot," on the other hand.
with his brand-new ice AK and carefully
coiled length of "red thread" rope, I'M
AGNES that hesis displaying his courage
and general superiority by overrullng the
suggestions of his guides and insisting on
doing things which they know from ex-
perience to be both perilous and fool
hardy. The herr can choose his guide,
but the guide cannot select his herr, for
he takes his turn upon the roster know
ing always that the next applicant for
his services. Nor whom he will have to
answer with his life, may be either an
incompetent weakling or cOnccited and
obstinate fool
For this reason q guide must be not
only a man of great muscular strength,
decision and resource, with an expert
knowledge Of rock and ice and OF the
| idiosyncrasies of the weather in his own
particular district, but he must possess
sufficient force Of character, personality
and tact to impress and convince his herr
when the latter thinks he sees his way to
a pinnacle of glory, whereas the guide
knows that he is more likely to find him
self at the bottom of deep crevasse. 1t
is this uncertainty as to the qualifications
of his employer that constitutes the pr1n-
cipal danger of the guide as compared
with the amateur.
The statement that "the herr can
choose his own guide" holds good in most
of the Swiss climbing centers, and any
member of one of the recognized Alpine
clubs has a right to choice of guides In
some places, however. and especially in
| ChamoniX, the regulations Of the guides
bureau are very stringent, and they try
| to enforce the tour de role on every pos
sible occasion. A somewhat striking in
stance of this happened three years ago,
when two well-known climbers came to
| Chamonix intending to DO some serious
work, with two guides who had been
specially recommended to them.
They found their men. but were told
that these could not come without leave
from the guide chef. The latter insisted
on the tour de role with such Obstinacy
that finally, in disgust, the two climbers
went off to the post office and telegraphed
| to Zermatt (where there is no guides
bureau) for two guides whom they had
already employed in that district. and
| they engaged them to climb in the Cham
onix valley for six weeks at 81 a day
each. This was naturally rather facer
for the RED tape of the guide chef