New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-05-24

for the many. II rOr no Otnef EesSoD tnal their
accessibility. the Alps must always bs ths chic,
objective OF European climbers. II II for the
benefit of such. especially Of the beginner fpor
IA the Iibrary-chair advcnturer torgotten), tha,
Mr. Abrahans has written his "C1fno..ss
Mountaineer" He has provided a careful -,
vfvacfous Introduction % the whole SPORT ia
history code. etiquette and technique Nom
taineering Is a Enthusiastically modern for,
of recreation Only within the lat afsx
sixty years has {. made any wide appeal. h,.
at the present moment every one who v.z.,
Switzerland feels called upon to do some ia,
Of climbing The fact that In 1876 marry t~o
hundred deaths resulted from climbing ac,.
dents indicates the extent TO which fooGhana-
ness and ignorance prevail among the.e par
venus Of the sport. for. with the right trzininy
and suitable precaution. there "a not an Aio,,a
summit we are assured. that may not De ssse,v
scaled to-day
Rock climbing and snow craft ar the orfnar,
divisions Of the mountaineer's education Mr.
Abrahams treats each exhaustfvely. In TIA
practical technique OF the former. what h ~
utmost Importance Ia the proper use OF u.
feet The beginner always betrays himseIf BIZ
his heIplessness when there are no handholfl
The author describes the correct form Of rock
climbing as steady and sure-no pIunging or
jerking but sort OF deliberate. gliding move
Trlent, never releasing one nOt1 ULCil
ascertained that the next one Is firm He ex-
plains the various means OF shifting the post
ton Of the feet on a narrow foothoId, the man
agement OF the body as an aid rather than
hindrance in progressing by sIopfng foothoIds.
the process of worruina, ones way I'D "chirn-
ney" or rift of rock 20 a higher level By the
use of knees and elbows and back. The use %
the rope the danger Of disIOdged stones, the
acquisition of the climbers instinct With equal
fulness he goes into the intricate and exciting
problems OF snow craft The importance OF
moulentary readiness for any emergency Is re-
peatedIy emphasized There may be time
to think Action must be instantaneous He
says:
If sudden slip should occur steep Ice
present there IS great diffcuIty IN arTesttn down
ward progress unless the rope Is held tight De-
tween the climbers and only one OF them 3 NOV
trap to everybody unless slip suca pace
- arrested instantly or 20 use "a IELsALsIn D.
are falling. hold the shaTs OF their 4xs tightly
and plunge the head OF II in the snow Now 4
is useless. for the hands torn from their
grip the shaft, and the Ice axe Is iett STICK
jid Sit Ts 49, w ,'l Is ~ ~ 10y
slip on steep. hard icy Snow should - praised
is to grasp the metal head Of the ak -,niy Win
both hands. and holding il about the Ieve. u
ones chest lie face Downward against TIE slope.
slight turn OF the wrists vii enable the
climber to brake with the head OF me
gradually but surely. and q IS wonderful aow
expert may. il the length % he slope permit
arrest the descent OF a whole party
The writer abOund5 in illustrative aaecdotes
out of his own experience. which he recounts
with zest Though he has taken plenty OF
grave risks himself. and had more than one
hairbreadth escape, as an instructor in noun
tain art, his advice is invariably for caution,
sanity and common sense
Frederic Harrison s. veteran among noun
taineers IN My Alpine jubilee he h1s totJ--
malIy assembled gOodIy number Os Alptae It
tiers and magazine articles which have come
from his pen at intervals through q period %
long 70 his Oxford days. the Latest 70 the f1u
Of 1907. when. in the Coutempla:ive, RETROSPECT
tive mood of old age. ne returned for a brief So
journ amid his favorita scenes once ne had
an insatiate longing for the dangers and ex-
element of the icy peaks: now he likes best
the middle slopes. he does not even regret ne
passing OF the earlier desires For him the
sistibie spell of the Alps IS in the u1iIu- COM
binatiOn they afford of mans nObIeSt works and
natures eternal strength and majesty The
ocean has mighty contrasts. Il exhibits al the
moods of the mountains. but il has no history
no fruits. no signs of human victory or achieve
'nent" So. too. the desert-it = nature out q
touch with man But the Alps are "iat-rut-
ti0nal. European. humanitarian" To diua-i-ss