The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1909-06-24

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/ Snow is very rapid refrigerator as
you may easily test by placing in il
bottle of wine. Stand or sit always
on wood or rocks, and choose your
lunching places, If possible, where
some seats can be found, If not, SIT
on your ruck sacks. or even the
handles of your ice axes Never on
snow.
Another peril inevitable to such
| great quantities of snow on the noun
tans is that of avalanches. Directly
the temperature rises, the surface
snow loosens and the avalanche be-
gins to fall. This danger is especially
present when soft new snow is lying
on surface of old frozen snow be-
meath. No condition, therefore, is so
perilous as that of thaw after a
snowfall. We had that condition in
the valley of Kandersteg recently, and
the result was that scarcely a single
path along the mountainside was
safe. All those little shady walks
where the elderly couples stroll
in the summer were swept by
avalanches. A trustful young pair
who went for walk across the val
ley were nearly swept into eternity
Up above the roar of the snowfalls
went on continually. In the night
time We could hear the crash and
thunder from the high peaks, reused
to fury by the untimely thaw. And we
thought of the two young English
climbers who were lost on the noun
tains, and OF the 20 guides who were
searching for them.
The adventures of those two climb
ers illustrate all the perils of the new
sport. They were ski-runners from
Adelboden. and were accompanied by
two of the best ski-running guides in
the Oberland. They started-so they
told me-with high glass and clear
ski. The skies enabled them to cover
a great distance rapidly; but there a
new danger came in. They were al
ready high on the mountains when the
great storm broke on them. They
could not continue on the snow. They
We're forced to take off their skis,
which instantly became useless incum-
brances, and to climb difficult rocks
with those great burdens at their
backs. Being ski-runners, they had no
nailed boots, but only the flexible
leather shoes worn by cyclists. They
had to climb ice, and II was only their
pluck and youth, combined with the
resourcefulness of their young guides,
that enabled them to reach the Wild
| I,tr ,hn1 l,,,t In,
mained for three whole days, unable
to set foot in the raging blizzard out
side, almost starved to death, owing to
the disgraceful lack of food in this
Swiss mountain hut, and only escap-
ing finally to Kandersteg in a tempo.
rary break of the storm.
This story Is worth recording, IL
only as showing the limits of the new
power which ski-running gives to the
mountaineer. The amazing traverse
of the Oberland and ascent of the Fin
, steraarhorn performed in clear wealth
er conditions to few weeks ago by
, two ski-running climbers certainly
! places beyond doubt the power Of the
ski under immaculate conditions.
Skis are invaluable on easy slopes of
, snow in the best possible state. They
! become less and less valuable as the
. snow worsens and the slopes steepen
=, They are almost useless in soft, moist
:. snow and quite useless in the very
steep snow slopes that you find high
;, up on the great snow-mountains. On
rocks or moraines they must, of course
be carried on the shoulders-and they
are pretty heavy.
= II these qualifications are borne In
. mind skis will certainly prove most
= useful in Swiss winter climbing-the,
= would not be worth carriage in the
:, sun.mer-but If they are neglected
!, then | foresee very unfortunate pc
!, riod of disrepute for this very wonder
:, ful. If rather cumbrous, form O
footgear.
10 Winter climbing. to sum up, mus
: always be for the few. II must be an
,e preached with the greatest caution
Nothing must be neglected, above all
=, not food. which Is one of the best enc
,a mics OF cold. You must remem
- ber, too, that the streams are frozen
!, and all drinks must be carried witt
a you. Your clothing must be Of tn
20 warmest-especially for feet an,
"A hands. Weather must be of the hes,
4. II is only so that the sport can b
y. saved from making new and calan
:. itous additions to the death roll O
NO. the Alps.