The Yale expositor., 1909-05-07
OF M RZP5 RH07OcRAeRED
IRON a 6/4LLOOH

GTOIT ~ OTZE OCV
Snow is a very rapid refrigerator, as
you may easily test by placing in it
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,
tains 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 a walk across the val
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
great distance rapidly; but there a
new danger came in. They were al
ready high on the mountains when the
could not continue on the snow. They
were forced to take off their skis,
which instantly became useless incum-
ORANGES, 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 it was only their
pluck and youth, combined with the
resourcefulness of their young guides,
that enabled them to reach the Wild
strubel hut in safety. There they re-
manned 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 tempo
rary break of the storm.
This story is worth recording, II
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 a 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
clnnng fhof RHI I'll.
, up on the great snow-mountains. On
rocks or moraines they must, of course
be carried on the shoulders-and they
are pretty heavy
If these qualifications are borne in
mind skis will certainly prove most
useful in Swiss winter climbing-they
would not be worth carriage in the
summer-but II they are neglected
/ then i foresee a very unfortunate pc
riod OF disrepute for this very wonder
full. IL rather cumbrous, form oil
| footgear.
Winter climbing. to sum up, must
always be for the few. II must be an
preached with the greatest caution
Nothing must be neglected, above all
not food, which is one of the best enc
mics of cold. You must remem
Der. too. that the streams are frozen
and all drinks must be carried with
you. Your clothing must be OF the
warmest-especially for feet and
hands. Weather must be of the best
Il is only so that the sport can be
saved from making new and calam
itous additions to the death roll Of
! the Alps.