The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-02-26
Sanity in Winter Sports.

The notion persists that because the
New Hampshire hills are not the Alps
their ascent in winter is mere tribe, to
be undertaken without forethought,
and without reference to the WIS
dom of the weatherwse or the assist
ance of experienced guides. Every win
ter brings its lesson of the danger OF
inexperienced mountain climbing in our
state, and this years example is tragic
in the extreme. 1t is altogether too
costly. viii we never learn that ex-
IRENE suffering and even death await
those who are lost or become storm
bound in our hills and have only their
own ineXperience TO guide them IN the
emergency of mountain mist or
storm?
New resources Of health aud pleas
IRE are being developed in the opening
NJ Of the field cf winter sports in cur
state Satisfying beauties await the
ewes OF those who attain ice bound
peaks. Astounding life finds an outlet
and acquires access Of vitality IN the
arduous but celebrating push 70 the
summit goal Of genuine mountain
climb And the Joy Of achievement
il his who reaches the top Of any Of
our considerable mountain ranges or
isolated monadnucks And the joy OF
this thing, the vibrant life Of It, Is
more and more getting hold OF the
young and adventurous.
But this is no chiId's play. Think
of the circumstances of our latest ia
In Hao Il
starts out to climb one OF the moder-
ate sized detached mountains, The
day Is fine, and TO his inexperienced
eve there is no sign of storm He Is
sufficiently clad for mild weather, but
makes no provision against Il winter
tempest He wears an inadequate pair
Of snowshDes, all right for launt
through the fields. but not fitted for
mountain climbing IL all looks easy.
II il not a great thing to climb Mo.
nadnork. YOU know. summer or winter
And then comes the binding storm
and death. This on Monadnoek! And
year after year. the same thing Is at
tempted in the northern mountains,
where the dangers are multiplied over
and over again.
Sometimes death lays its hand upon
those who plunge with lighthearted
folly into any adventure More often
the victim simply doesn't understand
The hills take no account Of ignorance
Of their ways In summer the mists
gather swiftly, in winter the storm
breaks suddenly, and the one not
trained in wooderaft, lacking a guide
unprepared for emergencies, pays bit
terly for want of precaution or guild.
ance
1t probably win be found to be a
difficult thing 10 regulate-this bust
ness of mountain climbing. But some
way ought to be worked out for i'm
pressing strangers or inexperienced hill
climbers with the Importance Of seek
ing advice and. in the more dangerous
parts of the hill country, obtaining
the services of Trustworthy guides.
There is much TO be got out Of the
winter sports Health and a peculiar
enjoyment lie there on the mountain
slopes and SUBMITS And all can be
had in full measure by those who com
hne forethought with strength, and
undertake the quest OF the heights
properly equipped to meet emergencies.
Ii would seem as if il might be made
the business Of the press the boards
81 trade. the community organizations
and any and an agencies for the cir
culating Of local publicity in the noun
tain towns to get before the public
the plain facts Of hin climbing to ac-
company the publicity which aims at
getting people 20 the hills with prae-
teal directions as to how to act when
they get among the hills.-Manchester
Union