CONTENTS.
1860
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY.
BEACHY HEAD—DEVIL OF NOTRE DAME—VISP THAL—SCRAMBLING ALONE—THE WEISSHORN—ST. BERNARD—RASCALLY GUIDE—A VILLAGE CONCERT—STORM ON THE COL DE LAUTARET
1861
CHAPTER II.
THE ASCENT OF MONT PELVOUX.
THE VALLEYS OF DAUPHINÉ—THE PEAKS OF DAUPHINÉ—MISTAKES IN THEIR IDENTIFICATION—EARLY ATTEMPTS TO ASCEND MONT PELVOUX—INTRODUCTION TO MONSIEUR REYNAUD—GRENOBLE—MEETING WITH MACDONALD—NATIONAL SENTIMENTS—WE ENGAGE A GUIDE—START FOR PELVOUX—PASS THE CAVERN OF THE VAUDOIS—MASSACRE OF THE VAUDOIS—FIRST NIGHT OUT—WE ARE REPULSED—ARRIVAL OF MACDONALD—THIRD NIGHT OUT—TORRENTS ON FIRE—FALLING ROCKS—ASCENT OF THE PELVOUX—THE PYRAMID—VIEW FROM THE SUMMIT—WE DISCOVER THE POINTE DES ECRINS—SURPRISED BY NIGHT—ON FLEAS—EN ROUTE FOR MONTE VISO—DESERTERS—CAMP ON AN ANT-HILL—ST. VERAN—PRIMITIVE MANNERS—NATURAL PILLARS—ARRIVE AT BRIANÇON
CHAPTER III.
MY FIRST SCRAMBLE ON THE MATTERHORN.
THE WEISSHORN AND THE MATTERHORN—INTRODUCTION TO JEAN-ANTOINE CARREL—SUPERSTITIONS OF THE NATIVES IN REGARD TO THE MATTERHORN—RIDGES OF THE MATTERHORN—EARLIEST ATTEMPTS TO ASCEND THE MOUNTAIN—ATTEMPT BY THE MESSRS. PARKER—ATTEMPT BY MESSRS. HAWKINS AND TYNDALL—ARRIVE AT [pg xiv]BREIL—UNWILLINGNESS OF THE GUIDES TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE MATTERHORN—THE CARRELS ENDEAVOUR TO CUT US OUT—THE “GREAT STAIRCASE”—THE COL DU LION—WE DECIDE TO CAMP THERE—GREAT EXCITEMENT FROM FALLING STONES—LIGHT AND SHADE—THE “CHIMNEY”—DEFEATED—A COOL PROCEEDING
1862
CHAPTER IV.
RENEWED ATTEMPTS TO ASCEND THE MATTERHORN.
MR. KENNEDY’S WINTER ATTEMPT—BENNEN REFUSES TO START AGAIN—THE THÉODULE PASS—MEYNET, THE HUNCHBACK OF BREIL—ON TENTS FOR MOUNTAINEERING—MACDONALD AND I START FOR THE MATTERHORN—NARROW ESCAPE OF KRONIG—VIOLENT WIND TURNS US BACK—ENGAGE CARREL AND PESSION AND START AGAIN—THE “GREAT TOWER”—PESSION BECOMES ILL AND WE ARE OBLIGED TO RETURN—BAD WEATHER—SCRAMBLE ALONE ON THE MATTERHORN—PIONEERS OF VEGETATION—VIEW FROM THE TENT—A SOLITARY BIVOUAC—MONTE VISO SEEN BY MOONLIGHT AT NINETY-EIGHT MILES’ DISTANCE—ON AIDS TO CLIMBERS—CLIMBING CLAW—FIND A NEW PLACE FOR THE TENT—I ATTAIN A GREATER ALTITUDE ALONE THAN HAD BEEN REACHED BEFORE, AND NEARLY COME TO GRIEF—MY FOURTH ATTEMPT TO ASCEND THE MATTERHORN—DEFEATED AGAIN BY WEATHER—THE CARRELS GO MARMOT-HUNTING, AND WE START FOR A FIFTH ATTEMPT—DEFEATED BY NATURAL DIFFICULTIES—TYNDALL ARRIVES AND CARRIES OFF THE CARRELS—A CANNONADE ON THE MATTERHORN—TYNDALL IS REPULSED—CONFLAGRATION IN DAUPHINÉ
1863
CHAPTER V.
THE VAL TOURNANCHE—THE BREUILJOCH—ZERMATT—FIRST ASCENT OF THE GRAND TOURNALIN.
THE DOUANE—“BUT WHAT IS THIS?”—DIFFICULTIES WITH MY LADDER—EXPLANATION OF TYNDALL’S REPULSE—ROMAN (?) AQUEDUCT IN THE VAL TOURNANCHE—ASCEND THE CIMES BLANCHES—WE DECEIVE A GOAT—WE INVENT A NEW PASS TO ZERMATT (BREUILJOCH)—AQUEOUS AND GLACIER EROSION—GLACIER VERSUS ROCKS—SEILER’S DISINTERESTEDNESS—THE MATTERHORN CLIFFS—EXTRAORDINARY ACCIDENT TO A CHAMOIS—COL DE VALPELLINE—THE MASTER OF PRERAYEN—ATTEMPT TO ASCEND DENT D’ERIN (D’HÉRENS)—THE VA CORNÈRE PASS—FIRST ASCENT OF THE GRAND TOURNALIN—SPLENDID VIEW FROM THE SUMMIT—ON PANORAMIC VIEWS—GOUFFRE DES BUSSERAILLES—AN ENTERPRISING INNKEEPER
CHAPTER VI.
OUR SIXTH ATTEMPT TO ASCEND THE MATTERHORN.
EXTREMES MEET—THUNDER AND LIGHTNING—ECHOES OF THUNDER—GREAT ROCKFALLS DURING THE NIGHT—DEFEATED BY THE WEATHER—MYSTERIOUS MISTS
1864
CHAPTER VII.
FROM ST. MICHEL TO LA BÉRARDE BY THE COL DES AIGS. D’ARVE, COL DE MARTIGNARE, AND THE BRÈCHE DE LA MEIJE.
RETURN AGAIN TO DAUPHINÉ—MICHEL CROZ—COL DE VALLOIRES—THE AIGUILLES D’ARVE—WE MAKE A PASS BETWEEN THEM—COL DE MARTIGNARE—ASCENT OF THE AIG. DE LA SAUSSE—THE MEIJE—FIRST PASSAGE OF THE BRÈCHE DE LA MEIJE—MELCHIOR ANDEREGG—LA GRAVE—THE BRÈCHE IS WON—THE VALLON DES ETANÇONS
CHAPTER VIII.
THE FIRST ASCENT OF THE POINTE DES ECRINS.
LA BÉRARDE—PIC THE PORTER—BIVOUAC ON THE GLACIER DE LA BONNE PIERRE—DISSOLVING VIEWS—DRYNESS OF THE AIR—TOPOGRAPHY OF CENTRAL DAUPHINÉ ALPS—FIRST ATTEMPTS TO ASCEND THE ECRINS—A MIGHTY AVALANCHE—OUR ASCENT OF THE FINAL PEAK—ON SPLINTERS FROM SUMMITS—LE JEU NE VAUT PAS LA CHANDELLE—SHATTERED RIDGE—ALMER’S LEAP—SURPRISED BY NIGHT—A WARNING
CHAPTER IX.
FROM VAL LOUISE TO LA BÉRARDE BY THE COL DE PILATTE.
CHALETS OF ENTRAIGUES—ARRIVAL OF REYNAUD—ON SNOW COULOIRS—SUMMIT OF THE COL—EXCITING DESCENT—REYNAUD COMES OVER THE SCHRUND—THE LAST OF DAUPHINÉ
CHAPTER X.
THE FIRST PASSAGE OF THE COL DE TRIOLET, AND FIRST ASCENTS OF MONT DOLENT, AIGUILLE DE TRÉLATÊTE, AND AIGUILLE D’ARGENTIÈRE.
MAPS OF MONT BLANC—MR. ADAMS-REILLY—OUR COMPACT—THE PEAKS OF THE MONT BLANC RANGE—ACROSS THE COL DE TRIOLET—A MINIATURE ASCENT—REILLY [pg xvi]ADVOCATES PATIENCE—BIVOUAC ON MONT SUC—THE FIRST ASCENT OF AIG. DE TRÉLATÊTE—THE MORAINE OF THE MIAGE—ON MORAINES IN GENERAL—ERRONEOUS VIEWS RESPECTING THEM—OUR FIRST ATTEMPT TO ASCEND AIG. D’ARGENTIÈRE—A CONCEALED CAVERN—SUCCESS AT LAST—MR. REILLY’S MAP
CHAPTER XI.
THE FIRST PASSAGE OF THE MOMING PASS—ZINAL TO ZERMATT.
SWISS MENDICANTS—NIGHT ON THE ARPITETTA ALP—A PERILOUS PATH—ICE-AVALANCHE—SUMMIT OF THE MOMING PASS—CROZ DISTINGUISHES HIMSELF—THE CLUB-ROOM OF ZERMATT
1865
CHAPTER XII.
THE FIRST ASCENT OF THE GRAND CORNIER.
ON CHOICE OF ROUTES—REGRETS—ZINAL—ASCENT OF THE GRAND CORNIER—EFFECTS OF SUN AND FROST—GREAT RIDGES SUFFER MOST—POINTS OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ATMOSPHERIC AND GLACIER EROSION—ABRICOLLA
CHAPTER XIII.
THE ASCENT OF THE DENT BLANCHE.
LESLIE STEPHEN—KENNEDY’S ASCENT—ON BERGSCHRUNDS—UNWELCOME ATTENTIONS—A RACE FOR LIFE—BENIGHTED—A SURPRISE
CHAPTER XIV.
LOST ON THE COL D’HÉRENS—SEVENTH ATTEMPT TO ASCEND THE MATTERHORN—THE FIRST ASCENT OF THE GRANDES JORASSES.
A LATE START AND THE RESULT—BEWILDERED—RETURN TO ABRICOLLA—CROSS COL D’HÉRENS TO ZERMATT—ASCEND THE THÉODULHORN—NEW IDEAS REGARDING THE MATTERHORN—DECEPTIVENESS OF THE EAST FACE—STRATIFICATION—DIP OF THE BEDS—TRY ANOTHER ROUTE—“SAUVE QUI PEUT”—BEATEN AGAIN—ASCENT OF THE GRANDES JORASSES—NARROW ESCAPE FROM AN AVALANCHE
CHAPTER XV.
THE FIRST PASSAGE OF THE COL DOLENT.
CONFUSION OF IDEAS—A MIDNIGHT START—SUMMIT OF THE PASS—EXTRAORDINARY ICE-WALL—MANNER OF ITS DESCENT—ON ICE-AXES AND THEIR USE—ON ICE-SLOPES AND THEIR SAFETY—CRAMPONS—ARRIVAL AT CHAMOUNIX
CHAPTER XVI.
THE FIRST ASCENT OF THE AIGUILLE VERTE.
CROZ LEAVES US—CHRISTIAN ALMER—SUNSET ON THE MER DE GLACE—ASCENT OF THE AIGUILLE—ADVICE TO MOUNTAIN WALKERS—VIEW FROM THE SUMMIT—STORMS COME ON—A WORTHY PORTER—THE NOBLE ATTITUDE OF CHAMOUNIX
CHAPTER XVII.
THE FIRST PASSAGE OF THE COL DE TALÈFRE.
THE COL DU GÉANT—THE GLACIER DE TALÈFRE—EASY WAY FROM CHAMOUNIX TO COURMAYEUR—GLISSADING—PASSES OVER THE MAIN CHAIN OF MONT BLANC
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE FIRST ASCENT OF THE RUINETTE—THE MATTERHORN.
FACILITY WITH WHICH THE RUINETTE CAN BE ASCENDED—NOBLE PANORAMA—ON CONCEALED CREVASSES—GUIDES’ OBJECTION TO USE OF THE ROPE—ON THE USE AND ABUSE OF THE ROPE—ALMER DECLINES THE MATTERHORN—ENGAGE THE CARRELS—THEIR DEFECTION—THE ITALIANS STEAL A MARCH—ARRIVAL OF LORD FRANCIS DOUGLAS—MEETING WITH CROZ, HUDSON, AND HADOW
CHAPTER XIX.
THE FIRST ASCENT OF THE MATTERHORN.
CHARLES HUDSON—CAMP ON THE EAST FACE—CROZ REPORTS FAVOURABLY—ASCENT OF THE EASTERN FACE—CROSS TO THE NORTHERN SIDE—ARRIVAL AT SUMMIT—DISCOMFITURE OF THE ITALIANS—ASTONISHMENT AT BREIL—MARVELLOUS PANORAMA
CHAPTER XX.
THE DESCENT OF THE MATTERHORN.
ORDER OF THE DESCENT—A FRIGHTFUL AVALANCHE—HADOW SLIPS—DEATH OF CROZ, HADOW, HUDSON, AND LORD F. DOUGLAS—TERROR OF THE TAUGWALDERS—THE BROKEN ROPE—AN APPARITION—AN INFAMOUS PROPOSITION—SURPRISED BY NIGHT—SEARCH FOR AND RECOVERY OF THE BODIES—OFFICIAL EXAMINATION—THE END
APPENDIX.
| PAGE | |
| A. THE DEATH OF BENNEN | [301] |
| B. STRUCK BY LIGHTNING UPON THE MATTERHORN | [303] |
| C. NOTE ON THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN FRANCE | [304] |
| D. SUBSEQUENT HISTORY OF THE MATTERHORN | [304] |
| E. TABLE OF ATTEMPTS TO ASCEND THE MATTERHORN | [315] |
| F. TABLE OF ASCENTS OF THE MATTERHORN | [316] |
| G. GEOLOGY OF THE MATTERHORN, BY SIG. F. GIORDANO | [323] |
| H. PROFESSOR TYNDALL AND THE MATTERHORN | [325] |