Summer months among the Alps; with the ascent of Monte Rosa

Preface

. After spending three long vacations amidst the scenery of the Alps of Switzerland and Savoy, and making some expeditions in parts of the country little known and still less described, I was induced to hope that an account of such a combination of routes as would unite some of the more difficult enterprises among the high mountains with the walks that are within the reach of the less ambitious class of travellers, might perhaps be useful to those who have not yet seen these regions, as well as interesting to some who are already more or less acquainted with them. With this view I have taken the last year's journey for my basis, and woven into the line such expeditions of former seasons as appeared likely to be A

PREFACE.

. VI most interesting and most worthy of being under taken. The materials have been collected from a complete journal which I kept in 1855, when Mr. W. Dundas accompanied me throughout nearly the whole of the journey, and from notes taken and letters written in 1856, when, with my brother and a friend, I visited the valleys and mountain passes to the south and east of Monte Rosa, in addition to retracing my steps over a great deal of old ground. My object has been to describe, at some length, the grander and wilder features of the scenery, and some of the most interesting and exciting of the expeditions which I have had the good fortune to make successfully ; passing over the less magnificent, but more beaten, routes with only such notice as is necessary to preserve the continuity of the march, and to enable a reader to follow my course without difficulty.

The surpassing grandeur of the neighbourhood of Zermatt and the Riffelberg, and the remembrance of the many happy days I have at various times spent there, coupled with the fact of its being infinitely

PREFACE.

. VII less known than its great rival, Chamonix, have induced me to give the greatest prominence to that portion of the work which relates to the constellation of magnificent mountains, of which the many-peaked Monte Rosa is the chief star ; and the pleasure of our ascent of its Hochste Spitze, or highest summit, under remarkably favourable circumstances of wea ther, forms the culminating point of my affection for this part of the Pennine Alps. The Strahleck is probably the grandest pass in the Oberland, and the day's journey necessary to cross it gives a good insight into the mysteries of the Bernese Mer de Glace; and, though there is no difficulty in such passes as the Rawyl and Col de Checruit, I have described them carefully, in con sequence of their being very little known, though highly worthy of the attention of travellers.

With respect to the illustrations, that of Monte Rosa is from a drawing very carefully made by my brother on the Riffelberg; the remainder are from drawings based upon our sketches taken on the spot, and finished by the kindness of friends at home. They are necessarily reduced to a small scale; yet A

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. such care has been bestowed upon them by Messrs. Day's lithographic artist, that I think I may venture to answer for their truthfulness. It was impossible in a work of this size to give a map of sufficiently large dimensions to be useful in tracing a tour through the whole country ; but I thought it would be advantageous to have a few small maps of the more important districts, where, without such assistance, it might be difficult for those unacquainted with the local geography to follow the routes indicated in the text. They are taken in the main from the last edition of Keller's map, with the omission of many names of places unnecessary for the purposes of these pages, and the addition of some others and of a few routes not laid down in the original. In the map of the Oberland mountains, some doubt may arise as to the accuracy of calling the glacier on the north side of the spur, running in a south-easterly direction from the Schreckhorn, by the name of the Lauteraar glacier. On this point Keller and Leuthold differ ; the government survey is not yet continued quite far enough in this direc-

PREFACE.

. IX tion to the north to settle the question beyond a doubt ; but, as far as we can judge from the way in which the surveyors have laid down the glaciers on each side of this spur, it would appear to be their intention to adopt Keller's view ; and, as J/ have throughout used Keller as the chief standard, com paring him however with Leuthold, and with Studer whenever practicable, I have not hesitated to adhere to him in this instance also. At all events, it is a mere question of names. There is no doubt about the correctness of the position of the glaciers ; and the route of the Strahleck Pass will, I think, be sufficiently clear after this explanation. The remarks in the Appendix I submit with very great diffidence. I am far from being so presump tuous as to pretend to lay down rules as to what may or may not be properly considered an imperfect fluid ; my only wish has been to show that, unless the objectors give us some strict definitions on the subject, they can hardly maintain the unsoundness of Professor Forbes's theory, which vindicates for a glacier the name, as well as the analogous phe nomena, of an imperfect fluid ; and I shall be truly X

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. glad if these remarks may lead to further discussion on the subject. With regard to the supposed difficulties and dan gers of expeditions above the level of perpetual snow, the greatness of which is by some persons estimated as sufficient to justify the charge of fool -hardiness levelled against those who encounter them willingly, I have throughout endeavoured to make it clear that, with tolerable training and proper precaution, nothing serious need be apprehended. At the same time, I think it only right to say that, without such preparations, grave difficulties may often be encountered ; and, considering the uncertainty of weather on tlie high mountains, nothing short of the experience of many years can justify amateurs in undertaking expeditions of this nature without the assistance of local guides, who, by constant practice, acquire an almost instinctive power of extricating themselves from danger.

And if any one imagines that, because Mont Blanc has been very frequently ascended, the Alps in general are " done for," I would only imitate the example of the good cure of Saas, and point up to

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. M scores of glaciers and lofty peaks, untrodden by the foot of man, in the exploration of which much adventure, and probably no less valuable infor mation, may yet be gleaned by those who like to start with " Excelsior " for their watchword. CONTENTS.

Chapter I

Freiburg. — The Hdllenthal.— Schaffhausen. — Zurich. — The Rigi. — Lucerne. —Altdorf. — The Devil's Bridge. — A ndermatt. — Hospenthal - Pp. 1 ]9 CHAP. II. The Furka. — View of the Finsteraarhorn. — Glacier of the Rhone. — The Grimsel. — The Unteraar Glacier. — Falls of Handeck. — Reichenbach. — Rosenlaui. — Sunrise on the Faulhorn. — Grindelwald. — The Wengern Alp. — Interlaken ...... 20—35 CHAP. HI. Passage of the Strahleck from the Grimsel to Grindelwald. — Crossing the Glacier. — "Das ist der Mond." — Sleep in the Hut. — A portable Wine-cellar. — Precipitous Ascent. — View from the Summit. — Descent to Grindelwald by the Lower Glacier ------ 36—54 CONTENTS. CHAP. IV. Interlaken. — Kandersteg. — The Œschinen See. — Schwarenbach. — An old Friend. — Ascent of the Great Altels. — Singular Glacier. — Adventure on the Summit. — Cloudy Weather. — The Gemmi. — Leukerbad. — The Ladders Pp. 55-81 CHAP. V. The Baths of Leuk. — Visp. — Effects of the Earthquake. — St. Nicolaus. — A Race. — Zermatt. — The Schwartzen See. — The Hornli. — Magnificent View. — The Theodule and Gorner Glaciers. — Hotel du Riffel. — Preparations for Monte Rosa ----- 82—102 CHAP. VI.

An early Start. — A German Volunteer. — The first Rocks. — " Look at Mont Blanc ! " — The old Route. — Severe Cold. — A difficult Crest. — Halt among the Rocks. — The last Obstacle. — Astonishing View from the Summit. — A trifling Accident.— Return to the Riffel - - 103—143 CHAP. VII. Attempt to cross the Weiss Thor. — Dangerous Snow. — Bad Weather. — An awkward Situation. — The St. Theodule Pass, or Matterjoch. — A fast Walk to Chatillon. — Ascent of the Cima di Jazzi. — Crevasse in the Neve. — Effect of Clouds. — Symptoms of Winter ... 144 CONTENTS. XV CHAP. VEIL Farewell to the Riffel. — Stalden. — The Valley of Saas. — BI. Imseng, the Mountaineering Cure. — The Allelein Glacier. — Pass of the Monte Moro to Macugnaga. — Lochmatter " at Home." — The Val d'Anzasca. — Ponte Grande. — Feriolo. — Lago Maggiore - - - - Pp. 160 — 177 CHAP. IX.

Arona. — The Isola Bella. — Lago d'Orta. — Pella to Varallo. — A Pilgrimage to the Monte Sacro. — A Village Theatre. — Val Sesia. — Pass of the Val Dobbia. — Gressonay. — The Lys Glacier and the Col d'Ollen. — Brusson. — Grapes and Walnuts. — Chatillon. — Aosta- - - 178—196 CHAP. X. Stormy Weather on the St. Bernard. — Col Fenetre and Col Ferrex. — Courmayeur. — The Proments. — Col de Checruit. — Col de la Seigne. — Col des Fours. — A Party lost. — Contamines. — Col de Voza. — The new Route to the Summit ofMontBlanc. — Les Ouches. — Chamonix - 197—217 CHAP. XI. The Mer de Glace. — Expedition to the Jardin. — Chamonix Guides. — The Glacier de Talefre. — The Brevent. — Jean Tairraz. — The Pierre de l'Echelle. — Excursion to the Glaciers at the Foot of the Aiguilles. — A Discovei-y. — Return to Chamonix ----- 218—237 CONTENTS.

XVI CHAP. XII. Start for the Buet. — Argentiere. — A new Route. — View from the Summit. — A singular Line of Descent. — Pierre de Berar. — Glacier des Bossons. — Montanvert and the Mauvais Pas. — An American on Foot. — Wonderful Effect of Moonlight - - - - Pp. 238—257 CHAP. XIII. Departure from Chamonix. — The Col de Balme. — Martigny. — An enthusiastic Engineer. — Lombard Sportsmen. — Sion. — Ayent. — Passage of the Rawyl. — Singular Cascades. — The Wildstrubel. — Beauties of the Simmenthal. — Ander Lenk 253—277 CHAP. XIV. The Ober Simmenthal. — A hospitable Landlord. —The Sieben Brunnen. — The Razli Glacier. — Long Walk down the Valley. — Boltigen. — Erlenbach. — An importunate Voiturier. — A Race into Thun. — Farewell Sunset on the Oberland Mountains - 278—288 CHAP. XV. Choice ofa Route. — Pleasures ofa Second Visit.— The Outfit. — Guides. — Remarks on Fatigue. — Tales of Suffering. — Mountain Sickness. — Want of Food. — The Land of Freedom. — Alpine Scenery in general. — To say he " did it " 289—302