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About Google Book Search Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web at|http : //books . google . com/ X I Harvard College Library OOOOOQCKXfiDOOQCOaaOOOOOQOODC Digitized by 1 r. J.Bar NAPD& Co. BSNOFPS BOSTON. Digitized by VjOOQIC Digitized by VjOOQIC Digitized by VjOOQIC Digitized by VjOOQIC Digitized by VjOOQIC THE VALLEY OF ZEEMATT / : ( '- AND THE MATTERHORN A GUIDE BY EDWARD WHYMPER AUTHOR OF "A GUIDE TO CUAMOMIX AMD TUB RANGE OF MONT BLANC," "SCRAMBLES AMONGST THE ALPS," ETC. ETC.; HONORARY MEMBER OF THE SWISS AND ITALIAN ALPINE CLUBS, ETC. ETC. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS & MAPS LONDON JOHN MUERAY, ALBEMARLE STREET GENEVA : GEORG & CO., 10 RUE CORRATERIE 1897 All rights are reserved Digitized by VjOOQ IC , ,. j LiBRAkY Printed by R. & R. Clark, Limited, Edinburgh Digitized by VjOOQIC INTRODUCTION. This little Guide to Zermatt is written upon the same lines as the Guide to Chamonix which was published by Mr. Murray last year. It treats more or less of what may be called the Zermatt district^ embracing the Cream of the Alps; but it is not easy to define the limits of the district, which includes the Saas Thai as well as the Nicolai Thai, and extends right and left into Switzerland, and south- wards into Italy. The prevailing idea has been to give greater prominence to the excursions which can be made in the basin of the Zermatt Valley (that is, the Nicolai Thai) than to those which may be made outside it. It is assumed that a visitor will desire to know something about the history of the place, and concerning people who have been associated with it, and so the topographical matter is preceded by a slight historical sketch. About fifty of the Illustrations have been engraved expressly for the work, and the remainder are chiefly drawn from my Scrambles amongst the Alps, I am indebted to the Italian Alpine Club for permission to reproduce the portrait of my old guide and comrade Jean-Antoine Carrel which is given on p. 88 ; to the Zermatt Railway Company for the basis of the Plan of Zermatt; and for assistance of various kinds to the Rev. L. S. Calvert, Mr. W. E. Davidson, Rev. J. Llewelyn Davies, Sir John Evans, Mr. H. A. Grueber, Mons. X. Inifeld, MM. Alexandre and Joseph Seller, Rev. Christopher Smyth, Canon J. G. Smyth, Rev. J. Sowerby, Rev. E. W. Stevenson, and Mr. H. Schiitz- Wilson, to all of whom I tender my sincere thanks. The following remarks may be of some service to those who visit the Zermatt district for the first time. Expenses. — More will be got for money by settling down at a few places than by constantly moving from one place to another. Pensionnaires are taken at nearly all the hotels mentioned in this volume. Low rates are quoted at the beginning and at the end of the season. Money. — Take some Napoleons (20-franc pieces), a small quantity of French silver for wayside expenses, and the rest in sovereigns and £5 Bank of England notes. The notes can be changed at GJeneva, Lausanne, or Zermatt. Sovereigns go everywhere, except at the very smallest places. English silver is not understood, and will not pass. Beware of small Italian silver coins, which are supposed to be with- drawn from circulation. Digitized by VjOOQIC iv ZEBMATT AND THE MATTERHOBN, Clothing. — Woollen goods and flannels are most suitable. It answers better to have several changes of thin garments than to be provided with a few thick ones. Mountain-boots should be taken out, and got into use before starting. The nailing is best done on the spot. Knickerbockers. — The musquitoes of the Rhone Valley dis- play partiality for the calves of those who adopt this form of attire. Bope. — If excursions are contemplated on which it will be desir- able to use rope, it will be best to take rope out. There is none in the market equal to the Manilla rope which is specially manu- factured by Mr. John Buckingham, 194, 196 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W.C., which ought to be identified (amongst other ways) by a red thread woven among the strands. It is to be regretted that there are several spurious imitations abroad, in which this red thread is fraudulently copied. Beware of them. Ice-axes can be obtained at Zermatt at the establishment of Melchior Anderegg, or at ChUtillon of Carrel (the maker). Soap. — There is a great opening for soap in Alpine regions, and at the present time it pays to carry a cake. Baggage. — The minimum of baggage sometimes means the maximum of comfort. Anyone who has no more than he himself can transport conveniently, can travel more quickly, pleasantly, and economically than those who exceed that limit. On the other hand, innkeepers look with suspicion upon travellers with little of no baggage, and are apt to thrust them into the very worst rooms. The most convenient method of sending luggage to Switzerland is per Messrs. Stockwell and Co., 15 King. Street, Cheapside, London, E.C., who are sole English Agents for the Stoiss Postal Service vid Calais and Bale. For Rates see Advertisement. The Swiss Post. — Travellers to Zermatt (or anywhere in Switzer- land) wni do well to procure the little book entitled Tarif Postal de poche pour la Suisse et V^tranger^ public par la Direction G6n6rale des Postes Suisses. Price 40 centimes. This gives much informa- tion as to Postal Rates for Letters, Parcels, etc. Luggage is forwarded by the Swiss Post at low rates. A package, for example, weighing not more than 44 lbs. (20 kilos.) and not exceeding £40 (1000 francs) in value, can be sent for 1 fr. 80 cts. between any two Post Offices in Switzerland. Time. — In Switzerland, * Central Europe' time is kept, which is 55 min. in advance of Paris time, and Paris time is 8 min. in ad- vance of Greenwich time. When crossing and re-crossing the frontier it is well to keep these facts in mind. At Geneva (Comavin Station), trains leaving for France start at Paris time, and those for Switzer- land depart at Central Europe time. Custom-houses. — In going to Zermatt vid Paris — Dijon — Pontarlier — Lausanne, baggage is examined at Vallorbes. Travellers from Zermatt into Italy (or from Italy to Zermatt) by the high snow passes are not usually troubled by douaniers. Digitized by VjOOQIC INTRODUCTION, v In by-gone years the baggage of tourists was seldom taxed upon entry into Switzerland. Of late years duties have been levied upon little coils of Alpine rope and other trifles. Although such inflictions are annoying, my recommendation is to pay without murmuring ; and 1. to take (and to preserve) a receipt for the amount paid ; 2. to obtain the name of the douanier; 3. to have the transaction wit- nessed, if possible ; 4. to make exact notes of the occurrence. Passports should be carried. Though a prolonged tour may be made in France, Switzerland, and Italy without finding any use for them, occasions sometimes arise when they are desirable or necessary, and it is best to be on the safe side. Maps. — The Maps and Plans given in this volume 'will be found suflicient for most purposes. Those who desire greater detail can turn to the Government Maps of Switzerland and Italy. 1. The Swiss portions of the Zermatt district are included in Sheets xxii, xxiii of the Carte topogi'aphique de la Suisse (commonly called the Carte Dufour), scale yinJWff* engraved on copper. Price 2 francs each. • 2. They are also contained in the following sheets of the Atlas topograph- ique de la, Suisse (commonly called the Siegfried Map), scale ^tj^utt* Sheet 482, Sierre; 487, Vissoye ; 528, Evolena ; 531, Matterhorn ; 496, Visp ; 500, St. Niklaus; 533, Mischabel ; 535, Zermatt; 497, Brig; 501, Simplon ; 534, Saas ; 536, Monte Moro. Price 1 franc each. 3. Nos. 528,^531, 533 and 535 are put together, and sold as one sheet, entitled EVOL^JNE— ZERMATT- MONT-ROSE. Price 2 francs. 4. A very useful Map will be found in Sheet iii of the Carte GinSrale de la Suisse, scale aro^ooo' 1^^^ embraces all between Greneva and the Simplon Pass, and from Thim to the Italian frontier. Price 2 francs. 5. Those who cross from Zermatt or Saas into Italy may find it useful to have the following sheets of the Carta d'ltalia, scale y^^^. No. 29 (iv), Valtoumanche ; 29 (i), Monte Rosa ; 30 (iv), Bannio (this includes Macugnaga and the Val Anzasca). Price 50 centimes each. The above-mentioned Maps can be obtained of Messrs. Georg and Co., 10 Rue Corraterie, Geneva. Lang^iage. — German is the language for the Zermatt district. French is useful, although it is not understood by the majority of the peasants in the Nicolai Thai and in the Saas Thai. In most of the hotels at Zermatt English is spoken. In the Val Tournanche and Valpelline French is sufficient. Some of the younger guides in the Zermatt district speak English. Beligion. — The Canton Valais is the most Catholic Canton in the Swiss Confederation. At the Census of 1888, 100,925 persons were returned as Catholic, and only 865 as Protestant. Protestantism is tolerated. English-speaking people, when in the Zermatt district, do not always recognise the fact that they are in a Catholic country, and sometimes do things which may excite differences of opinion. niK)n engaging Guides. — The recommendations that I should make in regard to the choice of guides at Zermatt are just those which I should make in regard to guides at any other place. 1. Before en- Digitized by VjOOQIC vi ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, gaging a guide, make enquiry as to his antecedents from those who know. 2. Avoid men notorious for accidents, and those who are addicted to drink. 3. For difficult or long excursions give preference to men of middle age rather than to the youngest or oldest. There is no Bureau des Guides at Zermatt, and enquiries have to be made to learn what men are available. During "the season," besides the Valaisan Guides whose names are given in the List in the Appendix, one often finds Oberlanders at Zermatt, or men from Macugnaga (Val Anzasca), from the Val Toumanche and other parts. Some guides carry on the reprehensible practice of soliciting em- ployment in the trains from Visp to Zermatt. Those who introdttce and recommend themselves are generally of an inferior class. I do not attempt to decide whether a traveller should employ guides. Some persons are competent to carry out by themselves all the excursions that are mentioned. A large number, however, are not equal to this. Inasmuch as I am unacquainted with the various capacities of my readers, I am unable to say whether they need not, or should employ guides. Everyone must decide that for himself.^ Mendicity. — Before the Zermatt Railway was constructed, mendi- city had become a nuisance between Visp — Zennatt. Since the opening of the Railway, the road has been clear of beggars, because it no longer pays to beg. Cripples of sorts, however, have in the last few years broken out at Zermatt, and even at the Riflfelalp. I am told that they do not belong to the Village or even to the Valley. If they are not patronized, they will no doubt disappear. If they are encouraged, they will multiply. The Society Suisse des Hdteliers published in 1896 a small book containing the following remarks, which shew the views of Swiss Hotelkeepers upon several matters of general interest. ^ Ordering Booms in advance. — It is said that '<A rather remark- able confusion of ideas prevails among the travelling public as to this frequently occurring question, which, in the height of the season espe- cially, causes numerous unpleasant discussions." "In a great measure this is owing to the advice contained in travellers' guide-books, advice, which, we are willing to admit, is given in good faith, and with the intention of guarding the interest both of traveller and of land- lord. This advice is to the effect, 'that rooms should be ordered in advance especially when one is due to arrive at a late hour.' But owing to the fact that in the respective notices in guide-books, neither the question of right nor the commercial aspect of such ordering of apartments has been in the least discussed, there has arisen among a great many travellers the one-sided opinion, that ordering beforehand will, to a certain extent, ensure to the guest a claim, a power of disposal, without binding him to any reciprocal obligation." 1 It is presupposed that my readers are acquainted with the various technical terms which are employed. If they should not be, I refer them to Scrambles amongst the Alps. 2 The book is i^ublished in English, French and German editions, and is entitled The Hotels of Svntzerland, Basle, 1896. Price 50 centimes. It gives a considerable amount of information,— and discusses a variety of topics,— from the reasonableness of wanting hot dishes at night to bringing Monkeys into Hotels. It is said that "Rooms are often considerably soiled and damaged by such uncouth inhabitants." Digitized by VjOOQIC INTRODUCTION. vii Let us now examine the following considerations : 1. Which traveller has the greater claim to accommodatioD, (a) the one who arrives early at the hotel, or (b) the one who by letter, by telegram, or only by telephone makes known his intention to put up there, and either arrives late at night or does not even arrive at all ; whereas the former by his timely presence appears to be the better customer. 2. An agreement, a contract in which claims and counter-claims are stipu- lated, must be concluded by at least hco parties. A oTve-dded order from tiie traveller does not give him the slightest legal claim to consideration, for in such a case there is lacking: (a) a declaration on the part of the second party (the landlord) that he can and icill accept the order ; (b) the traveller's guarantee that he will fulfil the obligation entered into by giving the order. With the increase in the number of travellers there is also an increase in the number of those who believe they may hind the hotel- keeper by ordering apartments in advance, without being themselves in any toay bound by siich an order. Hence the efficiency of such orders is diminishing daily, and the landlord is all the less to be blamed if he first attends to the guests that have actually arrived, and refuses to comply with any orders from persons unknown to him, unless recommended by trustworthy parties. A prepaid reply seems, in a certain measure, to increase the prob- ability of having an order for rooms attended to ; it may, according to the more or less definite answer of the landlord, bring about, if not a legal, yet a moral obligation on his part. Still even then it cannot be said to be binding, as an effectual guarantee is wanting on the part of the traveller for the fulfilment of the obligation entered into, which alone can give the order the character of an fiigreement."^ Ordering rooms for arrivals early in the Morning. "If the room has been reserved for a guest overnight in consequence of his order, he should only be charged for it once; provided he occupies it only during the day, and places it, by early notice, at the disposal of the landlord for the same evening. "Should the latter be prevented from disposing of it for the ensuing night, the traveller must, especially during the season or when there is a great rush of visitors, be willing to pay for the room for two nights, even though he may not have occupied the room for fully 24 hours." Landlord's responsibility. Depositing Objects of Value. "The traveller will do well, in order to avoid losses and disagreeable law- suits, to follow the advice of guide-books and the request of landlords, to hand over all valuables to the landlord personally." Payment by Coupons, and preparation of Hotel-bills. "If payment is to be by coupons, notice to this effect must be given on arrival. The guest should not be surprised if such payments, especially at the last minute, and in the bustle of leaving, are rejected as insufl&cient. In this case also the traveller should mind the advice to ask for, and examine, his bill in proper time, and to provide the means for paying it in time also. 1 To this may be added that in the height of the season, wi Suntzerland, the telegraph is much used, and one not unfrequently arrives be/ore the telegram. Digitized by VjOOQIC viii ZEEMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. "Landlords, on the other hand, should always make out their accounts in good time, and not, as unfortunately happens too often, allow travellers to ask for them repeatedly and in vain. This makes them ill-tempered and dis- trustful." Some hotels at Zermatt are open throughout the year, and attempts are being made to establish * a winter season.' Casual tourists arrive in every month of the year, and occasional ascents of a few of the great peaks have been made even in December and January. But the Season may be said to begin in June and to end in September, though the weather is sometimes fit for the majority of the excursions that can be made as early as the middle of May and for a little while into October. Usually, tourists thin off at the beginning of October, and by the middle of the month only hahitiUs and stragglers are left. It is 'the end of the Season.' EDWARD WHYMPER. June, 1897. ERRATUM (in some copiks) Page 120, sixth and seventh lines from top, "Sir W. M. Conway" should read "Mr. Mich. Carteighe." Digitized by VjOOQIC CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. ON THE EABLY HISTORY AND RISE OP ZERMATT. A Legend— The Bishop outwits Satan— Discovery op Roman Coins upon THE Theodul Pass— Earliest Mention op Visp and St. Nicholas— The Lords of the Valley op ViteoE- Earliest Mention op Zermatt— Treaty between the Men op Zermatt and those op Val Anzasca— Zermatt A Cause op Dissension— The De la Tour Family— Murder op the COMPTESSE DE VlfeOE AND HER SON — WaR IN THE VaLAIS— THE END OP Bishop Tavelli— New Masters at Zermatt— The Zermatters be- come Freeholders, and Repubucans soon afterwards — Description by BouRRiT— Zermatt annexed to the French Empire— The Valais joins the Swiss Confederation- De Saussure —Visit op the First English- man TO Zermatt— Growth in Popularity— The First Ascent op Monte Rosa— Alexandre Seiler i Pages 1-17 CHAPTER IL UPON SOME ATTEMPTS TO ASCEND THE MATTERHORN. Attempts by the Chasseurs op Val Tournanche (1858-9)— Messrs. Parker in 1860— Mr. Vaughan Hawkins in 1860— Second Attempt by Messrs. Parker in 1861— My First Night on the Matterhorn (1861)— Camp on THE Col du Lion— Winter Attempt by Mr. T. S. Kennedy in 1862— Renewed Attacks with Mr. R. J. S. Macdonald — A Soutary Scramble ON THE Matterhorn— A Night Alone — A Tumble— My Fifth and Sixth Attempts in 1862— Professor Tyndall reaches 'The Shoulder'— My Seventh Attempt (1863)— Abandonment op the South- West Ridge— My Eighth Attempt (1865)— Bamboozled and Humbugged— A Flank March 19-56 CHAPTER IIL THE FIRST ASCENT OP THE MATTERHORN. Charles Hudson— Camp on the East Face— Croz reports favourably— Ascent op the East Face— Cross to the Northern Side— Arrival at Summit— Discomfiture of the Italians— Astonishment at Breuil— Marvellous Panorama 57-62 Digitized by VjOOQIC X ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. CHAPTER IV. DESCENT OP THE MATTERHORN. Order of the Descent— A frightful Avalanche — Hadow slips— Death of Croz, Hadow, Hudson and Lord F. Douglas— Terror of the Taug- walders— An Apparition— An Infamous Proposition— Surprised by Night— Search for and Recovery of the Bodies— Official Examina- tion—Their LAST Resting-place Pages 63-71 CHAPTER V. SUBSEQUENT HISTORY OF THE MATTERHORN. First Ascent on the Italian Side— Comparison of the Two Routes— Hut ON THE ^ Cravate' —IAb.. Craufurd Grove's Ascent— Construction op THE Hut on the East Face— Cabane on the Hornli Ridge— Altera- tion IN the Form of the Summit— Death of Joseph Brantschen— Dr. Moseley falls down the East Face— Ascents from the North-west BY Messrs. Mummery and Penhall— Abandonment and Death of Mr. BoRCKHARDT— Another Catastrophe on the East Face— Death of Jean-Antoine Carrel— Loss of Andreas Seiler and Joseph Biener 72-91 CHAPTER VL HOW TO GET TO ZERMATT. Route to take— Times, Distances and Fares— Pontarlier— At Vallorbes everyone descends— Lausanne and Ouchy— Gibbon at Lausanne— T^^ Lake— St. Maurice— The Rhone Valley— Martigny—Sion— Sierre— SousTE— Visp or VifeGE— All change here 92-100 CHAPTER VIL UPON THE VALLEY OF ZERMATT (NICOLAI THAL). Visp— The Zermatt Railway and the Art System— Neue Brucke— Stalden — Torbel — Kalpbtran— St. Nicholas — Ascents from St. Nicholas — Passes from St. Nicholas— Birthplace of Thomas Platter— Herbriggen —Randa— Ascents of the Weisshorn, Dom, Taschhorn, etc.— Passes FROM Randa— Tasch— The Tasch Alp and Valley— Ascents of the Allalin, Alphubel, and Rimpfischhorn — Passes from the Tasch Valley— Tasch to Zermatt . 101-125 Digitized by VjOOQIC CONTENTS. xi CHAPTER VIII. UPON THE VILLAGE OP ZERMATT. Zermatt— Its Population— Authorities— Reparation op Paths— Communal Forests— Hotels— The Street— Shops— Manners and Customs— The Church— Inscriptions in Graveyard— English Church and Inscriptions IN its Graveyard— An Alpine Garden !— Zoological Gardens — Post Office— Temperatures— Glaciers— Earthquakes— Bridges— Guides and Mules— The Gornergrat Railway Pages 127-136 CHAPTER IX. EXCURSIONS FROM ZERMATT. To the Riffelalp— Lac Noir (Schwarzsee) — Zmutt and Staffbl— Gorges OF THE €k)RNER— The Findelen Valley— Trift Gorge— Hohbalm—Tasch Alp and Valley.— Hbueten— To the Riffelhaus and Gornergrat- Gugel— The HOrnli Ridge and the Matterhorn Cabane— The Zmutt Glacier and Stockje— Ascent of the Gorner Glacier to the Riffel- HORN— The Fluh Alp and Upper Findelen Glacier— Trift Hotel and Tbiftkummen— TuFTERBN Alp TO Eggen— The Riffblhorn— A Round via Staffel, the Lac Noir, etc.— The Stockhorn Pass— Mettelhorn— Unter Gabelhorn— Unter and Ober Rothhorn— Wellenkuppe— Trifthorn— Ober Gabelhorn— Zinal Rothhorn (or Moming)— Dent d'H^rens- Dent Blanche— Passes from Zermatt— Theodulb Pass (Matterjoch)— Ascent of the Breithorn — Petit Mont Cbrvin— Breuil and the Val Tour- nanche— Guides of the Val Tournanche— Gouffres des Bussbrailles — Val Tournanche— Chatillon— Col de Tournanche— Tiefenmatten- joch— Col de Valpellinb— Col du Mont Brul6— Col de Collon— Col d'H^rens— Col de la Dent Blanche (Zinaljoch)— Col Durand— Arben- JOCH— Triftjoch— A Tragedy on the Trift— Moming Pass— How to Get to Zinal . 137-164 CHAPTER X. EXCURSIONS FROM THE RIFFELALP AND RIFFELBERG HOTELS. Early Attempts to ascend Monte Rosa— The First Ascent of Monte Rosa -The HOchstb Spitze (D\}¥0\jbavtizb)— Cabane B^temps- Winter Ascent of Monte Rosa— The Nord End— The Lyskamm (Silberbast)— Death of Mr. Chester— Loss of Messrs. Lewis and Paterson— Another Snow- cornice Accident— Castor and Pollux (Zwillinge, or the Twins)— The Breithorn from the North— A Tour round the Breithorn— Cima di Jazzi— The Strahlhorn— Passes— The Adlerpass— Schwarzberg Weiss- thor— New Weissthor— Old Weissthor— Seslajoch— Lysjoch— Feukjoch — Zwillingspass— Schwarzthor 165-177 Digitized by VjOOQIC xii ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, CHAPTER XL EXCURSIONS FROM THE LAO NOIR HOTEL. The Lac Noir— Thb Furqo Glacier— The Theodule Pass— The Breuiljoch —The Furgo Grat— The Furgg Joch — Routes up the Matterhorn— The Northern or Zermatt Route— The Southern or Breuil Route— The Zmutt Route— Deaths of Baumann, Imseng, Mummery, Penhall, Petrus, etc Pages 178-183 CHAPTER XII. ON THE VALLEY OP SAAS (SAAS THAL). Explanations— A Year of Avalanches— Stalden—Eisten— Huteqoen- Balen— Saas (im Grund)— Excursions from Saas—Almagell— Passes to Antrona and the Simplon Road— Mattmarksee and Mattmark Hotel —The Blauenstein— Monte Moro Pass— Macugnaga— The Mondelli Pass— Saas-F£e— Excursions from Saas-F^e— The Weissmies Hotel —Excursions from it— How to get Home .... 184-192 APPENDIX. PAGE A. Tarif of Excursions from St. Nicholas 193 B. Tarif of Excursions from Randa 193 c. Tarif of Excursions from Saas . . . . . . . . 193 D. Tarif of Excursions from Zermatt 195 E. Mountains in the Basin of the Valley of Zermatt . . . 199 F. Passes in the Basin of the Valley of Zermatt and its Environs 202 G. List of Guides of Zermatt, Tasch, Randa, St. Nicholas, etc. . 205 H. CouRTE Note sur la G6ologie du Matterhorn 207 I. Conversion of Metres into English Feet 211 J. Conversion of English Feet into Metres 212 Digitized by VjOOQIC LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE 1. ViSP (VlfeGE) 1 2. Coin of Decentius, with Christian Symbol 4 3. Alexandre Seilbr I 15 4. Hotel du Mont Rose, Zermatt 16 5. The Mattkrhorn, from the Riffelberg 20 6. The Col du Lion -24 7. Portrait of Mr. T. S. Kennedy 27 8. The Matterhorn, from the Summit of the Th^odule Pass . . 29 9. The Great Tower, with the old and new Cabanes ... 39 10. A Cannonade on the Matterhorn 42 11. The Matterhorn, from Breuil 43 12. The Matterhorn, shewing Tyndall's farthest .... 44 13. Dip of Strata 49 14. Portrait of Lord Francis Douglas 54 15. Chapel at the Lac Noir, in 1865 55 16. A Store-house 56 17. Portrait of the Rev. Charles Hudson . . . . . . 58 18. The Actual Summit of the Matterhorn in 1865 .... 63 19. Portrait of Michel-Auguste Croz 65 20. Rope broken on the Matterhorn 66 21. Diagram op Fog-bow 67 22. Diagram op the Matterhorn 69 23. The Grave of Michel-Auguste Croz 71 24. Portrait op J. B. Bich 74 25. Portrait of Canon Carrel 75 26. Portrait of J. -Joseph Maquignaz 78 27. The Cabanb on the East Face of the Matterhorn ... 79 28. The Hut on the Hornli Ridge 80 29. The Summit op the Matterhorn in 1874 82 30. Portrait of Jean-Antoine Carrel 88 31. Carrel's Cross 90 32. Paris to Pontarlier, Vallorbes, and Lausanne .... 93 33. Lausanne to Visp and Zermatt 97 34. Plan op Martiqny 98 35. Plan op Visp 100 36. Plan op the Nicolai Thal, Saas Thal, etc. ' 102 37. The "SystJimb Abt" 103 Digitized by VjOOQIC xiv ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, PAGE 38. Plan, Visp to Staldbn 105 39. Nbub Brucke 106 40. Staldbn 107 41. Bridgb ovbr thb Muhlbbach 108 42. Plan, Staxdbn to St. Nicholas 109 43. St. Nicholas 110 44. The Patron Saint (St. Nicholas) 113 45. Plan, St. Nicholas to Randa. 116 46. Hotel and Pension Wbisshorn, Randa 117 47. Charnbl-housb ('bbinhaus') at Tasch 122 48. Tasch 123 49. Plan, Randa to Zermatt 124 50. Plan op Zermatt 126 51. The Grand Hotel Mont Cervin, Zermatt 129 52. Zermatt Church 130 53. The Graves op Hudson, Hadow, and Wilson .... 131 54. The Matterhorn Bridge 133 55. The Hotel Zermatt in 1895 135 56. The Bupfet at the Railway-Station, Zermatt .... 136 57. The Village of Zermatt, seen prom Haueten .... 138 58. Gorge op the Gorner 141 59. The Rifpelhaus (The Old Riffel Hotel) . . . . .143 60. The Breithorn, from the North 144 61. On the Top of the Col Th^odulb (Matterjoch) .... 155 62. The Hotel des Jumeaux, Brbuil 156 63. The Village op Val Tournanchb I57 64. Near Antey . 158 65. The Village op Biona I59 66. The Matterhorn, prom the Top op the Col de Valpelline . 160 67. Monument to T. W. Hinchclipp 1^5 68. The Rippelalp Hotel \ Igg 69. Monte Rosa, from the Gornergrat 1^9 70. The Cabane BiStemps .171 71. The Lac Noir Hotel Ug 72. The Matterhorn from Stockje, shewing the Routes of Messrs. Mummery and Penhall * Igo 73. Plan op the Environs op Saas ....;.! I86 74. The Blauenstein, Valley op Saas, and Mattmark Hotel . '. 189 75. The Weissmies Hotel . 191 76. An Old Public Servant ' 204 77. Geological Section of the Matterhorn, by Signor F. Giordano 208 78. View prom the Gornergrat, looking South . . . , At the end 79. Map op the Matterhorn and its Glaciers .... do 80. Map op the Valley op Zermatt • . . . . . do Digitized by VjOOQIC ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN Digitized by VjOOQIC Digitized by VjOOQIC visp (vi^ge). CHAPTER I. ON THE EARLY HISTORY AND RISE OF ZERMATT. A LEGEND— THE BISHOP OUTWITS SATAN — DISCOVERY OF ROMAN COINS UPON THE THEODUL PASS — EARLIEST MENTION OF VISP AND ST. NICHOLAS — THE LORDS OF THE VALLEY OF VIEGE — EARLIEST MENTION OF ZERMATT — TREATY BETWEEN THE MEN OF ZERMATT AND THOSE OF VAL ANZASCA — ZERMATT A CAUSE OF DISSENSION — THE DE LA TOUR FAMILY — MURDER OF THE COMPTESSE DE VIEGE AND HER SON — WAR IN THE VALAIS — THE END OF BISHOP TAVELLI — NEW MASTERS AT ZERMATT — THE ZERMATTERS BECOME FREE- HOLDERS, AND REPUBLICANS SOON AFTERWARDS— DESCRIPTION BY BOURRIT — ZERMATT ANNEXED TO THE FRENCH EMPIRE — THE VALAIS JOINS THE SWISS CONFEDERATION — DE SAUSSURE — VISIT OF THE FIRST ENGLISHMAN TO ZERMATT — GROWTH IN POPULARITY — THE FIRST ASCENT OF MONTE ROSA — ALEXANDRE SEILER I. The Village of Zermatt (formerly called Prato Bomo or Pratoborno, Pra Bomo, Pratoburnoz, Praborgne or Praborny) lies at the southern end of a valley which is one of the lateral branches of the great Valley of the Rhone. It is an older place than one would suspect from its appearance. From documentary evidence which will be referred to presently, it is apparent that the valley in which it is situated was peopled six to seven centuries ago. It was known in much earlier times. There is a tradition current in the Valais to the effect that the pass called the Col Theodul (Theodule) is named after the first Bishop of Sion,^ and that he crossed it under remarkable circumstances. " The Pope of this time — it was in the fourth century — had 1 St. Theodule is said to have been Bishop of Sion from 381-391 a.d. B Digitized by VjOOQIC 2 ZEEMATT AND THE MATTEEHORN. chap. i. presented a very fine bell to the saintly prelate of the Valley of the Rhone, recently converted to Christianity. But what a task, at the beginning of the moyen dge, to transport such a mass of brass from the banks of the Tiber to the bosom of the Alps ! Grateful as the holy Bishop was to the sovereign Pontiff for this act of generosity, he scarcely dared cherish the hope of seeing the faithful drawn to church by the sonorous tones of the papal bell, for the expense of transport was out of all proportion to the value of the gift. What could be done? The Bishop might have reflected a long time without finding a solution of the problem, if Satan, ever on the watch to pick up a soul, hadn't offered to transport the bell on his back, from Rome to Sion, in a single night ; — on one condition, namely, that if he arrived within the walls of the Valaisan capital before cock-crow, the soul of St. Th6odule should be his for ever. The Bishop closetl wdth the offer, and, the same evening, Satan set out with the heavy bell and the Bishop clinging to it. The only souvenir of this wonderful journey is that the Col du Th^odule, by which the Valais was entered, took the name of the holy man from this period. The Devil reached the Valley of the Rhone and the city" [Sion] "long before dawn, and, joyous at having bagged the soul of a bishop, had already taken a bound to clear the walls, when the Saint cried out from the bell — Coq, chante I Que tu chantes ! Ou que jamais plus tu ne chantes ! and immediately a piercing concert rent the air — all the cocks of Sion awoke at the voice of the worthy prelate, and it is from this moment that they began to crow so early in the morning. At this noise, the demon let fall the bell (which buried itself several feet in the ground), and vanished without a word to express his disgust." ^ M. Alfred Cdrdsole, pasteur d Vevey, gives another version of the same legend. "It is known," he soys, "that Th€odule, the first bishop of Sion and patron of the Valais, was a saint to whom popular tradition attributed remarkable influence, even over demons. One day at Sion, he learnt suddenly that the Pope, at Rome, was in great danger, and that it was his duty to warn him, to save his life. Troubled in spirit, and not knowing how to send a speedy message to the Holy Father, he opened his window and saw three devils dancing merrilv on a roof. The saintly bishop beckoned to them to come near, and asked which was the liveliest. 'I,' answered one, 'I am as swift as the wind.' 'I,' said another, *I fly like a bullet* \comme une halle de fusil].'^ 'This couple,' said the third, * are idle talkers, I am as ([uick as the thought of a woman.' 'Well,' said Th^odule, *I treat with i/oii; and I declare that I am yours, if, before the sound of cock-crow, you take me to Rome and back again.' The bargain was concluded. Satan 1 Quoted from Les VeilUes des Mayens by L. Oourthion, Geneva (no date). 2 Whence it appears that fire-arms were known m the fourth century ! Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. I. A 'FIND' ON THE THEODUL. 3 selected a fine black cock, and set it as a sentinel, against his return, on the wall around the town. The bishop put a white cock on the roof of his chateau, and told it not to go to sleep until he came back. The journey to Rome was as quick as lightning. The Holy Father expressed his gratitude to Th^odule by presenting him with a bell for his church, and the Devil under- took to carry the gift to the Cathedral of Sion. Before two o'clock in the morning, the bishop with his bell and its porter were back again. Satan took a short cut, and scaled the Alps at a bound by the pass between the Cervini and Breithorn. The episcopal cock, wide awake on the roof, heard a great row, and crowed lustily as he saw his master flying through the air, and the black cock did the same. The Devil, on arriving at Sion, furious at finding he had lost his bet, hurled the bell with such force to the ground that it was buried nine arms-lengths in the soil." From these accounts it seems that St. Th^odule was acquainted with the Devil, and to have been even more astute than the Prinee of Darkness. The Diabolical One appears to have been badly treated upon this occasion ; for, according to both the relations, he carried out a difficult undertaking very successfully, and got nothing for his trouble, — which must have added to the many * sorrows of Satan.' There is a strong presumption, approaching certainty, that the Theodul Pass was traversed long before the fourth century. 2 At different times, many Roman coins have been discovered upon it, even upon its summit (10,890 feet). In the collection which has been formed by Mons. Joseph Seiler^ of Brieg, the dates of the lioman coins which have been found upon the Theodul Pass range from about B.C. 200 to 400 A.D. Amongst others, the collection embraces examples of Nerva. Victorinus. Faustina I. Claudius II. Marcus Aurelius. Diocletian us. Faustina II. Constantinus I. Sept. Severus. Valens. Maximinus I. Valentinian II. G ALLIEN us. ThEODOSIUS. In some instances these coins may have been simply lost 01 route. In others, it is very likely that they were deposited intentionally ; but, whichever supposition is adopted, one is led to conclude that the pass was traversed at a very early date. One of the most curious * finds' of Roman coins that has occurred 1 Sometimes called Col du Mont Oervin, or Matterjoch. Upon the current Govern- ment Maps of Switzerland it is termed Matterjoch or Theodulpass. 2 The neighbouring pass of the Simplon was in regular use in the third century, if not earlier. *' Une colonne milliare ^ng^e (au III si6cle) sous les c6sars Volusianus et Gallus d6couverte k Sion porte le Leuga XVII, distance exacte de cette ville au point culminant du Simplon." "Les gazettes pidmontaises ont parl6 de la d6couverte recente d'une autre colonne milliare dans la valine d'Ossola dont I'inscription indique- rait que la route du Simplon fut ouverte dans les demi^res ann6es du deuxi^me si^ele." —Developpeinent de Vind^pendance du Haut-Vallais et conqu&te du Bm-Vallais, par M. Fr^. de Gingins-la-Sarraz, 8vo, Lausanne, 1844, p. 72. 3 Mons. Joseph Seiler very kindly favoured me by transmitting his collection to London for examination. I am much indebted to Sir John Evans for the determina- tions. There were two coins of Gallienus and two of Diocletian, but only single examples of all the others. Digitized by VjOOQIC ZEBMATT AND THE MATTEBHOBN. CHAP. I. upon the Theodul Pass happened in 1895, close to the summit. On August 24 of that year, a girl employed in the kitchen of the inn went out to fetch some water ; and, about fifty metres down, upon the Italian side, sjiied two coins sticking out from underneath a thin, flat stone, which had a large, square stone on the top of it. She lifted off the two stones and found fifty-four coins underneath the lower one, all together in a clump, and they had apparently been enveloped in a bag, which had rotted. The flat stone had been used to conceal them, and the square, heavy one to keep the other in its place, and they had possibly remained in this position for centuries. Sir John Evans has identified in this collection three coins of AuR- KLIANUS, A.D. 270-275, eight of Probus, a.d. 276-282, nineteen of CoNSTANTius II, A.D. 335-361, nine of Constantius Gallus, a.d. 351-354, one of Magnentius, a.d. 350-353, and two of Decentius, A.D. 351-353. One of these latter is given below. ^ COIN OF DECENTIUS (a.D. 351-353), WITH CHRISTIAN SYMBOL. Nothing is known about the Valley of Zermatt during these remote times, and one has to come down to the beginning of the 13th century for the first documentary references to it. The earliest is given in the great work by the Abbe Gremaud.2 It is a declaration, dated 1218, that Guillaume, chevalier^ of Vibge (Vespia) gave to the Cur4 of that place his rights over tithes at Lalden (Laudona), a small village in the Valley of the Rhone, a little higher up than Vi^ge. This is followed in Gremaud's work by a deed [No. 274], dated 1218, which states that one Conradus sold tithes to the same Curi; and that document is witnessed, amongst others, by Henselmus, major of 1 The place where this * find ' was mode is 160 to 170 feet from the inn at the summit, and 50 to 60 feet below it, and is away from the track usually followed when crossing the pass. The girl's duties led her in that direction. She went to fetch water, which is collected there from the dribbles of snow-water running off the rocks ; and she made her discovery through the rocks (in August, 1805) being unusually free from snow. Eleven of the coins were sold to passers-by and others, at fifty francs apiece and down- wards, before I had an opportunity to examine the collection. 2 Documents relatifs a L'Higtoire du VaUais^ recueillis et publics par I'Abb^ J. Gremaud, 7 vols., 8vo, Lausanne, 1875-94. The first five volumes of this work were brought out at the expense of the Soci6t6 d'histoire de la Suisse romande. The publi- cation was then suspended for nine years from want of funds, and it has been con- tinued by means of subsidies from the Confederation and the Valaisan Government. The seven volumes extend to more than 4300 pages, and include 2817 documents (from the earliest times down to a.d. 1431), which embrace Wills, Treaties and Deeds, largely intermingled with records of disputes, threats, and other impleasant matters. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. I. THE LORDS OF VISP. 5 Chouson (St. Nicholas).! The majors of these times were hereditary officials, who exercised jurisdiction in their districts ; received com- plaints, imposed fines, and enjoyed various privileges ; and, as majories were confined to the larger places, this shews that, even at the begin- ning of the 13th century, the Village of St. Nicholas was accounted of some importance. In the middle of the 13th century the property in the Valley of St. Nicholas, or a large part of it, belonged to the Comtes de Bian- drate. According to the Baron Frederic de Gingins-la-Sarraz, who wrote a Memoir 2 upon the family, the Biandrates^ were, from the 11th century, amongst the most powerful barons in Piedmont. He says that they took their name from a small but very old town in the Province of Novara, and mentions three different branches of the family, one of them being the Comtes de Biandrate of the Valais. It is with this branch we are alone concerned. Grodefroi III, Count of Biandrate, seigneur of the Val Sesia, married Aldise daughter of Pierre de Castello, who was seigneur of neighbouring valleys. This latter bestowed upon his son-in-law his possessions in the Val Anzasca, by a deed dated June 8, 1250 ; and by his marriage the Count also acquired property in the Valais, which had come to his wife by the maternal side. Her mother is said to have belonged to the house of the seigneurs de Vi^ge, which was rich and powerful in the 13th century. "The domains of these lords extended over the Valley of Vi^ge " (Nicolai Thai or Valley of St. Nicholas), "which ends at Monte Rosa"; and, in the Valley of the Rhone, up to the sources of that river.* The property gained by marriage appears to have been acquired before 1250, for in the deed of that date the Comte de Biandrate reserves to himself right to transfer a portion of his Valaisan serfs to the Italian valleys; and, according to Gingins-la-Sarraz, this was actually done at a later date.^ The same author says that upon the death of two uncles, in about 1258, the ancestral domains devolved upon the Countess Aldise. The Count Grodefroi III died in or about 1270, leaving three sons — Guillaume, Jocelin, and Pierre, the latter of whom died about two years after his father. Guillaume had the property in Piedmont as his share of the family possessions ; and Jocelin took that in the Valais, with the exception of the Chateau of Vi^ge and its cUpendances, which were reserved to the mother for life. The domains of the two brothers were subsequently augmented by a gift from their grandfather, Pierre de Castello, who made over to them all that belonged to him on the Simplon between Crevola (near Domo d'Ossola) and Brigue. Jocelin also appears to have come into 1 In the Gremaud documents, the following variations in spelling can be found. Chauson, Schosun, Schauson, Schouson, and Zauxon. 2 Documents pour servir a Vhistoire des Comtes de Biandrate recueillis dans les Archives du Vallais, et pr6c6d6s d'une notice par le Baron Fr6d6ric de Gingins-la- Sarraz, 4to, Turin, 1847. 8 Blandratae or Biandrate, in Latin ; Biandrate or Biandra, in Italian ; and Blandril in the dialect of the Upper Valais. * Gingins-la-Sarraz, p. 21. 5 The aim of this transplantation (which it is said was expressed in the deed) was to put an end to ceaseless quarrels between the Valaisans and Piedmontese about pasturages. Digitized by VjOOQIC 6 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, chap. i. possession of some of the Novara property which had passed to his younger brother ; to have added to his wealth by marriage ; and ultimately, when he "inherited the estates of his mother, he found himself one of the richest seigneurs in the Upper Valais." It does not seem, however, that the Biandrates had absolute dominion in the Nicolai Thai, for there is a document in existence [Gremaud, No. 737] dated Rarogne, May 12, 1268, in which Rudolph of Rarogne makes over his rights and possessions in the parish and valley of St. Nicholas to his wife, daughter of Girold de la Tour ; and there is evidence which leads to the same conclusion in a deed printed by Ruden in his FamUien-Statistik} which runs thus : — "All believers in Christ are hereby informed that I Walter de Ried with the pious consent of my son Peter, and of my daughters Salome and Hemma (my other children were under age), and of Johannes de Ried guardian of the said children, have sold and devised for twelve pounds, which he has paid, to Walter son of Emke and his heirs, my meadow in Finellen^ and the house which is built upon it, with the cellarage, and my share in the ekkun,^ with the water and with everything else that may pertain to the said property. I have caused a deed to be drawn and duly signed by witnesses, who are Mattha de Stadel, Jacobus in spisce, Thomas de Wiestin, and Walter priest of Pratobomo,^ who completed this deed at the place of Normandus, precentor and chancellor sedunensis,(^ in which place I Peter sworn chaplain have written it. He who shall dare to oppose this deed let the curse of God be upon him and pay to the King sixty pounds and a gold obolus. Done at Pratobomo A.D. 1280, on the 27th of the wine-month. ^ Ruden (who was Cur^ of Zermatt from 1845 to 1865) says that this deed is preserved in the parish archives. It shews that there was a priest at Zennatt in 1280, and doubtless there was a church there at that time, inasmuch as the Normandus (Precentor of Sion) who is mentioned in it left by his will, dated 1285, a legacy to the Church of Pra Bomo [Gremaud, No. 1153]. The property sold by Walter of Ried was at Findelen, which is at the present time the most elevated and the most remote of the hamlets round about the main village of Zermatt. The more distant hamlets would naturally be the last to be peopled ; and, as Findelen clearly was in existence in 1280, it may fairly be presumed that Zermatt itself was an established place at some much earlier date. In 1291, Jocelin, compte de Biandrate, and his nephew Jean (son of his brother William), with the men of Saas, St. Nicholas, and Zermatt on the one part, made a treaty of peace with the men of the Val Anzasca on the other part [Gremaud, No. 1021], and this is evidence that the Biandrates were lords in those districts, and that there were communications between the Valaisan and the Italian valleys in those remote times. But this family would seem 1 Familien-Statistik der loblichen Pfarrei von Zermatt, mit beilagen. Gesamnielt und geordnet von Joseph Ruden, 8vo, Ingenbohl, 1869. The original deed is in Latin. A German translation is appended. 2 Findelen. 3 There is an *alp' called Eggen close to the village of Findelen. 4 The old name of Zermatt. 6 Of the cathedral of Sion. « The original reads "Actum apud Pratobomum anno Domini m.cc.lxxx.v. Kal. Octob. RudoTpho regnante, Petro episcopante." The former was Rudolph of Habsburg, and the latter was Pierre d'Oron, Bishop of Sion from 1274 to 1287. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. I. EXCOMMUNICATED. 7 to have parted with some of its possessions not long afterwards, for in the Will of Pierre de la Tour, seigneur of ChAtillon, which was made in 1350, the valleys of St. Nicholas and Zermatt were be- queathed to his three sons.* About this time, the Valley of Zermatt became a cause of dissen- sion. In the 12- 14th centuries the greatest family in the Valais was that of De la Tour de ChAtillon. The origin of this family is lost in the mist of ages. Dr. Schiner stated ^ that he possessed a manu- script which shewed that it was in existence before a.d. 1000. The De la Tours were strong enough to defy and to fight the Bishops of Sion, and they were frequently in hot water. ^ They were vassals both of the Bishop of Sion and of the Count of Savoy, and in the event of war between the Valais and Savoy were bound to supply soldiers to the former, and personal aid to the latter — a dual responsibility which from a business point of view was not likely to work well. Pierre de la Tour, whose will has been quoted, "quarrelled Avith the Bishop about his fiefs at St. Nicholas and Zermatt, which the prelate claimed in default of hommage ; and in 1351, along with some confederates, he took up arms against his spiritual superior. * In the month of August, these Sons of Belial thi-ew themselves upon the Bishop and his people, wounded them, killed a clerk and other persons, and pillaged upon several occasions the episcopal castles and lands.'" So said the sentence of excommunication which was pronounced against the Seigneur de la Tour and his accomplices. Pierre died a few years afterwards, and transmitted the quarrel as well as the property. Antoine de la Tour, who succeeded his father, also * refused to pay homage for his fiefs in the Valley of St. Nicholas,' * and this led to war between the Seigneur and the Bishop,^ which was carried on more or less continuously from 1362 to 1375. During this strife an incident occurred which had particular interest for the inhabitants of the Valley of Zermatt. At that time, their former lords the Biandrates were represented by Isabelle, comptesse de Vifege, and her son Antoine, compte de Biandrate. In 1365, while the quarrel between Antoine de la Tour and Bishop Tavelli was proceeding. Count Antoine and his mother let their castle at Vifege to Pierre de Platea, and on November 3, to avoid 1 "In primis animam meam Altissimo meo Creatori recommendo, etc. Et quia heredis institutio fundamentum et caput est totius testamenti, idcirco heredes mihi instituo Antonium, Johannem et Petrum, Alios meos, pro equalibus portionibus, eo salvo quod dono et concede dicto Antonio in avantagium, ultra portionem sibi com- petentem in bonis meis cum fratribus suis, castrum meum de Oastellione una cum vallibus de Liech, de Schauson et de Prabomy, cum pertinentiis et appendentiis omnibus dictorum locorum" [Gremaud, No. 1971]. There is another document in Gremaud [No. 2040] from which it appears that a certain John de Mont had rights or property in Zermatt in 1367. 2 Description du Dipartement du Simplony ou de la ci-devant R^puhlique du Valais. Par Mr. Schiner, Docteur en Medicine de la Faculty de Montpellier, Svo, Sion, 1812, p. 27a 3 The very first reference to them in Gremaud is in connection with some differences they had with the Abbey of St. Maurice, in 1158. 4 Le Vallais kistorique, par I'Abb^ B. Rameau, 4to, Sion, 1886, pp. 88-9. 5 This bishop was Guichard Tavelli, who held the see from 1342 to 1375^ Digitized by VjOOQIC 8 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, chap. i. the dangers of war, went towards Brigue, intending to take refuge in their tower at Naters, close by; but at night-time, when near the bridge over the Rhone, they encountered some of the episcopal troops, who murdered both and flung them into the river. This crime was so much talked about that the Pope sent his Legate to the Valais to open an enquiry and to punish the guilty ; and a decree [Gremaud, No. 2107] was issued by him, ordering the Bishop to bring the murderers to justice, to recover the bodies of the victims and to inter them in the cathedral church in a manner befitting their rank ; to found two chapels with two chaplains apiece for perpetual mass for the repose of their souls ; and, further, that all their property which had been seized by the partizans of the Bishop was to be restored to the family. Some of it, it is said, went to a half-brother of Count Antoine, but the fiefs which were held from the Chapter of Sion were absorbed in the bishopric, and in course of time the Plateas of Vi^ge (formerly vassals of the Biandrates) came into possession of part of them.^ The war still went on. The Bishop besieged Antoine de la Tour in his castle of Bas-Ch&tiQon (or Niedergestelen) near Raron, and burned his villages. The Count of Savoy then intervened, and ordered the Seigneur to give the required homage, and condemned the Bishop to pay 16,000 francs for the damage he had done. Finally, five years later (Aug. 8, 1375), Antoine de la Tour put an end to his rival by hiring assassins ; who, assisted by some of his own men, broke into the Bishop's castle of la Soie (near Sion) in the early morning, seized him and his Chaplain whilst they were walking in a garden which extended to the battlements of the ramparts, and hurled both over, on the side where the rocks beneath were perpen- dicular [Gremaud, No. 2165]. This, even in the fourteenth century, was a rough way of handling a bishop, and it was not approved by the people. The Valaisans rose against De la Tour, burned his castles and "rid the country for ever from this ambitious family." The brothers Antoine and Jean de la Tour sold the castle of ChAtillon and all their possessions in the Valais to the Count of Savoy. The deed recording this transaction is dated St. Maurice, August 8, 1376 [Gremaud, No. 2214].2 The Count of Savoy, like a keen man of business, made sure of a sale before he effected the pur- chase. There is another deed in existence [Gremaud, No. 2212], dated at Turin, from which it appears that he sold the Castle and the Lotschen Thai to the new Bishop of Sion on July 9, 1376, for 40,000 golden florins ; which, although a good round sum, was, as auctioneers would say, a ridicuously small and inadequate price for a domain of such extent. But, although the Bishop made the purchase, it appears that he had still to get into possession, for there is a document dated Aug. 14, 1376, which sets forth that, having bought the Chateau of Chfi,tillon, he promised full pardon to those who still defended it [Gremaud, No. 2215]. Wrangles went on between the Bishops of 1 Quoted from Baron Oingins-la-Sarraz. 2 This important document occupies twenty-two pages of print. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. I. ZERMATTERS BECOME FREE MEN, 9 Sion and the Valaisans about the property of the De la Tours for more than fifty years. A good deal of it, including the district with which we are concerned, got in course of time into the hands of the Esperlinis (Asperlini), the De Plateas, and the De Werras. These families were important ones in the Upper Valais even when the De la Tours were at their greatest, and it was only in the natural order 6f things that some of the possessions of the Seigneur of Ch^tiQon drifted into their nets. They all belonged to the neigh- bourhood of Visp (Vi^ge) — a district which, according to Chanoine de Rivaz, * historians agree is the cradle of the chief noblesse of the country.' Regarding these noble families Dr. Schiner says ** their number was large, and their pride extreme ; so much so that they ' built a church" [at Visp] "for their own especial use, namely that down below, in order that they should not mix with the populace, as they considered it too low a thing to assemble together in the house of God." Euden tells us (pp. 114, etc.) that several De Werras* are mentioned in a deed of 1435 as part lords of the vale of Zermatt. He says, also, it appears from a long roll of parchment, that three Esperlinis were lords of half the vale of Zermatt in 1448. In 1515, Johann Werra, of Leuk, bought the property of the Esperlinis, and then, in all, he had dominion over 115 families. These families, by a charter dated 1538, bought their freedom for the sum of 700 * Morserpfund ' from the heirs of the said Werra ; and on Jan. 25, 1540, the seniors assembled together in Zermatt Church to devise statutes for the future government of their community. At the same period *the noble Philip Perrini of Leuk' was lord of 35 families, and the De Plateas had 39 more. The Perrini men secured their freedom in 1562 by payment of 655 * Morserpfund,' but their friends and relatives under the Plateas remained serfs until 1618, when they delivered themselves from bondage for the sum of 450 * Morserpfund ' and four fat sheep .f^ "With what burning desire," says Ruden, "must they have longed for the freedom which their brothers had so long enjoyed." Three years later, "still in- toxicated with joy," the heads of these families met to arrange their affairs upon the same footing as the others ; but it would seem, from subsequent passages in Ruden, that the whole were not fused into a single commune until the year 1791. It may be inferred, from the considerable number of persons who were living at Zermatt during the periods referred to by Ruden, that the conditions of life there were not much harder in those early times than they are now, and this although the people of the Valais 1 The name of Willermus Werra appears in the Gremaud documents as early as the year 1247 [No. 507]. Petrus de Platea de Uesbia is in one of 1255 [No. 625]. 2 Ruden gives the names and abodes of those who were freed upon these three occasions, and from his lists it appears that those who were enfranchised belonged strictly to Zermatt and its surroundings, and not to places lower down the valley. The total number of families (or households) amounts to 189. If there were no more than four persons to a household, the ' population of Zermatt three centuries ago must have been considerably larger than it is now. The list of those who were freed in 1538 contains names which will be familiar to visitors to Zermatt,— such as Perren, Ruden, and Weltschen. Digitized by VjOOQIC 10 ZERMATT AND THE MATTEBHOBN. chap. i. were more or less in a state of bondage.^ Yet, even when in bond- age, they had rights of some sort, 2 though no political influence. All power then was in the hands of the Bishops of Sion and the Seigneurs, whose relations to each other were somewhat complex. A student of the early history of the Valais may be excused if he does not com- prehend the precise relations which existed between the Bishops and the Seigneurs, and their serfs or vassals, as it is abundantly clear that the Valaisans did not understand them themselves. The history of their country in medieval times is principally composed of records of interminable disputes and petty warfare, arising from differences about rights which were or were not possessed. The Abb6 Gremaud, in speaking of these contests, divides them into three groups. There were 1. The wars between the lord paramount and his vassals. 2. Little private wars between individual lords, and 3. others between the lords and the communes. One can hardly tell what the Valais should be called during these times. It was neither Kingdom nor County, Empire or Republic. C4ingins-la-Sarraz terms it a principality, and says — '*La principaut^ temporelle des 6v6ques de Sion se composa dans I'origine d'un assemblage de diverses possessions f^odales ^parses tant dans le Haut- Vallais que dans le Bas ; mais, loin de former entr'elles un territoire arrondi et compacte, ces propri^t^s seigneuriales se trouvaient, au contraire, s^par^es les unes des autres et entrecoup^es par les fiefs dependants m^diatement ou imm^diatement de la maison de Savoie, qui poss^dait des seigneuries impor- tantes non-seulement dans les quartiers InMrieurs, mais aussi dans les regions sup^rieures de la longue valMe du Rh6ne." How the Counts of Savoy became masters of this part of the Valais, says the Abb6 Gremaud, is unknown; and he makes the same confession in respect to the origin of the Bishopric. From the 12th to the 15th centuries, the Bishops of Sion were very important personages, who declared war on their own account, and exercised sovereign powers, with little to check their authority and preten- sions. Down to the end of the 14th century they were not drawn exclusively from the Valais. Several were Vaudois, and others were Genevese or French, or came from the Valley of Aosta; but for the last 500 years nearly all have been people of the country, and some have sprung from a very low origin. ^ The right of the Chapter to 1 In feudal times they were bought and sold, and transferred with the land. Thus, in 1257 Guillaume de Moerell sold his men in the valley of the Simplon to Jocelin, vidomne of Sion [Gremaud, No. 638]. In 1279, Guillaume de Scala of Brigue sold three men to Pierre de Lou6che, Canon of Sion [Gremaud, No. 880]. In 1280, Jean de Mi6ge sold a man to Jacques, Canon of Sion [Gremaud, No. 886]. In 1292, Nantelme d'Ayent sold to the Chapter of Sion some men and his rights in the Val d'H6rens [Gremaud, No. 1110]. In 1358, Jean, seigneur of Anniviers, sold some *taillable' men to Tavelli, Bishop of Sion [Gremaud, No. 2046] ; and, in 1408, Antoine de la Rochiz sold men to Perret de la Chapelle [Gremaud, No. 2587]. 5i Ruden says [p. 122] that Jodok Kalbermatter of Visp bought a portion of the Platea property at Zermatt in 1528, and upon May 10 met his purchased vassals in the Church, to receive their submission and oath of fidelity, and in return promised not to curtail their rights and privileges. 3 England has been visited by two Bishops of Sion. Ermanfroid, who held the see from 1055 to 1082, came as Pope's Legate in 1070, and presided at the Council at Windsor when Stigand, Archbishop of Canterbury, was deposed ; and Cardinal Schiner (nominal bishop from 1499 to 1522) came to London in the reign of Henry VIII. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. I. THE DIXAINS. 11 elect the Bishop was sometimes upset by the Pope, and the people had no voice in the matter until recent times. The disputes which recurred upon this subject were only terminated in 1807 ; and now, when a vacancy occurs, the Chapter selects four Canons, from whom the Bishop is chosen by the Grand ConseU of the Canton. The election is confirmed by the Pope. After the end of the fourteenth century, the power of the great lords was gradually shorn and shattered, the privileges of the Bishop were curtailed, and in course of time the people acquired the management of their own affairs and a voice in the election of their rulers. It took much to rouse them to action against their spiritual chiefs. Valaisans have always been good Catholics. " How blessed it is," said the mother of Thomas Platter, *'to be the mother of a priest " ; and this feeling, to which she gave expression four centuries ago, exists amongst the people of the Valais at the present time. But there are some things which flesh and blood cannot endure. While it is annoying to be frequently menaced with eternal damna- tion, it is more than aggravating, when you bring a basket of trout to market, to have the biggest picked out by your Bishop, the next best by his Vice-lord (vidamne), and to have only the refuse left for sale ; and, it may be, the revolt of the Valaisans against the authority of their Bishops, and against the Seigneurs, was more stimulated by a desire to rid themselves from such petty oppressions than by a wish to found a model Republic, or from a profound belief that all men are bom free and equal. Sometimes they chased their Bishops from the diocese. They shut one up, and kept him a prisoner, refusing to release him until he had assented to their demands ; and another (who is said to have been remark- able for his learning and eloquence) was told to his face " We are a free people. Understand that if the Bishops of Sion have exer- cised sovereign powers they have done it simply through our good- nature. . . As you will not sign, we are off at once ; and we will go from dizain to dizain, to tell the people. . . Don't mistake, they will rise in fury, and will destroy your chdteanx, and you will learn from experience that you would have done better to have paid attention to our wishes." In 1628 (ten years after the Zermatters had freed themselves from their lords) the Valais was first termed a Republic, and for some length of time afterwards the country enjoyed comparative repose. The condition of affairs towards the end of the 18th century was thus described by Marc Bourrit.^ "The confederation is made up of seven little republics, called JJiiuins,^ and at different times each one of them has contracted its own particular alliances ; but they felt that unity was strength, and could only bring about 1 Description dea Alpes Pennines et Rhetien^ies, par M. T. Bourrit, 8vo, Geneva, 1781 ; vol. 1, pp. 105-6. 2 Schiner {Description du D^parteinent, p. 9) says, the Upper Valais was dividetl into seven districts "which the Valaisans called Disains or Dixains, in Latin Deseni, and in German Zenden. One does not know the origin of this term. However, it cannot be derived from the word ten, as there are only seven and not ten." The Abb6 Gremaud (vol. v, pp. Ixxxi-ii) adopts a different view. This author says that the term dizain was first employed in 1417. Digitized by VjOOQIC 12 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHOBN. chap. i. unity by a well-considered confederation. The Dixains appoint the Bishop to preside over their assemblies. This is not altogether a voluntary choice ; but exhausted by long troubles they could only terminate them by associating the Bishop with the Grovernment. . . To-day he is called Prince. He has the right to strike money in certain cases, and to pardon. . . The election of a Bishop is a matter of importance," and he then went on to shew how it was managed at that time. Bourrit (writing in 1781) spoke favourably of the Valaisans, par- ticularly of those in the neighbourhood of Visp. "One finds there," he said, "an enchanting openness and sweetness of character. . . The children seemed to us to be the most beautiful in the Valais ; they followed us in troops, from house to house, with a familiarity to which we were not quite accustomed. . . We were very much surprised that they refused some money which we offered to them. . . This corner of the world seemed to possess all that could contribute to render life happy." But it would appear that this pastoral sim- plicity and almost angelic condition did not prevail universally, and he rather spoiled his picture by mentioning upon an earlier page that he found himself "by the side of a gibbet, having bits of corpses fastened to it, — heads and limbs being nailed up. This horrible sight, which we came upon unexpectedly, is very common throughout the Valais y where justice is severe — where they hang a man for robberies which elsewhere are punished at the most with a whipping." * This corner of the world,' a few years later, was again the theatre of sanguinary and barbarous scenes. The Republicans of the Upper Valais did not regard favourably the advances which were made upon them by the French Republic in 1799 ; and, when fortune temporarily favoured their arms, took the opportunity to bury a French officer to the waist, and to stone him to death. " Quelques jours auparavant, trois Vaudois surpris pillant I'^glise de ce premier village" [Varone] " avaient eu le crS,ne fracass6 sur I'enclume d'une forge. "^ These barbarities appear to have caused the reprisals which a few months later were made in the Valley of Zermatt and elsewhere. From 1802 to 1810 the Valais formed an independent Republic ; and after that, for a short time, . Zermatt became part of the French Empire. The Moniteur, one morning in 1810, contained the following decree. "Napoleon, etc., considering that the route over the Simplon, which unites the empire with our kingdom of Italy, is useful to more than sixty millions of persons, that it has cost France and Italy more than eighteen millions, an expenditure which would become useless unless commerce could be carried on conveniently and in perfect safety ; that the Vallais has not kept any of the engagements which it entered into when we commenced the works of this great line of communication, wishing also to put an end to the anarchy which afflicts the country, and to cut short the pretensions of one part of the population to sovereignty over the other, let it be decreed as follows. Art. I. The Vallais is united to the Empire. Art. II. The territory shall form a department under the title the BSpartement du Simplon." The Valais was incorporated forthwith, and remained a Department 1 Both these statements are taken from Hilaire Gay's Histoire du Vallais^ vol. ii, p. 110. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. I. THE FIRST ENGLISHMAN AT ZEBMATT, 13 of the French Empire for about three years. After the battle of Leipzig the allies speedily penetrated into Switzerland ; and, on Dec. 24, 1813, the Pr^fet of the Departement du Simplon, learning of their approach, made himself scarce, and went off in hot haste to Chambery >vith all the cash, leaving his guns behind him. A pro- visional Government for the Valais was established shortly afterwards, and on Sept. 12, 1814, *'it was received, as the twentieth Canton, into the bosom of the Swiss Confederation."* Down to the end of the 18th century Zermatt was not much visited by strangers. To gens du pays, however, it must have been a well-known place. So long back as 1414, Guichard de Rarogne dated a proclamation from Zermatt (Pratobomo),^ which he would not have done if the name had been unfamiliar to those he addressed ; and in 1364 and 1428 Zermatt paid Peter's Pence [Gremaud, Nos. 2090 and 2784], and may therefore have been heard of at Rome. To some extent, at least, it was known to the outer world. When De Saussure went there in 1789 he clearly had obtained some previous knowledge of the place. He was led to believe in the Val d'Ayas that he would be able to get from St. Jacques to Zermatt in a day — a fair day's work at the present time ; and, although he did not accomplish this (being compelled by bad weather to make for Breuil), he actually took mules across from Breuil to Zermatt, and this seems to have been an ordinary proceeding at that time, although it is not now. His reception at Zermatt was somewhat frigid. There was no inn, and he says that the cabaretiers were either away or refused to take him in, and that the Cur6 declined to sell him anything. The first Englishman who is known to have visited Zermatt fared better. Mr. George Cade, a native of York, passed that way in 1800.^ The people flocked together in the Val Toumanche to regard the novel spectacle, and when he crossed into Switzerland the Cu7'6 of St. Nicholas told him that he had never before seen an Englishman. Mr. Cade left Chamonix at the beginning of Sept. 1800, accompanied by the Marie Coutet (Couttet) who had been guide to De Saussure in 1789, and in earlier years. They crossed the Great St. Bernard together, went up the Val Toumanche, and over the Theodul Pass to Zermatt, and thence to Visp and down the Rhone Valley. In con- nection with the Val Toumanche, Mr. Cade refers to a man named Erin, who was said to be 'the best guide in the country.' He accom- panied them to the top of the Theodul, whence he was sent back. * He went whistling away . . . without pikes or precaution.' This would appear to be the same Jean-Baptiste Erin who had conducted De Saussure, and, as it is stated that he was a guide, one may pre- sume that travellers or tourists were not altogether unkno>vn. But 1 Higtoire du Vallais depuis les temps les plus andens jusqu'd, nos jours, par Hilaire Gay, 8vo, Geneva and Paris, 1889, vol. ii, pp. 124-6, 129. 2 Ordering the men of Lou6che and elsewhere to guard the passes against the Bernese [Gremaud, No. 2623]. 8 In the Alpine Journal, vol. vii, pp. 431-436, the Rev. J. Sowerby drew attention to a manuscript account of Mr. Cade's journey, and printed a portion of it. By the favour of its present owner, I have been permitted to examine this manuscript, and to make the extracts which are given. Digitized by VjOOQIC 14 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. chap. i. Mr. Cade says that since the journey of De Saussure *no attempts have been made to cross this famous passage' (the Theodul Pass), though he observes shortly afterwards "that there is still some commerce carried on through this pass . . . which is probably the highest in the world for any man or animal. . . Nine mules had made the ascent this year. . . It is not uncommon for the passage to be shut up the whole year. Indeed the mules never cross from one side to the other if they sink much in the snow, or suffer from the rarefaction of the air. They are immediately unloaded, and the muleteers make shift themselves to transport their merchandize ; otherwise, they proceed slowly to the Col, deposit their goods there and retire, either unloaded or in charge of articles left there perhaps several weeks before, purposely for them. Thus the Val- laisans send iron into Piedmont, and receive in exchange diflPerent wines." His experience at Zermatt is thus described. "They addressed us in High Dutch, too high indeed for our weak understandings," but the CuH behaved well, and sent a message that he "wished for nothing so much as to be of service," and in the evening they had a chat. **The conversation grew spirited. Politics were soon introduced by a detail of the entry of the French in the Valley of St. Nicholas : but why retrace the crimes with which it was accompanied, the violation of Wives and Virgins? Children, like the old, were murdered without mercy. . . When the enemy reached Zermatt the same cruelties were repeated, with an extortion of 500,000 livres. Meanwhile our host, this excellent old man, was bound, and a poignard was held at his breast till the demand was exacted.' The brave and generous villagers sacrificed everything for their Priest." During the first half of the nineteenth century Zermatt was not unfrequently visited both by Swiss and strangers, 2 but the total number per annum was inconsiderable. This may be inferred from the slight notice bestowed upon it in " The Traveller's Guide through Switzerland^ by Mr. J. G. Ebel, a new edition, arranged and im- proved by Daniel Wall," London, 1818, which was one of the earliest guide-books to Switzerland published in English. ^ The first edition of MuiTay's Handbook for Travellers in Switzerland and the Alps of Savoy and Piedmont, published in 1838, devotes, however, several pages to the Valleys of Saas and Zermatt ; and from the details which are given, it is obvious that the district was becoming some- what more visited, though, at that time, there was still no inn at Zermatt. "The house of the cur^ offers its hospitalities, and a worthier host than Jean Fran9ois de la Costa cannot be found. In the little plain of Zermatt, situated amidst the grandest scenery of nature, surrounded by forests of pines 1 These appear to have been reprisals for the barbarities mentioned on p. 12. 2 Amongst the better-known persons who went there may be mentioned W. Brockedon, the Artist (1825) ; Elie de Beaumont (1834) ; Engelhardt (1835) ; Desor and Studer (1839) ; Agassiz, Charpentier and Topflfer (1840); J. D. Forbes (1841); John Ball (1845); and John Ruskin (1849). 3 It said, "A place which may perhaps Interest the tourist is the Valley of Praborgnb, which communicates with that of St. Nicholas. It is bounded by enormous glaciers, which descend to the bottom of the valley. The village of Praborgne is very lofty : it overlooks these glaciers from an immense height." It seems that the writer of this paragraph had not been on the spot, and he appears to be doubtful whether the tourist wtnud be interested. Digitized by VjOOQIC THE BROTHERS SMYTH. 15 and vast glaciers, is placed, with its neat church, this elevated and retired village, with more cleanness and comfort among its inhabitants than is to be found in many places of greater pretensions : this has perhaps been effected by the influx of strangers, for many mineralogists, botanists, and entomologists, come here to collect rich harvests in the neighbourhood." Until 1852, the only hotel at Zermatt was a little inn kept by the village doctor (Lauber), which was started in 1839. Though small and humble, it was sufficient for the wants of the place. ^ In 1852, the Hotel du Mont Cervin was opened, at what was then the northern end of the village. ^ In 1854, the Lauber inn was acquired by Mons. Alexandre Seiler, who christened it Hotel du Mont Kose. M. Seiler understood the art of inn -keeping. He knew how to welcome the coming and to speed the parting guest; and admirably seconded by his estimable wife, he soon made a name for the Mont Kose. There was no need to advertise the house by the ordinary methods, for it was advertised sufficiently by its clienUle. If any- one enquired What is the best hotel in Zermatt? or Where shall we go? the answer was *Go to the Monte Rosa,' or ' Go to Seller's.' Success, however, was not immediate. In the first years that he kept the house, the total number of visitors amounted to about eighty per annum. Perhaps as many more, or a slightly larger number, patronised the Hotel du Mont Cervin, but this hotel was not popu- lar and was never full, and people used to leave it to come to the Mont Rose. Nearly simultaneously with the founda- tion of the latter hotel, the outburst of British energy occurred which led to the subjugation of all the High Alps around Zermatt. Down to 1853, the Breithorn was the only one of the great peaks in this district which had been ascended. Between 1854 and 1865 all of the rest were conquered. The ball, so to speak, was opened by the three brothers Smyth, — gentlemen who, happily, are all still alive. In 1854, Captain (now Colonel) Edmund Smyth, the Rev. Christopher Smyth, and the Rev. (now Canon) J. G. Smytli,^ made the first ascent of the Strahlhorn 1 The Lauber inn is incorporated in the present Monte Rosa Hotel, and fonns part of its southern end. It had apparently, only one story, and a very narrow frontage to 'the street.' The bureau of the present hotel, the smoking-room, and the rooms above, belonged to the original building. 2 The original Mont Cervin Hotel was scarcely a quarter of the size of the present hotel of that name, in which it is now incorporated. 3 All three of the Smyths were climbers in the days of their youth. Canon Smyth when at Westminster is said to have clambered up by the School to the top of the Chapter House, where, finding a ladder, he was enabled to continue his explorations as far as the clock in the West Tower ! Col. Smyth is ' Crab Jones.' Don't you know Crab Jones? "Here he comes, sauntering along with a straw in his mouth, the queerest, coolest fish in Ru^by. If he were tumbled into the moon this minute, he would just pick himself up without taking his hands out of his pockets or turning a hair."— Tom Brotcn's School -Days. When Capt. Smyth went to the Himalayas, the natives used to ALEXANDRE SEILER I. Digitized by VjOOQIC < QC bJ N bJ (0 O CE I- Z o s D o 111 & z Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. I. ALEXANDRE SEILER L 17 from the Adler Pass, and they then turned their attention to Monte Rosa. The first ascent of the highest mountain in Switzerland (the second in elevation in the Alps) might have been expected to have received a good deal of attention. The comparatively small notice that has been given to it has been due, I think, to the fact that no adequate account of the expedition has been published. ^ These two ascents were quickly followed by those of the other mountains which are enumerated in the accompanying Table. The number of visitors to Zermatt increased rapidly during this period, though aU who came could still be accommodated in the two hotels. After 1865, there was a notable augmentation in numbers, which was due to the publicity given by the Times newspaper to an account of the first ascent of the Matterhorn. From this relation, which was reprinted throughout the world, millions of people heard the names of Zermatt and the Matterhorn for the first time. The Monte Rosa Hotel benefited most from this, and in 1867 Mons. Seller was able to make himself master of both hotels, and under his able management the Mont Cervin lost its old reputation. The large building called the Hotel Zermatt was erected by the Commune, but it now forms part of the Seller Hotels ; and in 1884 the great establishment at the Riffelalp was opened by the enterprise of Alexandre Seller I. No one who knows the facts will dispute that the capacity and tact with which he directed his affairs, the geniality with which he received his patrons, and the kindliness which he and his esteemed wife extended to all who were in difficulty, had much to do with the development of the place, and that they occupy a very prominent position amongst the makers of Zermatt. say *he could climb where birds could not fly,' — which is an Oriental equivalent for ' Monsieur has the agility of a chamois ! ' 1 A reference to, rather than an account of it was published in the 2nd ed. of the book entitled Where there's a Will there's a Way, 8vo, London, 1856, and some notice of it was taken in the IlhiMrated London News, and in a Norfolk newspaper ; but with these exceptions nothing of the nature of an account has, I believe, been published of the first ascent of Monte Rosa. Digitized by VjOOQIC First Ascents of the principal Peaks in the Zermatt District, arranged in Chronological Order. Height Year. Name of Peak. in Feet First Ascent made bj' 1854 Stralhhorn 13,750 Rev. Christopher Smyth, Capt. Edmund Smyth, and Rev. J. Grenville Smyth, with — Andermatten of Saas. 1855 Monte Rosa, 15,217 Mr. J. Birkbeck, Rev. Charles Hudson, highest point Rev. Christopher Smyth, Rev. J. Gren- ville Smyth, and Rev. E. Stevenson, with Ulrich Lauener and other guides. 1856 Allalinhorn 13,235 Mr. E. L. Ames, with Franz Andermatten and — Imseng of Saas. 1858 DOM . 14,941 Rev. J. Llewelyn Davies, with Johann zum Taugwald, — Kronig of Zermatt, and a man from Randa. 1859 RiMPFISCHHORN . 13,790 Rev. Leslie Stephen and Dr. R. Liveing, with Melchior Anderegg and Johann zum Taugwald. 1860 Alphubel . 13,803 Rev. Leslie Stephen, with Melchior An- deregg. 1861 Lyskamm . 14,889 Mr. W. E. Hall, Rev. J. F. Hardy, Mr. J. A. Hudson, Mr. C. H. Pilkington, Prof. Ramsay, Mr. T. Rennison, Dr. Sibson, Mr. R. Stephenson, with J. P. Cachat, Franz Lochmatter, Peter Perrn, J. M. Perm, and Stephan zum Taugwald. J) Weisshorn . 14,803 Dr. John Tyndall, with J. J. Bennen and — Wenger. >5 Castor 13,878 Mr. William Mathews and Mr. F. W. Jacomb, with Michel Croz and Jean- Baptiste Croz. 55 Nord End, Monte 15,132 Mr. E. N. Buxton, Sir T. Fowell Buxton, Rosa and Mr. J. J. Cowell, with Michel Payot and other guides. 1862 Dent Blanche . 14,318 Mr. T. S. Kennedy and Mr. Wigram, with Jean-Baptiste Croz and — Kronig. j> Taschhorn . 14,757 Rev. J. Llewelyn Davies and Rev. J. Hayward, with Johann and Stephan zum Taugwald. 1864 Pollux 13,432 Mons. Jacot, with ? ^j Rothhorn 13,855 Mr. F. Craufurd Grove and Rev. Leslie (Moming) Stephen, with Melchior Anderegg and Jakob Anderegg. 1865 Ober Gabelhorn 13,363 Mr. A. W. Moore and Mr. Horace Walker, with Jakob Anderegg. Matterhorn 14,705 Lord Francis Douglas, Mr. Hadow, Rev. Charles Hudson, and Mr. Edward Whymper, with Michel Croz, Peter Taugwalder pere^ and Peter Taugwalder fls. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAPTER II. UPON SOME ATTEMPTS TO ASCEND THE MATTERHORN. ATTEMPTS BY THE CHASSEURS OF VAL TOURNANCHE (1858-9)— MESSRS. PARKER IN 1860 — MR. VAUGHAN HAWKINS IN 1860— SECOND ATTEMPT BY MESSRS. PARKER IN 1861 — MY FIRST NIGHT ON THE MATTERHORN (1861) — CAMP ON THE COL DU LION — WINTER ATTEMPT BY MR. T. S. KENNEDY IN 1862— RENEWED ATTACKS WITH MR. R. J. S. MACDONALD — A SOLITARY SCRAMBLE ON THE MATTERHORN — A NIGHT ALONE — A TUMBLE — MY FIFTH AND SIXTH ATTEMPTS IN 1862 — PROFESSOR TYNDALL REACHES * THE shoulder' — MY SEVENTH ATTEMPT (1863) — ABANDONMENT OF THE SOUTH-WEST RIDGE — MY EIGHTH ATTEMPT (1865) — BAM- BOOZLED AND HUMBUGGED — A FLANK MARCH. The name of Zermatt is inseparably connected with that of the Matterhom. This grand mountain, though not the loftiest of its district,^ is the peak above all others that people wish to see. Train- loads of tourists pass the Weisshorn daily without emotion, but they raise a cheer when Mont Cervin comes in sight. Most tourists obtain their first view of the mountain either from the valley of Zermatt or from that of Toumanche. From the former direction the base of the mountain is seen at its narrowest, and its ridges and faces seem to be prodigiously steep. The view of the mountain from Breuil, in the Val Toumanche, is scarcely less striking than that on the other side ; but it perhaps makes less impression, because the spectator grows accustomed to the sight while coming up the valley. From this direction the mountain is seen to be broken up into a series of pyramidal wedge-shaped masses. It was natural to suppose that a way would more readily be found to the summit on a side thus broken up than in any other direction. The eastern face, fronting the Riffel, seemed one smooth, inaccessible cliff, from summit to base. The ghastly precipices which face the Z'Mutt Glacier forbade any attempt in that direction. There remained only the side of Val Toumanche ; and it will be found that nearly all the earliest attempts to ascend the mountain were made upon that side. The first efforts to ascend the Matterhorn of which I have heard were made in the years 1858-9, from the direction of Breuil, by some chasseurs of the Val Toumanche. The highest point that was attained was about as far as the place which is now called the * Chimney' 1 It is exceeded in elevation by Monte Rosa, the two highest points of the Mischabel- homer, the Lyskamm, and the Weisshom. Digitized by VjOOQIC" THE MATTERHORN, FROM THE RIFFELBERG. Digitized by VjOOQIC CH. II. EARLIEST ATTEMPTS ON THE MATTERHORN. 21 (chemin^e), a height of about 12,650 feet. Those who were concerned in these expeditions were Jean-Antoine Carrel, Jean- Jacques Carrel, Victor Carrel, the Abb^ Gorret, and Gabrielle Maquignaz.* Attempt by Messrs. Parker (1860). — The next attempt was made by the Messrs. Alfred, Charles, and Sandbach Parker, of Liverpool, in July 1860. These gentlemen, without guides, endeavoured to stonu the peak by attacking its eastern face. The brothers went along the ridge between the Homli and the peak until they came to the point where the ascending angle is considerably increased. This place is marked on Dufour's map of Switzerland 3298 metres (10,820 feet). They were then obliged to bear a little to the left to get on to the face of the mountain ; and, afterwards, they turned to the right, and ascended about 700 feet higher, keeping as nearly as was practicable to the crest of the ridge, but, occasionally, bearing a little to the left — that is, more on to the face of the mountain. Clouds, a high wind, and want of time, were the causes which prevented them from going farther. Their highest point was under 12,000 feet. Attempt by Mr. Yanghan Hawkins (1860). — Another attempt to ascend the mountain was made towards the end of August 1860, by Mr. Vaughan Hawkins, from the side of the Val Toumanche. Mr. Hawkins inspected the Matterhom in 1859, with the guide J. J. Bennen, and formed the opinion that the south-west ridge ^ would lead to the summit. He engaged J. -Jacques Carrel, who was concerned in the first attempts, and, accompanied by Bennen (and by Professor Tyndall, whom he had invited to take part in the expedition), he started for the gap between the little and the great peak.^ Mr. Hawkins' party, led by Bennen, climbed the rocks abutting against the Couloir du Lion, on its south side, and attained the Col du Lion, although not without difficulty. They then followed the south-west ridge, passed the place at which the earliest explorers had turned back (the Chimney), and ascended about 300 feet more. Mr. Hawkins and J. -J. Carrel then stopped, but Bennen and Professor Tyndall mounted a few feet higher. They retreated, however, in less than half-an-hour, finding that time ran short ; and, descending to the Col by the same route as they had followed on the ascent, proceeded thence to Breuil, down the Couloir instead of by the rocks. The point at which Mr. Hawkins stopped is easily identified from his description. Its height is about 12,990 feet above the sea. Bennen and Tyndall could not have ascended more than 50 or 60 feet beyond this in the few minutes they were absent from the others, as they were upon one of the most difficult parts of the mountain. This l)arty therefore accomplished an advance of about 350 or 400 feet. 1 Gabrielle Maquignaz is still alive, and is proprietor of the Hotel des Jumeaux at Breuil. 2 This ridge is seen on the left of the engraving upon page 29 ; and if the reader consults this view, the explanatory outlines, and the maps, he will be able to form a fair idea of the points which were attained on this and upon the subsequent attempts. 3 Since this time the small peak has received the name T6te du Lion. The gap is now caUed the Ool du Lion ; the glacier at its base, the Glacier du Lion ; and the gully which connects the Ool with the glacier, the Couloir du Lion. Digitized by VjOOQIC 22 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, chap. ii. Second Attempt by Messrs. Parker (1861).— Mr. Hawkins did not try again, and the next attempt was made by the Messrs. Parker, in July 1861. They again started from Zermatt ; followed the route they had struck out on the previous year, and got a little higher than before ; but they were defeated by want of time, shortly after- wards left Zermatt on account of bad weather, and did not again renew their efforts. Mr. Parker said — "In neither case did we go as high as we could. At the point where we turned we saw our way for a few hundred feet farther ; but, beyond that, the difficulties seemed to increase." I am informed that both attempts should be considered as excursions undertaken with the view of ascertaining whether there was any encouragement to make a more deliberate attack on the north-east side. My first night on the Matterhom (1861). — I arrived at Breuil on the 28th of August 1861, with an Oberland guide, and found that Professor Tyndall had been there a day or two before, but had done nothing. On the way up we enquired for another man of all the knowing ones, and they, with one voice, proclaimed that Jean-Antoine Carrel, of the village of Val Tournanche, was the cock of the valley. We sought, of course, for Carrel ; and found him a well-made, resolute- looking fellow, with a certain defiant air which was rather taking. Yes, he would go. Twenty francs a-day, whatever was the result, was his price. I assented. But I must take his comrade. " Why so?" Oh, it was impossible to get along without another man. As he said this an evil countenance came forth out of the darkness and proclaimed itself the comrade. I demurred, and the negotiations broke off. I hatl seen the mountain from nearly every duection, and an ascent of it seemed much more than was likely to be accomplished in twenty-four hours. I intended to sleep out upon it, as high as possible, and to attempt to reach the summit on the following day. At Breuil, we endeavoured to induce another man to accompany us, but without success. Matthias zum Taugwald and other well-known guides were there at the time, but they declined to go on any account. A sturdy old fellow — Peter Taugwalder by name — said he would go! His price? *'Two hundred francs." "What, whether we ascend or not?" ** Yes — nothing less." The end of the matter was, that all the men who were more or less capable shewed a strong disinclination, or positively refused to go (theii* disinclination being very much in proportion to their capacity), or else asked a prohibitive price. This, it may be said once for all, was the reason why so many futile attempts were made upon the Matterhom. One guide after another was brought up to the mountain, and patted on the back, but all declined the business. The men who went had no heart in the matter, and took the first opportunity to turn back.^ For they were, with the exception of the man to whom reference will be made presently, universally impressed with the belief that the summit was entirely inaccessible. 1 The guide Bennen must be excepted. Digitized by VjOOQIC CH. II. CHRISTENING OF THE ' GREAT STAIRCASE: 23 We resolved to go alone, and anticipating a cold bivouac, begged the loan of a couple of blankets from the innkeeper. He refused them ; giving the curious reason, that we had bought a bottle of brandy at Val Toumanche, and had not bought any from him ! No brandy, no blankets, appeared to be his rule. We did not require them that night, as it was passed in the highest cow-shed in the valley, which is about an hour nearer to the mountain than the hotel. The cowherds, good fellows, seldom troubled by tourists, hailed our company with delight, and did their best to make us comfortable ; brought out their little stores of simple food, and, as we sat with them round the great copper pot which hung over the fire, bade us in husky voice, though with honest intent, to beware of the perils of the haunted cliffs. When night was coming on, we saw, stealing up the hill-side, the forms of Jean-Antoine Carrel and the comrade. "Oh ho!" I said, "you have repented?" "Not at all; you deceive yourself." "Why then have you come here?" " Because we ourselves are going on the mountain to-morrow." "Oh, then it is not necessary to have more than three." "Not for w*." I admired their pluck, and had a strong inclination to engage the pair ; but, finally, decided against it. The cmnrade turned out to be the J. -J. Carrel who had been with Mr. Hawkins, and was nearly related to the other man. Both were bold mountaineers ; but Jean-Antoine was incomparably the better man of the two, and was the finest rock-climber I have ever seen. He was the only man who persistently refused to accept defeat, and who continued to believe, in spite of all discouragements, that the great mountain was not inaccessible, and that it could be ascended from the side of his native valley. The night wore away without any excitement. The two Carrels crept noiselessly out before daybreak, and went off. We did not leave until nearly seven o'clock, and followed them leisurely, leaving all our properties in the cow -shed ; sauntered over the gentian - studded slopes which intervene between the shed and the Glacier du Lion, left cows and their pastures behind, traversed the stony wastes, and arrived at the ice. Old beds of hard snow lay on its right bank (our left hand), and we mounted over them on to the lower portion of the glacier with ease. But, as we ascended, crevasses became numerous, and we were at last brought to a halt by some which were of very large dimensions ; and, as our cutting powers were limited, we sought an easier route, and turned, natur- ally, to the lower rocks of the T6te du Lion, which overlook the glacier on its west. Some good scrambling took us in a short time on to the crest of the ridge which descends towards the south ; and thence, up to the level of the Col du Lion, there was a long natural staircase, on which it was seldom necessary to use the hands. I dubbed the place 'The Great Staircase.' Then the cliffs of the T6te du Lion, which rise above the Couloir, had to be skirted. This part varies considerably in different seasons, and in 1861 we found it difficult ; for the fine weather of that year had reduced the snow- beds abutting against it to a lower level than usual, and the rocks Digitized by VjOOQIC 24 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, CHAP. II. which were left exposed at the junction of the snow with the cliffs had few ledges or cracks to which we could hold. But by half-past THE COL DU LION ; LOOKING TOWARDS THE T^TE DU LION. ten o'clock we stood on the Col, and looked down u|K)n the mag- nificent ba^n out of which the Z'Mutt Glacier flows. We decided to pass the night upon the Col, for we were charmed with the capabilities of the place, although it was one where liberties could not be taken. On one side a sheer wall overhung the Tiefenmatten Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. II. MY FIRST CAMP ON THE MATTEEHORN, 25 Glacier. On the other, steep, glassy slopes of hard snow descended to the Glacier du Lion, furrowed by water and by falling stones. On the north there was the great peak of the Matterhorn,^ and on the south the cliflFs of the T6te du Lion. Throw a bottle down to the Tiefenmatten — no sound returns for more than a dozen seconds. * * * 'how fearful And dizzy 'tis, to cast one's eyes so low ! " But no harm could come from that side. Neither could it from the other. Nor was it likely that it would from the T6te du Lion, for some jutting ledges conveniently overhung our proposed resting-place. We waited for a while, basked in the sunshine, and watched or listened to the Carrels, who were sometimes seen or heard, high above us, upon the ridge leading towards the summit ; and, leaving at mid- day, we descended to the cow-shed, packed up the tent and other properties, and returned to the Col, although heavily laden, before six o'clock. This tent was not a success. It looked very pretty when set up in London, but it proved thoroughly useless in the Alps. It was made of light canvas, and opened like a book ; had one end closed permanently and the other with flaps ; it was supported by two alpen- stocks, and had the canvas sides prolonged so as to turn in underneath. Numerous cords were sewn to the lower edges, to which stones were to be attached ; but the main fastenings were by a cord which passed underneath the ridge and through iron rings screwed into the tops of the alpenstocks, and were secured by pegs. The wind, which play- fully careered about the surrounding cliffs, was driven through our gap as through a blow-pipe ; the flaps of the tent would not keej) down, the pegs would not stay in, and it exhibited so marked a desire to go to the top of the Dent Blanche, that we thought it prudent to take it down and sit upon it. When night came on we wrapped ourselves in it, and made our camp as comfortable as the cir- cumstances would allow. The silence was impressive. No living thing was near our solitary bivouac ; the Carrels had turned back and were out of hearing ; the stones had ceased to fall, and the trickling water to murmur. It was bitterly cold. Water froze hard in a bottle under my head. Not surprising, as we were actually on snow, and in a position where the slightest wind was at once felt. For a time we dozed, but about midnight there came from high aloft a tremendous explosion, followed by a second of dead quiet. A great mass of rock had split off, and was descending towards us. My guide started up, wrung his hands, and exclaimed, " O my God, we are lost ! " We heard it coming, mass after mass pouring over the precipices, bounding and rebounding from cliff to cliff, and the great rocks in advance smiting one another. They seemed to be close, although they were probably distant, but some small fragments, which dropped upon us at the same time from the ledges just above, added to the alarm. We put ourselves in motion at daybreak, and commenced the 1 The engraving is made after a sketch taken from the rocks of the Matterhorn, just above the Ooi. Digitized by VjOOQIC 26 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. chap. ii. ascent of the south-west ridge. There was no more sauntering with hands in the pockets, — each step had to be earned by dowmight climb- ing. But it was the most pleasant kind of climbing. The rocks were fast and unencumbered with debris ; the cracks were good, although not numerous ; and there was nothing to fear except from one's-self . Hardly an hour passed before we arrived at the * Chimney.' A smooth, straight slab of rock was fixed, at a considerable angle, be- tween two others equally smooth. My companion essayed to go up, and, after crumpling his long body into many ridiculous positions, he said that he would not, for he could not, manage it. With some little trouble I got up unassisted, and then my guide tied himself on to the end of our rope, and I endeavoured to pull him up. But he was so awkward that he did little for himself, and so heavy that he proved too much for me^ and after several attempts he untied himself, and quietly observed that he should go down. I told him he was a coward, and he mentioned his opinion of me, I requested him to go to Breuil, and to say that he had left his * monsieur ' on the mountain, and he turned to go ; whereupon I had to eat humble pie and ask him to come back ; for, although it was not very difficult to go up, and not at all dangerous with a man standing below, it was quite another thing to come down, as the lower edge overhung in a provoking manner. The day was perfect ; the sun was pouring down grateful warmth ; the wind had fallen ; the way seemed clear, no insuperable obstacle was in sight; but what could one do alone? I stood on the top, chafing under this unexpected contretemps, and remained for some time irresolute ; but as it became apparent that the Chimney was swept more frequently than was necessary (it was a natural channel for falling stones), I turned at last, descended with the assistance of my companion, and returned with him to Breuil, where we arrived about mid-day. The Carrels did not shew themselves. We were told that they had not got to any great height,^ and that the 'comrade,' who for convenience had taken off his shoes and tied them round his waist, had managed to let one of them slip, and had come down with a piece of cord fastened round his naked foot. Notwithstanding this, they had boldly glissaded down the Couloir du Lion, J. -J. Carrel having his shoeless foot tied up in a pocket handkerchief. The Matterhom was not assailed again in 1861. I left Breuil with the conviction that it was little use for a single person to organise an attack upon it, so great was its influence on the morals of the guides ; and persuaded that it was desirable at least two should go, to back each other when required : and departed with my guide over the Col Th^odule, longing, more than before, to make the ascent, and determined to return, if possible, with a companion, to lay siege to the mountain until one or the other was vanquished. 1 I learned afterwards from Jean-Antoine Carrel that they got considerably higher than upon their previous attempts, and about 250 or 300 feet higher than Professor Tyndall in 1860. In 1862, 1 saw the initials of J. -A. Carrel cut on the rocks at the place where he and his comrade had turned back. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. II. A WIN TEE ATTEMPT. 27 A winter attempt by Mr. T. S. Kennedy (1862).— The year 1862 was still young, and the Matterhorn, clad in its wintry garb, bore but little resemblance to the Matterhorn of the summer, when a new force came to do battle with the mountain, from another direction. Mr. T. S. Kennedy of Leeds conceived the extraordinary idea that the peak might prove less im- practicable in January than in June, and arrived at Zermatt :. in the former month to put his \\ -it^'^ conception to the test. With stout Peter Perm and sturdy Peter Taugwalder he slept in the little chapel at the Schwarz- see, and on the next morning, like the Messrs. Parker, followed the ridge between the peak called Homli and the great mountain. But they found that snow in winter obeyed the ordi- nary laws, and that wind and frost were not less unkind than in summer. THOMAS S. KENNEDY. "The wind whirled up the snow and spiculsB of ice into our faces like needles, and flat pieces of ice a foot in diameter, carried up from the glacier below, went flying past. Still no one seemed to like to be the first to give in, till a gust fiercer than usual forced us to shelter for a time behind a rock. Im- mediately it was tacitly understood that our expedition must now end ; but we determined to leave some memento of our visit, and, after descending a consider- able distance, we found a suitable place with loose stones of which to build a cairn. A tower six feet high was erected ; a bottle, with the date, was placed inside, and we retreated as rapidly as possible." ThLs cairn was placed at the spot marked upon Dufour's Map of Switzerland 10,820 feet (3298 metres), and the highest point attained by Mr. Kennedy was not, I imagine, more than two or three hundred feet above it. The cairn disappeared long ago. Shortly after this Professor Tyndall gave an account of the reason why he had left Breuil, in August 1861, without doing anything. ^ It seems that he sent his guide Bennen to reconnoitre, and that the latter made tlie following report to his employer : — "Herr, I have examined the mountain carefully, and find it more difficult and dangerous than I had imagined. There is no place upon it where we could well pass the night. We might do so on yonder Col upon the snow, but there we should be almost frozen to death, and totally unfit for the work of the next day. On the rocks there is no ledge or cranny which could give us proper harbourage ; and starting from Breuil it is certainly impossible to reach the summit in a single day." "I was entirely taken aback," says Tyndall, **by this report. I felt like a man whose grip had given way, and who was dropping through the air. . . Bennen was evidently dead against any attempt upon the mounte.in. 'We can, at all events, reach the lower of 1 See page 22. Digitized by VjOOQIC 28 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. CHAP. II. the two summits/ I remarked. 'Even that is difficult,' he replied ; 'but when you have reached it, what then? The peak has neither name nor fame."'i I was more surprised than discouraged by this report by Bennen. One half of his assertions I knew to be wrong. The Col to which he referred was the Col du Lion, upon which we had passed a night, less than a week after he had spoken so authoritatively ; and I had seen a place not far below the * Chimney ' — a place about 500 feet above the Col — where it seemed possible to construct a sleeping-place. Bennen's opinions seem to have undergone a complete change. In I860 he is described as having been enthusiastic to make an attempt ; in 1861 he was dead against one. The first attempt in 1862. — Undismayed by this, my friend Mr. Reginald Macdonald agreed to join me in a renewed assault from the south ; and, although we failed to secure Melchior Anderegg and some other notable guides, we obtained two men of repute, namely, Johann zum Taugwald and Johann Kronig, of Zermatt. We met there early in July, but stormy weather prevented us for some days even from passing to the other side of the chain ; and when we crossed the Col Th^odule on the 5th the weather was thoroughly unsettled — it was raining in the valleys, and snowing upon the mountains. We had need of a porter, and, by the advice of our landlord, descended to the chalets of Breuil in search of one Luc Meynet. We found his house a mean abode, encumbered with cheese-making apparatus, and tenanted only by some bright-eyed children ; but as they said that uncle Luc would soon be home, we waited at the door of the little chalet and watched for him. At last a speck was seen coming round the comer of the patch of pines below Breuil, and then the children clapped their hands, dropped their toys, and ran eagerly forward to meet him. We saw an ungainly, wobbling figure stoop down and catch up the little ones, kiss them on each cheek, and put them into the empty panniers on each side of the mule, and then heard it come on carolling, as if this was not a world of woe : and yet the face of little Luc Meynet, the hunchback of Breuil, bore traces of trouble and sorrow, and there was more than a touch of sadness in his voice when he said that he must look after his brother's children. All his difficulties were, however, at length overcome, and he agreed to join us to carry the tent. In the past winter I had turned my attention to tents, and that which we had brought with us was the result of experiments to devise one which should be sufficiently porta})le to be taken over the most difficult ground, whilst combining lightness with stability. Its base was just under six feet square, and a cross-section perpendicular to its length was an equilateral triangle, the sides of which were six feet long. It was intended to accommodate four persons. It was 1 MountaiTieering in 1861, a Vacation Tour, by John Tyndall ; 8vo, London, 1862 ; pp. 86-7. Tyndall and Bennen were mistaken in supposing that the mountain has two summits ; it has only one. They seem to have been deceived by the appearance of that Breuil. Viewed from that place, its southern end has certainly, through foreshortening, the semblance of a peak ; but when one regards it from the Col Th^Mule, or from any place in the same direction, the delusion is at once apparent. Digitized by VjOOQIC 00 3 o o •111 z H UJ z h u. o H i 3 00 UJ z o a u. o ui < UI z Digitized by VjOOQIC 30 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. chap. ii. supported by four ash-poles, six feet and a half long, and one inch and a quarter thick, tapering to the top to an inch and an eighth, which were shod with iron points. Sunday, the 6th of July, was showery, and snow fell on the Matter- horn, but we started on the following morning with our three men, and pursued my route of the previous year. I was requested to direct the way, as none save myself had been on the mountain before. I did not distinguish myself on this occasion, and led my companions nearly to the top of the T6te du Lion before the mistake was dis- covered. The party becoming rebellious, a little exploration was made towards our right, and we found that we were upon the top of the cliff overlooking the Col du Lion. The day was far advanced before we arrived at our camping-place on the Col. Profiting by the experience of last year, we did not pitch the tent actually on the snow, but collected a quantity of debris from the neighbouring ledges, and after constructing a rough platform of the larger pieces, levelled the whole with the dirt and mud. Meynet had proved invaluable as a tent-bearer; for — although his legs were more picturesque than symmetrical, and although he seemed to be built on principle with no two parts alike — his very deformities proved of service ; and we quickly found he had spirit of no common order, and that few peasants are more agreeable companions, or better climbers, than little Luc Meynet, the hunchback of Breuil. A strong wind sprang up from the east during the night, and in the morning it was blowing almost a hurricane. The tent behaved nobly, and we remained under its shelter for several hours after the sun had risen, uncertain what it was best to do. A lull tempted us to move, but we had scarcely ascended a hundred feet before the storm burst upon us with increased fury. Advance or return was alike impossible ; the ridge was denuded of its debris ; and we clutched our hardest when we saw stones as big as a man's fist blown away horizontally into space. We dared not attempt to stand upright, and remained stationary, on all fours, glued, as it were, to the rocks. It was intensely cold, for the blast had swept along the main chain of the Pennine Alps, and across the great snow-fields around Monte Rosa. Our warmth and courage rapidly evaporated, and at the next lull we retreated to the tent ; having to halt several times even in that short distance. Taugwald and Kronig then declared that they had had enough, and refused to have anything more to do with the mountain. Meynet also informed us that he would be required down below for important cheese-making operations on the following day. It was therefore needful to return to BreuU, and we arrived there at 2.30 P.M., extremely chagrined at our complete defeat. Second attempt in 1862. — Jean-Antoine Carrel, attracted by rumours, had come up to the inn during our absence, and after some negotiations agreed to accompany us, with one of his friends named Pession, on the first fine day. We thought ourselves fortunate ; for Carrel clearly considered the mountain a kind of preserve, and regarded our late attempt as an act of poaching. The wind blew itself out during the night, and we started again, with these two men and a porter, at Digitized by VjOOQIC CH. II. A SOLITARY SCRAMBLE ON THE MATTERHORN. 31 8 A.M. on the 9th, with unexceptionable weather. Carrel pleased us ^y suggesting that we should camp even higher than before ; and we accordingly proceeded, without resting at the Col, until we overtopped the T6te du Lion. Near the foot of the * Chimney,' a little below the crest of the ridge, and on its eastern side, we found a protected place ; and by building up from ledge to ledge (under the direction of our leader, who at that time was a working mason), we at length constructed a platform of sufficient size and of considerable solidity. Its height was about 12,550 feet above the sea. We then pushed on, as the day was very fine, and, after a short hour's scramble, got to the foot of the Great Tower upon the ridge (that is to say, to Mr. Hawkins' farthest point), and afterwards returned to our bivouac. We turned out again at 4 A.M., and at 5.15 started upwards once more, with fine weather and the thermometer at 28°. Can*el scrambled up the Chimney, and Macdonald and I after liim. Pession's turn came, but when he arrived at the top he looked very ill, declared himself to be thoroughly incapable, and said that he must go back. We waited some time, but he did not get better, neither could we learn the nature of his illness. Carrel flatly refused to go on with us alone. We were helpless. Macdonald, ever the coolest of the cool, suggested that we should try what we could do without them ; but our better judgment prevailed, and, finally, we returned together to Breuil. On the next day my. friend started for London. Three times I had essayed the ascent of this mountain, and on each occasion hatl failed ignominiously. I had not advanced a yard beyond my predecessors. Up to the height of nearly 13,000 feet there were no extraordinary difficulties ; the way so far might even become *a matter of amusement.' Only 1800 feet remained; but they were as yet untrodden, and might present the most formidable obstacles. No man could expect to climb them by himself. A morsel of rock only seven feet high might at any time defeat him, if it were perpendicular. Such a place might be possible to two, or a bagatelle to three men. It was evident that a party should consist of three men at least. But where could the other two men be obtained. Carrel was the only man who exhibitetl any enthusiasm in the matter ; and he, in 1861, had absolutely refused to go unless the party con- sisted of at least four persons. Want of men made the difficulty, not the mountain. The weather became bad again, so I went to Zermatt on the chance of picking up a man, and remained there during a week of storms. Not one of the better men, however, could be induced to come, and I returned to Breuil on the 17th, hoping to combine the skill of Carrel with the willingness of Meynet on a new attempt, by the same route as before ; for the upper part of the north-eastern ridge, which I had inspected in the meantime, seemed to be entirely impracticable. Both men were inclined to go, but their ordinary occupations prevented them from starting at once. A solitary scramble on the Matterhom (1862). — My tent had been left rolled up at the second platform, and whilst waiting for the men it occurred to me that it might have been blown away during the late Digitized by VjOOQIC 32 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, chap. ii. stormy weather ; so I started oflf on the 18th to see if this were so or not. The way was by this time familiar, and I mounted rapidly, astonishing the friendly herdsmen — who nodded recognition as I flitted past them and the cows — for I was alone, because no man was avail- able. But more deliberation was necessary when the pastures were passed, and climbing began, as it was needful to mark each step, in case of mist, or surprise by night. It is one of the few things which can be said in favour of mountaineering alone (a practice which has little besides to commend it), that it awakens a man's faculties, and makes him observe. When one has no arms to help, and no head to guide him except his own, he must needs take note even of small things, for he cannot afford to throw away a chance ; and so it came to pass, upon my solitary scramble, when above the snow-line, and l>eyond the ordinary limits of flowering plants, when peering about, noting angles and landmarks, that my eyes fell upon the tiny strag- gling plants — oftentimes a single flower on a single stalk — pioneers of vegetation, atoms of life in a world of desolation, which had found their way up — who can tell how? — from far below, and were obtain- ing bare sustenance from the scanty soil in protected nooks ; and it gave a new interest to the well-known rocks to see what a gallant fight the survivors made (for many must have perished in the attempt) to ascend the great mountain. The Gentian, as one might have ex- pected, was there, but it was run close by Saxifrages, and by Linaria alpina^ and was beaten by Tfdaspi rotundifolium^ which latter plant was the highest I was able to secure, although it too was overtopped by a little white flower that I knew not, and was unable to reach. The tent was safe, although snowed up ; and I turned to contem- plate the view, which, when seen alone and undisturbed, had all the strength and charm of complete novelty. The highest peaks of the Pennine chain were in front — the Breithom (13,685 feet), the Lyskamm (14,889), and Monte Rosa (15,217); then, turning to the right, the entire block of mountains which separated the Val Toumanche from the Val d'Ayas was seen at a glance, with its culminating point the Grand Toumalin (11,086). Behind were the ranges dividing the Val d'Ayas from the Valley of Gressoney, backed by higher summits. More still to the right, the eye wandered down the entire length of the Val Toumanche, and then rested upon the Graian Alps with their innumerable peaks, and upon the isolated Pyramid of Monte Viso (12,643) in the extreme distance. Next, still turning to the right, came the mountains intervening between the Val Toumanche and the Val Barth^lemy. Mont Rouss (a round -topped snowy summit, which seems so important from Breuil, but which is in reaUty only a buttress of the higher mountain, the Chltteau des Dames) had long ago sunk, and the eye passed over it, scarcely heeding its existence, to the Becca Salle (or Bee de Sale), — a miniature Matterhom — and to other, and more important heights. Then the grand mass of the Dent d'H^rens (13,714) stopped the way ; a noble mountain, encrusted on its northern slopes with enormous hanging glaciers, which broke away at mid-day in immense slices, and thundered down on to the Tiefenmatten Glacier ; and lastly, most splendid of all, came the Dent Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. II. A NIGHT ALONE. 33 Blanche (14,318), soaring above the basin of the great Z'Muttgletscher. Such a view is hardly to be matched in the Alps, and this view is very rarely seen, as I saw it, perfectly unclouded. Time sped away unregarded, and the little birds which had built their nests on the neighbouring cliffs had begun to chirp their evening hymn before I thought of returning. Half mechanically I turned to the tent, unrolled it, and set it up. It contained food enough for several days, and I resolved to stay over the night. I had started from Breuil without provisions, or telling Favre — the innkeeper, who was accustomed to my erratic ways — where I was going. I returned to the view. The sun was setting, and its rosy rays, blending with the snowy blue, had thrown a pale, pure violet far as the eye could see ; the valleys were drowned in purple gloom, whilst the summits shone with unnatural brightness : and as I sat in the door of the tent, and watched the twilight change to darkness, the earth seemed to become less earthy and almost sublime ; the world seemed dead, and I, its sole inhabitant. By and by, the moon as it rose brought the hills again into sight, and by a judicious repression of detail rendered the view yet more magnificent. Something in the south hung like a great glow-worm in the air ; it was too large for a star, and too steady for a meteor ; and it was long before I could realise the scarcely cred- ible fact that it was the moonlight glittering on the great snow-slope on the north side of Monte Viso,' at a distance, as the crow flies, of 98 miles. Shivering, at last I entered the tent and made my coffee. The night was passed comfortably, and the next morning, tempted by the brilliancy of the weather, I proceeded yet higher in search of another place for a platform. Solitary scrambling over a pretty wide area had shewn me that a single individual is subjected to many difficulties which do not trouble a party of two or three men, and that the disadvantages of being alone are more felt while descending than during the ascent. In order to neutralise these inconveniences, I devised two little appliances, which were now brought into use for the first time. One was a claw — a kind of grapnel — about five inches long, made of shear steel, one-fifth of an inch thick. This was of use in diflScult places where there was no hold within arm*s length, but where there were cracks or ledges some distance higher. The claw could be stuck on the end of the alpen- stock and dropped into such places, or, on extreme occasions, flung up until it attached itself to something. The edges that laid hold of the rocks were seiTated, which tended to make them catch more readily, and the other end had a ring to which a rope was fastened. It must not be understood that this was employed for hauling one's- self up for any great distance, but that it was used in ascending, at the most, for only a few yards at a time. In descending, how- ever, it could be prudently used for a greater distance at a time, as the claws could be planted firmly; but it was necessary to keep the rope taut, and the pull constantly in the direction of the length of the implement, otherwise it had a tendency to slip away. The second device was merely a modification of a dodge practised by all climbers. It is often necessary for a solitary climber (or for the last D Digitized by VjOOQIC 34 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. chap. ii. man of a party during a descent) to make a loop in the end of his rope, to pass it over some rocks, and to come down holding the free end. The loop is then jerked off, and the process may be repeated. But as it sometimes happens that there are no rocks at hand which will allow a loose loop to be used, a slip-knot has to be resorted to, and the rope is drawn in tightly. Consequently, it will occur that it is not possible to jerk the loop off, and the rope has to be cut and left behind. To prevent this, I had a wrought-iron ring (two and a quarter inches in diameter and three eighths of an inch thick) attached to one end of my rope. A loop could be made in a moment by passing the other end of the rope through this ring, which of course slipped up and held tightly as I descended holding the free end. A strong piece of cord was also attached to the ring, and, on arriving at the bottom, this was pulled ; the ring slid back again, and the loop was whipped off readily. By means of these two simple appliances I was able to ascend and descend rocks, which otherwise would have been completely impassable. The combined weight of these two things amounted to less than half-a-pound.^ It has been mentioned that the rocks of the south-west ridge are by no means difficult for some distance above the Col du Lion. This is true of them up to the level of the Chimney, but they steepen when that is passed, and remaining smooth and with but few fractures, and still continuing to dip outwards, present some steps of a very uncertain kind, particularly when they are glazed with ice. At this point (just above the Chimney) the climber is obliged to follow the southern (or Breuil) side of the ridge, but, in a few feet more, one must turn over to the northern (or Z'Mutt) side, where, in most years, nature kindly provides a snow-slope. When this is surmounted, one can again return to the crest of the ridge, and follow it, by easy rocks, to the foot of the Great Tower. 2 This was the highest point attained by Mr. Hawkins in 1860, and it was also our highest on the 9th of July. This Great Tower is one of the most striking features of the ridge. It stands out like a turret at the angle of a castle. Behind it a battlemented wall leads upwards to the citadel. Seen from the Th^odule pass it looks only an insignificant pinnacle, but as one approaches it (on the ridge) so it seems to rise, and, when one is at its base, it completely conceals the upper parts of the mountain. I found here a suitable place for the tent; which, although not so well protected as the second platform, possessed the advantage of being 300 feet higher up ; and fascinated by the wildness of the cliffs, and enticed by the perfection of the weather, I went on to see what was behind. The first step was a difficult one. The ridge became diminished to the least possible width — it was hard to keep one's balance — and just where it was narrowest, a more than perpendicular mass barred the way. Nothing fairly within arm's reach could be laid hold of ; 1 Illustrations of these appliances are given in Scrambles amongst the Alps. 2 In consequence of rock-falls which have occurred, this description is no longer correct Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. II. BEHIND THE GREAT TOWER. 35 it was necessary to spring up, and then to haul one's-self over the sharp edge by sheer strength. Progression directly upwards was then impossible. Enormous and appalling precipices plunged down to the Tiefenmatten Glacier on the left, but round the right-hand side it was just possible to go. One hindrance then succeeded another, and much time was consumed in seeking a way. I have a vivid recollection of a gully of more than usual perplexity at the side of the Great Tower, with minute ledges and steep walls ; of the ledges dwindling away and at last ceasing ; and of finding myself, with arms and legs divergent, fixed as if crucified, pressing against the rock, and feeling each rise and fall of my chest as I breathed ; of screwing my head round to look for hold, and not seeing any, and of jumping sideways on to the other side. 'Tis vain to attempt to describe such places. Whether they are sketched with a light hand, or wrought out in laborious detail, one stands an equal chance of being misunderstood. Their enchantment to the climber arises from their calls on his faculties, in their demands on his strength, and on overcoming the impediments which they oppose to his skill. The non-mountaineering reader cannot feel this, and his interest in descriptions of such places Ls usually small, unless he supposes that the situations ai*e perilous. They are not necessarily perilous, but I think it is impossible to avoid giving such an impression if the difficulties aie particularly insisted upon. There was a change in the quality of the rock, and there was a change in the appearance of the ridge. The rocks (talcose gneiss) below this spot were singularly firm ; it was rarely necessary to test one's hold ; the way led over the living rock, and not up rent-off fragments. But here, all was decay and ruin. The crest of the ridge was shattered and cleft, and the feet sank in the chips which had drifted down ; while above, huge blocks, hacked and carved by the hand of time, nodded to the sky, looking like the grave-stones of giants. Out of curiosity I wandered to a notch in the ridge, between two tottering piles of immense masses, which seemed to need but a few pounds on one or the other side to make them fall ; so nicely poised that they would literally have rocked in the wind, for they were put in motion by a touch ; and based on support so frail that I wondered they did not collapse before my eyes. In the whole range of my Alpine experience I have seen nothing more striking than this desolate, ruined, and shattered ridge at the back of the Great Tower. It is needless to say that it is impossible to climb by the crest of the ridge at this part ; still one is compelled to keep near to it, for there is no other way. Generally speaking, the angles on the Matterhorn are too steep to allow the formation of considerable beds of snow, but here there is a corner which per- mits it to accumulate, and it is turned to gratefully, for, by its assistance, one can ascend four times as rapidly as upon the rocks. The Tower was now almost out of sight, and I looked over the central Pennine Alps to the Grand Combin, and to the chain of Mont Blanc. My neighbour, the Dent d'H6rens, still rose above me, al- though but slightly, and the height which had been attained could Digitized by VjOOQIC 36 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, chap. ii. be measured by its help. So far, I had no doubts about my capacity to descend that which had been ascended ; but, in a short time, on looking ahead, I saw that the cliffs steepened, and I turned back (without pushing on to them, and getting into inextricable difficulties), exulting in the thought that they would be passed when we returned together, and that I had, without assistance, got nearly to the height of the Dent d'H^rens, and considerably higher than any one had been before.* My exultation was a little premature. About 5 r.M. I left the tent again, and thought myself as good as at Breuil. The friendly rope and claw had done good service, and had smoothened all the difficulties. I lowered myself through the Chinmey, however, by making a fixture of the rope, which I then cut off, and left behind, as there was enough and to spare. My axe had proved a great nuisance in coming down, and I left it in the tent. It was not attached to the bftton, but was a separate affair, — an old navy boarding-axe. While cutting up the different snow- beds on the ascent, the bAton trailed behind fastened to the rope ; and, when climbing, the axe was carried behind, run through the rope tied round my waist, and was sufficiently out of the way ; but in descending, when coming down face outwards (as is always best where it is possible), the head or the handle of the weapon caught frequently against the rocks, and several times nearly upset me. So, out of laziness if you will, it was left in the tent. I paid dearly for the imprudence. The Col du Lion was passed, and fifty yards more would have placed me on the 'Great Staircase,' down which one can run. But on arriving at an angle of the cliffs of the T^te du Lion, while skirt- ing the upper edge of the snow which abuts against them, I found that the heat of the two past days had nearly obliterated the steps which had been cut when coming up. The rocks happened to be impracticable just at this comer, and it was necessary to make the steps afresh. The snow was too hard to beat or tread down, and at the angle it was all but ice ; half-a-dozen steps only were required, and then the ledges could be followed again. So I held to the rock with my right hand, and prodded at the snow with the point of my stick until a good step was made, and then, leaning round the angle, did the same for the other side. So far well, but in attempting to pass the comer I slipped and fell. The slope was steep on which this took place, and was at the top of a gully that led down through two subordinate buttresses towards the Glacier du Lion — which was just seen, a thousand feet below. The gully narrowed and narrowed, until there was a mere thread of snow lying between two walls of rock, which came to an abrupt termination at the top of a precipice that intervened between it and the glacier. Imagine a funnel cut in half through its length, placed at an angle of 45 degrees, Avith its point below and its concave side uppermost, and you will have a fair idea of the place. 1 A remarkable streak of snow (marked 'cravate' in the outline of the Matterhom, as seen from the Th6odule) runs across the cliflf at this part of the mountain. My highest point was somewhat higher than the lowest part of this snow, and was con- sequently nearly 13,500 feet above the sea. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. II. . A TUMBLE. 37 Tlie knapsack brought my head down first, and I pitched into some rocks about a dozen feet below ; they caught something and tumbled me off the edge, head over heels, into the gully ; the b&ton was dashed from my hands, and I whirled downwards in a series of bounds, each longer than the last ; now over ice, now into rocks ; striking my head four or five times, each time with increased force. The last bound sent me spinning through the air, in a leap of fifty or sixty feet, from one side of the gully to the other, and I struck the rocks, luckily, with the whole of my left side. They caught my clothes for a moment, and I fell back on to the snow with motion arrested. My head fortunately came the right side up, and a few frantic catches brought me to a halt, in the neck of the gully, and on the verge of the precipice. B^ton, hat, and veil skimmed by and dis- appeared, and the crash of the rocks — which I had started — as they fell on to the glacier, told how narrow had been the escape from utter destruction. As it was, I fell nearly 200 feet in seven or eight bounds. Ten feet more would have taken me in one gigantic leap of 800 feet on to the glacier below. The situation was sufficiently serious. The rocks could not be let go for a moment, and the blood was spirting out of more than twenty cuts. The most serious ones were in the head, and I vainly tried to close them with one hand, whilst holding on with the other. It was useless ; the blood jerked out in blinding jets at each pulsation. At last, in a moment of inspiration, I kicked out a big lump of snow, and stuck it as a plaster on my head. The idea was a happy one, and the flow of blood diminished. Then, scrambling up, I got, not a moment too soon, to a place of safety, and fainted away. The sun was setting when consciousness returned, and it was pitch dark before the Great Staircase was descended ; but, by a combination of luck and care, the whole 4900 feet of descent to Breuil was accomplished without a slip, or once missing the way. I entered the inn stealthily, wishing to escape to my room unnoticed. But Favre met me in the passage, demanded "Who is it?" screamed with fright when he got a light, and aroused the household. Two dozen heads then held solemn council over mine, with more talk than action. The natives were unanimous in recommending that hot wine mixed with salt should be rubbed into the cuts. I protested, but they insisted. It was all the doctoring they received. Whether their rapid healing was to be attributed to that simple remedy, or to a good state of health, is a question. They closed up remarkably quickly, and in a few days I was able to move again. ^ Fonrth attempt in 1862. — The news of this accident brought Jean- Antoine Carrel up to Breuil, and along with the haughty chasseur came one of his relatives, a strong and able young fellow named Caesar. With these two men and Meynet I made another start on the 23rd of July. We got to the tent without any trouble, and on the following day had ascended beyond the Tower, and were pick- ing our way cautiously over the loose rocks behind (where my traces 1 I received much attention from a kind English lady (Mrs. J. H. DanieU) who was staying- in the inn. Digitized by VjOOQIC 38 ZEBMATT AND THE MATTERHOBN. chap. ii. of the week before were well apparent) in lovely weather, when one of those abominable and almost instantaneous changes occurred, to which the Matterhom is so liable on its southern side. Mists were created out of invisible vapours, and in a few minutes snow fell heavily. We stopped, as this part was exceedingly difficult, and, unwilling to retreat, remained on the spot several hours, in hopes that another change would occur; but, as it did not, we at length went down to the base of the Great Tower, and commenced to make a third platform,^ at the height of 12,992 feet above the sea. It still continued to snow, and we took refuge in the tent. Carrel argued that the weather had broken up, and that the mountain would become so glazed with ice as to render any attempt futile ; and I, that the change was only temporary, and that the rocks were too hot to allow ice to form upon them. I wished to stay until the weather improved, but my leader would not endure contradiction, grew more positive, and insisted that we must go down. We went down, and when we got below the Col his opinion was found to be wrong ; the cloud was confined to the upper 3000 feet, and outside it there was brilliant weather. Carrel was not an easy man to manage. He was perfectly aware that he was the cock of the Val Toumanche, and he commanded the other men as by right. He was equally conscious that he was indispensable to me, and took no pains to conceal his knowledge of the fact. If he had been commanded, or if he had been entreated to stop, it would have been all the same. But, let me repeat, he was the only first-rate climber I could find who believed that the mountain was not inaccessible. With him I had hopes, but without him none ; so he was allowed to do as he would. His will on this occasion was almost incomprehensible. He certainly could not be charged with cowardice, for a bolder man could hardly be found ; nor was he turning away on account of difficulty, for nothing to which we had yet come seemed to be difficult to him; and his strong personal desire to make the ascent was evident. There was no occasion to come down on account of food, for we had taken, to guard against this very casualty, enough to last for a week ; and there was no danger, and little or no discomfort, in stopping in the tent. It seemed to me that he was spinning out the ascent for his own purposes, and that although he wished very much to be the first man on the top, and did not object to be accompanied by any one else who had the same wish, he had no intention of letting one succeed too soon, — perhaps to give a greater appearance of 6clat when the thing was accomplished. As he feared no rival, he may have supposed that the more difficulties he made the more valuable he would be estimated ; though, to do him justice, he never shewed any great hunger for money. His demands were fair, not excessive ; but he always stipulated for so much per day, and so, under any circumstances, he did not do badly. 1 This was at the position occupied by the higher of the two cahaiies seen in the accompanying iUustration, which is from a photograph taken by myself in 1895. The upper hut is now in a precarious condition. The lower one was put up in 1893. Digitized by VjOOQIC THE GREAT TOWER, WITH THE OLD AND NEW CABANE6. Digitized by VjOOQIC 40 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. chap. ii. Vexed at having my time thus frittered away, I was still well pleased when he volunteered to start again on the morrow, if it was line. We were to advance the tent to the foot of the Tower, to fix ropes in the most difficult parts beyond, and to make a push for the summit on the following day. Fifth attempt in 1862. — The next morning (Friday the 25th) when I arose, good little Meynet was ready and waiting, and he said that the two Carrels had gone off some time before, and had left word that they intended marmot-hunting, as the day was favourable for that sport. My holiday had nearly expired, and these men clearly could not be relied upon ; so, as a last resort, I proposed to the hunchback to accompany me alone, to see if we could not get higher than before, though of reaching the summit there was little or no hope. He did not hesitate, and in a few hours we stood — for the third time together — upon the Col du Lion. It was the first time Meynet had seen the view unclouded. The poor little deformed peasant gazed upon it silently and reverently for a time, and then, unconsciously, fell on one knee in an attitude of adoration, and clasped his hands, exclaiming in ecstasy, **0h, beautiful mountains!" His actions were as appropriate as his words were natural, and tears bore witness to the reality of his emotion. Our power was too limited to advance the tent, so we slept at the old station, and starting very early the next morning, passed the place where we had turned back on the 24th, and, subsequently, my highest point on the 19th. We found the crest of the ridge so treacherous that we took to the cliffs on the right, although most unwillingly. Little by little we fought our way up, but at length we were both spread-eagled on the all but perpendicular face, unable to advance, and barely able to descend. We returned to the ridge. It was almost equally difficult, and infinitely more unstable ; and at length, after having pushed our attempts as far as was prudent, I determined to return to Breuil, and to have a light ladder made to assist us to overcome some of the steepest parts. ^ I expected, too, that by this time Carrel would have had enough marmot-hunting, and would deign to accompany us again. We came down at a great pace, for we were now so familiar with the mountain, and with each other's wants, that we knew immediately when to give a helping hand, and when to let alone. The rocks also were in a better state than I had ever seen them, being almost entirely free from glaze of ice. Meynet was always merriest on the difficult parts, and, upon the most difficult, kept on enunciating the senti- ment, " We can only die once," a thought which seemed to aflford him infinite satisfaction. We arrived at the inn early in the evening, and I found my projects summarily and unexpectedly knocked on the head. 1 This appeared to be the most difficult part of the mountain. One was driven to Iceep to the edge of the ridge, or very near to it ; and at the point where we turned back (which was almost as high as the highest part of the * cravate,' and perhaps 100 feet higher than my scramble on the 19th) there were smooth walls seven or eight feet high in every direction, which were impassable to a single man, and which could only be surmounted by the assistance of ladders, or by using one's comrades as ladders. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. II. A CANNONADE. 41 Dr. Tyndall tries again (1862).— Professor Tyndall had arrived while we were absent, and had engaged both Caesar and Jean-Antoine Carrel. Bennen was also with him, together with a powerful and active friend, a Valaisan guide, named Anton Walter. They had a ladder already prepared, provisions were being collected, and they intended to start on the following morning (Sunday). This new arrival took me by surprise. Bennen, it will be remembered, refused point-blank to take Professor Tyndall on the Matterhom in 1861. "He was dead against any attempt on the mountain," says Tyndall. He was now eager to set out. Professor Tyndall has not explained in what way this revolution came about in his guide. I was equally astonished at the faithlessness of Carrel, and attributed it to pique at our having presumed to do without him. It was useless to compete with the Professor and his four men, who were ready to start in a few hours, so I waited to see what would come of their attempt. Everything seemed to favour it, and they set out on a fine morning in high spirits, leaving me tormented with envy and all uncharitable- ness. If they succeeded, they carried off the prize for which I had been so long struggling ; and if they failed, there was no time to make another attempt, for I was due in a few days more in London. When this came home clearly to me, I resolved to leave Breuil at once, but, when packing up, found that some necessaries had been left behind in the tent. So I went off about mid-day to recover them ; caught the army of the Professor before it reached the Col, as they were going very slowly ; left them there (stopping to take food), and went on to the tent. I was near to it when all at once I heard a noise aloft, and, on looking up, perceived a stone of at least a foot cube flying straight at my head. [See illustration on p. 42.] I ducked, and scrambled under the lee side of a friendly rock, while the missile went by with a loud buzz. It was the advanced guard of a perfect storm of stones, which descended with infernal clatter down the very edge of the ridge, leaving a trail of dust behind, with a strong smell of sulphur, that told who had sent them. The men below were on the look-out, but the stones did not come near them, and breaking away on one side descended to the glacier. I waited at the tent to welcome the Professor, and when he arrived went down to Breuil. Early next morning some one ran to me saying that a flag was seen on the summit of the Matterhom. It was not so, however, although I saw that they had passed the place where we had turned back on the 26th. I had now no doubt of their final success, for they had got beyond the point which Carrel, not less than myself, had always considered to be the most questionable place on the whole mountain. Up to it there was no choice of route. I suppose that at no one point between it and the Col was it possible to diverge a dozen paces to the right or left ; but beyond it it was otherwise, and we had always agreed, in our debates, that if it could be passed success was certain. The accompanying outline from a sketch taken from the door of the inn at Breuil will help to explain. The letter B indicates the position of the Great Tower ; c the * cravate ' (the strongly-marked streak of snow referred to on p. 40 which we just Digitized by VjOOQIC A CANNONADE ON THE MATTERHORN. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. II. '/r IS HORRIBLE! IMPOSSIBLE!' 43 failed to arrive at on the 26th) ; D the place where we now saw some- thing that looked like a flag. Behind the point D a nearly level ridge leads up to the foot of the final pieak. This will lie understood by a reference to the outline upon p. 44, where the same letters indicate the same places. It was just now said, we considered that if the point c could be passed, success was certain. Tyndall was at D very early in the morning, and I did not doubt that he would reach the summit, although it yet remained problematical whether he would be able to stand on the very highest point. The summit was evidently B. GREAT TOWER. C. CRAVATE. D. END OF THE SHOULDER. F. GREAT COULOIR. formed of a long ridge, on which there were two points nearly etiually elevated — so equally that one could not say which was the highest — and between the two there seehied to be a deep notch marked g on the outline, which might defeat one at the very last moment. My knapsack was packed, and I had drunk a parting glass of wine with Favre, who was jubilant at the success which was to make the fortune of his inn ; but I could not bring myself to leave until the result was heard, and lingered about, as a foolish lover hovers round the object of his affections, even after he has been contemptuously rejected. The sun had set before the men were descried coming over the pastures. There was no spring in their steps — they, too, were defeated. The Carrels hid their heads, and the others said, as men will do when they have been beaten, that the mountain was horrible, impossible, and so forth. Professor Tyndall told me they had arrived Digitized by VjOOQIC 44 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, chap. ii. within a stone' 8 -throw of the summit, and admonished me to have nothing more to do with the mountain. I understood him to say- that he should not try again, and ran down to the village of VaJ Toumanche, almost inclined to believe that the mountain was in- accessible ; leaving the tent, ropes, and other matters in the hands of Favre, to be placed at the disposal of any person who wished to ascend it, more, I am afraid, out of irony than for generosity. There may have l>een those who believed that the Matterhom could be ascended, but, anyhow, their faith did not bring forth works. No one tried again in 1862. liTE DU LION DENT BLANCHE A. COL DU LION. E D. SHOULDER. . GREAT TOWER. C. CRAVATE. E. TYNDALL'8 FARTHEST. My seventh attempt to ascend the Matterhorn (1863).— In the spring of 1863, I heard the cause of the failure of Professor Tyndall, and learnt that the case was not so hopeless as it appeared to be at one time. I found that he arrived as far only as the northern end of *the shoulder.' The point at which, he says, they "sat down with broken liopes, the summit within a stone's - throw of us,^ but still defying ua," was not the notch or cleft at G (which is literally within a stone's- throw of the summit), but another and more formidable cleft that intervenes between the northern end of *the shoulder' and the commencement of the final peak. It is marked e on the accompanying outline. Carrel and all the men who had been with me knew of the existence of this cleft, and of the pinnacle which rose between it and the final peak ; and we had frequently talked about the best manner of passing the place. On this we disagreed, but we were both of 1 It is not easy to understand how Dr. Tyndall and Bennen overlooked the existence of this cleft, for it is seen over several points of the compass, and particularly well from the southern side of the Thdodule pass. Still more difficult is it to explain how the Professor came to consider that he was only 'a stone's - throw ' from the summit; for, when he got to the end of 'the shoulder,' he must have been aware that the whole height of the final peak was still above him. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. II. ''IT IS TIME WE WERE TIED UP:' 45 opinion that when we got to *the shoulder,* it would be necessary to bear down gradually to the right or to the left, to avoid coming to the top of the notch. Tyndall's party, after arriving at *the shoulder,' was led by his guides along the crest of the ridge, and, consequently, when they got to its northern end, they came to the top of the notch, instead of the bottom — to the dismay of all but the Carrels. Dr. Tyndall said "the mountain is 14,800 feet high, and 14,600 feet had been accomplished." He greatly deceived himself ; by the barometric measurements of Signor Giordano the notch is no less than 800 feet below the summit. I sauntered up the valley on July 31, and got to Breuil when all were asleep. A halo round the moon promised watery weather, and we were not disappointed, for, on the next day (August 1), rain fell heavily, and when the clouds lifted for a time, we saw that new snow lay thickly over everything higher than 9000 feet. J. -A. Carrel was ready and waiting (as I had determined to give the bold crags- man another chance) ; and he did not need to say that the Matterhom would be impracticable for several days after all this new snow, even if the weather were to arrange itself at once. Whilst waiting, we made the tour of the mountain, and returned to Breuil after the absence of six days. Carrel had carte blanche in the matter of guides, and his choice fell upon his relative Caesar, Luc Meynet, and two others whose names I do not know. These men were now brought together, and our preparations were completed, as the weather was clearing up. We rested on Sunday, August 9, eagerly watching the lessening of the mists around the great peak, and started just before dawn upon the 10th, on a still and cloudless morning, which seemed to promise a happy termination to our enterprise. By going always, though gently, we arrived upon the Col du lion before nine o'clock. Changes were apparent. Familiar ledges had vanished ; the platform, whereupon my tent had stood, looked very forlorn, its stones had been scattered by wind and frost, and had half disappeared ; and the summit of the Col itself, which in 1862 had always been respectably broad, and covered by snow, was now sharper than the ridge of any church roof, and was hard ice. Already we had found that the bad weather of the past week had done its work. The rocks for several hundred feet below the Col were varnished with ice. Loose, incoherent snow covered the older and harder beds below, and we nearly lost our leader through its treacherousness. He stepped on some snow which seemed firm, and raised his axe to deliver a swinging blow, but, just as it was highest, the crust of the slope upon which he stood broke away, and poured down in serpentine streams, leaving long, bare strips, which glittered in the sun, for they were glassy ice. Carrel, with admirable readiness, flung himself back on to the rock off which he had stepped, and was at once secured. He simply remarked, "It is time we were tied up," and, after we had been tied up, he went to work again as if nothing had happened. We had abundant illustrations during the next two hours of the Digitized by VjOOQIC 46 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHOBN, chap. ii. value of a rope to climbers. We were tied up rather widely apart, and advanced, generally, in pairs. Carrel, who led, was followed closely by another man, who lent him a shoulder or placed an axe- head under his feet, when there was need ; and when this couple were well placed the second pair advanced, in similar fashion, — the rope being drawn in by those above, and paid out gradually by those below. The leading men again advanced, or the third pair, and so on. This manner of progression was slow, but sure. One man only moved at a time, and if he slipped (and we frequently did slip) he could slide scarcely a foot without being checked by the others. The certainty and safety of the method gave confidence to the one who was moving, and not only nerved him to put out his powers to the utmost, but sustained nerve in really difficult situations. For these rocks (which, it has been already said, were easy enough under ordinary circumstances) were now difficult in a high degree. The snow-water which had trickled down for many days past in little streams, had taken, naturally, the very route by which we wished to ascend ; and, refrozen in the night, had glazed the slabs over which we had to pass, — sometimes with a fine film of ice as thin as a sheet of paper, and sometimes so thickly that we could almost cut footsteps in it. The weather was superb, the men made light of the toil, and shouted to rouse the echoes from the Dent d 'Kerens. We went on gaily, passed the second tent platform, the Chimney, and the other well-remembered points, and reckoned, confidently, on sleeping that night upon the top of ' the shoulder ' ; but, before we had well arrived at the foot of the Great Tower, a sudden rush of cold air warned us to look out. It was difficult to say where this air came from. It did not blow as a wind, but descended rather as the water in a shower-bath ! All was tranquil again ; the atmosphere shewed no signs of disturbance ; there was a dead calm, and not a speck of cloud to be seen any^vhere. But we did not remain very long in this state. The cold air came again, and this time it was difficult to say where it did not come from. We jammed down our hats as it beat against the ridge, and screamed amongst the crags. Before we had got to the foot of the Tower, mists had been formed above and below. They appeared at first in small, isolated patches (in several places at the same time), which danced and jerked and were torn into shreds by the wind, but grew larger under the process. They were united together, and rent again, — shewing us the blue sky for a moment, and blotting it out the next ; and augmented incessantly, until the whole heavens were filled with whirling, boiling clouds. Before we could take off our packs, and get under any kind of shelter, a hurricane of snow burst upon us from the east. It fell very heavily, and in a few minutes the ridge was covered by it. ' ' What shall we do ? " I shouted to Carrel. "Monsieur," said he, '*the wind is bad; the weather has changed ; we are heavily laden. Here is a fine gite ; let us stop ! If we go on we shall be half -frozen. That is my opinion." No one differed from him ; so we fell to work to make a place for the tent, and in a couple of hours completed the platform which we Digitized by VjOOQIC CH. II. CAMP AT THE FOOT OF THE GREAT TOWER. 47 had commenced in 1862. The clouds had blackened during that time, and we had hardly finished our task before a thunderstorm broke upon us with appalling fury. Forked lightning shot out at the turrets above, and at the crags below. It was so close that we quailed at its darts. It seemed to scorch us, — we were in the very focus of the storm. The thunder was simultaneous with the flashes ; short and sharp, and more like the noise of a door that is violently slammed, multiplied a thousand-fold, than any noise to which I can compare it. The wind during all this time seemed to blow tolerably con- sistently from the east. It smote the tent so vehemently (notwith- standing it was partly protected by rocks) that we had grave fears our refuge might be blown away bodily, with ourselves inside ; so, during some of the lulls, we issued out and built a wall to wind- ward. At half-past three the wind changed to the north-west, and the clouds vanished. We immediately took the opportunity to send down one of the porters (under protection of some of the others, a little beyond the Col du Lion), as the tent could not accommodate more than five persons. From this time to sunset the weather was variable. It was sometimes blowing and snowing hard, and some- times a dead calm. The bad weather was evidently confined to the Mont Cervin, for when the clouds lifted we could see everything that could be seen from our gite. Monte Viso, nearly a hundred miles off, was clear, and the sun set gorgeously behind the range of Mont Blanc. We passed the night comfortably — even luxuriously — in our blanket- bags, but there was little chance of sleeping, between the noise of the wind, of the thunder, and of the falling rocks. I forgave the thunder for the sake of the lightning. A more splendid spectacle than its illumination of the Matterhom crags I do not expect to see. We turned out at 3.30 A.M. on the 11th, and were dismayed to find that it still continued to snow. At 9 A.M. it ceased to fall, and the sun shewed itself feebly, so we packed up our baggage, and set out to try to get upon * the shoulder. ' We struggled up- wards until eleven o'clock, and then it commenced to snow again. We held a council ; the opinions expressed at it were unanimous against advancing, and I decided to retreat. For we had risen less than 300 feet in the past two hours, and had not even arrived at the rope which Tyndall's party left behind, attached to the rocks, in 1862. At the same rate of progression it would have taken us from four to five hours to get upon *the shoulder.' Not one of us cared to attempt to do so under the existing circumstances ; for besides having to move our own weight, which was sufficiently troublesome at this part of the ridge, we had to transport mucli heavy baggage, tent, blankets, and provisions, ladder, and 450 feet of rope, besides many other smaller matters. These, however, were not the most serious considerations. Supposing that we got upon * the shoulder,' we might find ourselves detained there several days, unable either to go up or down.^ I could not risk any such deten- 1 Since then several persons have found themselves in this predicament for five or six consecutive days ! Digitized by VjOOQIC 48 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. chap. ii. tion, being under obligations to appear in London at the end of the week. We returned to Breuil in the course of the afternoon. It was quite fine there, and the tenants of the inn received our statements with evident scepticism. They were astonished to learn that we had been exposed to a snow-storm of twenty-six hours* duration. "Why," said Favre, the innkeeper, "tre have had no snow; it has been iine all the time you have been absent, and there has been only that small cloud upon the mountain." Ah ! that small cloud ! None except those who have had experience of it can tell what a formidable obstacle it is. I arrived at Chd,tillon at midnight on the 11th, defeated and dis- consolate ; but, like a gambler who loses each throw, only the more eager to have another try, to see if the luck would change; and re- turned to London ready to devise fresh combinations, and to form new plans. Abandonment of the South -West Ridge. — All of my attempts up to this time, as well as those made by the chasseurs of Val Toumanche, Mr. Hawkins, and Prof. Tyndall, had been made by way of the south-west ridge. Why abandon a route which had been shewn to be feasible up to a certain point? I gave it up for four reasons. 1. On account of a growing disinclination for arites, and preference for snow, or rock-faces. 2. Because I was persuaded that meteorological disturbances were likely to baffle us again and again on the southern side of the mountain. 3. Because I found that the east face was a gross imposition — it looked not far from perpendicular, while its angle was, in fact, scarcely more than 40**. 4. Because I observed for myself that the strata of the mountain dipped to the west-south-west. Let us consider, first, why most persons receive such an exaggerated impression of the steepness of the eastern face. When one looks at the Matterhom from Zermatt, the mountain is regarded (nearly) from the north-east. The face that fronts the east is consequently neither seen in profile nor in full front, but almost half-way between the two ; it looks, therefore, more steep than it really is. The majority of those who visit Zermatt go up to the Riffelberg, or to the Gomergrat, and from these places the mountain naturally looks still more precipitous, because its eastern face (which is almost all that is seen of it) is viewed more directly in front. From the Riffel hotel the slope seems to be set at an angle of 70°. If the tourist goes southwards, and crosses the Thdodule pass, he gets, at one point, immediately in front of the eastern face, which then seems to be absolutely perpendicular. Comparatively few persons correct the erroneous impressions they receive in these quarters by studying the face in profile, and most go away with a very incorrect and exaggerated idea of the precipitousness of this side of the moun- tain, because they have considered the question from one point of view alone. Several years passed away before I shook myself clear of my early and false impressions regarding the steepness of this side of the Matterhom. First of all, I noticed that there were places on Digitized by VjOOQIC CH. II. ABANDONMENT OF THE SOUTH-WEST BIDGE, 49 this eastern face where snow remained permanently all the year round. I do not speak of snow in gullies, but of considerable slopes which are about half-way up the face. Such beds as these could not continue to remain throughout the summer, unless the snow had been able to accumulate in the winter in large masses ; and snow cannot accumulate and remain in large masses, in a situation such as this, at angles much exceeding 45". Hence I was bound to conclude that the eastern face was many degrees removed from perpendicularity ; and, to be sure on this point, I went to the slopes between the Z'Muttgletscher and the Matterhomgletscher, above the chd,lets of Staffel, whence the face could be seen in profile. Its appearance from this direction is amazing to those who have seen it only from the east. It looks so totally different from the apparently sheer and perfectly unclimbable cliff one sees from the Riffelberg, that it is hard to believe the two slopes are one and the same thing. Its angle scarcely exceeds 40**. A step was made when this was learnt. This knowledge alone would not, however, have caused me to try an ascent by the eastern face instead of by the south-west ridge. Forty degrees may not seem a formidable inclination, nor is it for only a small cliff. But it is very unusual to find so steep a gradient maintained continuously as the general angle of a great mountain-slope, and very few instances can be quoted from the High Alps of such an angle being preserved over a rise of 3000 feet. I do not think that the steepness or the height of this cliff would have deterred climbers from attempting to ascend it, if it had not, in addition, looked so repulsively smooth. Men despaired of finding anything to grasp. Now, some of the difiiculties of the south-west ridge came from the smoothness of the rocks, although that ridge, even from a distance, seemed to be well broken up. How much greater, then, might not have been the difficulty of climbing a face which looked smooth and unbroken close at hand? A more serious hindrance to mounting the south-west ridge is found in the dip of its rocks to the west-south-west. The great mass of the Matterhorn, it is now well ascer- tained, is composed of regularly stratified rocks,^ which rise towards the east. It has been mentioned, more than once, that the rocks on some portions of the ridge leading from the Col du Lion towards the summit dip outwards, and that fractured edges over- hang. This is shewn in the annexed diagram. Fig. A. It will be readily understood that such an arrangement is not favourable for climbers, and that the degree of facility with which rocks can be ascended 1 Upon this subject see the note by Signor F. Giordano in the Appendix. £ Digitized by VjOOQIC 50 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. chap. ii. that are so disposed, must depend very much upon the frequency or paucity of fissures and joints. The rocks of the south-west ridge are sufficiently provided with cracks, but if it were otherwise, their texture and arrangement would render them imassailable. It is not iK)ssible to go a single time u[)on the rocks of the south- west ridge, from the Col du Lion to the foot of the Great Tower, without observing the prevalence of their outward dip, and that their fractured edges have a tendency to overhang; nor can one fail to notice it is upon this account that most of the debris, which is rent oflf by frost, does not remain in sitUy but pours down in showers over the surrounding cliffs. The fact that the mountain is composed of a series of stratified beds was pointed out long ago. De Saussure remarked it, and re- corded explicitly, in his Travels (§ 2243), that they **rose to the north-east at an angle of about 45°." Forbes noticed it also ; and gave it as his opinion that the beds were "less inclined, or nearly horizontal." He added, ** De Saussure is no doubt correct." The truth, I think, lies between the two. I was acquainted with both of the above-quoted passages, but did not turn the knowledge to any practical account until I re-observed the same fact for myself. It was not until after my repulse in 1863, that I referred the peculiar difficulties of the south-west ridge to the dip of the strata ; but when once persuaded that structure and not texture was the real impediment, it was reasonable to infer that the opposite side, that is to say the eastern face, might be comparatively easy. In brief, that an arrangement should be found like Fig. b, instead of like Fig. a. This trivial deduction was the key to the ascent of the Matterhorn. The point was, Did the strata continue with a similar dip tlurough- out the mountain? If they did, then the great eastern face, instead of being hopelessly impracticable, should be quite the reverse. In fact, it would be a great natural staircase, with steps inclining in- wards ; and, if it were so, its smooth aspect might be of no account, for the smallest steps, inclined in this fashion, afford good footing. In June, 1865, when descending the Z'Muttgletscher, I brought these facts to the notice of my guides, Michel Croz, Christian Aimer, and Franz Bijener ; but, although they readily admitted that they had been deceived as to the steepness of the eastern face, they were fai* from l)eing satisfied that the slope would be easy to climb, and the two latter were averse to making an attempt upon it. I yielded to their reluctance, and went to examine an alternative route by a great gully ^ which leads from the Glacier du Mont Cervin to a point high up on the south-eastern ridge. We found that this gully was afflicted by falling rocks,2 and unanimously agreed that it was not a suitable route. My renewed proposition to attack the eastern face did not find favour. The men clustered together, and advocated leaving the mountain alone. Aimer asked, with more point than politeness, **Why don't you try to ^o up a moimtain which can be ascended?" *'It is impossible," chimed in Biener. 1 Marked F on the Map of the Matterhorn and its Glaciers, and on the outline upon p. 43. 2 See Scratnbles amongst the Alps^ chap. xv. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. II. ''ANYTHING BUT MATTERHORN ! '' 51 "Sir," said Croz, "if we cross to the other side we shall lose three days, and very likely shall not succeed. You want to make ascents in the chain of Mont Blanc, and I believe they can be made. But I shall not be able to make them with you if I spend these days here, for I must be at Chamonix on the 27th." There was force in what he said, and his words made me hesitate. I relied upon his strong arms for some work which it was expected would be unusually difficult. Snow began to fall ; that settled the matter, and I gave the word to retreat. We went back to Breuil, and on to the village of Val Toumanche, where. we slept; and the next day proceeded to Ch^tillon, and thence up the Valley of Aosta to CJourmayeur. I cannot but regret that the counsels of the guides prevailed. If Croz had not uttered his well-intentioned words, he might still have been living. He parted from us at Chamonix at the appointed time, but by a strange chance we met again at Zermatt three weeks later, and two days afterwards he perished before my eyes on the very mountain from which we turned away, at his advice, on the 21st of June. On the 7th of July, 1865,^ I crossed the Va Com^re pass, in com- pany with Christian Aimer and Franz Biener, en route for Breuil. My thoughts were fixed on the Matterhom, and my guides knew that I wished them to accompany me. They had an aversion to the mountain, and repeatedly expressed their belief that it was useless to try to ascend it. ''Anything but Matterhorn, dear sir!" said Aimer; "anything but Matterhom." He did not speak of difficulty or of danger, nor was he shirking work. He oflfered to go anywhere; but he entreated that the Matterhorn should be abandoned. Both men spoke fairly enough. They did not think that an ascent could be made ; and for their own credit, as well as for my sake, they did not wish to undertake a business which, in their opinion, would only lead to loss of time and money. I sent them on to Breuil, and walked down to Val Toumanche to look for Jean-Antoine Carrel. He was not there. The villagers said that he, and three others, had started on the 6th to try the Matter- hom by the old way, on their own account. They will have no luck, I thought, for the clouds were low down on the mountains ; and I walked up to Breuil, fully expecting to meet them. Nor was I disappointed. About half-way up I saw a group of men clustered around a ch&let upon the other side of the torrent, and, crossing over, found that the party had returned. Jean-Antoine and Csesar were there, C. E. Gorret, and J.- J. Maquignaz. They had had no success. The weather, they said, had been horrible, and they had scarcely reached the Glacier du Lion. I explained the situation to Carrel, and proposed that we, with Coesar and another man, should cross the Th^odule by moonlight on the 9th, and that upon the 10th we should pitch the tent as high as possible upon the east face. He was unwilling to abandon the old route, and urged me to try it again. I promised to do so pro- vided the new route failed. This satisfied him, and he agreed to my 1 Having in the interim ascended the Qrandes Jorasses and crossed the Col Dolent with Croz, Aimer and Biener ; and ascended the AiguiUe Verte and the Ruinette, and crossed the Ool de Taldfre with Aimer and Biener only. See Scrambles amongst the Alps, chaps, xvi-xx. Digitized by VjOOQIC 52 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. chap. ii. proposal. I then went up to Breuil, and discharged Aimer and Biener — with much regret, for no two men ever served me more faithfully or more willingly. On the next day they crossed to Zermatt. The 8th was occupied with preparations. The weather was stormy ; and black, rainy vapours obscured the mountains. Towards evening a young man came from Val Toumanche, and reported that an Englishman was lying there, extremely ill ; and on the morning of Sunday the 9th I went down the valley to look after the sick man. On my way I passed a foreign gentleman, with a mule and several porters laden with baggage. Amongst these men were Jean-Antoine and Caesar, carrying some barometers. "Hullo!" I said, **what are you doing?" They explained that the foreigner had arrived just as they were setting out, and that they were assisting his porters. **Very well; go on to Breuil, and await me there; we start at mid- night as agreed." Jean-Antoine then said that he should not be able to serve me after Tuesday the 11th, as he was engaged to travel ** with a family of distinction " in the valley of Aosta. " And Caesar?" "And Caesar also." "Why did you not say this before?" "Because," said he, "it was not settled. The engagement is of long standing, but the day was not fixed. When I got back to Val Toumanche on Friday night, after leaving you, I found a letter naming the day." I could not object to the answer ; still the prospect of ]>eing left guideless was provoking. They went up, and I down, the valley. The sick man declared that he was better, though the exertion of saying as much tumbled him over on to the floor in a fainting fit. He was badly in want of medicine, and I tramped down to Ch^tillon to get it. It was late before I returned to Val Toumanche, for the weather was tempestuous, and rain fell in torrents. A figure passed me under the church -porch. ^^ Qui vive?" "Jean-Antoine." "I thought you were at Breuil." "No, sir: when the storms came on I knew we should not start to-night, and so came down to sleep here." "Ha, Carrel!" I said; "this is a great bore. If to-morrow is not fine we shall not be able to do anything together. I have sent away my guides, relying on you ; and now you are going to leave me to travel with a party of ladies. That work is not fit for you (he smiled, I supposed at the implied compliment) ; can't you send some one else instead?" "No, monsieur. I am sorry, but my word is pledged. I should like to accompany you, but I can't break my engagement." By this time we had arrived at the inn door. "Well, it is no fault of yours. Come presently with Caesar, and have some wine." They came, and we sat up till midnight, recounting our old adventures, in the inn of Val Toumanche. The weather continued bad upon the 10th, and I returned to Breuil. The two Carrels were again hovering about the above-mentioned ch&let, and I bade them adieu. In the evening the sick man crawled up, a good deal better ; but his was the only arrival. The Monday crowd ^ did not cross the Th6odule, on account of the continued storms. The 1 Tourists congregate at Zermatt upon Sundays, and large gangs and droves usually cross the Th^odme pass on Mondays. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. n. BAMBOOZLED AND HUMBUGGED. 53 inn was lonely. I went to bed early, and was awoke the next morning by the invalid inquiring if I had *• heard the news." **No; what news?" "Why," said he, "a large party of guides went off this morning to try the Matterhom, taking with them a mule laden with provisions." I went to the door, and with a telescope saw the party upon the lower slopes of the mountain. Favre, the landlord, stood by. ** What is all this about?" I inquired, "Who is the leader of tliis party?" ** Carrel." " What ! Jean-Antoine ? " " Yes ; Jean-Antoine." " Is Csesar there too?" "Yes, he is there." Then I saw in a moment that I had been bamboozled and humbugged ; and learned, bit by bit, that the affair had been arranged long beforehand. The start on the 6th had been for a preliminary reconnaissance ; the mule, that I passed, was conveying stores for the attack ; the ' family of distinc- tion ' was Signor F. Giordano, who had just despatched the party to facilitate the way to the summit, and who, when the facilitation was completed, was to be taken to the top along with Signor Sella ! ^ I was greatly mortified. My plans were upset ; the Italians had clearly stolen a march upon me, and I saw that tlie astute Favre chuckled over my discomfiture, because the route by the eastern face, if successful, would not benefit his inn. What was to be done ? I retired to my room, and soothed by tobacco, re-studied my plans, to see if it was not possible to outmanoeuvre the Italians. " They have taken a mule's load of provisions." " That is one point in my favour, for they will take two or three days to get through the food, and, until that is done, no work will be accomplished." "How is the weather?" I went to the window. The mountain was smothered up in mist. "Another point in my favour." "They are to facilitate the way. Well, if they do that to any purpose, it will be a long job." Altogether, I reckoned that they could not possibly ascend the mountain and come back to Breuil in less than seven days. I got cooler, for it was evident that the wily ones might be outwitted after all. There was time enough to go to Zermatt, to try the eastern face, and, should it prove impracticable, to come back to Breuil before the men returned ; and then, it seemed to me, as the mountain was not padlocked, one might start at the same time as the Messieurs, and yet get to the top before them. The first thing to do was to go to Zermatt. Easier said than done. The seven men upon the mountain included the ablest mountaineers in the valley, and none of the ordinary muleteer -guides were at Breuil, Two men, at least, were wanted for my baggage, but not a soul could be found. I ran about, and sent about in all directions, but not a single porter could be obtained. One was with Carrel ; another was ill ; another was at Ch^tillon, and so forth. This, how- ever, did not much trouble me, for it was evident that so long as the weather stopped traffic over the Theodule, it would hinder the men equally upon the Matterhom ; and I knew that directly it im- proved company would certainly arrive. 1 The Italian Minister. Signor Giordano had undertaken the business arrangements for Signor Sella. Digitized by VjOOQIC 54 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, chap. ii. About mid-day on Tuesday the 11th a large party hove in sight from Zermatt, preceded by a nimble young Englishman, and one of old Peter Taugwalder's sons.^ I went at once to this gentleman to learn if he could dispense with Taugwalder. He said that he could not, as they were going to recross to Zermatt on the morrow, but that the young man should assist in transporting my baggage, as he had nothing to carry. We naturally got into conversation. I told my story, and learned that the young Englishman was Lord Francis Douglas,^ whose recent exploit — the ascent of the (Tabelhorn — had excited my admiration. He brought good news. Old Peter had LORD FRANCIS DOUGLAS. lately been beyond the Hornli, and had reported that he thought an ascent of the Matterhorn was possible upon that side. Aimer had left Zermatt, and could not be recovered, so I determined to seek for old Peter. Lord Francis Douglas expressed a warm desire to ascend the mountain, and before long it was determined that he should take part in the expedition. Favre could no longer hinder our departure, and lent us one of his men. We crossed the Col Theodule on Wednesday morning the 12th of July, rounded the foot of the Ober Theodulgletscher, tra- versed the Furggengletscher, and deposited tent, blankets, roi>es, 1 Peter Taugwalder, the father, was called old Peter, to distinguish him from his eldest son, yomi^ Peter. In 1865 the father's age was about 45. 2 Brother of the present Marquis of Queensberry. An account of his ascent of the Gabelhorn, on July 7, 1865 (the first made on the Zinal side), was found after his death amongst his papers, and was published in the Alpine Jowiial, vol. ii, pp. 221-2. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. II. RENCONTRE WITH MICHEL CROZ. 55 and other matters in the little chapel at the Lac Noir.^ All four were heavily laden, for we brought across the whole of my stores from Breuil: Of rope alone there was about 600 feet. There were three kinds. First, 200 feet of Mr. Buckingham's Manilla rope ; second, 150 feet of a stouter, and possibly stronger rope than the first; and third, more than 200 feet of a lighter and weaker rope than the first, of a kind that I used formerly (stout sash-line). We descended to Zermatt, sought and engaged old Peter, and gave him permission to choose another guide. When we returned CHAPEL AT THE LAC NOIR (1865). to the Monte Rosa Hotel, whom should we see sitting upon the wall in front but my old guide chef, Michel Croz. I supposed that he had come with Mr. B , but I learned that that gentleman had arrived in ill-health, at Chamonix, and had returned to England. Croz, thus left free, had been immediately engaged by the Rev. Charles Hudson, and they had come to Zermatt with the same object as ourselves — namely, to attempt the ascent of the Matterhorn ! Lord Francis Douglas and I dined at the Monte Rosa Hotel, and had just finished when Mr. Hudson and a friend entered the salle d manger. They had returned from inspecting the mountain, and some idlers in the room demanded their intentions. We heard a confirma- 1 For route, and the others mentioned in the subsequent chapters, the Matterhorn and its Glaciers. the Map of Digitized by VjOOQIC 56 ZERMATT AND THE MATTEEHOBN, CHAP. II. tion of Croz's statement, and learned that Mr. Hudson intended to set out on the morrow at the same hour as ourselves. We left the room to consult, and agreed it was undesirable that two independent parties should be on the mountain at the same time with the same object. Mr. Hudson was therefore invited to join us, and he accepted our proposal. Before admitting his friend — Mr. Hadow — I took the precaution to inquire what he had done in the Alps, and, as well as I remember, Mr. Hudson's reply was, " Mr. Hadow has done Mont Blanc in less time than most men. " ^ He then mentioned several other excursions that were unknown to me, and added, in answer to a further question, *• I consider he is a sufficiently good man to go with us." Mr. Hadow was admitted, and we then went into the matter of guides. Hudson thought that Croz and old Peter would be sufficient. The question was referred to the men themselves, and they made no objection. 1 In the Alpine Journal, vol. iii, pp. 75-76, Mr. T. S. Kennedy, in speaking of this ascent (which was I believe made upon the 7th of July, 1865), says that Mr. Hadow went from the Orands Mulets to the summit of Mont Blanc in less than four hours and a half, and descended from the summit to Chamonix in five hours. A STORE-HOUSE. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAPTER III. THE FIRST ASCENT OF THE MATTERHORN.i CHARLES HUDSON — CAMP ON THE EAST FACE — CROZ REPORTS FAVOUR- ABLY— ASCENT OF THE EAST FACE — CROSS TO THE NORTHERN SIDE — ARRIVAL AT SUMMIT — DISCOMFITURE OF THE ITALIANS — ASTONISHMENT AT BREUIL— MARVELLOUS PANORAMA. We started from Zermatt on the 13th of July 1865, at half -past 5, on a brilliant and perfectly cloudless morning. We were eight in number — Croz, old Peter and his two sons,^ Lord F. Douglas, Hadow, Hudson,^ and I. To ensure steady motion, one tourist and one native walked together. The youngest Taugwalder fell to my share, and the lad marched weU, proud to be on the expedition, and happy to shew his powers. The wine-bags also fell to my lot to carry, and throughout the day, after each drink, I replenished them secretly with water, so that at the next halt they were found fuUer than before ! This was considered a good omen, and little short of miraculous. On the first day we did not intend to ascend to any great height, and we mounted, accordingly, very leisurely; picked up the things which were left in the chapel at the Schwarzsee at 8.20, and proceeded thence along the ridge connecting the Hornli with tlie Matterhorn.* At half -past 1 1 we arrived at the base of tlie actual peak ; then quitted the ridge, ^nd clambered to the left round some ledges, on fco the eastern face. We were now fairly upon the mountain, and were astonished to find that places which from the Riffel, or even from the Furggengletscher, looked entirely impracticable, were so easy that we could run about. 1 Reprinted from the Fourth Edition of Scrambles amongst the Alps. 2 The two young Taug^^alders were taken as jwrters, by desire of their father, and carried provisions amply sufllcient for three days, in case the ascent should prove more troublesome than we anticipated. 3 Oharles Hudson, Vicar of Skillington in Lincolnshire, was considered by the mountaineering fraternity to be the best amateur of his time. He was the or^niser and leader of the party of Englishmen who ascended Mont Blanc by the Aiguille du Oodter, and descended by the Qrands Mulets route, without guides, in 1855. His long practice made him surefooted, and in that respect he was not greatly inferior to a bom mountaineer. His pupil Mr. Hadow was a young man of nineteen, who had the looks and manners of a greater age. He was a rapid walker, but 1866 was his first season in the Alps. Lora Francis Douglas was about the same age as Mr. Hadow. He had had the advantage of several seasons in the Alps. He was nimble as a deer, and was becoming an expert mountaineer. Just before cur meeting he had ascended the Ober Oabelhom (with old Peter Taugwalder and Jos. Viennin). 4 Arrived at the chapel 7.30 a.m. ; left it 8.20 ; halted to examine route 9.30 ; started again 10.26, and arrivea at 11.20 at the cairn made by Mr. Kennedy in 1862 (see p. 27), marked 3298 metres upon the map of the Matterhorn and its Glaciers. (This cairn has now disappeared.) Stopped 10 min. here. From the Homli to this point we kept, when possible, to the crest of the ridge. The greater part of the way was excessively easy, but there were a few places where the axe had to be used. Digitized by VjOOQIC 58 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. chap. hi. Before twelve o'clock we had found a good position for the tent, at a height of 11,000 feet.^ Croz and young Peter went on to see what was above, in order to save time on the following morning. They cut across the heads of the snow-slopes which descended towards the Furggengletscher, and disappeared round a comer ; but shortly afterwards we saw them liigh up on the face, moving quickly. We others made a solid platform for the tent in a well-protected spot, and then watched eagerly for the return of the men. The stones which they upset told us that they were very high, and we supposed that the way must be easy. At length, just before 3 p.m., we saw them coming down, evidently much excited. "What are they saying, REV. CHARLES HUDSON. Peter?" "Gentlemen, they say it is no good." But when they came near we heard a different story. '* Nothing but what was goo<l ; not a difficulty, not a single difficulty ! We could have gone to the summit and returned to-day easily ! " We passed the remaining hours of daylight — some basking in the sunshine, some sketching or collecting ; and when the sun went down, giving, as it departed, a glorious promise for the morrow, we retume<l to the tent to arrange for the night. Hudson made tea, I coffee, and we then retired each one to his blanket bag; the Taugwalders, Lord Francis Douglas, and myself, occupying the tent, the others remain- 1 Thus far the guides did not once go to the front. Hudson or I led, and when any cutting was- required we did it ourselves. This was done to spare the guides, and to shew them that we were in earnest. The spot at which we camped was four hours' walking from Zermatt, and is marked upon the map — camp (1866). It was just upon a level with the Furggengrat, and its position is indicated upon the engra>ing on p. 20 by a little circular white spot, in a Ime with the word camp. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. III. ''SOMETHING ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT:' 59 ing, by preference, outside. Long after dusk the cliffs above echoed with our laughter and with the songs of the guides, for we were happy that night in camp, and feared no evil. We assembled together outside the tent before dawn on the morning of the 14th, and started directly it was light enough to move. Young Peter came on with us as a guide, and his brother returned to Zermatt.^ We followed the route which had been taken on the previous day, atid in a few minutes turned the rib which had intercepted the view of the eastern face from our tent platform. The whole of this great slope was now revealed, rising for 3000 feet like a huge natural staircase. Some parts were more, and others were less, easy ; but we were not once brought to a halt by any serious impediment, for when an obstruction was met in front it could always be turned to the right or to the left. For the greater part of the way there was, indeed, no occasion for the rope, and sometimes Hudson led, sometimes myself. At 6.20 we had attained a height of 12,800 feet, and halted for half -an -hour; we then continued the ascent without a break until 9.55, when we stopped for fifty minutes at a height of 14,000 feet. Twice we struck the N.E. ridge and followed it for some little distance,^ — to no advantage, for it was usually more rotten and steep, and always more difficult than the face. Still, we kept near to it, lest stones perchance might fall.^ We had now arrived at the foot of that part which, from the RifFelberg or from Zermatt, seems perpendicular or overhanging, and could no longer continue upon the eastern side. For a little distance we ascended by snow upon the ardte * — that is, the crest of the ridge — descending towards Zermatt, and then, by common consent, turned over to tlie right, or to the northern side. Before doing so we made a change in the order of ascent. Croz went first, I followed, Hudson came third ; Hadow and old Peter were last. " Now," said Croz, as he led off, "now for something altogether different." The work became difficult and required caution. In some places there was little to hold, and it was desirable that those should be in front who were least likely to slip. The general slope of the mountain at this part was less than 40°, and snow had accumulated in, and had filled up, the interstices of the rock face, leaving only occasional fragments projecting here 1 It was ori|finally intended to leave both of the young men behind. We found it difficult to divide the food, and so the new arrangement was made. 2 For track, see the outline upon p. 69. 3 Very few stones fell during the two days I was on the mountain, and none came near us. Others who have followed the same route have not been so fortunate ; they may not, perhaps, have taken the same precautions. It is a noteworthj-^ fact, that the lateral moraine of the left bank of the Furggengletscher is scarcely larger than that of the right bank, although the former receives all the debris that falls from the 4000 feet of cliffs which form the eastern side of the Matterhom, whilst the latter is fed by perfectly insignificant slopes. Neither of these moraines is large. This is strong evidence that stones do not fall to any great extent from the eastern face. The inward dip of the beds retains the detritus m plac^. Hence the eastern face appears, when one is upon it, to be undergoing more rapid disintegration than the other sides : in reality, the mantle of ruin spares the mountain from farther waste. Upon the southern side, rocks fall as they are rent off; "each day's work is cleared away" every day; and hence the faces and ridges are left naked, and are exposed to fresh attacks. 4 The snow seen in the engraving upon p. 20, half-an-inch below the summit, and a little to its right. It is now called 'the Shoulder.' Digitized by VjOOQIC 60 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, chap. hi. and there. These were at times covered with a thin film of ice, produced from the melting and refreezing of the snow. It was a place over which any fair mountaineer might pass in safety, and Mr. Hudson ascended this part, and, so far as I know, the entire mount- ain, without having the slightest assistance rendered to liim upon any occasion. Sometimes, after I had taken a hand from Croz, or received a pull, I turned to offer the same to Hudson ; but he in- variably declined, saying it was not necessary. Mr. Hadow, however, was not accustomed to this kind of work, and required continual assistance. It is only fair to say that the difficulty which he found at this part arose simply and entirely from want of experience. This solitary difficult part was of no great extent. ^ We bore away over it at first, nearly horizontally, for a distance of about 400 feet ; then ascended directly towards the summit for about 60 feet ; and then doubled back to the ridge which descends towards Zermatt. A long stride round a rather awkward comer brought us to snow once more. The last doubt vanished ! The Matterhorn was ours ! Nothing but 200 feet of easy snow remained to be surmounted ! You must now carry your thoughts back to the seven Italians w ho started from Breuil on the 11th of July. Four days had passed since their departure, and we were tormented with anxiety lest they should arrive on the top before us. All the way up we had talked of them, and many false alarms of ** men on the summit " had been raised. The higher we rose, the more intense became the excitement. What if we should be beaten at the last moment? The slope eased off, at length we could be detached, and Croz and I, dashing away, ran a neck-and- neck race, which ended in a dead heat. At 1.40 P.M. the world was at our feet, and the Matterhorn was conquered. Hurrah ! Not a footstep could be seen. It was not yet certain that we had not been beaten. The summit of the Matterhorn was formed of a rudely level ridge, about 350 feet long, 2 and the Italians might have been at its farthest extremity. I hastened to the southern end, scanning the snow right and left eagerly. Hurrah! again; it was untrodden. *• Where were the men?" I peered over the cliff, half doubting, half expectant, and saw them im- mediately— mere dots on the ridge, at a great distance below. Up went my arms and my hat. •* Croz ! Croz ! ! come here ! " " Where are they. Monsieur?" "There, don't you see them, down there?" " Ah ! the coquinSj they are low down." " Croz, we must make those fellows hear us." We yelled until we were hoarse. The Italians seemed to regard us — we could not be certain. " Croz, we must make them hear us ; they shall hear us ! " I seized a block of rock and hurled it down, and called upon my companion, in the name of friend- 1 I have no memorandum of the time that it occupied. It must have taken about an hour and a half. 2 The highest points are towards the two ends. In 1865 the northern end was slightly higher than the southern one. In bygone years Carrel and I often suggested to each other that we might one day arrive upon the top, and find ourselves cut off from the very highest point by a notch in the summit-ridge which is seen from the Th^odule and from Breuil (marked G on the outline on p. 43). This notch is very conspicuous from below, but when one is actually upon the sunmiit it is hardly noticed, and it can be passed without the least difficulty. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. III. DISCOMFITURE OF THE ITALIANS. 61 ship, to do the same. We drove our sticks in, and prized away the crags, and soon a torrent of stones poured down the cliffs. There was no mistake about it this time. The Italians turned and fled.^ The others had arrived, so we went back to the northern end of the ridge. Croz now took the tent-pole,^ and planted it in the highest snow. "Yes," we said, "there is the flag-staff, but where is the flag?" "Here it is," he answered, pulling off his blouse and fixing it to the stick. It made a poor flag, and there was no wind to float it out, yet it was seen all around. They saw it at Zermatt — at the Riffel — in the Val Toumanche. At Breuil, the watchers cried, " Victory is ours ! " They raised * bravos ' for Carrel, and * vivas * for Italy, and hastened to put themselves en fete. On the morrow they were undeceived. "All was changed; the explorers returned sad — cast down — disheartened — confounded — gloomy." "It is true," said the men. "We saw them ourselves — ^they hurled stones at us ! The old traditions are true, — there are spirits on the top of the Matter- horn !"3 We returned to the southern end of the ridge to build a cairn, and then paid homage to the view.* The day was one of those superlatively calm and clear ones which usually precede bad weather. The atmosphere was perfectly still, and free from all clouds or vapours. Mountains fifty — nay a hundred — mUes off, looked sharp and near. All their details — ridge and crag, snow and glacier — stood out with faultless definition. Pleasant thoughts of happy days in bygone years came up unbidden, as we recognised the old, familiar forms. All were revealed — not one of the principal peaks of the Alps was hidden. I see them clearly now — the great inner circles of 1 I learnt afterwards from J. -A. Carrel that they heard our first cries. They were then upon the south-west ridge, close to the ' Cravate,' and twelve hundred arid jifty feet below us ; or, as the crow flies, at a distance of about one-third of a mile. 2 At our departure the men were confident that the ascent would be made, and took one of the poles out of the tent. I protested that it was tempting Providence ; they took the pole nevertheless. 8 Signer Giordano was naturally disappointed at the result, and wished the men to start again. They all re/tised to do so, with the exception of Jean-Antoine. Upon the 16th of July he set out again with three others, and upon the l7th gained the summit by passmg (at first) up the south-west ridge, and (afterwards) by turning over to the Z'Mutt, or north-western side. On the 18th he returned to Breuil. Whilst we were upon the southern end of the summit-ridge, we paid some attention to the portion of the mountain which intervened between ourselves and the Italian guides. It seemed as if there would not be the least chance for them if they should attempt to storm the final peak directly from the end of the 'shoulder.' In that direction cliffs fell sheer down from the summit, and we were unable to see beyond a certain distance. There remained the route about which Carrel and I had often talked, namely, to ascend directly at first from the end of the 'shoulder,' and afterwards to swerve to the left— that is, to the Z'Mutt side— and to complete the ascent from the north-west. When we were upon the summit we laughed at this idea. Nevertheless, the summit was reached by that route by the undaunted Carrel. From knowing the final slope over which he passed, and from the account of Mr. F. C. Grove— who until 1895 was the only traveller by whom it had been traversed— I do not hesitate to term the ascent of Carrel and Bich in 1865 the most desperate piece of mountain-scrambling upon record. In 1869 I asked Carrel if he had ever done anything more difficult. His reply was, " Man cannot do anything much more difficult than that ! " * The summit-ridge was much shattered, although not so extensively as the south- west and north-east ridges. The highest rock, in 1865, was a block of mica-schist, and the fragment I broke off it not only possesses, in a remarkable degree, the character of the peak, but mimics, in an astonisning manner, the details of its form. [See illus- tration on page 63.] Digitized by VjOOQIC 62 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. chap. hi. giants, }>acked ])y the ranges, chains, and massifs. First came the Dent ]51anche, hoary and grand ; tlie Gabelhorn and pointed Koth- horn ; and tlien the peerless Weisshorn : the towering Mischabelhorner, flanked hy tlie Allaleinhorn, hJtrahlhorn, and Rimpfischhorn ; then Monte liosa^with its many Spitzes — tlie Lyskamm and the Breit- horn. Behind were the Bernese Oberland, governed by the Finsteraar- horn ; the Siniplon and St. Gothard groups ; the Disgrazia and the Orteler. Towards the south we looked down to Chivasso on the plain of Piedmont, and far beyond. The Viso — one hundred miles away — seemed close ujwn us ; the Maritime Alps — one hundred and thirty miles distant — were free from haze. Then came my first love — the Pelvoux ; the Ecrins and the Meije ; the clusters of the Uraians ; and lastly, in the west, glowing in full sunlight, rose the monarch of all — Mont Blanc. Ten thousand feet beneath us were the green fields of Zermatt, dotted with chalets, from which blue smoke rose lazily. Eight thousand feet below, on the other side, were the pastures of Breuil. There were forests black and gloomy, and meadows bright and lively ; bounding waterfalls and tranquil lakes ; fertile lands and savage wastes ; sunny plains and frigid plateaux. There were the most rugged forms, and the most grace- ful outlines — lx)ld, i)erpendicular cliffs, and gentle, undulating slopes; rocky mountains and snowy mountains, sombre and solemn, or glittering and white, with walls — turrets — pinnacles — pyramids — domes — cones — and spires ! There was every combination that the world can give, and every contrast that the heart could desire. We remained on the summit for one hour — "Ono crowded hour of glorious life." It passed away too quickly, and we began to prepare for the descent. Digitized by VjOOQIC THE ACTUAL SUMMIT OF THE MATTERHORN IN 1865. CHAPTER IV. 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 — AN APPARITION — AN INFAMOUS PROPOSITION — SURPRISED BY NIGHT — SEARCH FOR AND RECOVERY OF THE BODIES — OFFICIAL EXAMINATION — THEIR LAST RESTING- PLACE. Hudson and I again consulted as to the best and safest arrange- ment of the party. We agreed that it would be best for Croz to go first,^ and Hadow second ; Hudson, who was almost equal to a l)orn mountaineer in sureness of foot, wished to be third ; Lord Francis Douglas was placed next, and old Peter, tlie strongest of the remainder, after him. I suggested to Hudson that we should attach a rope to the rocks on our arrival at the difficult bit, and hold it as we descended, as an additional protection. He approved the idea, but it was not definitely settled tliat it should be done. The party was being arranged in the above order whilst I was sketching the summit, and they had finished, and were waiting for 1 If the members of the party had been more equally efficient, Croz would have been placed kut. Digitized by VjOOQIC 64 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. chap. iv. me to be tied in line, when some one remembered that our names had not been left in a bottle. They requested me to write them down, and moved off while it was being done. A few minutes afterwards I tied myself to young Peter, ran down after the others, and caught them just as they were commencing the descent of the difficult part. ^ Great care was being taken. Only one man was moving at a time ; when he was firmly planted the next advanced, and so on. They had not, however, attached the additional rope to rocks, and nothing was said about it. The suggestion was not made for my own sake, and I am not sure that it even occurred to me again. For some little distance we two followed the others, detached from them, and should have continued so had not Lord Francis Douglas asked me, about 3 p.m., to tie on to old Peter, as he feared, he said, that Taugwalder would not be able to hold his ground if a slip occurred. A few minutes later, a sharp-eyed lad ran into the Monte Kosa hotel, to Seiler, saying that he had seen an avalanche fall from the summit of the Matterhorn on to the Matterhomgletscher. The boy was reproved for telling idle stories ; he was right, nevertheless, and this was what he saw. Michel Croz had laid aside his axe, and in order to give Mr. Hadow greater security, was absolutely taking hold of his legs, and putting his feet, one by one, into their proper positions. ^ So far as I know, no one was actually descending. I cannot speak with certainty, because the two leading men were partially hidden from my sight by an intervening mass of rock, but it is my belief, from the movements of their shoulders, that Croz, having done as I have said, was in the act of turning round, to go down a step or two himself ; at this moment Mr. Hadow slipped, fell against him, and knocked him over. I heard one startled exclamation from Croz, then saw him and Mr. Hadow flying downwards ; in another moment Hudson was dragged from his steps, and Lord F. Douglas immediately after him.^ All 1 Described upon pp. 59-60. 2 Not at all an unusual proceeding, even between born mountaineers. I wish to convey the impression that Croz was using all pains, rather than to indicate inability on the part of Mr. Hadow. The insertion of the word ' absolutely ' makes the passage, perhaps, rather ambiguous. I retain it now, in order to offer the above explanation. ^ At the moment of the accident, Croz, Hadow, and Hudson, were close together. Between Hudson and Lord F. Douglas the rope was all but taut, and the same between all the others who were above. Otoz was standing by the side of a rock which afforded good hold, and if he had been aware, or had suspected, that anything was about to occur, he might and would have gripped it, and would have prevented any mischief. He was taken totally by surprise. Mr. Hadow slipped off his feet on to his back, his feet struck Croz in the small of the back, and knocked him right over, head first. Croz's axe was out of his reach, and without it he managed to get his head uppermost before he dis- appeared from our sight. If it had been in his hand I have no doubt that he would have stopped himself and Mr. Hadow. Mr. Hadow, at the moment of the slip, was not occupying a bad position. He could have moved either up or down, and could touch with his hand the rock of which I have spoken. Hudson was not so well placed, but he had liberty of motion. The rope was not taut from him to Hadow, and the two men fell ten or twelve feet before the jerk came upon him. Lord F. Douglas was not favourably placed, and could neither move up nor down. Old Peter was fimuy i)lanted, and stood just beneath a large rock which he hu^ed with both arms. I enter into these details to make it more apparent that the position occupied by the party at the moment of the accident was not by any means Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. IV. THE ROPE BROKE! 65 this was the work of a moment. Immediately we heard Croz's ex- clamation, old Peter and I planted ourselves as firmly as the rocks would permit:^ the rope was taut between us, and the jerk came on Qi^^^^^- ^^^^^^ us both as on one man. We held ; but the rope broke midway between Taugwalder and Lord Francis Douglas. For a few seconds we saw excessively trying. We were compelled to pass over the exact spot where the slip occurred, and we found— even with shaken nerves— that it was not a difficult place to pass. I have described the %l&pe generally as difficult, and it is so undoubtedly to most persons ; but it must be distinctly understood that Mr. Hadow slipped at a comparatively easy part. 1 Or, more correctly, we held on as tightly as possible. There was no time to change our position. F Digitized by VjOOQIC 66 ZERMATT AND THE MATTEBHORN. chap. iv. our unfortunate companions sliding downwards on their backs, and spreading out their hands, endeavouring to save themselves. They passed from our sight uninjured, disappeared one by one, and then fell from precipice to precipice on to the Matterhomgletscher below, a distance of nearly 4000 feet in height. From the moment the rope broke it was impossible to help them. So perished our comrades ! For the space of half-an-hour we re- mained on the spot without moving a single step. The two men, paralysed by terror, cried like infants, and trembled in such a manner as to threaten us with the fate of the others. Old Peter rent the air with exclamations of " Chamonix ! Oh, what will Chamonix say ? " He meant. Who would believe that Croz could fall? The young man did nothing but scream or sob, "We are lost ! we are lost!" Fixed between the two, I could neither move up nor down. I begged young Peter to descend, but he dared not. Unless he did, we could not advance. Old Peter became alive to the danger, and swelled the cry, "We are lost ! we are lost ! " The father's fear was natural — he trembled for his son ; the young man's fear was cowardly — he thought of self alone. At last old Peter summoned up courage, and changed his position to a rock to which he couJd fix the rope; the young man then descended, and we all stood together. Im- mediately we did so, I asked for the rope which had given way, and found, to my surprise — indeied, to my horror — that it was the weak- est of the three ropes. It was not brought, and should not have been employed, for the purpose for which it was used. It was old rope, and, compared with the others, was feeble. It was in- tended as a reserve, in case we had to leave much rope behind, attached to rocks. I saw at once that a serious question was in- volved, and made him give me the end. It had broken in mid-air, and it did not appear to have sustained previous injury. For more than two hours afterwards I thought almost every moment that the next would be my last ; for the Taugwalders, utterly unnerved, were not only incapable of giving assistance, but were in such a state that a slip might have been expected from them at any moment. After a time, we were able to do that which should have been done at first, and fixed rope to firm rocks, in addition to being tied together. These ropes were cut from time to time, and ROPE BROKEN ON THE MATTERHORN. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. IV. AN APPARITION, 67 were left behind.^ Even with their assurance the men were afraid to proceed, and several times old Peter turned with ashy face and faltering limbs, and said, with terrible emphasis, " I cannot/" About 6 P.M. we arrived at the snow upon the ridge descending towards Zermatt, and all peril was over. We frequently looked, but in vain, for traces of our unfortunate companions ; we bent over the ridge and cried to them, but no sound returned. Convinced at last that they were neither within sight nor hearing, we ceased from our useless efforts; and, too cast down for speech, silently gathered up our things, and the little effects of those who were lost, preparatory to continuing the descent. When, lo ! a mighty arch appeared, rising above the Lyskamm, high into the sky. Pale, colourless, and noiseless, but perfectly sharp and defined, except where it was lost in the clouds, this unearthly apparition seemed like a vision from another world ; and, almost appalled, we watched with amazement the gradual development of two vast crosses, one on either side. If the Taugwalders had not been the first to perceive it, I should have doubted my senses. They thought it had some connection with the accident, and I, after a while, that it might bear some relation to ourselves. But our movements had no effect upon it. The spectral forms remained motionless. It was a fearful and wonderful sight ; unique in my experience, and impressive beyond description, coming at such a moment. ^ 1 These ends, for a long time, remained attached to the rocks, and marked our line of ascent and descent. 2 I paid very little attention to this remarkable phenomenon, and was glad when it disappeared, as it distracted our attention. Under ordinary circumstances I should have felt vexed afterwards at not having observed with greater precision an occurrence so rare and so wonderful. I can add very little about it to that which is said above. The sun was directly at our backs ; that is to say, the fog-bow was opposite to the sun. The time was 6.30 p.m. The forms were at once tender and sharp ; neutral in tone ; were developed gradually, and disappeared suddenly. The mists were light (that is, not dense), and were dissipated in the course of the evening. It has been suggested that the crosses are incorrectly figured in the Frontispiece of Scrambles amongst the Alps, and that they were probably formed by the intersection of other circles or ellipses, as shewn in the annexed diagram. I think this suggestion is very likely correct ; but in the Frontispiece I have preferred to follow my original memorandum. In Parry's Narrative of an Attempt to reach the NoHh Pole, 4to, 1828, there is, at pp. 99-100, an account of the occurrence of a phenomenon analo- Sous to the above-mentioned one. "At half -past ve P.M. we witnessed a very beautiful natural pheno- menon. A broad white fog -bow first appeared opposite to the sun, as was very commonly the case," etc. I follow Parry in using the term fog- bow. It may be observed that, ui>on the descent of the Italian guides (whose expedition is noticed in the note upon pp. 73-4), upon July 17th, 1865, the pheno- menon commonly termed the Brocken was observed. The following is the account given by the Abb6 Am6 Gorret in the FeuUle d'Aoste, October 31, 1865 :— ** Nous 6tions sur I'^paule " (the * shoulder') " quand nous remarqu&mes un ph6nomfene qui nous fit plaisir ; le nuage 6tait trfes-dense du c6t6 de Valtomanche, c'6tut serein en Suisse ; nous nous vimes au milieu d'un cercle aux couleurs de I'arc- en-ciel ; ce mirage nous formait k tous une couronne au milieu de laquelle nous voyions notre ombre." This occurred at about 6.30 to 7 p.m., and the Italians in mention were at about the same height as ourselves— namely, 14,000 feet. Digitized by VjOOQIC 68 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. chap. iv. I was ready to leave, and waiting for the others. They had recovered their appetites and the use of their tongues. They spoke in patois, which I did not understand. At length the son said in French, "Monsieur." "Yes." "We are poor men; we have lost our Herr; we shall not get paid; we can ill afford tliis."^ "Stop!" I said, interrupting him, "that is nonsense; I shall pay you, of course, just as if your Herr were here." They talked together in their patois for a short time, and then the son spoke again. " We don't wish you to pay us. We wish you to write in the hotel-book at Zermatt, and to your journals, that we have not been paid." "What nonsense are you talking? I don't understand you. What do you mean?" He proceeded — "Why, next year there will be many travellers at Zermatt, and we shall get more voyagenrs." ^ Who would «|,nswer such a proposition? I made them no reply in words,3 but they knew very well the indignation that I felt. They filled the cup of bitterness to overflowing, and I tore down the clift*, madly and recklessly, in a way that caused them, more than once, to inquire if I wished to kill them. Night fell ; and for an hour the descent was continued in the darkness. At half-past 9 a resting- place was found, and upon a wretched slab, barely large enough to hold the three, we passed six miserable hours. At daybreak the descent was resumed, and from the Homli ridge we ran down to the chAlets of Buhl, and on to Zermatt. Seller met me at his door, and followed in silence to my room. "What is the matter?" "The Taugwalders and I have returned." He did not need more, and burst into tears ; but lost no time in useless lamentations, and set to work to arouse the village. Ere long a score of men had started to ascend the Hohlicht heights, above Kalbermatt and Z'Mutt, which commanded the plateau of the Matterhomgletscher. They returned after six hours, and reported that they had seen the bodies lying motionless on the snow. This was on Saturday ; and they proposed that we should leave on Sunday evening, so as to arrive upon the plateau at daybreak on Monday. Unwilling to lose the slightest chance, the Rev. J. M'Cormick and I resolved to start on Sunday morning. The Zermatt men, threatened with excommunication by their priests if they failed to attend the early mass, were unable to accompany us. To several of them, at least, this was a severe trial. Peter Perm declared with tears that nothing else would have prevented him from joining in the search for his old comrades. Englishmen came to our aid. The Rev. J. Robertson* and Mr. J. Phillpotts'' offered themselves, and their guide Franz Andermatten ; another Englishman lent us Joseph Marie and Alexandre Lochmatter. Frederic Payot, and Jean Tairraz, of Chamonix, also volunteered. We started at 2 A.M. on Sunday the 16th, and followed the route 1 They had been travelling with, and had been engaged by, Lord F. Douglas, and so considered him their employer, and responsible to them. 2 Transcribed from the original memorandum. 3 Nor did I speak to them afterwards, unless it was absolutely necessary, so long as we were together. 4 Now Vicar of Whittlesford. 5 The present Head Master of Bedford School. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. IV. ALL HOPE WAS GONE, 69 that we had taken on the previous Thursday as far as the HomlL Thence we went down to the right of the ridge, ^ and mounted through the sirctcs of the Matterhorngletscher. By 8.30 we had got to the plateau at the top of the glacier, and within sight of the comer in which we knew my companions must he.^ As we saw one weather-heaten man after another raise the telescope, turn deadly pale, and pass it on without a word to the next, we knew that all hope was gone. We approached. They had fallen below as they had fallen above^Croz a little in advance, Hadow near him, and H. THE HORNLI. A. PLACE WHERE HADOW SLIPPED. Z. PLAGE WHERE THE BODIES WERE FOUND. Hudson some distance behind ; but of Lord Francis Douglas we could see nothing. 3 We left them where they fell : buried in snow at the base of the grandest cliff of the most majestic mountain of the Alps. All those who had fallen had been tied with the Manilla, or with the second and equally strong rope, and, consequently, there had been only one link — that between old Peter and Lord Francis Douglas — where the weaker rope had been used. This had a very ugly look for Taugwalder, for it was not possible to suppose that the others would have sanctioned the employment of a rope so greatly inferior in strength when there were more than two hundred and fifty feet 1 To the point marked Z on the map. 2 Marked with a croes on the map. 3 A pair of gloves, a helt, and boot that had belonged to him were found. This, some- how, became publicly known, and gave rise to wild notions, which would not have been entertained had it been also known that the whole of the boots of those who had fallen tcere off, and were lying upon the snow near the bodies. Digitized by VjOOQIC 70 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. chap. iv. of the better qualities still remaining out of use.^ For the sake of the old guide (who bore a good reputation), and upon all other ac- counts, it was desirable that this matter should be cleared up; and after my examination before the court of inquiry which was instituted by the Government was over, I handed in a number of questions which were framed so as to afford old Peter an opportunity of exculpating himself from the grave suspicions which at once fell upon him. The questions, I was told, were put and answered; but the answers, al- though promised, have never reached me.* Meanwhile, the administration sent strict injunctions to recover the bodies, and upon the 19th of July, twenty-one men of Zermatt accomplished that &sA and dangerous task.^ Of the body of Lord Francis Douglas they, too, saw nothing ; it was probably still arrested on the rocks above.* The remains of Hudson and Hadow were in- terred upon the north side of the Zermatt Church, in the presence of a reverent crowd of sympathising friends. The body of Michel Croz lies upon the other side, under a simpler tomb; whose inscription bears honourable testimony to his rectitude, to his courage, and to his devotion.^ So the traditional inaccessibility of the Matterhom was vanquished, and was replaced by legends of a more real character. Others will essay to scale its proud cliffs, but to none will it be the mountain that it was to its early explorers. Others may tread its summit- snows, but none will ever know the feelings of those who first ga^ed 1 I was one hundred feet or more from the others whilst they were being tied up, and am unable to throw any light on the matter. Croz and old Peter no doubt tied up the others. 2 This was not the only occasion upon which M. Clemenz (who presided over the inquirr) failed to give up answers that he promised. It is greatly to be regretted that he did not feel that the suppression of the truth was equally against the interests of travellers and of the guides. If the men were untrustworthy, the public should have been warned of the fact ; but if they Were blameless, why allow them to remain under unmerited suspicion? Old Peter Taugwalder laboured for a long time under an unjust accusation. Not- withstanding repeated denials, even his comrades and neighbours at Zermatt persisted in asserting or insinuating that he cut the rope which led from him to Lord Francis Douglas. In regard to this infamous charge, I say that he could not do so at the moment of the slip, and that the end of the rope in my possession shews that he did not do so beforehand. There remains, however, the suspicious fact that the rope which broke was the thinnest and weakest one that we had. It is suspicious, because it is unlikely that any of the four men in front would have selected an old and weak rope when there was abundance of new, and much stronger, rope to roare; and, on the other hand, because if Taugwalder thought that an accident was lUcely to happen, it was to his interest to have the weaker rope where it was placed. I should rejoice to learn that his answers to the questions which were put to him were satisfactory. Not only was his act at the critical moment wonderful as a feat of stren^h, but it was admirable in its performance at the right time. He left Zermatt, and lived for several years in retirement in the United States ; but ultimately returned to his native valley, and died suddenly on July 11, 1888, at the Lac Noir (Schwarzsee). » They followed the route laid down upon the map, and on their descent were in great peril from the fall of a 8era4i. 4 This, or a subsequent, party discovered a sleeve. No other traces have been found. 6 At the instance of Mr. Alfred (now Mr. Justice) Wills, a subscription list was opened for the benefit of the sisters of Michel Croz, who had been partly dei>endent upon his earnings. In a short time more than £280 were raised. This was considered sufficient, and the list was closed. The ]>roceeds were invested in French Rentes Hjy Mr. William Mathews), at the reconmiendation of M. Dupui, at that time Maire of Ghamonix. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. IV. HIS LAST RESTING-PLACE. 71 upon its marvellous panorama ; and none, I trust, will ever be com- pelled to tell of joy turned into grief, and of laughter into mourning. It proved to be a stubborn foe; it resisted long, and gave many a hard blow ; it was defeated at last with an ease that none could liave anticipated, but, like a relentless enemy — conquered but not crushed — it took terrible vengeance. The time may come when the Matter- horn shall have passed away, and nothing, save a heap of shapeless fragments, will mark the spot where the great mountain stood ; for, atom by atom, inch by inch, and yard by yard, it yields to forces which nothing can withstand. That time is far distant ; and, ages hence, generations unborn will gaze upon its awful precipices, and wonder at its unique form. However exalted may be their ideas, and however exaggerated tlieir expectations, none will come to return disappointed ! THE GRAVE OF MICHEL CROZ. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAPTER V. SUBSEQUENT HISTORY OF THE MATTERHOR^.i FIRST ASCENT ON THE ITALIAN SIDE — COMPARISON OF THE TWO ROUTES — HUT ON^ THE ' CBAVATE' — MR. CRAUFURD GROVE'S ASCENT — CONSTRUCTION OF THE HUT ON THE EAST FACE — CABANE ON THE HORNLI RIDGE — ALTERATION IN THE FORM OF THE SUMMIT — DEATH OF JOSEPH BRANTSCHEN — DR. MOSELEY FALLS DOWN THE EAST FACE — ASCENTS FROM THE NORTH-WEST BY MESSRS. MUMMERY AND PENH ALL — ABANDONMENT AND DEATH OF MR. BORCKHARDT— ANOTHER CATASTROPHE ON THE EAST FACE — DEATH OF JEAN-ANTOINE CARREL — LOSS OF ANDREAS SEILER AND JOSEPH BIENER. The Val Toumanche natives who started to facilitate the way up the south-west ridge of the Matterhom for MM. Giordano and Sella, pitched their tent upon my third platform, at the foot of the Great Tower (12,992 feet), and enjoyed several days of bad weather under its shelter. On the first fine day (13th of July) they began their work, and about mid-day on the 14th got on to the * shoulder,' and arrived at the base of the final peak (the point where Bennen stopped on July 28, 1862). The counsels of the party were then divided. Two — Jean-Antoine Carrel and J. -Joseph Maquignaz — wished to go on ; the others were not eager about it. A discussion took place, and the result was they all commenced to descend, and whilst upon the *cravate' (13,524) they heard our cries from the summit.^ Upon tlie 15th they went down to Breuil and reported their ill-success to M. Giordano (see p. 61). That gentleman was naturally much dis- appointed, and pressed the men to set out again. ^ Said he, " Until now I have striven for the honour of making the first ascent, — fate has decided against me, — I am beaten. Patience ! Now, if I go to any further expense, it will be on your account, for your honour, and for your interests. Will you start again to settle the question, or, at least, to let there be no more uncertainty ? " The majority of the men (in fact the whole of them with the exception of Jean- Antoine) refused point-blank to have anything more to do with the mountain. Carrel, however, stepped forward, saying, "As for me, I have not given it up ; if you (turning to the Abbe Gorret) or the 1 We resume here the account of the proceedings of the Italians who started from Breuil on the 11th of July, 1865. See p. 53. 2 The foregoing particulars were related to me by J. -A. Carrel. 8 The following details are taken from the account of the Abb6 Am6 Gorret (pub- lished in the FeuiUe d'Aoate, Oct. 1865), who was at Breuil when the men returned. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. V. THEY GALLOPED. 73 others will come, I will start again immediately." "Not I!" said one. " No more for me," cried a second. " If you would give me a thousand francs I would not go back," said a third. The Abb^ Grorret alone volunteered. This plucky priest was concerned in the very first attempts upon the mountain, and is an enthusiastic moun- taineer. Carrel and the Abb6 would have set out by themselves had not J. B. Bich and J. -A. Meynet (two men in the employ of Favre the innkeeper) come forward at the last moment. M. Giordano also wished to accompany them, but the men knew the nature of the work they had to undertake, and positively declined to be accom- panied by an amateur. These four men left Breuil at 6.30 A.M. on July 16, at 1 p.m. arrived at the third tent-platform, and there passed the night. At daybreak on the 17th they continued the ascent by the route which had been taken before ; passed successively the Great Tower, the *cr6te du coq,' the *cravate,' and the * shoulder,' ^ and at 10 A.M. gained the point at the foot of the final peak from which the explorers had turned back on the 14th. They had then about 800 feet to accomplish, and, says the Abb6, "nous allions entrer en pays inconnu, aucun n'^tant jamais all^ aussi loin." The passage of the cleft which stopped Bennen was accomplished, and then the party proceeded directly towards the summit, over rocks which for some distance were not particularly difficult. The steep cliffs down which we had hurled stones (on the 14th) then stopped their way, and Carrel led round to the left or Z'Mutt side. The work at this part was of the very greatest difficulty, and stones and icicles which fell rendered the position of the party very pre- carious ; 2 so much so that they preferred to turn up directly towards the summit, and climb by rocks that the Abb6 termed "almost per- pendicular." He added, "This part occupied the most time, and gave us the greatest trouble." At length they arrived at a fault in the rocks which formed a roughly horizontal gallery. They crept along this in the direction of a ridge that descended towards the north-west, or thereabouts, and when close to the ridge, found that they could not climb on to it ; but they perceived that, by descend- ing a gully with perpendicular sides, they could reach the ridge at a lower point. The bold Abb6 was the heaviest and the strongest of the four, and he was sacrificed for the success of the expedition. He and Meynet remained behind, and lowered the others, one by one, into the gully. Carrel and Bich clambered up the other side, attained the ridge descending towards the north-west, shortly after- wards gained an "easy route,^ they galloped," and in a few minutes reached the southern end of the summit-ridge. 1 These terms, as well as the others, Great Stauxjase, Col du Lion, T6te du Lion, Chimney, and so forth, were applied by Carrel and myself to the various points, in consequence of real or supposed resemblances in the rocks to other things. A few of the terms originated with the author, but they were chiefly due to the inventive genius of J.-A. Carrel. 2 I have seen icicles more than a hundred feet long hanging from the rocks near the summit of the Matterhorn. 3 The words of the Abb^. I imagine that he meant comparatively easy. Digitized by VjOOQIC 74 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, CHAP. V. Tlie time of their arrival does not appear to have been noticed. It was late in the day, I believe about 3 P.M. Carrel and his com- rade only waited long enough to plant a flag by the side of the cairn tliat we had built three days previously, then descended at once, rejoined the others, and all four hurried down as fast as possible to the tent. They were so pressed for time that they could not eat ! and it was 9 P.M. before they arrived at their camp at the foot of the Great Tower. In de- scending they followed tlie gallery above mentioned throughout its en- tire length, and so avoided the very difficult rocks over which they had passed on the ascent. As they were traversing the length of the * shoul- der' they witnessed the phenomenon to which I have already adverted at the foot of p. 67. When Carrel and Bich were near the summit they saw our traces upon the Matterhomgletscher, and suspected that an accident had oc- curred ; they did not, however, hear of the Matterhom catastrophe until their return to Breuil, at 3 p.m. upon the 18th. The details of that sad event were in the mouths of all, and it was not unnaturally supposed, in the absence of correct informa- tion, that the accident was a proof that the northern side was fright- fully dangerous. The safe return of the four Italians was regarded, on the other hand, as evidence that the Breuil route was the best. Those who were interested (either personally or otherwise) in the Val Tournanche made the most of the circumstances, and trumpeted the praises of the southern route. Some went farther, and instituted com- parisons between the two routes to the disadvantage of the northern one, and were pleased to term our expedition on the 13- 14th of July precipitate, and so forth. Considering the circumstances which caused us to leave the Val Tournanche on the 12th of July, these remarks were not in the best possible taste, but I have no feeling regarding them. There may be some, however, who may be interested in a com- parison of the two routes, and for their sakes I will place the essential points in juxtaposition. We (that is the Taugwalders and myself) were absent from Zermatt 53 hours. Excluding halts and stoppages of one sort or another, the ascent and descent occupied us 23 hours. Zermatt is 5315 feet above the level of the sea, and the Matterhorn is 14,780 ; we had therefore to ascend 9465 feet. As far as the point marked 10,820 feet the way was known, so we had to find the way over only 3960 feet. The members of our party (I now include all) were very unequal in ability, and none of us could for a moment be compared as cragsmen with Jean-Antoine Carrel. The four Italians J. B. BICH, IN 1892. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. V. CABANE ON THE ' CRAY ATE: 75 who started from Breuil on the 16th of July were absent during 56 hours, and as far as I can gather from the published account, an( from conversation with the men, excluding halts, they took for the ascent and descent 23| hours. The hotel at Gioment is 6890 feet above the sea, so they had to ascend 7890 feet. As far as the end of the * shoulder' the way was known to Carrel, and he had to find the way over only about 800 feet. All four men were born mountain- eers, good climbers, and they were led by the most expert cragsman I have seen. The weather in each instance was fine. It is seen, therefore, that these four nearly equally matched men took a longer time to ascend 1500 feet less height than ourselves, although we had to find the way over more than four times as much untrodden ground CANON CARREL, OF AOSTA. as they. This alone would lead any mountaineer to suppose that their route must have been more difficult than ours.^ I know the greater part of the ground over which they passed, and from my knowledge, and from the account of Mr. Grove, which follows, I am sure that their route was not only more difficult, but that it was miLch more difficult, than ours. This was not the opinion in the Val Tournanche at the end of 1865, and the natives confidently reckoned that tourists would flock to their side in preference to the other. It was, I believe, the late Canon Carrel of Aosta (who always took great interest in such matters) who first proposed the construction of a cabane upon the southern side of the Matterhorn. The project was taken up with spirit, and funds for its execution were speedily provided — principally by the members of the Italian Alpine Club, or by their friends. The inde- fatigable Jean-Antoine found a natural hole upon the ledge called the 1 The pace of a party is ruled by that of its least efficient member. Digitized by VjOOQIC 76 ZERMATT AND THE MATTEHHORN. chaI>. V. *cravate' (13,524), and this, in course of time, was turned, under his direction, into a respectable little hut. Its position is superb, and gives a view of the most magnificent character. Whilst this work was being carried out, my friend Mr. F. Craufurd Grove consulted me respecting the ascent of the Matterhom. I recom- mended him to ascend by the northern route, and to place himself in the hands of Jean-Antoine Carrel. Mr. Grove found, however, that Carrel distinctly preferred the southern • side, and they ascended accordingly by the Breuil route. Mr. Grove has been good enough to supply the following account of his expedition. He carries on my description of the southern route from the highest point I attained on that side (a little below the * cravate ') to the summit, and thus renders complete my descriptions of the two sides. **In August 1867 I ascended the Matterhom from Breuil, taking as guides three mountaineers of the Valtoumanche — J. -A. Carrel, J. Bich, and S. Meynet, — Carrel being the leader. At that time the Matterhom had not been scaled since the famous expedition of the Italian guides mentioned above. ** Our route was identical with that which they followed in their descent when, as will be seen, they struck out on one part of the mountain a different line from that which they had taken in ascend- ing. After gaining the Col du Lion, we climbed the south-western or Breuil arHe by the route which has been described in these pages, passing the night at the then unfinished hut constructed by the Italian Alpine Club on the * cravate.' Starting from the hut at daylight, we reached at an early hour the summit of the 'shoulder,' and then traversed its arite to the final peak of the Matterhom. The passage of this ar^te was perhaps the most enjoyable part of the whole expedition. The ridge, worn by slow irregular decay into monstrous and rugged battlements, and guarded on each side by tremendous precipices, is grand beyond all description, but does not, strange to say, present any remarkable difficulty to the climber, save that it is exceedingly trying to the head. Great care is of course necessary, but the scramble is by no means of so arduous a nature as entirely to absorb the attention ; so that a fine climb, and rock scenery, of grandeur perhaps unparalleled in the Alps, can both be appreciated. *' It was near the end of this aritCy close to the place where it abuts against the final peak, that Professor Tyndall's party turned in 1862,^ arrested by a cleft in the ridge. From the point where they stopped the main tower of the Matterhom rises in front of the climber, abrupt, magnificent, and apparently inaccessible. The summit is fully 750 feet in vertical height above this spot, and certainly, to my eye, appeared to be separated from me by a yet more consider- able interval ; for I remember, when at the end of the arUe^ looking upward at the crest of the mountain, and thinking that it must be a good 1000 feet above me. "When the Italian guides made their splendid ascent, they traversed the arite of the shoulder to the main peak, passed the 1 See pp. 44-5. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. V. MR. GRAUFURD GROVE'S ASCENT. 77 cleft which has been mentioned (p. 44), clambered on to the tremendous north-western face of the mountain (described by Mr. Whymper at pp. 59 and 61), and then endeavoured to cross this face so as to get on to the Z'Mutt arSte.^ The passage of this slope proved a work of great difficulty and danger. I saw it from very near the place where they traversed, and was unable to conceive how any human creatures managed to crawl over rocks so steep and so treacherous. After they had got about half-way across, they found the difficulties of the route and the danger from falling stones so great, that they struck straight up the mountain, in the hope of finding some safer way. They were to a certain extent successful, for they came presently to a small ledge, caused by a sort of fault in the rock, running horizontally across the north-western face of the mountain a little distance below the summit. Traversing this ledge, the Italians found themselves close to the Z'Mutt arSte, but still separated from it by a barrier, to outflank which it was necessary to descend a perpendicular gully. Carrel and Bich were lowered down this, the other two men remaining at the top to haul up their com- panions on their return, as otherwise they could not have got up again. Passing on to the Z'Mutt arSte without further difficulty. Carrel and Bich climbed by that ridge to the summit of the mountain. In returning, the Italians kept to the ledge for the whole distance across the north-western face, and descended to the place where the arSte of the shoulder abuts against the main peak by a sort of rough ridge of rocks between the north-western and southern faces. When I ascended in 1867, we followed this route in the ascent and in the descent. I thought the ledge difficult, in some places decidedly dangerous, and should not care to set foot on it again ; but assuredly it neither is so difficult nor so continuously dangerous as those gaunt and pitiless rock -slopes which the Italians crossed in their upward route. ** The credit of making the Italian ascent of the Matterhom belongs undoubtedly to J. -A. Carrel and to the other mountaineers who accompanied him. Bennen led his party bravely and skilfully to a point some 750 feet below the top. From this point, however, good guide though he was, Bennen had to retire defeated ; and it was reserved for the l)etter mountain-craft of the Valtoumanche guide to win the difficult way to the summit of the Matterhom." Mr. Craufurd Grove was the first traveller who ascended the Matter- hom after the accident, and the natives of Val Toumanche were, of course, greatly delighted that his ascent was made upon their side. Some of them, however, were by no means well pleased that J. -A. Carrel was so much regarded. They feared, perhaps, that he would acquire the monopoly of the mountain. Just a month after Mr. Grove's ascent, six Valtoumanchians set out to see whether they could not learn the route, and so come in for a share of the good things which were expected to arrive. They were three Maquignaz's, Caesar Carrel (my old guide), J.-B. Carrel, and a daughter of the last 1 A ridge descending towards the Z'Muttgletscher. Digitized by VjOOQIC 78 ZERMATT AND THE MATTEEffORN, CHAP. V. named ! They left Breuil at 5 a.m. on Sept. 12, and at 3 P.M. arrived at the hut, where they passed the night. At 7 A.M. the next day they started again (leaving J.-B. Carrel behind), and proceeded along the * shoulder' to the final peak ; passed the cleft which had stopped Bennen, and clam- bered up the comparatively easy rocks on the other side until they arrived at the base of the last precipice, down which we had hurled stones on July 14, 1865. They (young woman and all) were then about 350 feet from the sum- mit ! Then, instead of turning to the left, as Carrel and Mr. Grove had done, J. -Joseph and J. -Pierre Maquignaz paid atten- tion to the cliif in front of them, and managed to find a means of passing up, by clefts, ledges, and gullies, to the summit. This was a shorter (and, though difficult, is a much easier) route than that taken by Carrel and Grove, and it has generally been followed by those who have since then ascended the mountain from the side of Breuil. ^ Subsequently, ropes were fixed over the most difficult portions of the final climb. In the meantime they had not been idle upon the other side. A hut was constructed upon the eastern face, at a height of 12,526 feet above the sea, near to the crest of the ridge which descends towards Zermatt (north-east ridge). ^ The erection was undertaken by the Knubels, of St. Nicholas, at the expense of Monsieur Alex. Seiler and of the Swiss Alpine Club. This hut upon the east face is placed in an insecure position, and is now seldom used, as another hut or cabane has been built upon the Homli ridge,* a few yards to the east of, and slightly lower down than the spot where Mr. Kennedy put up his cairn in 1862 (see p. 27). The second ascent of the Matterhorn on the northern side was 1 By permission, from a photograph by Sig^or Sella. 2 J. -Joseph and J. -Pierre Maquignaz alone ascended ; the others had had enough and returned. It should be observed that ropes had been fixed, by J. -A. Carrel and others, over all the difficult -paits of the mountain as high as the shoulder, before the ascent of these persons. This explains the facility with which they moved over ground which had been found very trying in earlier times. The young woman declared that the ascent (as far as she went) was a trifle, or used words to that effect ; if she had tried to get to the same height before 1862, she would probably have been of a different opinion. » This is marked on the Map of the Matterhorn and its Glaciers {Cab. S.A.C.), * The position of the hut on the Homli ridge is marked by the word Cabane on the Map of the Matterhorn and its Glaciers. J. -JOSEPH MAQUIGNAZ.l Digitized by VjOOQIC THE CABANE ON THE EAST FACE OF THE MATTERHORN. Digitized by VjOOQIC 80 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. CHAP. V. made by Mr. J. M. Elliot, on July 24-25, 1868, with the guides Joseph Marie Lochmatter and Peter Knubel. Down to the end of 1871, the ascents that were made were equally divided between the northern (or Zermatt) and the southern (or Breuil) route. Until that time, neither guides nor tourists had got clear of the idea that the Swiss route was more difficult and dangerous than the Italian one. In THE HUT ON THE HORNLI RIDGE. 187^ {ih^ year folioNvin^ I he jmb- lioatio^i ijf Si'rtimhli'^ ftrnfifigjif t/tr Alps} tliti Zi*rtnfltt E*ifle fo*iii(i nhirt* favour, i\Ui] it hn.^ c*4Jiitinued U} be the popvilar route to tlie prf^s- ent time nSDTK In AppemHx E of tlna 4tli Ktiition of Sryftmhlr^ the ai^t-entrt liavt: bct-u tabulate<[ down to the first which was made in 1880;^ and, amongst the 194 which are enumerated, 136 were made on the Swiss side, against 23 upon the Italian side. On nine other occasions persons crossed the mountain from Zermatt to Breuil, and upon twenty- two more traversed it from Breuil to Zermatt. Prof. Tyndall was the first to turn the summit of the Matterhom into a pass. He went up the Breuil side and came down upon Zermatt. A few days later Messrs. Hoiler and Thioly crossed the mountain in the reverse direction. After these, the first ascent which calls for notice is that by Signor F. Giordano. This gentleman came to Breuil several times after his visit in 1865, but he was always baffled by the weather. In July 1866, he got as high as the 'cravate' with Jean-Antoine Carrel and other men, and was detained there Jive days and nights unable to move either tip or down! At last, on Sept. 3-5, 1868, he was able to 1 It has not been possible to carrj' this list on to a later date. Ascents have multiplied, and are often made by persons whose names are unknown. The Geneva Telegraph of Sept. 24, 1892, stated that on the previous Sunday there were twenty-three tourists upon the summit, one of whom was a Roj'al Prince. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. V. ALTERATION IN FORM OF THE SUMMIT. 81 gratify his desire, and accomplished the feat of ascending the mountain upon one side and descending it upon the other. Signor Giordano spent a considerable time in examining the structure of the Matter- horn, and became benighted upon its eastern face in consequence. I am indebted to him for the valuable note and the accompanying section which are given in Appendix H.^ Questions having been frequently put to me respecting the immediate summit of the Matterhom, I made an ascent of the mountain in 1874, to photograph the summit, and to see what changes had occurred since our visit nine years before. The summits of all high mountains vary from time to time, and the Matterhom is no exception to the general rule. It was sharper and narrower in 1874 than in 1865. Instead of being able *to run about,' every step had to be cut with the axe ; and the immediate summit, instead of being a blunt and rounded eminence, was a little cone of snow which went to a sharp point. In consequence of a strong north wind which was blowing at the time, we had to work down upon the edge of the cliff overlooking Breuil, to get protection for the camera, and eventually we gained a position which gave a good view of the summit; but our ledge was so small that we could not venture to unrope, and Jean-Antoine had to squat down whilst I photographed over his head. The engraving upon p. 82 has been made from the photograph which was taken on this occasion. The nearest of the lower peaks, on the left, is the summit of the Dent d'Herens. Carrel and I stopped a second night at the cabane on the east face, and whilst there we had the insecurity of its position forcibly impressed upon us by seeing a huge block break away from the rock at its side, and go crashing down over the very route which is commonly pursued by tourists. The view from this hut extends from the Bietschorn on the north to the Grand Toumalin in the south, and includes the Mischabel group, the Allaleinhom, Alphubel, Rimpfiscliliom and Strahlhom, Monte Rosa, the Lyskamm and the Breithorn. The upper- most 800 feet of the Matterhom can be seen from the hut, but the rest of the intervening part of the mountain is not visible, being hidden by a small ridge which projects from the face. In 1879 two deaths occurred upon the Matterhom, within a few hours of each other, — one in the hut on the * cravate,' and the second upon the eastern face. On August 12, Dr. C. Liischer and Prof. H. Schiess started from Breuil at a very early hour, accompanied by the guides Joseph Marie Lochmatter, Joseph Brantschen, and P. Beytrison. They gained the hut on the * cravate' (13,524 feet) at 1.20 p.m., and stopped there for the night ; and on the following day the party crossed the summit of the mountain, with the exception of Brantschen, who was left behind in the hut, some say only slightly ill, and others at 1 Signor Giordano carried a mercurial barometer throughout the entire distance, and read it frequently. His observations enable me to determine the heights that were attained upon the different attempts which were made to ascend the mountain, and the various pomts upon it which have been so frequently mentioned. He left a minimimi thermometer upon the summit in 1868. This was recovered by J. -A. Carrel in July 1869, and was found to register only 9° Fahrenheit below the freezing-point. It was supposed that it was protected from the winter cold by a deep covering of snow. The explanation is scarcely satisfactory. G Digitized by VjOOQIC THE SUMMIT OF THE MATTERHORN IN 1874. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. V. THE DEATH OF BEANTSCHEN. 83 the point of death. They sent back assistance to their sick comrade in a somewhat tardy fashion, and when the relief party arrived at the hut Brantschen was found dead. Dr. Luscher and Prof. Schiess furnished an account of what happened to the Basel Section of the Swiss Alpine Club, and from this statement the following extracts are made. ** When we reached the * cravate ' it was already 1 p.m. Lochmatter told us we had still four hours' work to reach the top, and the question arose whether it would not be more prudent to spend the night in the Italian cabane. . . In the course of the afternoon we remarked that Brantschen was unwell ; Lochmatter kept on pressing him to eat and drink. We took no great heed of the matter, and looked on it as mountain-sickness, or the result of drinking too much water during the ascent. On my asking Brantschen when he had first felt unwell, he answered, since he had slept in the sun. We observed no spitting of blood on his part during the ascent; had we noticed anything of the kind we should naturally not have taken him with us. Up to 5 P.M. he was sitting on the door-step, his gaze directed on Breuil. Later on, after he had lain down, he began to groan and throw him- self about, in the night also to rattle in the throat. Being asked where he felt pain, he answered, he felt pains all over. There was altogether not much to be got out of him either by us or by Lochmatter. He was, however, in no high state of fever, he was not hot to the touch, and his pulse was not unusually rapid. There was no remarkable coughing. My guide acted as cook, and succeeded with the small stock of wood in making tea several times, and towards morning chocolate also. This tea was the only restorative we could offer to the sick man, and he seemed to take it gladly. Towards morning he at last became quieter, his breathing more regular, and he left off groaning and crying out." " On the morning of August 13 the guides had given a hope that Brantschen might recover sufficiently to accompany us ; for this reason the start was delayed to 6 o'clock. But it became evident that this was impossible. And now no discussion took place, neither was there any interchange of plans between the guides and Brantschen. It appeared best to all of us to wrap up Brantschen well, to furnish him with the necessary provisions, and to hurry over quickly to Zermatt and send him help. Had we remained with him it would have been no benefit to Brantschen ; and I am also convinced that he himself thought our course of action perfectly natural, otherwise he would have made some remonstrance, which he did not do. We bade him keep up his courage and wished him farewell, in the hope that he would by degrees entirely recover. . . At 1.30 A.M. on August 14 we reached Zermatt. We had sent from the Swiss hut a message before us, and at 3 o'clock the relief party started over the Furgg-gletscher skirting the Matterhom. It found Brantschen already dead and stiff ; apparently a rupture of the heart or lungs had happened. "^ 1 The above extracts are taken from the Alpiiie Journal, vol. ix, pp. 374-77. I entirely concur in the following remarks, which were appended by the Editor. "On the facts Digitized by VjOOQIC 84 ZERMATT AND THE MATTEBHORN. chap. v. At the time that this was taking place on the South side of the Matterhom, Dr. William O. Moseley of Boston lost his life on the East Face. He left Zermatt at 10.30 p.m. on August 13, in company with Mr. A. E. Craven and the guides Peter Rubi and Christian Inabnit ; and ascended the mountain by the usual northern route, without stopping at the hut. They reached the summit at 9 A.M. on the 14th, and had returned to within a short distance from the hut, when Dr. Moseley (who had found it irksome to be tied up, and had frequently wished to go unroped) untied himself from the rest, doing so entirely upon his own responsibility. A few minutes later the party had to cross a projecting piece of rock. Rubi went over first, and planted his axe in position to give firm footing to Dr. Moseley, who followed. But, unhappily, he declined assistance ; placed his hand upon the rock, and endeavoured to vault over it. In doing so he slipped, lost hold of his axe, and fell with ever-accelerating velocity down the East Face for about 2000 feet, and of course was killed on the spot. His body was recovered three days later and was interred under the south wall of the English Church at Zermatt. "/ was shocked to find" said a friend who examined his remains, ^* that Dr. Moseley had hardly any nails in one of his hoots." Many persons have talked at different times about the possibility of finding a way up the Matterhorn from the side of the Z'Mutt Glacier ; but it was not until the year 1879 that a way was dis- covered. On September 2-3, Mr. A. F. Mummery with the guides Alexander Burgener, Petrus, and Kentinetta succeeded in gaining the summit by first going up the long snow-buttress which runs out from the mountain towards the north-west, and then up the rocks above. When nearing the top, they joined the routes taken by Carrel and Mr. Grove upon the first ascents which were made on the Italian side.^ At the very time that Mr. Mummery was engaged in liis expedi- tion, Mr. W. Penhall, with the guides Ferdinand Imseng and Louis Zurbrucken, was occupied on a similar enterprise, and also ascended the Matterhorn from the direction of the Stockhi. Mr. Penhall, however, at first took a course slightly more to the south than Mr. Mummery, though he, at last, like the others, got on to the main Z'Mutt arHe, and completed the ascent by following a portion of the old Italian route. ^ of this account, but one judgment can be formed. In the face of the description given by Prof. Schiess of Brantschen's condition during the night, his excuses are altogether inadequate. The adoption of a route by which the nearest succour was (at the pace of the party) 19^ instead of 8 hours oflf, may have been simply a deplorable error of judgment ; but the determination to leave the sick man alone "showed unpardonable want of heart. It must ever be a matter of profound regret that any travellers or guides should, without the least pressure of necessity, have left a sick man, without firewood in a hut 13,000 feet above the sea, to over thirty hours of certain and absolute solitude. There can be no doubt that the desertion of Brantschen under such cir- cumstances was a flagrant breach of the first tradition of all honourable mountaineer- ing—the tradition, by virtue of which every member of a party, guide or moimtaineer, has been accustomed in danger or distress to count on the support of his comrades." 1 Mr. Mummery's description will be found in the Alpine Journal, vol. ix, pp. 458-62. '-5 See Alpine Journal, vol. ix, pp. 449-58. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. V. DEATH OF MR, BORCKHARDT. 85 Three days afterwards (Sept. 5-6), Mr. J. Baumann followed in Mr. Mummery's footsteps. "I found it," he said, "an interesting rock -climb, presenting no extraordinary difficulties. . . I am of opinion that this ascent by the Z'Mutt arUe will in future become the favourite way of crossing the Matterhorn."i As yet, Mr. Bau- mann's anticipation has not been realised. Indeed, until 1894, I did not hear that anyone further had either ascended or descended by the routes of Messrs. Mummery and Penhall.^ On July 19., 1880, Mr. A. Mummery invented another way up the Matterhom. With the guides Alexander Burgener and B. Venetz, he ascended via the Furgg Glacier and the East Face, keep- ing near the south-east ridge until reaching the level of the northern 'shoulder,' and then crossing the face to the 'shoulder.' Then the ascent was completed by the Zermatt route. See Alpine Journal vol. X, p. 96, and My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus^ chapter ii. In 1886, another life was lost on the East Face. Two friends, named Borckhardt and Davies, resolved to climb the mountain. We knew, said the latter, that it had been done by ladies and youths. ** It was the regular thing to go up the Matterhorn, and we accord- ingly determined to make the ascent." Accompanied by Fridolin Kronig and Peter Aufdemblatten, they left Zermatt on Aug. 16, in fine weather; and at 3 A.M. on the 17th started from the hut on the Homli ridge, arriving on the summit at about 9 A.M. The comparative rapidity with which they mounted was probably due to the fact that they were closely following in the track of other parties of tourists. The weather changed during the early morning, and it began to hail while they were still on the top. They commenced to descend at 9.20 A.M., in the next ten hours came down scarcely 2000 feet, and were benighted some distance above the old hut on the East Face. All tracks on the mountain were obliterated by the hail and snow which fell. They remained on this spot from about 7 p.m. on the 17th of August until 1 p.m. on the 18th, and then Mr. Davies and the two guides continued the descent, leaving Mr. Borckhardt behind, upon the open face of the mountain, lying in a helpless condition, at the point of death ! A few hours later he was found dead and stiff, partly covered by freshly- fallen snow. The entire story exceeds in horror and incredibility the abandon- 1 AVpine Joumdly vol. ix, p. 366. 2 The following paragraph is taken from the Alpine Journal^ vol. xiii, pp. 399-400. On Aug. 3, 1887, Messrs. G. Lammer and A. Lorria "without guides, left the Stock je hut at 1.45 A.M. to attempt the ascent of the Matterhorn by Mr. Penhall's route. They reached a point not very far from the top, but were compelled at 1 p.m. to turn back, owing to iced rocks. At 5.30 or 6 p.m., while traversing Penhall's couloir, they were carried down by an avalanche. Herr Lorria received concussion of the brain, besides a fracture of the right leg above the ankle, had both feet frost-bitten, and became un- conscious. Herr Lammer, with a badly-sprained ankle, pulled his friend on to a rock, stripped oflf his own coat to cover him, and then went for aid. He found no one at the Stockje hut, so had to crawl down to the Staflfel Alp, whence he despatched a message to Zermatt. A relief party came up and reached Herr Lorria about 7.30 a.m. on Aug. 4. He was still unconscious, and in his delirium had stripped off his clothes." Further details of this mad adventure will be found in the Alpine Journal^ vol. xiii, pp. 550-53. Digitized by VjOOQIC 86 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, chap. v. ment of Brantschen, and is much too long to recount in these pages.* An inquiry into this miserable business was held by the Valaisan authorities, and in an official Report upon it by Prof. F. O. Wolf, which was published at Sion, it is said "that the sole causes of the accident were the sudden changes in the weather ; the insufficient number of guides; and the facts that neither Mr. Davies nor Mr. Borckhardt were fit to climb such a peak, were insufficiently clad, and badly provisioned." A further cause might have been added, namely, the incapacity of the guides. In 1890, there was yet another accident upon the East Face, which caused the loss of an entire party. A young man from Strasburg, Herr Goehrs, started from the hut on the Hornli ridge at 3.30 A.M. on the 13th of September with two young guides, Alois Graven and Joseph Brantschen. They were shortly followed by several other persons. About 9 A.M., both parties encountered high wind when a thousand feet or so below the summit, and decided to return. Very soon afterwards, Fridolin Burgener (one of the guides of the lower party) heard a clatter, and saw Herr Goehrs and his guides flying through the air within a hundred yards of him. The three fell until they were brought up on the Furgg-gletscher, and of course were killed outright. Though the cause of this accident is unknown, the probability is that these three very young men (who could not have had adequate mountaineering experience) were killed through one or more of them slipping upon the easiest side of the mountain. Since this last lamentable aflair the Zermatt face of the Matterhom has been free from disaster, but there still remain to be mentioned two catastrophes which have occurred upon the Italian side. When telegrams came in, at the beginning of September, 1890, stating that Jean-Antoine Carrel had died from fatigue on the south side of the Matterhorn, those who knew the man scarcely credited the report. It was not likely that this tough and hardy mountaineer would die from fatigue anywhere, still less that he would succumb upon *his own mountain.' But it was true. Jean-Antoine perished from the combined efi*ects of cold, hunger, and fatigue upon his own side of his own mountain, almost within sight of his own home. He started on the 23rd of August from Breuil, with an Italian gentle- man and Charles Gorret (brother of the Abb^ Gorret), with the intention of crossing the Matterhorn in one day. The weather at the time of their departure was the very best, and it changed in the course of the day to the very worst. They were shut up in the cabane at the foot of the Great Tower during the 24th, with scarcely any footl, and on the 25th retreated to Breuil. Although Jean- Antoine (upon whom, as leading guide, the chief labour and responsi- bility naturally devolved) ultimately succeeded in getting his party safely ofi* the mountain, he liimself was so overcome by fatigue, cold, and want of food that he died on the spot. Jean-Antoine Carrel entered his sixty-second year in January, 1890,2 1 See the Alpine Journal, vol. xiii, pp. 95-110, and 166-171. 2 The exact date of his birth does not seem to be known. He was christened at the Church of St. Antoine, Valtoumanche, on Januarj' 17, 1829. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. V. A GREAT ' TOURMENTE: 87 and was in the field throughout the summer. On 21st August, having just returned from an ascent of Mont Blanc, he was engaged at Courmayeur hy Signor Leone Sinigaglia, of Turin, for an ascent of the Matterhom. He proceeded to the Val Toumanche, and on the 23rd set out with him and Charles Gorret, for the last time, to ascend his own mountain by his own route. A long and clear account of what happened was communicated by Signor Sinigaglia to the Italian Alpine Club, and from this the following relation is condensed : — "We started for the Cervin at 2.15 A.M. on the 23rd, in splendid weather, with the intention of descending the same night to the hut at the Homli on the Swiss side. We proceeded pretty well, but the glaze of ice on the rocks near the Col du Lion retarded our march somewhat, and when we arrived at the hut at the foot of the Great Tower, prudence counselled the postponement of the ascent until the next day, for the sky was becoming overcast. We decided upon this, and stopped. "Here I ought to mention that both I and Gorret noticed with uneasiness that Carrel showed signs of fatigue upon leaving the Col du Lion. I attributed this to temporary weakness. As soon as we reached the hut he lay down and slept profoundly for two hours, and awoke much restored. In the meantime the weather was rapidly changing. Storm clouds coming from the direction of Mont Blanc hung over the Dent d'H^rens, but we regarded them as transitory, and trusted to the north wind, which was still continuing to blow. Meanwhile, three of the Maquignaz's and Edward Bich, whom we found at the hut, returning from looking after the ropes, started downwards for Breuil, at parting wishing us a happy ascent, and holding out hopes of a splendid day for the morrow. " But, after their departure, the weather grew worse very rapidly ; the wind changed, and towards evening there broke upon us a most violent hurricane of hail and snow, accompanied by frequent flashes of lightning. The air was so charged with electricity that for two consecutive hours in the night one could see in the hut as in broad daylight. The storm continued to rage all night, and the day and night following, continuously, with incredible violence. The tempera- ture in the hut fell to - 3 degrees. "The situation was becoming somewhat alarming, for the provisions were getting low, and we had already begun to use the seats of the hut as firewood. The rocks were in an extremely bad state, and we were afraid that if we stopped longer, and the storm continued, we should be blocked up in the hut for several days. This being the state of afiairs, it was decided among the guides that if the wind should abate we should descend on the following morning ; and, as the wind did abate somewhat, on the morning of the 25th (the weather, however, still remaining very bad), it was unanimously settled to make a retreat." "At 9 A.M. we left the hut. I will not speak of the difficulties and dangers in descending the arHe to the Col du Lion, which we reached at 2.30 p.m. The ropes were half frozen ; the rocks were covered with a glaze of ice, and fresh snow hid all points of support. Digitized by VjOOQIC (^a/tA^^Z ^forr ^^/^^^r^^^ Digitized by VjOOQ IC CHAP. V. DEATH OF JEANANTOINE CARREL, 89 Some spots were really as bad as could be, and I owe much to the prudence and coolness of the two guides that wp got over them Avith- out mishap." "At the Col du Lion, where we hoped the wind would moderate, a dreadful hurricane recommenced, and in crossing the snowy passages we were nearly suffocated by the wind and snow which attacked us on all sides. ^ Through the loss of a glove, Gorret, half an hour after leaving the hut, had already got a hand frost-bitten. The cold was terrible here. Every moment we had to remove the ice from our eyes, and it was with the utmost difficulty that we could speak so as to understand one another." "Nevertheless, Carrel continued to direct the descent in a most admirable manner, with a coolness, ability, and energy above all praise. 1 was delighted to see the change, and Gorret assisted him splendidly. This part of the descent presented unexpected difficulties, and at several points great dangers, the more so because the tourmente pre- vented Carrel from being sure of the right direction, in spite of his consummate knowledge of the Matterhom. At 11 P.M. (or there- abouts— it was impossible to look at our watches, as all our clothes were half frozen) we were still toiling down the rocks. The guides sometimes asked each other where they were ; then we went forward again — to stop, indeed would have been impossible. Carrel at last, by marvellous instinct, discovered the passage up which we had come, and in a sort of grotto we stopped a minute to take some brandy." " While crossing some snow we saw Carrel slacken his pace, and then fall two or three times to the ground. Gorret asked him what was the matter, and he said * nothing,' but he went on with difficulty. Attributing this to fatigue through the excessive toil, Gorret put himself at the head of the caravan, and Carrel, after the change, seemed better, and walked well, though with more circumspection than usual. From this place a short and steep passage takes one down to the pastures, where there is safety. Gorret descended first, and I after him. We were nearly at the bottom when I felt the rope pulled. We stopped, awkwardly placed as we were, and cried out to Carrel several times to come down, but we received no answer. Alarmed, we went up a little way, and heard him say, in a faint voice, *Come up and fetch me, I have no strength left.'" "We went up and found that he was lying with his stomach to the ground, holding on to a rock, in a semi-conscious state, and unable to get up or to move a step. With extreme difficulty we carried him up to a safe place and asked him what was the matter. His only answer was, * I know no longer where I am.' His hands were getting colder and colder, his speech weaker and more broken, and his body more still. We did all we could for him, putting with great difficulty the rest of the cognac into his mouth. He said something, and appeared to revive, but this did not last long. We tried rubbing him with snow, and shaking him, and calling to him continually ; but he could only answer with moans. 1 Signer PeraJdo, the innkeeper at Breuil, stated that a relief party was in readiness during the whole of August 25 (the day on which the descent was made), and was pre- vented from starting by the violence of the tempest. Digitized by VjOOQIC 90 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHOBN. CHAP. V. "We tried to lift hini, but it was impossible — he was getting stiff. We stooped down, and asked in his ear if he wished to commend his soul to Grod. With a last effort he answered *Yes,' and then fell on his back, dead, upon the snow." Such was the end of Jean-Antoine Carrel, — a man who was possessed with a pure and genuine love of mountains ; a man of originality and resource, courage and determination, who delighted in exploration. His special qualities marked him out as a fit person to take part in new enterprizes, and I pre- ferred him to all others as a companion and assistant upon my journey amongst the Great Andes of the Equator. Going to a new country, on a new continent, he encountered much that was strange and unforeseen ; yet when he turned his face homewards he had the satisfaction of knowing that he left no failures be- hind him.* After parting at Guayaquil in 1880, we did not meet again. In his latter years, I am told, he shewed signs of age, and from information which has been communicated to me it is clear that he had arrived at a time when it would have been prudent to retue — if he could have done so. It was not in his nature to spare himself, and he worked to the very last. The manner of his death strikes a chord in hearts he never knew. He recognized to the fullest extent the duties of his position, and in the closing act of his life set a brilliant example of fidelity and devotion. For it cannot be doubted that, enfeebled as he was, he could have saved himself had he given his attention to self-preservation. He took a nobler course ; and, accepting his responsibility, devoted his whole soul to the welfare of his comrades, until, utterly exhausted, he fell staggering on the snow. He was already dying. Life was flickering, yet the brave spirit said * It is nothing.' They placed him in the rear to ease his work. He was no longer able even to support himself; he dropped to the ground, and in a few minutes expired. 2 1 See Travels amongst the Great Andes of the Equator, 1892. 2 Signor Sinigaglia wrote in a letter to a friend, from which I am permitted to quote, "I don't try to tell you of my intense pain for Carrel's death. He fell after having saved me, and no guide could have done more than he did." Charles Gorret, through his brother the Abb6, wrote to me that he entirely endorsed what had been said by Sig. Sinigaglia, and added, "We would have given our own lives to have saved his." Jean-Antoine died at the foot of the 'little staircase.' On the 26th of August his body was brought to Breuil, and upon the 29th it was interred at Valtoumanche. At CARREL S CROSS. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. V. THE DEATH OF ANDREAS SEILEB, 91 I very much regret to have to mention yet another tragedy, which occurred more recently. On August 7, 1893, Andreas Seiler (one of the youngest members of the family of my old friend M. Alexandre Seiler) and Johann Biener of Zermatt lost their lives on the south side of the Matterhom. Mr. Oscar Gysi, who was closely following them, has, at my request, furnished the following statement : — "On August 7, shortly before 6 A.M., we left the Lac Noir Hotel, crossed the Furgg Joch, and on the Italian side joined the ordinary route from Breuil for the Matterhom. There were five of us — Andreas Seiler, myself, and as guides Johann Biener (aged 24), Joseph Taugwalder (aged 27), and L. Moser of Taesch (aged 22). When about an hour below the Col du Lion we tied up, — Seiler insisting upon being roped to Biener, with whom he had been climbing all the summer. Biener and Seiler were in advance, but we kept well together. When we were considerably higher than the T6te du Lion, and within about thirty minutes of the hut at the foot of the Great Tower, we came to an almost perpendicular chimney, some twenty feet high, down which a stout knotted rope hung. Biener and Seiler passed up it. We followed, and on arriving at the top Moser took off his sac to tie up afresh the wood that he carried. Seiler and Biener were impatient to reach the hut, and wished to proceed with- out us ; but Taugwalder and Moser asked them to wait. Their words were, however, useless. Moser, who had 'warned Seiler repeatedly during the last half-hour to be careful, and who did not like their over-confidence, prayed Seiler to let him tie himself to their rope. Seiler and Biener, however, only laughed at him for his concern, and started off. Moser finished tying up his wood, and we went on. The others were only five minutes ahead, and we had reached a diffi- cult spot, and were standing in steps cut at the top of a small patch of ice, at an angle of 50**, and close to rock, when Moser called out, 'Beware of stones.' We pressed up close to the rock and listened, when the two" (Seiler and Biener) "shot past us. We were all three close together, and Moser could have touched them with his axe. . . I see them still — they were photographed in my mind. They were tied together. Seiler passed close to us, his back downwards, his head well bent up, as if he were preparing for a sudden shock. Biener flew far out against the blue sky, and the rope was stretched tightly between them." They fell on to the Glacier du Lion, and when the bodies were recovered they were still tied together. " With both, the crown of the head was cut away as though it had been done by a sharp instrument. . . Seller's watch was crushed, and his left boot was missing, although the foot was uninjured. How the accident happened will never be known, as no one saw them slip. I am inclined to think that Seiler was climbing at the same time as Biener, instead of waiting until he had found firm hold, and that the former slipped, jerking Biener off his feet. I am strengthened in this belief by the position of the two as I saw them fly past." the beginning of July, 1803, an iron cross was placed on the ej^t where he expired, at the expense of Sig. Sinigaglia, who went in person along with Charles Gorret to superintend its erection. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAPTER VI. HOW TO GET TO ZERMATT. ROUTE TO TAKE — TIMES, DISTANCES AND FARES — PONTARLIER — AT VALLORBES EVERYONE DESCENDS — LAUSANNE AND OUCHY — GIBBON AT LAUSANNE — THE LAKE — ST. MAURICE— THE RHONE VALLEY — MARTIGNY — SION — SIERRE — SOUSTE — VISP OR VIEGE — ALL CHANGE HERE. The most direct way to Zermatt either from London or Paris is by the Paris, Lyons and Mediterranean Railway, vid Dijon, Pontarlier, Vallorbes and Lausanne. The best train for those who wish to travel straight through leaves the Gare de Lyon at 8.40 p.m. If this is taken, you are landed at Zermatt in the following afternoon, in time to settle down before dinner. This train is supposed to arrive at Lausanne at 8.40 a.m. (central Europe time). As the corresponding train on the Jura-Simplon line [Lausanne to Visp] is fixed to leave at 9 a.m., there is apparently time to get something in the way of breakfast at Lausanne Buffet. It will be well to reckon that there wiU not be time. The 8.40 p.m. train is first and second class to Pontarlier, but after that it takes third class. It stops 13 times between Paris — Lausanne (330 miles, 527 kils.), and does not remain anywhere long enough for a meal ! ^ Pay attention to the stomach before leaving Paris. The train in correspondence from Lausanne to Visp is a civilized one, with dining-cars (which were started in 1895). It is better to take advantage of these cars than to attempt a meal at Lausanne. They are not yet much patronized, — passengers probably being under the impression that extra charges are made for their use, and that prices are high. There is no extra charge, and the prices are fair. ** Premier dejeuner (Caf6, Caf6 au lait, Th6 ou Ghocolat, avec pain et beurre), 1.50. Diner, table d'hdte, 3.50." The carte des vins extends from Beer at 80 centimes a bottle to ' Pommery extra dry.' The * Mont d'Or Johannisberg ' is a good wine for the morning. Try to sleep as far as D61e. At Pontarlier look out for coffee. The high road which will be seen here near the line is memorable as that which was traversed by the retreating, demoralized Bourbaki Army, during the Franco-German war. At Vallorbes (2520 feet, 768 metres ; i Lausanne deserves a better and more rapid train service from Paris. A step in the right direction will be made this year. From the 12th of July, 1897, twice a week durinj^ the season, the Paris, Lyons and Mediterranean Railway will run a new train in llf hours from Paris to Lausanne vid Pontarlier, composed exclusively of sleeping- cars (1st cl. only). These trains will leave Paris at 11.15 p.m. (Paris-Nord Stn.). Similar trains will leave Lausanne at 9.60 p.m. for Paris vid Pontarlier, and Avill arrive in Paris Gare de Lyon) at 7.25 a.m. Make enquiry. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. VI. THE ROUTE TO TAKE. 93 pop. 2147) there is the Swiss Custom-house. Everyone gets down. [This place is three miles from the eastern end of the Lac de Joux, a charming sheet of water 5J miles long, in the heart of the Jura, not much known to English.] In the next 25 miles the line descends SCALE OF MILES PARIS TO PONTARLIER, VALLORBES AND LAUSANNE. 1160 feet, with many windings, upon the Lake of Geneva, and passes a constant succession of beautiful views on each side. Six kils. before arriving at Lausanne it joins the railway coming from Geneva. Lausanne Station ^ (1476 feet, 450 metres) is situated between the town of Lausanne and Ouchy, its port on the Lake of Geneva. Change here f(yr Zermatt. Hotel Terminus et Buffet de la Gare (at the Station), 50 beds. Lausanne. — Hotels — Hotel-Pension Beau- 1 In the middle of the day, during the height of the season, this is a place to be shunned. There are too many travellers and too few porters. Digitized by VjOOQIC 94 ZERMATT AND THE MATTEBHOBN. CHAP. VI. Dist. kils. Stations. Times. Ist 01. 2nd 01. 3rd 01. Paris .... dep. 8.40 p.m. fr. c. fr. c. fr. c. 155 ,, to Laroche (B) . arr. 11.3 „ 17 36 11 60 7 65 315 Dijon (B) . do. 1.33 a.m. 35 30 23 80 16 50 dep. 1.38 „ Fares from Dijon 347 ,, Auxonne . arr. 2.11 „ 3 60 2 40 1 60 362 „ Dole(B) . do. 2.28 , 5 25 3 55 2 30 387 „ Arc-Senans . do. 3.12 „ 8 05 5 45 3 56 394 „ Mouchard(B) do. dep. 3.22 „ 3.30 „ 8 85 5 95 3 90 430 ,, Boujeailles . arr. 4.37 „ 12 90 8 70 5 65 465 „ Pontarlier (B) do. 5.9 „ 14 80 10 00 6 50 dep. 6.36 „ Fares from Pontarlier 472 ,, Hopitaux-Jougne arr. 6.4 „ 1 90 1 30 0 85 481 VaUorbes . do. 6.201,, 2 96 2 00 1 30 dep. 7.362,, Fares from VaUorbes „ La Sarraz . arr. 8.10 „ „ Cossonay . do. 8.20 „ 527 8.40 „ 7" 70 5 "36 3"70 dep. 9.0 „ Fares from Lausanne 546 ,, Vevey . . arr. 9.28 „ 2 00 1 40 1 00 551 ,, Clarens . . do. 9.36 „ 2 60 1 75 1 25 552 „ Montreux . do. 9.40 „ 2 60 1 85 1 30 564 „ Territet-Glion do. 9.43 „ 2 80 2 00 1 40 555 ,, Veytaux-Chillon do. ,, Villeneuve . do. 2 96 2 05 1 45 557 9.51" „ 3 16 2 20 1 60 567 ,, Aigle . . do. 10.6 „ 4 20 2 95 2 10 675 „ Bex . . do. 10.20 „ 5 00 3 50 2 50 579 „ St. Maurice (B) do. 10.28 „ 5 40 3 80 2 70 dep. 10.40 „ Fares from St. Maurice 586 ,, Evionnaz . arr. 0 76 0 55 0 40 589 ,, Vemayaz-Salvan do. 10.66' „ 1 05 0 75 0 65 594 ,, Martigny . do. 11.5 „ 1 60 1 10 0 80 599 „ Charrat-Fully do. 2 10 1 60 1 05 603 ,, Saxon . . do. 11.17' „ 2 50 1 76 1 25 608 ,, Riddes . . do. 3 06 2 15 1 50 613 ,, Ardon . . do. 3 66 2 60 1 80 620 „ Sion(B) . do. dep. 11.37' „ 11.40 „ 4 30 3 00 2 15 626 ,, St. Leonard . arr. 4 90 3 46 2 45 629 ,, Granges . do. 5 20 3 65 2 60 636 ,, Sierre (Siders) do. 12.1 'p.m. 6 95 4 20 3 00 640 ,, Salquenen . do. „ Lou^che (Souste) do. 6 36 4 45 3 20 645 12.20' „ 6 90 4 86 3 45 650 ,, Tourtemagne do. 7 40 6 20 3 70 654 ,, Gampel . do. 7 80 5 60 3 90 658 ,, Rarogne . do. 8 26 5 80 4 10 666 „ Vi6ge(Visp)(B) do. 12.43 „ 8 95 6 30 4 50 dep. 1.6 „ Fares from Visp 10 00 700 „ Zermatt . arr. 3.25 „ 16 00 J^.5.— Alterations may occur in the times of Arrival and Departure. Make enquiry, (B^ aifimifles Buffet. 1 Paris time. 2 Central Eurone iimf>. (B) signifies Buffet. Oentral Europe time. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. VI. LAUSANNE AND OUCHY. 95 S^JOUR (near the Station), 100 beds; Hotel National et Pension Gallo (near the Station), 30 beds; Hotel et Pension Ste. Luce (near the Station), 25 beds ; Hotel Gibbon (central), 100 beds ; Grand Hotel Riche-Mont (central), 100 beds; Hotel du Grand-Pont (central), 75 beds ; Hotel Beau-Site et du Belv^dIire (central), 40 beds ; Hotel des Messageries (central), 50 beds ; Hotel du Faucon, 60 beds; Hotel du Nord, 40 beds; Hotel et Pension Bellevue, 30 beds ; Hotel et Pension Victoria, 50 beds ; Pension Campart (on the road from Lausanne to Ouchy), 50 beds ; Pension Grancy- VlLLA, 45 beds. Ouchy (1247 feet, 380 metres).— Hotel Beau-Rivage, 200 beds; and Hotel du ChAteau (picturesque building, close to the Lake), 80 beds. These two hotels, though separate buildings, are under the same management. Hotel d'Angleterre (close to the Lake), 40 beds ; HOTEL DU PoRT (small). Lausanne is situated upon slopes facing the south, commanding admirable views of the Lake and of the mountains at its eastern end, and has long been a favourite place with English. The upper part of the town is several hundred feet above the railway station. Pop. in 1888, 34,049 (28,829 Protestant, 4793 Catholic), is said to have increased considerably of late. Those who have time to spare will do well to stop a while either at Ouchy or Lausanne, as, in addition to their own attractions, they are excellent centres for excursions. Steamers from Ouchy convey one to any part of the Lake. Besides the line to Vallorbes and Pontarlier by which we came, and the other around the eastern end of the Lake and up the Rhone Valley (by which we shall depart), there are railways to Geneva (one hour, by express) and to Bern viA Fribourg (98 kils. in 2 hrs. 20 min.). On the former line there are many beautiful views of the Lake, and the latter passes through very picturesque country. Ouchy is connected by a rope tramway with Lausanne Railway Station and Lausanne. Trams run each way about every 15 min. Fares 40 and 20 centimes. It takes 20 min. to walk to Ouchy from Lausanne Station. Although there has been a good deal of rebuilding at Lausanne, a considerable number of ancient houses remain clustered around the Cathedral, which is situated in the higher part of the town. Ad- mittance to it can be obtained from 9 to 12, and from 1 to 4 free. At other times 50 centimes are charged. The tower can be ascended, and there is a superb view from it. The tower and west front are now undergoing restoration. An old staircase called Escaliers du March4 leads down from the Cathedral to the market-place, which is worth seeing at busy times. The Mtis^e Cantonal (zoological and archaeological) is close to the Cathedral. From the terrace in front of the Tribunal F^d4ral there is a very fine view of the Lake and of the Alps on its farther side. The town of Evian-les-Bains lies almost immediately opposite. The most prominent mountain beyond the head of the Lake (a little to the right) is the Dent du Midi (10,777 feet, 3285 metres). There are sometimes cheap excursions from Lausanne to Zermatt, at inclusive fares for rail and hotel. Enquire. Digitized by VjOOQIC 96 ZERMATT AND THE MATTEBHOBN. chap. VI. Gibbon the Historian had much to do with Lausanne and in making it known to his countrymen. He knew it in his youth, and lived there in his maturity. ** You have often read," he said, ** and heard the descriptions of this delightful Country, the banks of the lake of Greneva, and indeed it surpasses all description. A stranger is struck with surprise and admiration." After settling down there with the purpose of completing his *^ Decline and Fally'^ he wrote to Lord Sheffield in 1784— **This place has in every respect exceeded my best and tnost sanguine hopes. How often have you said, as often as I expressed any ill-humour against the hurry, the expence, and the precarious condition of my London life, ' Ay, that is a nonsensical scheme of retiring to Lausanne that you have got into your head, — a pretty fancy ; you remember how much you liked it in your youth, but you have now seen more of the World, and u you were to try it again, you would find yourself most woefully disappointed.' I had it in my head, in my heart; I have tryed it; I have not been disappointed." And a little later, in a letter to his stepmother, he wrote — "I have enjoyed a winter of the most perfect health that I have perhaps ever known, without any mixture of the little flying incommodities which in my best days have sometimes disturbed the tranquiUity of my English life. . . I command a boimdless prospect of vale, mountain, and water. . . A Terrace, one hundred yards long, extends beyond the front of the House, and leads to a close impenetrable shrubbery ; and from thence the circuit of a long and various walk, carries me round a meadow and a vineyard. . . Few persons, either princes or philosophers, enjoy a more desirable residence." ^ Pnvate Lettet's of Edward Oibbon, 3 vols. 8vo, London, 1897 ; vol. ii, pp. 89, 103-4. On resuming the journey by the Jura-Simplon Railway, secure a seat on the side of the Lake. Points of view are very numerous, and we should not get to Zermatt this season if we stopped to look at half of them. The attractions of this comer of the Lake have caused the establishment of a multitude of Hotels and Pensions. The region is a Paradise for Pensionnaires. Vevey, pop. 8144, is about 12 miles from Lausanne, and Clarens, another favourite spot, is 2h miles farther on. Then conies Montreux, and the next station is Territet-Glion, whence a very steep railway leads to the Rochers-de-Naye (6723 feet), a noted panoramic station, with a view extending Northwards to the Bernese Oberland and in the contrary direction to the Range of Mont Blanc. In less than a mile more the famous Castle of ChiUon is passed. Villeneuve, pop. 1471, is the terminal point of the steamers. Two miles and a half away to the West the River Rhone falls into the Lake, and deposits there an enormous mass of matter brought down from the mountains. The line now enters the Rhone Valley, and after passing Aigle, pop. 3555 (the station for Sepey, Ormont-dessous, and Ormont- dessus), and Bex, pop. 4420 (noted for its salt-mines and salt-baths), quits the Canton Vaud, and crossing to the left bank of the river, enters the Canton Valais. Shortly afterwards it passes through a small tunnel and arrives at 1 Part of the ^rounds of the house in which Gibbon lived from 1783 to 17&8 is now occupied by the Hotel Gibbon. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. VI. ST. MAURICE TO MARTIGNY. 97 St. Maurice (St. Moritz), 1368 feet, 417 metres; pop. 1666. Buffet good. Hotel Grisogono (close to the Station). This is one of the oldest places in the Canton. The Abbey here is said to have been founded in the 4th century. The town lies about midway between the Dent du Midi (on its West) and the Dent de Morcles, 9639 feet, 2938 metres (on its East). While in the Station, notice the Hermit- age on the West, and the curious path to it, winding up the cliff. [At St. Maurice the line from the N. shore of the Lake of Geneva meets that coming from Geneva round the S. side of the Lake, viA Annemasse, Thonon, Evian and Bouveret. This latter line belongs to the Paris, Lyons and Mediterranean Railway. It is the best route to take if going from St. Maurice to Geneva, or to Chamonix. The first station upon this line is at Monthey (7 kils. from St. Maurice), at the entrance of the Val d'llliez, famous for its remarkable assemblage of erratic blocks, some of which are 60 to 70 feet long. See Egsai sur les Glaciers et sur le terrain erraiique du bassin dn Itkone, by Jean de Charpentier, Svo, Lausanne, 1841 ; pp. 134-143.] LAUSANNE TO VISP AND ZERMATT. Soon after leaving St. Maurice the valley begins to open out again. Between the stations Evionnaz and Vemayaz the Pissevaclie fall is passed, and can be seen very well from the windows of the train. Yernayaz (Hotel de la Gare, close to the station ; simple place, civil people) is the station for those who wish to proceed to Chamonix md Salvan. For Plan, see my Guide to Chamonix and the Range of Mont Blanc, Svo, London, 1897 ; chap. xiv. One can walk to Salvan in 70 min. from Vemayaz and return in 40 min. It is also the station for the Gf-orges of Trient, which are 12 min. walk distant. One of the finest ravines in the Alps ; cool and com- fortable on the hottest day, with good hotel Grand Hotel des Gorges du Trient two minutes from the entrance. The railway hereabouts runs close alongside the great Simplon Road. A round H Digitized by VjOOQIC 98 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. chap. vi. tower (la Batiaz) will be seen shortly before arriving at Martigny, which is a remnant of a Chdteau that belonged to the early Bishops of Sion. Martigny, 1539 feet, 475 m^res ; pop. 4731 ; is made up of Martigny- Ville, Martigny-Bourg, and Martigny-Combe. It is the station for the Great St. Bernard route, or for those going to Chamonix viA the Col de Balme or the T6te Noire. Hotels. — Hotel du Grand St. Bernard, and Hotel - Pension Restaurant de la Gare, both against the Station ; Grand Hotel du Mont Blanc, Hotel Clerc, ENOLI8H MILES PLAN OF MARTIGNY. Hotel de l'Aigle, and Hotel National in Martigny- Ville. At Martigny the River Rhone makes a bend at right angles to its lower course, the valley broadens considerably, and one can see up it for a long distance. One of the most prominent natural features at this part (on the south side) is the small but rather striking peak called the Pierre a Voir, 8120 feet, 2476 metres ; which, though presenting sheer cliff on the side of Saxon and apparently inaccessible, can be ascended easily from several directions. Between the stations of lliddes and Ardon the base is passed of a mountain called the Haut de Cry, 9701 feet, 2956 metres, on which the guide J. J. Bennen and others lost their lives on February 28, 1864, through disturbing un- consolidated snow. See Scrambles artiongst the Alps, Appendix A. The railway crosses to the right bank of the Rhone at Riddes, and 12 kils. afterwards arrives at Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. VI. SION—SIERRE—SO USTE—TO URTEMA GNE. 99 Sion (Sitten), 1700 feet, pop. 5513, the capital of the Canton Valais. Hotels. — Hotel du Midi; Hotel de la Poste. Get out here for the Val (i*H6rens. In the Introduction to the fifth volume of his Documents, the Abb6 Gremaud gives many details respecting the ecclesiastical and other buildings of Sion. He says that there was a Christian Church here hef(yre A.D. 377. The next station after Sion is at St. Leonard, where a fierce battle was fought in 1375 (in con- sequence of the assassination of Bishop Tavelli, see p. 8), which ended in the defeat and flight of the Seigneurs. " At the news of this horrible crime, the patriots of Conches, Brigue, Loukihe, Sierre and Sion swore that they would avenge the death of their Bishop. They flew to arms, and invaded the murderer's domains. Aiter having taken the Ch&teau de Granges, they made for that of Ayent" [4 miles N.E. of Sion], ** but near the bridge of St. Leonard they found themselves in the presence of the vassals and allies of Antoine de la Tour. The combat began ; and here, as at Loufeche, the seigneurs were conquered by the peasants. The armour glittering with gold, and the helmets with their floating plumes, were crushed under the avenging clubs. . . Pursuing their victory, they burnt the castles of Ayent and Conthey, and then laid siege to that of ChfLtillon." — Hilaire Oay. Sierre (Siders), ten miles from Sion, 1765 feet, 538 metres ; pop. 1342. Hotels.— Hotel Bellevue (good, English landlady) close to the station ; Hotel de la Poste. ** Perhaps the most ancient place in this part of the Valais, since it is mentioned in the act of founda- tion of the Abbey of St. Maurice, a.d. 516." — Ahhi Greinaud. Those bound for the Val d'Anniviers (St. Luc and Zinal) get out here. Just before arriving at Souste the railway recrosses to the left bank of the Rhone. Souste or Soste, 2044 feet, 623 metres, is the station for Leuk or Loufeche, pop. 1548. There is a decent little restaurant just outside the station. Those who are bound for Leukerbad (Lou^che-les-Bains), and the Gemmi Pass, get out here. [A good pedestrian can go on foot from Suste to Leukerbad as quickly as a carriage, as there are two places where much time can be saved by 'cutting zigzags,' — one just after crossing the railway, whence the path goes direct to the town of Leuk (which is ^0 feet above the Rhone), and avoids a very long detour that the road makes towards the East. Enquire the way before leaving the Station. The second place where time can be saved by 'cutting' is just after crossing the large bridge over the R. Dala. Take the first foot- path to the right, which leads direct to the village of Inden, where the road IS again rejoined.] After passing Souste, the railway runs closely alongside the Rhone for 18 kils. Tourtemagne, 2073 feet, 632 metres, is the station for the Turtmannthal and Gruben, whence one can go by the Augstbord- pass to St. Nicholas in the Nicolaithal. The milage of Turtmann, pop. 548 (two hotels), is on the Simplon Road, a kil. south of the railway-station. Gf-ampel, 2087 feet, 636 metres, is the station for the Lotschenthal. The village is J mile away to the north, at the entrance to the valley. A little higher up the Rhone valley, on the same side, there is the small village of Bas-Chfttillon or Niedergestelen, with the ruins of the castle (destroyed in 1379) which was the Digitized by VjOOQIC 100 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. chap. vi. stronghold of the De la Tour family. See chap. i. There was a priory here in the 14th century. [Gremaud, vol. v, p. civ.] The next station, Barogne (Baron), 2113 feet, 644 metres, is not at that village, but lies about midway between it and the miserable hamlet Turtig (no inn), on the Simplon Road. The way to the Ginanzthal lies through Turtig. See chap. viL The Rarogne family was one of the most important in the Yalais. See chap. i. The Abb^ Gremaud says that its origin **is very uncertain," and that the first Rarogne known was Henri, who was living in 1210, and was vidomne of Lou^che and Rarogne. The Church of Rarogne, which will be seen perched on a rock, was built in 1512 on the site of a castle that was burnt in 1417. — Abb^ Rameau, About 4 kils. after passing Rarogne, the railway leaves the Rhone and makes for the entrance to the Vispthal. Get your small things together, for in a few minutes you will be at Visp (Buffet, good), where, as there is break of gauge, all for Zermatt miist change. TO BALTSCHIEOEn A. HOTEL DE LA POSTE. B. HOTEL DES ALPES. C. HOTEL DU SOLEIL. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAPTER VII. UPON THE VALLEY OF ZERMATT (NICOLAI THAL). VISP — THE ZERMATT RAILWAY AND THE ABT SYSTEM — NEUE BRUCKE — STALDEN — TORBEL — KALPETRAN — ST. NICHOLAS— ASCENTS FROM ST. NICHOLAS — PASSES FROM ST. NICHOLAS — BIRTHPLACE OF THOMAS PLATTER — HERBRIGGEN — RANDA — ASCENTS OF THE WEISSHORN, DOM, TASCHHORN, ETC. — PASSES FROM RANDA — TASCH — THE TASCH ALP AND VALLEY — ASCENTS OF THE ALLALIN, ALPHUBEL, AND RIMPFISCHHORN — PASSES FROM THE TASCH VALLEY — TASCH TO ZERMATT. Visp, Viege or Vispach, 2165 feet, 660 metres ; 838 inhabitants ; formerly called Vesbia, Vespia, or Vespie, is the chief town {chef-lieu) of a district in the Canton Valais,i to which it gives its name. The District de Vi^ge (or Bezirk Visp) contains 21 Communes, namely — Name. Pop. Name. Pop. Almagel (Almengell) . . 207 Randa (Randah) . . 229 Balen (AbaUa) . . 172 St. Niklaus (St. Nicolas) . 809 Baltschieder (Balschieder) . 152 Stalden . 409 Emd (Embd, Emdt) . . 206 Staldenried . . 241 Eisten (Eysten) . . 222 Tasch . . 231 Eyholz (Eiholz) . . 172 Torbel . . 551 Y6e (Fee) . . 236 Visp (Vispach, Vi^e) . 838 Grachen . 336 Visperterbinen . . 605 Grunden . 35 Zeneggen (Eggen) . 240 Grund, im (Gruden, Saas) . 386 Zermatt . 525 Lalden .... . 163 Tol ^1 . 6964 Several of these Communes [Baltschieder, Eyholz, Grunden and Lalden], though near Visp, are in the Rhone Valley. Hotels.— Hotel des Alpes (close to the Railway Stations) ; Hotel DE LA Poste ; HoTEL DU SoLEiL. Buffet at the Jura-Simplon Station good, prices reasonable ; beer 25 centimes per glass. Post and Tele- graph. Numerous general shops. Persons going by rail to Stalden, and intending to proceed to Saas, do well to arrange for mules or 1 The Canton Yalais (Kanton Wallis) had a population at the last (1888) census of 101,837 persons. Its area is 6247 square kilometres, of which more than half are classed * unproductive soil.' Of the unproductive soil, 971 sq. kils. are occupied hy glaciers. In area the Yalais is the third largest of the Swiss Oantons, hut in population it stands twelfth. It has a smaller proportion of population to area than any of the Oantons, with the exception of Uri and Orisons. It is the most strictly Catholic Canton in the Confederation, there being nearly 117 Catholics to every Protestant. See Nouvel Indi- cateur des Communes et de la popxdation de la Suisse, par Georges Lambelet, Zurich, Digitized by VjOOQIC '-, if DlfFOUnSPITZE ^ I ■ (t v/^lA. PLAN OF THE NICOLAI THAL, 8AA8 THAL, ^TC. SCALE, FIVE MILES TO ONE INC 8 THAL, ETC. j ^^nitized by VjOOQ IC CHAP. VII. THE ZERMATT RAILWAY, 103 porters before starting from Visp. This can be done either at the Hotel des Alpes or at the Hotel de la Poste.^ The Station of the Zennatt Railway at Visp is alongside that of the Jura-Simplon Railway. Tickets for Zermatt and intermediate stations are taken at the booking-office of the Jura-Simplon. The line is 35 kilometres (or 22 miles nearly) in length. There are sta- tions at Stalden, Kalpetran, St. Nicholas, Herbriggen, Randa and Tasch. The difference of level between Vifege and Zermatt (3200 feet) might have been overcome by a ruling gradient of 1 in 36. If anything like this had been employed, very heavy and costly works would have been necessary ; but they have been avoided by adopting the sysUme Abt. Though short tunnels are numerous, there are no great cuttings or embankments on the Zermatt Railway. The prin- cipal bridge crosses a torrent (Muhlebach) which falls into the Visp- bach about half-way between Stalden and Kalpetran. This is 220 feet long, and 144 feet above the bottom of the ravine. THE "SYST^ME ABT." The Abt system aims at the avoidance ot heavy works. Where the ground is flat the line skims the surface, and where there is an abrupt rise in the floor of the vaUey there are steep gradients upon which a third, cogged rail {crimaUUre) is laid. The line presents therefore a succession of moderate inclines and very rapid ones. In some places the railway rises as much as one foot in eight. The third rail is not used when the gradients are less than one in forty, and is laid over only five miles. It is composed of two plates of steel which are bolted together in such a manner that the cogs alternate. The engines have two mechanisms — one for the ordinary rails and the other for the cHmailUre. It is said that there are never less than four cogs or teeth biting at a time. In ascending the steep inclines the pace drops to four miles an hour and less. Great caution is used in descending ; and, on the sections with the cr^maUUre^ the trains 1 Visp was formerly considered unhealthy, probably from its proximity to marshes. Dr. Schiner says (in his Descrip. du D4p. du Simplon), "it is undoubtedly these marshes . . . that produce in the lower part of Vi6ge, in summer, the innumerable swarms of flies and gnats which destroy rest at this season, and disgust one by seeing the dishes covered with these tiresome insects." Since the embankment of the Rhone, there is much less marsh land in the Valais, and musquitoes have diminished at Visp. Digitized by VjOOQIC 104 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHOBN, chap. vii. seldom travel so fast as three miles an honr. There are several guardians to watch the line, who inspect the whole of it between the passage of each train. The early trains, during the season, are generally overfilled with passengers, eager to see the views. The evening ones are less crowded. The trains from Visp to Zermatt wait for those of the Jura-Simplon Railway, and sometimes wait a considerable length of time. Tickets from Visp to Zermatt, or from Zermatt to Visp permit the holders to descend at intermediate stations and resume the journey by a later train, but they are only good for the day on which they are issued. Return tickets are good for two days. The Fares are — Single Fares. Return Tickets. 2nd 01. 3rd CI. 2nd CI. SrdCl. fr. cts. fr. cts. fr. cts. fr. cts. Visp to Stalden . . 3.55 2.25 6.40 4. — ,, Kalpetran . . 4.90 3.05 8.80 5.50 „ St. Nicholas . 7.55 4.75 13.60 8.50 „ Herbriggen . 9.80 6.10 17.60 11.— „ Randa .11.55 7.25 20.80 13.— „ Tasch . 13. 35 8.35 24.— 15.— „ Zermatt . . 16.— 10.— 28.80 18.— Visp is picturesquely situated on the left bank of the Rhone Valley, at the entrance to the Visp Thai. Five miles to the south this valley divides, — the western branch (the Valley of St. Nicholas or Nicolai Thai) leading to Zermatt, and the eastern one (Valley of Saas or Saas Thai) to the villages of Saas and Saas-F^e, and to the Monte Moro Pass. There are a remarkable number of points of view in the Nicolai Thai (Valley of Zermatt), some of which are only seen from the pathy and others only from the railway. A tourist who wishes to obtain a comprehensive idea of the valley should go one way by the path. The hotels on the route are at convenient distances apai-t. Some of the points of view ai'e indicated by arrows upon the four little plans which accompany the text. The walking times between the several villages are about these — Ascending. Descending, h. min. Visp to Stalden Stalden to St. Nicholas St. Nicholas to Kanda Kanda to Tasch Tasch to Zermatt . Total . The path to Zermatt turns rather sharply to the right at the southern end of Visp [the other path leading straight on goes to Visperterbinen, 4396 feet, 1340 metres, pop. 605, a village seldom visited by tourists. A church was built there in 1256], and soon gets near the Visp torrent. So far as Stalden it is a fairly good mule-path, but it has scarcely been improved during the last forty years. When the largely increasing number of visitors rendered a road from Visp h. min. . 1 30 1 55 1 45 40 1 5 6 55 h. min. Zermatt to Tasch . 55 Tasch to Randa . 35 Randa to St. Nicholas . ! 1 30 St. Nicholas to Stalden . . 1 45 Stalden to Visp . . 1 15 Total . . 6 Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. VII. VISP TO STALDEN. 105 to Zermatt desirable, it was not found possible to carry one right through. Though some support was rendered by the natives at the southern end of the valley, the objections of the northern communes could not be over- come ; and, at the present time, while there is a carriage road in the southern and upper end of the valley, at the northern end [Visp to St. Nicholas] the vavlQ-path retains its primitive simplicity. For the first five kils.i from Visp the road and railway keep close together. Numerous vineyards hereabouts. But at None Brucke (2280 feet, 695 metres) the path crosses to the left bank of the stream by a bold single- arch bridge. The mountains seen in front when coming up this part of the valley are at the Northern end of the Saas Grat or range of the Mischabelhomer (separating the Nicolai Thai from the Saas Thai). The snow peak is the Balfrin (Balenflm), 12,473 feet, and the tooth of rock a little to its right is the Gabelhom, 10,276 feet, hitherto unascended. At 6 kils. from Visp the rail- way also crosses the torrent, and commences the ascent of the first of the steep inclines, upon which the third, cogged rail is laid. Stalden, 2608 feet, 795 metres ; pop. 409 ; is 7^ kHs. from Visp and 27^ kils. from Zer- matt. Travellers by rail change here for Saas. Post and Telegraph. Hotel. — Hotel Stalden (kept by the Proprietors of the Hotel de la Poste at Visp, who are also Pro- prietors of three hotels at Saas-F6e). The path to the Saas Thai leads past the Railway Station. See Chapter on the Valley of Saas. "Stalden, says a Latin Chronicle, had its own particular lords, but they sold their property to the natives, and went over to the Valley of Aosta. Their tower is still in existence, but the inhabitants are free." — Ahbi Rameau. A good deal of Muscat wine is made in this neighbourhood. It used to be procurable at 70 to 80 centimes a bottle. Prices have risen. A pleasant excursion can be made from Stalden to Torbel, one of the oldest villages in the valley, pop. 551, which, though not far 1 The distances marked upon the accompanying Plans in the text (Visp to Stalden, Stalden to St. Nicholas, etc.) are according to the kilometre posts on the Raiivmy. They give also a fair idea of the distances by road. VISP TO STALDEN. Digitized by VjOOQIC 106 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. chap. vii. away, is out of sight. About 1^ hs. going up ; 30 min. descending. Torbel is situated on a slope facing the south; and, although 4892 feet high, is warmer and more sunny than the viUages lower down, which for a large part of the day are shut out from the sun. Red currants ripen there. Torbel has a reputation for cheese. Anyone who expects to stand a long siege should buy it, for it is said that it will keep for fifty years ! ^ The Church of Torbel was consider- ably damaged by the earthquake of 1855, and its roof fell in. NEUE BRUCKE. "T-^^^ 'of " I had an opportunity at Stalden," said Prof. J. D. Forbes, witnessing here a remarkable scene on my last visit." "A comedy was to be acted by peasants dressed in costume, who were to perform on a stage erected in the open air. There were not less than forty actors, the female parts being performed by men, and the costumes were elaborately and ingeniously devised — in some cases not without propriety and taste. I was able to remain long enough to see only the opening of the piece named Rom von Tannenhurg, which was preluded by a procession of the actors, amongst the most conspicuous of whom were three devils attired in tight suits of black, with horns and tails, the senior wearing goat's horns and the sub- ordinates those of the chamois. The entertainment was under the immediate patronage, and even direction of the clergy. The morning mass at Saas was said that day at four, instead of five o'clock, in order to allow the pastor and his flock to reach Stalden in good time, and one of the vicaires of Stalden (who 1 Lord Minto, when at St. Nicholas in 1830, was struck hy the cheese that was set before him by the Cur6. " I had coveted," he said, " the remains of a delightful piece of old cheese upon which we had feasted . . . and he presented it to me. . . The prize which I carried oflf was about twenty years old, perfectly fresh and pvmgent, like a fine old ewe-milk cheese in Scotland. . . We had one cheese put before us which we were told was thirty years old ; it was perfectly fresh and good." Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. VII. STALDEN. 107 correspond to our curates) seemed to be the master of ceremonies, for he was frequently seen in earnest conversation with the junior devil with the chamois The Fares from Stalden are- honici. I mu>^t tiddj thut the aotsuB was one of the moi^t rouijmtit: which can be tfjncoived. Behind the Wllago wjifi a truly imbural theatre » with ii green fUttHlow fur the pit, vhile it ranga of luiv cliffs, with u corii;ave frirmt fes- tfxtntid with ivy and bni^hwiJuH^l, rtipi'e- ^utijd tho lx>jtos und gallery' /^ — TtHfelis through the Alps of Savoy , pp. 354-5. Single Fares. Return Tickets. 2nd CI. 3rd 01. 2nd 01. 3rd 01. fr. cts. fr. cts. fr. cts. fr. cts. 3.55 2.50 6.40 4. — 1.80 1.15 3.20 2. — 4. — 2.50 7.20 4.50 6. 70 4.20 12.— 7.50 8. 45 5.30 15.20 9.50 10.25 6.40 18.40 11.50 12.45 7.80 22.40 14.- Stalden to Visp (Vifege) Kalpetran . St. Nicholas Herbriggen Randa Tasch . Zermatt A pedestrian bound for Zermatt, on leaving Stalden, will save time by taking the path which leads away in front of the Hotel. Between Stalden and Kalpetran, the prominent peak seen to the south (i.e. looking up the valley) is the Brunneggliom, 12,619 feet, 3846 mHres. The summit of the Weisshom, 14,803 feet, 4512 metres, can also be seen behind the Brunnegghom (a little to its right), from Stalden nearly up to Kalpetran. The large bridge over the Muhlebach is passed just before kil. 9, and shortly afterwards the path for a kilometre and a half is of a superior order, and is carried along a shelf cut out of the slopes, nearly at a level. The Mattervisp torrent, at this pait, runs through a deep gorge or defile, which is better seen from the railway than from the path. Digitized by VjOOQIC 108 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, chap. vil. Kalpetran, 10-9 kils. from Visp, 24-1 kils. from Zermatt; 2907 feet, 886 metres. This is only a small group of cMlets, no inn.i The path crosses here to the right bank of the torrent, and the railway does the same at kil. 12. The Fares from Kalpetran are — Single Fares. Return Tickets. 2nd a. Srd 01. 2nd 01. 3rd 01. fr. cte. fr.cts. fr. cts. fr. cts. Kalpetran to Visp (Vi^e) . 4.90 3.05 8.80 5.50 „ Stalden . . 1.80 1.15 3.20 2.00 „ St. Nicholas . 2. 70 1.70 4. 80 3.00 „ Herbriggen . 4.90 3.05 8.80 5.50 „ Randa . . 6.70 4.20 12.00 7.50 Tasch . . 8.45 5.30 15.20 9.50 ,, Zermatt . . 11. 15 6.95 20.00 12.50 BRIDGE OVER THE MUHLEBACH. From kil. 12 to kil. 14 the railway runs immediately alongside the torrent, and gives excellent views of its tumultuous eddyings. This is one of the most interesting parts of the line. Keep on the side of th^ water. These views cannot be seen from the path, which mounts high above the stream, and at this part becomes undulatory. At kil. 14 the railway recrosses to the left bank, and mounts to St. Nicholas (Niklaus or Nicolas). The ascending and descending trains frequently pass here, and a long halt is usually made. There is a Buffet, with little to eat. Beer 30 centimes per glass. 1 It is mentioned under the name Kalpotran in a document of 1339 [Oremaud, No. 1788]. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. VII. ST, NICHOLAS (NIKLAUS OR NICOLAS). 109 St. Niklaus (Nicolas), 3678 feet, 1121 metres ; pop. 809 ; 16 kils. from Visp, 19 kils. from Zermatt. Post and Telegraph. Barber (shaving 20 centimes), Tailor, Baker, Shoemaker, Watchmaker and general shop. Hotels : Grand Hotel-Pension St. Nicolas (in middle of village) ; Hotel-Pension Loch- matter^ (southern end of village). English Church Service (C.C.C.S.) is held on Sundays in the School Room. St. Nicholas is the largest Commune in the Valley. The Village is in an agreeable position, on the left bank of and close to the Mattervisp torrent. It is warmer than Zermatt, and cooler than Visp. In winter there is not ordinarily at any time more than a m^tre of snow on the ground. In July and August temperature seldom sinks so low as 45** F. at night, or rises above 72** F. in the day ; and, as a number of small and easy excursions can be made from it, it is one of the most eligible places in the Valley. ^ There is a carriage - road to Zermatt, and voUures can be had at a somewhat lower cost (for three or more persons) than third- class railway fares. The principal mountaiiis visible from the village are the Brunnegghom, 12,619 feet, 3846 metres ; the Petit Cervin, 12,750 feet, 3866 metres; and the Breithom, 13,685 feet, 4171 metres. Slightly S. of E. of St. Nicholas there is a mountain called the Gabelhorn (not to be confounded with the Ober and Unter Gabelhoms at Zermatt), which has not been ascended, and is reputed to be inaccessible. The height given for it on the Siegfried Map is 3135 metres (10,276 feet), and seen from St. Nicholas it is apparently higher than the Platthom, lying a little to its south, to which the height of 3249 metres (10,660 feet) is assigned. The true summit of the Platthom, however, is not seen from St. Nicholas. At the top of the Gabelhom there are two rocky towers, — the northern is the loftier, and is the culminating point of 1 Kept by Mons. Alexandre Lochmatter, formerly Guide [see page 68], who is well acquainted with the Zermatt district, and has much information for those who are interested in the mountaineering history of the VaUey. « It appears to be healthy. I was informed by M. the Cur^ in 1894 that he had recently buried one of his parishioners who had attained the age of 90, and another shortly before who had got to 96 ; and that there were then about 20 persons living of the age of 70 and upwards. TO ZERMATT Digitized by VjOOQIC no ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, chap. vii. the monntain. It is an appetizing morsel for a mountaineer. This peak can be seen from Visp (to the right of the Balfrin), and upon part of the way between Visp and Stalden. The village of St. Nicholas was much damaged by the earthquake of 1855, and was not thoroughly restored several years afterwards. The Church suffered considerably. This edifice has also been twice nearly destroyed by avalanches from the Sparrhorn, which descend ST. NICHOLAS. through a ravine on the west of the village. An avalanche in 1618 wrecked the tower and choir, and another in 1750 destroyed the remainder. Avalanches fall not unfrequently through this ravine, but they are sometimes deflected towards the north, and do no harm. The three brothers Knubel who perished on the Lyskamm in 1877 (see chap, x), and Joseph - Marie Lochmatter who was killed on the Dent Blanche in 1882 (see chap, ix) were buried in the churchyard, on the east side of the church. Excursions from St. Nicholas.— Ascents of the Grabenhom, 11,072 feet, 3375 metres (12-13 hs.); Gf-abelhorn, lower peak, and Platt- horn, 10,660 feet, 3249 metres (10-11 hs.); Ulriclisliorn, 12,891 feet, 3929 metres (12-13 hs.) ; Hohbergliorn, 13,865 feet, 4226 metres (13- Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. VII. PASSES FROM ST. NICHOLAS. Ill 14 hs.) ; Balfrin (Balenfim or BalMnhorn), 12,473 feet, 3802 metres (9-10 hs. ; or it can be crossed to Saas-F6e in about 15 hs.); Bnmnegglioni, 12,619 feet, 3846 metres (12-13 hs.); Sparrhom (Sparrenhom), 9810 feet, 2990 metres; Festihorn, 10,660 feet, 3249 metres ; Wasenhorn, 10,958 feet, 3340 metres ; Eothhom, 10,702 feet, 3262 metres; Stellihom, 11,204 feet, 3415 mHres ; Schwarzhorn, 10,512 feet, 3204 mHres ; and Barrhorn, 11,880 feet, 3621 m^res (from 8 up to 10-11 hours). Passes. — The Bied Pass, about 11,800 feet, from St. Niklaus to Saas-F^e, between the Balfrin and Ulrichshom (10-12 hs.). This is one of the oldest passes between the Nicolai Thai and the Saas Thai. The Ferrichjoch or Ferriclilacke, 9479 feet, 2889 metres, between the Platthom and Ferrichhom is another pass between the two valleys ; and leads either through the village of Gasenried, or that of Hellenen, to the south of the Platthom, and descends either to Saas, or to Huteggen in the Saas Thai (9-10 hs.). The Gabelhom Pass.— I made another pass with Alexandre Lochmatter, in 1895, between St. Niklaus and Huteggen, by going over the Gabelhom just below and to the south of the towers at the summit. Excluding halts, the time occupied was 1 1 hs. This pass is about 690 feet higher than the Ferrichjoch. Neither pass can be recommended. In each case, a great part of the way near the summit is over loose stones and boulders, which are unpleasant to traverse. There is a fourth way of getting into the Valley of Saas by passing through the village of Grachen and across the Hannig Alp. The top of the Hannig Alp is a good place for a pic-nic. ChAlets, milk. This is a route rather than a pass. The path upon the Saas Thai side descends on the village of Eisten (5-6 hs.),^ or one can go down through forest from the top of the Alp to Stalden. Steep way. To the West of St. Niklaus the Jungpass, 9823 feet, 2994 metres, and the Augstbordpass, 9492 feet, 2893 metres, lead to Gruben in the Turtmannthal. Both of these routes go through the village of Jungen, 6391 feet, 1948 metres, but they separate shortly after- wards,— the former passing between the Furggwanghom, 10,377 feet, 3163 metres, and the Rothhom, and the latter between the Stein- thalhom, 10,213 feet, 3113 metres, and the Schwarzhom. In 1896, with Alois Pollinger, I found a way of getting to St. Niklaus from Turtig in the Rhone Valley in 9 hs. 25 min., vid the Ginanzthal, and this route, should it become known, would I think find favour, as it passes through a delightful valley (hitherto quite un visited) which affords very pleasant walks. The path for the Oinanzthal Pass commences at Turtig, 2123 feet, 647 metres, and rises steeply towards the south by zigzags through forest. Interest- ing view over the Valley of the Rhone and of the mountains on the farther side. In IJ hs. it arrives at IJnterbach, situated on open ground, 4036 feet, 1230 metres ; pop. 336 ; Church ; no regular inn, but food can be obtained. [Two kils. to the East there is the village of Birchen, 4751 feet, 1448 metres ; pop. 418 ; Church. This is a separate Commune.] The ground here is 1 This route across the Hannig Alp has been known for a long time. In 1818, Ebel said it was frequented by botanists. Digitized by VjOOQIC 112 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHOBN, chap. vii. moderately flat (dotted all over with ch&lets), and cannot be seen from the Rhone Valley. Paths in various directions. Enquire the way. In li hs. from Unterbach there are the chalets of Waldmatten, 5246 feet, 1599 metres. Milk can be had. The path then approaches the stream flowing down the Ginanzthal, and keeps near it (on its right bank), up to the head of the valley ; passing at first through forest, and in IJ hs. a group of seven buildings at the Obere Ginanzalp, 7441 feet, 2268 mHres. End of paths. After the banning of September there is no one either here or higher up the valley. Steer slightly East of South towards the nameless peak marked 2962 metres (9718 feet) on the Siegfried Map ; and go to the E. of the little lake called the Qinanzsee, 8452 feet, 2576 metres. Grass ends there. Take advantage of the snow beds imder peak 2962, and steer S.W. across them to the nearest depression on the E. of the Dreizehnenhorn. The summit of the Col is 2 hs. from the Obere Ginanz ch&lets, and 50 metres or thereabouts lower than peak 2962, — i.e, about 9550 feet above the sea. The ridge that is crossed runs almost precisely due East and West. The lake and the upper part of the Ginanzthal are well seen from the Col. To the N., Altels, the Balmhom, and the Bietschhom are prominent ; towards the E. the view includes the Fletschhom, Laquinhorn, and Weissmies, and the entire range of the Mischabel ; and turning round to the S. and W. there is first Monte Rosa and all between it and the Breithorn, the Brunnegghom and Weisshom, Schwarzhom and Dreizehnenhorn. On the southern side of the Col there is the (nameless) vallon leading to the Augstbordpass. Descend over stony slopes to the bottom of it, turn to the left {Le. east), and go through Jungen to St. Nicholas. Time, Col to Jungen, 1 h. 40 min. ; Jungen to St. Nicholas, about 1 h. 15 min. Minor excursions and qniet walks can be taken on the West of St. Nicholas to the villages of Jungen, Emd, and Torbel. The path to Jungen, 6391 feet, 1948 metres, is in shade most of the way. It- starts at the Railway Station. Time ascending, about 1 h. 50 min. ; descending, 1 h. is quick time. To get to the village of Emd,^ go from St. Nicholas by the ordinary path as far as the railway bridge at kil. 14. On the western side of this bridge there is a small and rather rough path leading in about 2 hs. to Emd (4450 feet, 1356 metres, pop. 206), which is situated upon a steep slope of the Emderberg, — a prolongation of the lower slopes of the Augstbordhom. [I have been unable to find the fowls *shod with iron to enable them to keep on their legs,* which are referred to in Baedeker's Stoitzerland.'^ From Emd one can either descend to Kalpetran Railway Station, or get in 1 h. 20 min. by a fair path to Torbel. Descend thence to Stalden, and return home by train. Upon the East of St. Nicholas, perhaps the most agreeable little excursion that can be made is to the lower Bled G-lacier. This can be done either by passing through the village of Gasenried, or, by a more direct route, vid the village of Hellenen and the Schallbett Alp. The latter way is preferable, as the path passes almost entirely through forest, and is in shade. Path good. Time from St. Nicholas to the Schallbett Alp, 6916 feet, 2108 metres, 3 hs. The lower glacier can be crossed easily. The ' ice-falls ' from the upper glacier are well seen from it, but to view the upper plateau of the Ried Glacier, and the peaks which encircle it, a considerably greater 1 This village is mentioned under the names of Embda, Embsa, Emda, and Empda in documents of 1324, 1330, 1339 and later. [Oremaud, Nos. 1504, 1690, 1788, etc.] In those times it was embraced in the Parish of Yisp. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. VII. THOMAS PLATTER. 113 elevation must be gained. No pai-t of the Ried Glacier can be seen from the bottom of the Nicolai Thai. Return home through Gasenreid. The villages of Niedergracheiiy 4807 feet, 1465 metres, and Grachen, 5305 feet, 1617 metres, may also be made the subject of an agree- able excursion. They lie N.E. of St. Nicholas, on the way to the Hannig Alp. There is a house at the former village in which Thomas Platter the Reformer is said to have been bom, — an ordinary chalet, which does not look nearly 400 years old. If it is actually the case (as they aver on the spot) that it is the original house and has not been renovated, one can readily credit the opinion of people in the valley that there are chalets in the Zermatt district which are 700 years old, and even more. This opinion, it seems to me, however, is not based on any firmer foundation than the know- ledge that there are records which carry the history of the valley back to the 13th century. Thomas Platter was bom at the little village Niedergrachen in 1499.^ My mother, he says, was a Summermatter,^ and her "father was one hundred and twenty-six years old. Six years before his death, I talked with him myself, and he told me that he knew ten men in the parish of Visp who were all older than he then was. When he was a hundred years old he married a woman of thirty and had a son by her."^ Platter's father died so early in his life that he could not remember having seen him. His mother married again, and "almost all my brothers and sisters," THE PATRON SAINT (sT. NICHOLAS), he says, " had to go out to service as soon as they were able. Because I was the youngest, my aunts each had me in turn." 1 An account of his early life, written by himself, was printed at Basle in 1840. A curtailed translation of this was contributed by Sir W. M. Conway to the Alpiiie Journal, vol. xii, pp. 380-90. The following extracts are taken from this very interest- ing' article. 2 There are various Summermatters now living at Randa. 3 In Schiner's Description du D4partement du Simplon, at p. 226, when speaking of the Valley of Saas, there is the following remarkable statement. — "Les gens dans cette valine piurviennent beaucoup k un grand &ge ; il n'est point rare d'y compter plusieurs centenaires. On se souvient encore, que, lorsque la valine s'assemblait pour prevenir de grands maux, on formait un cercle sur la place, qui n'^tait compost que de nonage* I Digitized by VjOOQIC 114 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, chap. vii. "When I was about six years old I was taken to Eisten" [Saas Thai] "a valley within Stalden, where my mother's sister was married to a man by name Thomas an Riedijn, who lived m a farm called Imboden. The first year I had to tend the kids for him near the house. There I remember once sticking fast in the snow, so that I could scarcely get out. I had to leave my shoes in it and come home barefoot. The same peasant owned about eighty goats, which I had to tend in my seventh and eighth years. I was still so small that, when I opened the goat-pen, if I did not spring quickly behind the door, the goats knocked me down and trod upon my head, ears, and back. When I drove the goats across the Visp over the bridge, those in front ran into the corn-fields, and when I drove them out the rest ran in, so I wept and cried,, for I knew well that I should be beaten at night. However, the goatherds of other peasants came to me and helped me, one big boy especially, Thomas of the Leiaenbach. He pitied me and did me much kindness. So when we drove the goats up into the high and terrible moimtains, we all sat and ate together. !]^h one had a shepherd's wallet fastened on his back, with cheese and rye bread in it. Perhaps about half a year afterwards, I drove my goats again early one morning before the other goatherds (for I was the nearest) up over a spur, called the Wysseggen. There my goats went to the ri^ht hand up a little rock, a good stride broad, below which was a terrible precipice, certainly more than a thousand feet high — sheer rock. From the little rock one goat went after another up a steep place, their little hoofs clinging to the bunches of grass growing among the rocks. When they had all gone up I wanted to follow them, but I had not taken more than one step upon the grass before I could go no farther, nor could I step back upon the steep place, and I dared still less jump backwards, for I feared, if I did so, I should roll down and fall over the terrible precipice. So I remained a long while standing and waited for the help of God, being no longer able to help myself, except by holding on with both hands to a tuft of grass and standing with my great toe upon another tuft. When I was tired I raised myself off the tuft and put my other toe there. In this plight I was most afraid of the great lammergeiers, which were flying in the air below me ; for I feared they would carry me off, as sometimes happens in the Alps. While I was standing thus, the wind blowing my jacket about behind, for I had no breeches on, my comrade Thomas saw me from afar but knew not what it was, for as he saw my coat blowing he thought it was a bird. When however he saw me plainly he grew pale with fright, and called out to me, * Now, little Tommy, stand still ! ' and then he climl^ up the little rock, took me by the arm and drew me up to where we could climb up to the goats." Little Platter was shifted about to various masters, one, he says, **beat me terribly, and often lifted me by the ears from the ground"; and another "taught me absolutely nothing, and flogged me merci- naires et de centenaires, avec de grandes barbes blanches : 1^ ne s'approchait point la jeunesse, et les femmes n'osaient point y paraitre, I'fige et I'exp^rience seuls y g6raient lea affaires, et la jeunesse n'y comptait pour rien." I have enquired for centenarians in the VaUeys of Zermatt and Saas, but have not heard of one, or learnt that one has been known in recent times. In 1895 I asked M. le Our^ of Grachen if he knew or had known of people in his parish who had at- tained such a patriarchal age, and he told me that he had buried a man of 96, six years before, who had taken part in the Russian campaign of Napoleon I, in 1812. Since then he had buried one of 93, and several of 80 to 84, but he thought that in 1895 there was no one living so old as 70. The result of enquiry at St. Nicholas is mentioned at p. 109. At Zermatt, the oldest man in 1896 was aged 92. At Tasch (1896) oldest man was 87. Saw him returning from work carrying a hay-rake— apparently had been haymaking. At Randa (1896) there was a man and woman each aged 84. Saw the former carrying a basket of dung on his back. The oldest man at St. Nicholas was ^in 1896) aged 86. It was said that there was a man (in 1896) at Emd over 90, and still working in the fields. At Stalden (in 1896) the oldest man was 84, and at Saas the oldest man was 83. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. VII. PLATTER'S MOTHER, 115 lessly." So that he began to wish to fly in the air, to "fly away over the mountains out of that country into (Germany " ; and at last he went away with a cousin to Lucerne, Zurich, Nuremberg and many other places, returning home from time to time to see his mother. After one of these visits, he says, " I went away from the country again with two of my brothers. When we went to bid my mother farewell, she wept and said, *God pity me, who have to see three of my sons go forth to misery.' That was the only time 1 ever saw my mother weep ; for she was a brave, manly woman, but hard. When her third husband died she remained a widow and did all work like a man, so that she might the better bring up her youngest children. She hewed and threshed and did other work rather belonging to men than women. Three children also she buried with her ownliands when they died in a terrible pestilence ; for in the pestilence it costs much to employ a gravedigger. She was very hard towards us, her first children, so that we seldom came to her house. At one time, as I remember, 1 was not with her for five years, but wandered far in foreign parts. When I came to her, the first word she said to me was, 'Has the devil brought you here then?' 'No, mother,' I answered, *the devil has not brought me here, but my feet. I shall not burden you lon^.' 'You don't burden me,' she said, 'only it vexes me that you go thus rovmg hither and thither, and doubtless are learning nothing. Learn to work as your father did. You will never be a priest. I am not so blessed as to be the mother of a priest.*" St. Nicholas is suitable for persons who do not wish to spend much, and for those who prefer picturesque scenery or quiet to high mountain ascents or a crowd. The village has produced in the past a number of the best guides of the Zermatt district, and it is at the present time the home of capable men. During the season, however, they are seldom at home, and will more likely be found at Zermatt than at their own village. For names of G-nides of St. Nicholas see Appendix G. The published Tarif of Excursions is given in Appendix A. It includes only a few of those above mentioned. The Railway Fares from St. Nicholas are — Single Fares. Return Tickets. 2nd CI. 3rd 01. 2nd 01. 3rd 01. f r. cts. f r. cts. fr. cts. fr. cts. St. Nicholas to Herbriggen . 2. 70 1. 70 4. 80 3. 00 Randa . 4. 45 2. 80 8. 00 5. 00 Tasch . . 6.25 3.90 11. 20 7. 00 Zermatt . 8. 90 5. 55 16. 00 10. 00 Kalpetran . 2.70 L70 4. 80 3. 00 Stalden .4.00 2.50 7. 20 4. 50 Visp . . 7.55 4.75 13. 60 8. 50 The carriage-road to Zermatt begins at the southern end of St. Nicholas, and in 3 min. crosses to the right bank. There is a fine view looking down the valley between kils. 17-18. On the east side of the road hereabouts a former village of St. Nicholas is said to lie buried under a great rock-fall. The cluster of chalets at Mattsand, 4042 feet, 1232 mHres, is passed just before kil. 20, and a mile and Digitized by VjOOQIC 116 ZEEMATT AND THE MATTEBHORN, chap. vii. a quarter farther on one comes to Herbriggen. No inn here, nor anywhere on the road between St. Nicholas — Randa. After leaving St. Nicholas, the railway continues for a time on the left bank, and between kils. 18-19 makes another steep ascent by means of the cogged rails. At this part the views both up and down the valley are very striking. At the 19th kil. it crosses to the right bank, and runs closely along- side the road for a considerable distance. A brief halt only is made at Herbriggen (Herbrigen), 4134 feet, 1260 metres; 21-6 kils. from Visp, 13*4 kils. from Zermatt. This hamlet is situ- ated on the right bank of the Mattervisp torrent, about a quarter of a mile from the Railway Station. Few people get in or out here. The Fares from Herbriggen Single Fares. Return Tickets. 2nd CI. 3rti01. 2nd CI. 3rd 01. fr. cte. fr. cts. fr. cts. fr. cts. St. Nicholas . 2.70 1.70 4.80 3. — Kalpetran 4.90 3.05 8.80 5.50 Stalden . 6.70 4.20 12.— 7.50 Visp (Vibge) . 9.80 6.10 17.60 11.— Randa . 2.25 1.40 4. — 2.50 Tasch . 3. 50 2.25 6.40 4. — Zermatt . 6.25 3.90 11.20 7. — The road from Herbriggen to Randa skirts lower slopes of the Mischabelhomer. The streams descending these slopes have often cut the road, and sometimes have interrupted the railway. At kil. 22 the hamlet of Langenmatt is passed, and that of Breitenmatt, 4186 feet, 1276 metres, about half a mile farther on. Small chapel. Grand views here of the cliffs of the Brunnegghom, and of the Bies Glacier descending between the Brunnegg- hom and the Weisshom, on the opposite side of the valley. The numerous chAlets seen hereabouts are storehouses and are not tenanted, but afford convenient shel- ters in case of bad weather. Though passing close under the peaks of the Mischabel very little can be seen of the upper part of this tine range. There is another steep incline on the railway from kil. 23*7 TO ZERMATT ST. NICHOLAS TO RANDA. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. VII. RANDA, 117 to k. 24*7, alongside the road, where a pedestrian can amuse himself by outwalking the train. Half a mile farther on, upon turning a corner, one comes in sight of Randa, 4741 feet, 1445 metres; pop. 229; 25*7 kils. from Visp, 9.3 kils. from Zermatt. Post and Telegraph. Hotel. — Hotel and ^<t2M=^e« _- J- r^ i J - - E. . HOTEL AND PENSION WEISSHORN, RANDA. Pension Weisshorn, a little to the south of the village, about 3 min. from the Railway Station. Grood ; much visited by Swiss, French, and Germans. The Railway Fares are — Single Fares. Return Tickets. 2nd CI. 3rti CI. 2nd CI. 3«i CI. fr. cts. f r. cts. fr. cts. fr. cts. Randa to Herbriggen . . 2.25 1.40 4. - 2. 50 „ St. Nicholas . . 4.45 2.80 8. - 5. - ,, Kalpetran . 6.70 4.20 12. - 7. 50 „ Stalden . . 8.45 5.30 15. 20 9. 50 Visp (Vi^e) . . 11. 55 7.25 20. 80 13. — Tasch . . 1.80 1.15 3. 20 2. - ,, Zermatt. . 4.45 2.80 8. - 5. - The Hotel is well situated, and there are admirable views from its windows, particularly from those facing the south. For the Guides of Banda see Appendix G, and Appendix B for Tarif of Excursions. This * tarif by no means includes all the excursions that can be made. It addresses itself solely to those who are concerned Avith snow-peaks and passes. There are many minor excursions, suited to all sorts and conditions of persons ; and, as both railway and road go in two directions, there is liberty of movement. The principal ascents made from Randa are those of the Weisshorn, the Dom, and the Taschhom. Digitized by VjOOQIC 118 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, chap. vii. The Ascent of the Weisshom, 14,803 feet, 4512 metres, is the most considerable one to be made from Randa. This mountain is not so happily placed as the Matterhom and other peaks which might be mentioned, and it cannot anywhere be seen to advantage from a low level. But from moderate and from the higher eleva- tions it always appears a grand mountain. It can be seen well 3000 feet or so above Randa on the route to the Dom; or, more easUy, from the Tasch Valley. ** Of all mountain tops that I know, that of the Weisshom is, I think, the most beautiful, with perhaps the one exception of the Wetterhom. It is formed by three of those firm and delicate edges which can only be modelled in the moun- tain snow, uniting to meet in a mathematical point." — Leslie Stephen, The first ascent was made on Aug. 18-19, 1861, by the guides J. J. Bennen and Ulrich Wenger (an Oberlander) with Dr. John Tyndall. The summit of the Weisshom lies due W. of Randa, but it is not approached in a direct manner. The usual course when making an ascent is to round the Schallenberg (Schalliberg) towards the south and west, until about S.E. of the summit ; then to go northwards, and strike the great eastern ridge of the mountain, and follow its arite to the top. This long eastern ridge is well seen from the Riffelberg, the Mettelhom, and various other points. When a good way up it, "the arite narrowed," says Tyndall, "to a mere wall, which, however, as rock would present no serious difl&culty. But upon the wall of rock is placed a second wall of snow, which dwindles to a knife-edge at the top. It is white and pure, of very fine grain, and a little moist. . . I had no idea of a human foot trusting itself upon so frail a support. Bennen's practical sagacity was, however, greater than mine. He tried the snow by squeezing it with his foot, and to my astonishment commenced to cross. Even after the pressure of his feet the space he had to stand on did not exceed a handbreadth. I followed him, exactly as a boy walking along a horizontal pole, with toes turned outwards. Right and left the precipices were appall- ing ; but the sense of power on such occasions is exceedingly sweet. . . . . We had been ten hours climbing from our bivouac to the summit, and it was now necessary that we should clear the mountain before the close of the day. . . We once fancied that the descent would be rapid, but it was far from it. . . Our muscles are sorely tried by the twisting round the splintered turrets of the arke^ and we resolve to escape from it when we can ; but a long, long stretch of the ridge must be passed before we dare to swerve from it. . . The face of the pyramid is here scarred by couloirs, of which the deeper and narrower ones are filled with ice, while the others are highways to the bottom of the mountain for the rocks quarried by the weather above. Steps must be cut in the ice. . . No word of warning was uttered here as we ascended, but now Bennen's admonitions were frequent and emphatic, — 'Take care not to slip.' . . I imagined, however, that even if a man slipped he would be able to arrest his descent ; but Bennen's response when I stated this opinion was very prompt, * No ! it would be utterly impossible. If it were snow you might do it, but it is pure ice, and if you fall you will lose your senses before you can use your axe.* A deep and confused roar attracted our attention. From a point near the summit of the Weisshom, a rock had been discharged ; it plimiped down a dry couloir, raising a cloud of dust at each biunp against the mountain. A hundred similar ones were immediately in motion, while the spaces between the larger masses were filled by an innumerable flight of smaller stones. The clatter of this devil's cavalry was stunning. Black masses of rock emerged here and there from the cloud, and sped through the air like flying fiends. . . They whizzed and vibrated in their flight as if urged by wings. The clang of echoes resounded from side to side, from the Schallenberg to the Weiss- hom and back, until finally the whole troop came to rest, after many a deep- Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. VII. THE DOM, 119 sounding thud in the snow, at the bottom of the mountain. This stone avalanche was one of the most extraordinary things I had ever witnessed, and in connection with it I would draw the attention of future climbers to the danger which would infallibly beset any attempt to ascend the Weisshom from this side, except by one of its arkes. At any moment the mountain side may be raked by a fire as deadly as that of cannon." — Mountaineering in 1861, by John TyndaU, 8vo, London, 1862. The Randa Tarif for the Weisshom is 80 francs per guide and 45 francs per porter. The route generally followed is substantially that which was taken on the first ascent. A night is usually passed at a cahane, 9380 feet, 2859 metres, which is S.E. of the summit, not far from the place where TyndaU bivouacked. The condition of this cahane is lamentable, and tourists sometimes prefer to camp outside. Ascents have been made from several other directions. From the Bies Glacier by the N.E. face, by Mr. J. H. Kitson, with Christian and Ulrich Aimer, on Aug. 10-11, 1871 (see Alpine Journal, vol. v, p. 274). From the Schalliberg Glacier by the S. face and S.S.W. ridge, by Messrs. W. E. Davidson, Hartlejr, and Hoare, with Pollinger, Rubi, and Jaun, on Sept. 5-6, 1877 {A, J., vol. vui, p. 419). From the W., by Mr. G. A. Passingham, with Ferdinand Imseng and Louis Zurbrucken, on Aug. 12-13, 1879 {A. J., vol. ix, p^. 428-31). By the Schalliberg Glacier, viA the Schallijoch, and the S.S.W. ridge, by Mr. E. A. Broome, with J.-M. Biener, and A. Imboden, on Sept. 1-2, 1895 {A, /., vol. xviii, p. 145). Variations on these routes have also been made. In 1888, a young man of Munich, named Winkler, disappeared on the Weisshom. He started from Zinal on Aug. 16 to attempt to climb it alone, and on the 29th his cap was found in the remains of an avalanche, which it is supposed had overwhelmed him. After the Weisshom, the principal ascents to be made fi'om Kanda are those of the Dom and the Taschhorn. The first ascent of the Dom, 14,941 feet, 4554 metres, was made on Sept. 11, 1858, by the Rev. J. Llewelyn Davies, with Johann zum Taugwald' (who had previously made some unsuccessful attempts on the mountain), — Kronig, and a volimteer from Randa. They left that village at 2.10 a.m., reached the summit at 11 a.m., returned to Randa at 4.20 p.m., and then walked up to Zermatt in time for the table d'hdte ! The route that is now usually followed is marked on the Map of the Valley of Zermatt ; and, so far as I can learn, does not differ much from that which was taken on the first ascent. It leads through the village of Randa, and then turns E., and mounts by the side of the i^ndaierbach, at first on the left bank, and afterwards by the right bank to the Festi caJbane^ 9400 feet, 2865 metres. A night is commonly passed there, and the ascent effected on the following day. There are magnificent views of the Weisshom and the Bies Glacier from this path, 2000 to 3000 feet above Randa. Guides so far are unnecessary. Tarif for the ascent, 60 francs per guide, 40 frs. per porter. More than 20 ascents were made in 1895. The Dom is the highest of the Mischabelhomer, and is the loftiest mountain that is completely in Switzerland ; for, although the summit of Monte Rosa is Swiss, that mountain is partly in Italy. The Dom has also been ascended, — 1. From the eastern siae, mA the ^^gfluh and the Nadeljoch, by Rev. C. Taylor, Mr. R. Pendlebury, and Mr. G. E. Foster, with Hans Baumann and Gab. Spectenhauser, July 22-23, 1874 {A. J., vol. vii, p. 105). 2. From the south, viA the northern branch of the Kien Glacier and the Domjoch, by Messrs. Penhall and Ck)nway, with F. Imseng and P. J. Truffer, Aug. 18-19 1 Both Mr. Davies and Johann zum Taugwald are living. The latter is the oldeist man at Zermatt who has acted as Guide. Digitized by VjOOQIC 120 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, chap. Vli. 1878. 3. From the west, partly by the Domjoch route, and then by the W. ridge of the mountain, by Dr. P. Gussfeldt, witti Alex. Burgener and B. Venetz, July 27-8, 1882 {A, y., vol. xi, p. 117). Several variations have been made on these routes. The Dom has been ascended in winter (Jan. 1894). Three days were occupied on this excursion {A. J.^ vol. xvii, pp. 67, 384, etc.). A direct ascent of the Dom from Saas is not to be recommended. Mr. Mich. Carteighe, who went that wav in 1885, says, " Having heard on all sides that falling stones and ice usually enliven all expeditions in the Mischabel range undertaken on the Saas side, we decided to start early. . . Our progress was barred by an inverted pyramid of stones perched on the face. This could not be turned, and it was obviously necessary to pass over with caution. Accord- inglv Gabriel (Taugwalder) went over first with about 60 feet of rope that he might * prospect.' Imseng was roped next, and was on one side of the pyramid, while I was last and lower down on the other side of the stones. When the rope was tight between Gabriel and Imseng * the latter began to move. Instead of crawling in a loving manner over the group, he thoughtlessly made a spring, seized a large boulder-shaped stone, which he pulled upon himself, and then, turning head over heels backwards, freed himself from the stone and regained his foothold, the rope being 'ganz fest.' The stone then boimded over to the right towards me. I managed to avoid a direct collision, but one end caught me on the mouth and jaw, removing, as the dentists say, two teeth, and then as the stone rebounded to the left, the opposite end struck the palm of my left hand, gashed up the flesh, and then sped its way down to the glacier below." — A, J.f vol. XV, p. 102.2 The T&Bchhom, 14,757 feet, 4498 metres, is the second highest of the Mischabelhomer. It was first ascended bv the Rev. J. Llewelyn Davies and the late Rev. J. W. Hayward, with the brothers Johann and Stephan zum Taugwald,3 on July 31, 1862. No account of this expedition has been preserved, and I am imable to say whether the original route is that which is now taken. The latter is marked on the Map of the Valley of Zermatt. After leaving the Hotel at Randa, it leads diagonally across the Tschuggen Alp towards the Kien Glacier. At about 9180 feet, there is a sleeping-place, 3 hs. above Randa. Several other ways have been found up the mountain. 1. From Saas-F^e, at first by the Mischabeljoch route and subsequently up the E. face of the mountain [Mr. P. Watson and Rev. F. T. Wethered, with Alex. Burgener, B. Venetz, and L. Proment, Aug. 7. 1875.—^. J.^ vol. viii, p. 108]. 2. From the top of the Mischabeljoch, vid the S.E. ridge of the peak [Mr. J. Jackson, with Christian and Ulrich Aimer, Aug. 16, 1876.—^. /., vol. viii, pp. 345-6]. 3. From the N., viA the Domjoch [Mr. F. CuUinan and Mr. Oerala Fitz Gerald, with Peter Knubel and Joseph Moser, Sept. 1-2, 1878.—^. /., vol. ix, pp. 109-110]. 4. By the W.S.W. ridge. See My Climbs in the Alps mid Caucasus^ by A. F. Mummery, London, 1895. In 1893, a fatal accident occurred on the lower slopes of the Taschhom, not far from Randa. On Aug. 15, Messrs. Williamson and Lucas (the latter an Oxford undergraduate) passed the night on some rocks on the east side of the peak, and at 11 a.m. on the next dav reached the summit, intending to arrive that mght at Randa. At 10 p.m. they had not got clear of the forest below the Kien Glacier ! and as "the guides considered that it would be unwise to attempt to descend further, as their lanterns were biuTit out, they selected a smooth piece of grass on which to pass the night." One of the guides awoke about 1 a.m., and missed Mr. Lucas; and at 4 a.m. he was found dead a short distance away, at the foot of a rock 60 metres in height. His watch had stopped at 12.20. See Alpine JoiimaU vol. xvi, p. 503, and vol. xvii, pp. 39-40. The guides were Adolph Andenmatten (of Almagell) and Franz Zur- briggen (of Saas). 1 Xavier Imseng, of Saas-Fde. 2 It may be well to point out that several fatal or very serious accidents have occurred in recent years in this district through guides dislodging stones or boulders. Both ascending and descending, it is impossible to exercise too much caution to avoid dislodging rocks when anyone is helmv. 3 Stephan zum Taugwald became Cur6 of Tasch. Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. VII. EXCURSIONS FROM RANDA. 121 Both Dom and Taschhom have of late years, on more than one occasion, been ascended by the same party within the compass of a long day ; and, in 1895, Mr. W. E. Davidson, with Christian Klucker and Daniel Maquignaz, starting from above Saas-F^e, ascended the Taschhom from the Mischabeljoch, crossed over the summit and descended on the Domjoch, thence ascended the Dom and descended on its northern side, reaching Randa the same evening. The Randa Tarif for the Taschhom is the same as for the Dom. The other peaks included in the Randa Tarif axe the Bieshom, Durrenhom, Hohber^hom, and Siid-Lenzspitze. The Bieshom is the peak to the N. of the Weisshom marked 4161 ^without name) on the V. of Zermatt Map. It can be reached from the Biesjoch (marked on Map 3549) in about 2J hs. The Durrenhom is just outside the range of the V. of Zermatt Map, to the N.W. of the Nadelhom, and can be got at vid a little valley running E. from Breitenmatt. The Hohberghom is the peak 4226, to the N.W. of the Nadel- hom. It can be ascended by more than one route. The Sud-Lenzspitze is the point 4300, to the S.E. of the Nadelhorn. Upon more than one occasion the three peaks Siid-Lenzspitze, Nadelhom, and Ulrichshom have been ascended in one day.* There are, besides, several other ascents which can be made from Randa that are not on the TaHf; namely, the Nadelhom (the highest point of the Saas Grat N. of the Dom), the Qalenhorn, Qrabenhorn, Strahlbett (12,320 feet, 3755 metres, W.S.W.of the Taschhom), and Leiterspiitz. The Mettelhom, also, is sometimes ascended from Randa. For the elevations and positions of these peaks see Appendix E. There are several lofty and fine Passes from Banda over the Saas Grat to Saas-F^e, which have, however, small claim to practical utiUty, or to the attention of the general public, and they are mostly ignored by the TaHf; namely, the Mischabeljoch, Domjoch, Nadeljoch, Lenzjoch (between the BUd-Lenzspitze and the Nadelhom), and Hohbergpass. On the Western side of the valley, the BiesjOCh leads to the Turtmann Thai, and the Schallijoch to Zinal. For positions and elevations of these Passes see Appendix F. The road from Randa to Zermatt runs closely alongside the railway for I mile, and at this part there are especially good views of the Breithom and Petit Mont Cervin (right in front). The prominent mountain on the right is the Mettelhom. After passing the hamlet Wildi (small chapel) there are few houses against the road, which in about 40 min. arrives at — Tasch (Taesch or T»sch), 4777 feet, 1456 metres; pop. 231 ; 29^ kils. from Visp, 5i kils. from Zermatt. No hotel. Wine can be obtained. The village is situated on the right bank of the Mattervisp torrent, about a quarter of a mile from the Railway Station. The Fares are — Single Fares. Return Tickets. 2nd CI. 3rd CI. 2nd CI. 3rd CI. fr. cts. fr. cts. fr. cts. fr. cts. Tasch to Randa . . 1.80 1. 15 3.50 2. — ,, Herbriggen . . 3.55 2. 25 6.40 4. - St. Nicholas. . 6.25 3.90 11.20 7. - „ Kalpetran . 8.45 5.30 15.20 9. 50 Stalden . . 10.25 6.40 18.40 11. 50 Visp (Vi^e) . . 13. a5 8. 35 24. — 15. — „ Zermatt . 2.70 1.70 4. 80 3. — 1 It is possible to ko aloncf the top of the entire ran^e of the Saas Orat without descending to the viuleys at all. The directions are simple. Commencing at the Schwarzberg Weissthor, go over the summit of the Strahlhorn and descend on the Adler Pass ; then go over the Rimpfischhom and come down on the Allalin Pass ; next walk up the Allalinhom and descend to the Alphubeljoch, whence you cross over the Digitized by VjOOQIC 122 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN, chap. vii. The torrent (Taschbach) from the Tasch Valley flows through Tiisch, and is now embanked. It was formerly a source of trouble, and frequently rendered the road to Zermatt nearly or quite im- passable. In the village itself there is little to be seen except the collection of skulls and bones which is preserved in a small build- ing {heinhaus) attached to the Church. At Tasch, and various other places, they do not allow one to remain peaceably in his grave in perpetuity. You are disinterred and your bones are stacked away in this fashion. There are similar collections at St. Nicholas and at Visp. For names of Guides of Tasch see Appendix G. CHARNEL-HOUSE (* BEINHAUS ') AT TASCH. [From the village of Tasch, a good path starts at the upper bridge over the Taschbach for the Tasch Alp. The name Tasch Alp is sometimes applied to a small Inn situated in a valley which leads at first a little S. of E. and afterwards about S.E., and sometimes to the Valley itself. In this volume the valley is called the Tasch Valley, and the ground round about the inn is termed the Tasch Alp. The path gets into forest soon after leaving the bridge, and is steep for about 1500 feet. When it begins to enter the Tasch Valley the inclination becomes moderate, and it so continues to the Inn (about 7000 feet) which can Alphubel to the Mischabeljoch, and go successively over the Taschhorn, Dom, Siid- Lenzspitze, Nadelhorn, Ulrichshorn and Balfrin. The whole route has been traversed in sections upon one or another occasion. Digitized by VjOOQIC . CHAP. VII. EXCURSIONS FROM TASCH, 123 be reached easily in 1 h. 50 min. from Tasch. This inn is now often used as a starting-point for the ascents of the Allalinhom, Alphubel, and Rimp- fischhorn, and for the passages of the Mischabeljoch, Alpnubeljoch, F^ejoch, Aiioi;«^„„„ etc. It is sometimes closed early in the season, and enquiry tAsch. should be made before leaving Tasch, to avoid disappointment. In the event of the Tasch Alp inn being closed, Randa can be used as a starting-point for these excursions. It is nearer than Zermatt. A promenade on foot or mule-back can be taken by anyone, alone, to the foot of the Mellichen, Hubel, and Langenfluh Glaciers at the head of the Tasch Valley (about 8000 feet). They can be reached in a leisurely fashion in 1^ to li hs. Fair path. This is good grazing-ground, and there are often many cattle about, some of whom are uncivilized. Carry a stick. Admirable views of the Weisshom will be seen in front, when returning. The first ascent of the Allalinhom, 13,235 feet, 4034 metres, was made on Aug. 28, 1856. by Mr. E. L. Ames, with the guides Franz Andermatten and — Imseng of Saas. They started from the Mattmark Inn, and after getting to the top of the Allalinpass followed the ridge which leads thence N.E. bv N. to the summit of the mountain. The ascent from the Col and back occupied them about 4 hs. From the Col they descended to Zermatt, vid Tasch. From place to place 14 hs. were taken. The mountain was crossed from N. to S. (Saas to Zermatt) by Mr. L. Stephen and Rev. W. Short, with Franz Andermatten and Moritz Anthonmatten (?) on Aug. 1, 1860. Sixteen hours were occupied from place to place. Digitized by VjOOQIC 124 ZEBMATT AND THE MATTERHOBN. chap. vii. The Alphubel, 13,803 feet, 4207 metres, was first ascended on Aug. 9, 1860, by Mr. Leslie Stephen, viA the Tasch Valley. No account of this ascent has been preserved, and I am unable to indicate the route that was taken. The summit can be attained in li hs. from the Alphubel- joch, and in even less time from the Mischabeljoch, and it is also accessible from the West. The first ascent of the RimpfiBclihorn, 13,790 feet, 4203 metres, was made by Dr. R. Liveing and Mr. Leslie Stephen in 1859, with the guides Melchior Anderegg and Johann zum Taugwald, from. Zer- matt, i^ the long ridge called the Rimpfischwange. Twelve hours of actual going seem to have been occupied on the ascent and descent. This mountain has also been ascended from the Allalinpass (5 hs. from the Pass to the top), but the route which is probably the shortest and easiest is that marked on the Map of the Valley of Zermatt, from the TSsch Valley, crossing the Hubel Glacier near its foot, mounting the buttress between it and the Langen- fluh Glacier, and crossing the latter to a point high up on the Rimpfischw&ige, which is then followed to the summit. The Rimpfischhom is a more appe- tizing morsel for a mountaineer than the Allalin and Alphubel, which also, as points of view, are inferior to a number of positions in this district which can be gained more easily. The passes out of the Tasch Valley, leading to the Saas Thai, are all moderately easy ; though, as they are lofty, they are, under any circumstances, somewhat laborious. The Mischabeljoch, 12,651 feet, 3856 metres, between the Taschhom and the Alphubel, was first traversed by Messrs. Coutts and William Trotter, the Rev. H. B. Greorge and the Rev. W. S. Thomason, with the guides Peter Bohreu, Christian Aimer, and two Saas men, on July 30, 1862, from Saas (im Grund) to Zermatt. Fifteen hours were taken going right through. The route now iisually follow^ for this pass is marked on the Map of the Valley of Zermatt. The Alphubeljoch, 12,474 feet, 3802 metres, be- tween the Alphubel and AUalinhom is easy ; but with new snow may be very laborious. The ordinarj' route for it is marked. Time ft^m Saas-F^e to Tasch Alp in 9 to 10 hs., actual going. In 1889, a French lady and gentleman fell, '* ivUh their guide ^ into a crevasse on this pass, and were only saved by the arrival of another party." — Alpine Journal ^ vol. xiv, p. 475. The F^ejoch. 12,507 feet, 3812 metres, is not shewn upon the Map of the Valley of Zermatt. It lies between the point marked 3912 and the AUalinhom. That peak can be ascended from the Col. It is a circuitous route from the Tlisch Valley to Saas-F^ ; but, being easy, is as quick as the more direct ones. The Allalinpass, the next one to the south, 11,713 feet, 3570 metres, between the Allalinhorn and Rimpfischhom, is known to have been crossed in RAN DA TO ZERMATT. 1847, aud possibly was in use long before. This is Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAP. VII. tAsch to zermatt. 125 a very circuitous way of getting from the Tasch Valley to Saas, but the time occupied is not more than upon the above-mentioned passes. Deducting the 4 hs. taken on the first ascent of the AllaKn from the Col to the Summit and back, Mr. Ames' party went through from Mattmark to Zermatt in 10 hs. There remains to be mentioned a little pass at the head of the Tasch Valley, the TAwgftwflwh Pass, leading from it into the Findelen Valley, across the western end of the long ridge called the Rimpfischwange. This has not yet been rec<^nized on the OflBcial Maps of Switzerland. It goes between the points marked 3258 and 3314, by the track laid down on the Valley of Zermatt Map, and is, approximately, 10,500 feet high. One can get by it easily in 5 to 6 hs. from the Tasch Alp Inn to the Fluhberg Hotel (by the side of the Findelen Glacier). In descending from the Tasch Valley with the intention of proceeding to Zermatt, the quickest wa,j is to return by the path to the village of Tasch, and thence by train. If time is not an object, another way may be taken. When about 20 min. down, a rough path will be noticed leading away to the left (about S.S.W.) by the side of an old, disused watercourse. Baedeker's Switzerland terms this "a direct but disagreeable forest-path." I have found it very serpentine and highly agreeable.] South of Tasch, the road to Zermatt does not rise much for 3 kils. It then crosses to the left bank of the Mattervisp (5023 feet, 1531 metres), and becomes steeper on the next two kils. The last bit, just before entering Zermatt, is flat. A kilometre and a half to the south of Tasch, the railway crosses to the left bank for the last time, and rises rapidly, in 1 kil., high above the torrent and road, by the last of the inclines with cogged rails. At this part it skirts the base of the Mettelhom. There is a grand view, between kils. 31-32, of a gorge through which the Mattervisp runs. Gret on the side of the stream. The Matterhom first shews itself, to those in the train, about the 34th kil., and after passing through a little tunnel Zermatt comes in sight, with Mont Cervin towering above. At the Terminus there is a good Buffet, and Omnibuses from the Hotels will be found in the Station Yard. The Railway Fares from Zermatt are — Single Fares. Return Tickets. 2nd CI. 3rd CI. 2nd 01. 3rd 01. fr. cts. fr. cts. fr. cts. fr. cts. Zermatt to Tasch 2.70 1.70 4.80 3. — ,, Randa . 4.45 2.80 8. — 5. - ,, Herbriggen 6.25 3.90 11. 20 7. - „ St. Nicholas . 8.90 5.55 16. — 10.— ,, Kalpetran 11.15 6.95 20.— 12.50 „ Stalden . 12.45 7.80 22.40 14.— Visp (Vifege) . 16.- 10.— 28.80 18.— , , Lausanne . 26.- 17. 15 44.80 29.40 Digitized by VjOOQIC Digitized by VjOOQIC CHAPTER VIII. UPON THE VILLAGE OF ZERMATT. ZERMATT — ITS POPULATION — AUTHORITIES — REPARATION OF PATHS — COMMUNAL FORESTS — HOTELS — THE STREET — SHOPS — MANNERS AND CUSTOMS — THE CHURCH — INSCRIPTIONS IN GRAVEYARD — ENGLISH CHURCH AND INSCRIPTIONS IN ITS GRAVEYARD— AN ALPINE GARDEN ! — ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS — POST OFFICE — TEM- PERATURES — GLACIERS — EARTHQUAKES — BRIDGES — GUIDES AND MULES — THE GORNERGRAT RAILWAY. The Village of Zennatt,i 35 kils. from Visp, is situated in a basin at the head of the Nicolai Thai, upon nearly level ground, on the left bank of the Mattervisp torrent. It is in the District de Viige (or Bezirk Visp). See p. 101. Altitude, 5315 feet (1620 metres). Post and Telegraph. The permanent Population at the last Census was 525, and it is now estimated at 600. During the season, the residents are largely augmented by the persons employed in the Hotels, and by shop- keepers and others who come from various parts of Switzerland. For Zermatters in early times, see p. 9. The Authorities comprise the President of the Commune (with a Council of five), a Juge, and sous- Juge de Commune, The whole of the upper parts of the surrounding Alps and mountains, up to the limits of pasturage, are the property of the Commune. On the lower ground, many little patches and plots are private property. The Zermatters set a high value on their land, and ask prices equi- valent to those which are obtainable in the City of London. The Conmiune derives a considerable revenue from rents. Reparation of Roads and Paths. — The Conmiune determines what shall be done in this matter, and assesses the amount that shall be contributed by each person, according to his means. I am told that very little in the way of reparation is carried out. The condition of the paths has scarcely improved since I have known them. Forests. — Although the Forests around Zermatt (in consequence of the high average elevation of the soil) are not so extensive as those belonging to some of the Communes lower down the Valley, they 1 The name Zermatt is of comparatively modem origin. See chap. i. I have remarked the following variations m spelling. Zermatten (Bourrit, 1781) ; Zer-Matt (De Saussure, 1796) ; Zur-Matt (Ebel, 1804) ; Zermat (Schiner, 1812) ; Matt (Ebel, 1818) ; and Zurmatt (Marc Yiridet,- 1833). Digitized by VjOOQIC 128 ZERMATT AND THE MATTERHORN. chap. viii. form a large and valuable property. Every member of the Commune has right to wood to build a house, if he has not already got one, but he has to pay for its transport. The most picturesque tree in this neighbourhood is the Arolla Pine, and it is also one of the most serviceable for its timber, but it is not considered so valuable as the Larch. The greater part of the ch&lets are built of the latter wood. Furniture and floors are made from the Arolla Pine. Hotels.— Grand Hotel du Mont Cervin (300 beds ; Pension, 7-16 francs; Bierhalle ; Lift). Hotel Monte Rosa (100 beds; Pension, 7-14 frs. ; open all the year). Hotel Zermatt (180 beds; Pension, 7-15 frs.). These