[Until the year 1865 the Matterhorn, the great peak in the Alps on the border of Switzerland and Italy, had defied all attempts of man to climb it. One of the most determined of the climbers was Edward Whymper, an Englishman, who had made seven attempts. The best- known Alpine guide at that time, Carrel, insisted that the Matterhorn could be climbed only from the Italian side. When, in 1865, Carrel learned that Whymper had gone to Switzerland to begin still another ascent, he hastily collected a party to make an attempt from the Italian side. So began a race for the honour of being the first to conquer the Matterhorn. The story of the victory and of the price that was paid for the honour is told here by Edward Whymper.
We started from Zermatt on the 13th of July, at 5.30 on a brilliant and perfectly cloudless morning. We were eight in number-Croz, old Peter Taugwalder and his two sons, Lord Francis 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 well, proud to be on the expedition, and happy to show his powers.
Before 12 o"clock we had found a good position for the tent, at a height of eleven thousand feet. Croz and young Peter went on to see what was above, in order to save time on the following morning. At length, just before 3 p.m., we saw them coming down, evidently much excited. "What are they saying, Peter ? " "Gentlemen, they say it is no good. " But when they came near we heard a different story. "Nothing but what wasgood; not a difficulty, not a single difficulty ! We could havegone to the summit and returned to-day easily ! "We passed the remaining hours of daylight-some of us 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 returned to the tent to arrange for the night.
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, and in a few minutes turned the rib which had cut off the view of the eastern face from our tent platform.
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 north-east 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 over- hanging, and could no longer continue on the eastern side. For a little distance we ascended by snow upon the ridge that descends towards Zermatt; and then, by common consent,turned over to the right, or to the northern side. 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. Sometimes, after I had taken a hand from Croz, or received a pull, I turned to offer the same to Hudson; but he invariably 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. A long stride round a rather awkward corner brought us to snow once more. The last doubt vanished! The Matterhorn was ours! Nothing but two hundred feet of easy snow remained to be surmounted!
You must now carry your thoughts back to the seven ltalians who started from Breil 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. Thesummit of the Matterhorn was formed of a rudely level ridge, about three hundred and fifty feet long, and the Italians might have been at its farther extremity. I hastened to the southern end, scanning the snow right and left eagerly. Hurrah! again; it was untrodden.
We remained on the summit for one hour- "One crowded hour of glorious life. "It passed away too quickly, and we began to prepare for the descent.
Hudson and I again consulted as to the best and safest arrangement 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 guide in sureness of foot, wished to be third; Lord Francis Douglas was placed next, and old Peter, the 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 that it should be done. The party was being arranged in the above order while I was sketching the summit, and they had finished, and were waiting for 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 hadnot, however, attached the additional rope to rocks, and nothing was said about it.
Michael 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. As 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 Francis Douglas immediately after him. All this was the work of a moment. Immediately we heard Croz"s exclamation, old Peter and I planted ourselves as firmly as the rocks would permit; the rope was taut between us, and the jerk came on us both as one man. We held; but the rope broke midway between Taugwalder and Lord Francis Douglas. For a few seconds we saw 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 fell from precipice to precipice on to the Matterhorn glacier nearly four thousand feet below. From the moment the rope broke it was impossible to help them.
So perished our comrades! For a space of half an hour we remained 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.
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 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. "At 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 within neither 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.
Edward Whymper, in Scrambles Amongst the AlpsAuthor-Edward Whymper (1840-1911), born in London, was famous for his mountaineering exploits. In 1860-69 he climbed for thefirst time several peaks in the Alps, including the Matterhorn. In 1867 and 1872 he made valuable geological discoveries in North Greenland. In 1879-80 he travelled in the high Andes (including the ascent of Chimborazo and other peaks). His books are all about travel and mountaineering :- Scrambles Amongst the Alps, Travels Amongst the Great Andes, and Zermatt and the Matterhorn.
General Notes.-It will help you to follow the story more clearly ifyou find in your atlas the Matterhorn, Zermatt, and Briel. Make a list of mountaineering words used in the story, giving what you think is the meaning of each. "One tourist and one native walked together-who were the tourists and who the natives? Who were not killed on this expedition ? Can you give four or five probable reasons why Whymper liked mountaineering of this kind?
The Matterhorn