ASCENT OF THE WEISSTHOR.

87

certainly none which deserves a preference. The eastern face of Monte Rosa, with the continuous range of precipice that extends to the Weissthor, is here seen from the most favourable point of view, and the beautiful peak of the Pizzo Bianco, on the opposite side of the basin of Macugnaga, completes the wonderful picture."*

A little over the summit of the pass, on the northern side, the vestiges of a paved road are reached, which seems strangely out of place here. Once, however, this route, now used only by smugglers and tourists, was much frequented, and formed the highway between the Vallais and the Val Anzasca. Tradition connects the road with the Moors, whose traces are to be found on both sides the pass, and from whom its name is said to have been derived. There is no very clear historical account as to how the Moors penetrated to, or why they settled in, such a remote out-of-the-way district; but the fact seems tolerably well attested.

The ordinary pedestrian desirous of proceeding to Zermatt, or the Rhone Valley, will continue his journey northward through the village of Saas, along a wild glen to Stalden, at which place the two branches of the valley unite. The more adventurous mountaineer will probably attempt the passage of the Weissthor. This pass presents no very serious difficulty to expert climbers, but it is a severe pull for those who are not in training; and at one or two points is trying to persons who cannot creep along the edge of a precipice without giddiness. A recent number of the Leisure Hour describes the passage of the Weissthor:

"We rose at three, dressed by candle-light, with a very uncomfortable sort of feeling that we wished the work done, and Zermatt safely reached. We got away at five minutes to four, and walked up the valley for nearly an hour, calling at a chalet for the rope, etc., Lochmatter overtaking us with his ice-axe. We enjoyed the sight of the sun tipping the ridges of Monte Rosa and the other mountains, as it came upon us, and the transition from darkness to dawn was very striking. We soon began to ascend by a rough path, sometimes over rocks, and sometimes through water, till, in about another hour, we reached a poor chalet.

"From this point the ascent began in earnest, and an hour's toiling over rocks and precipitous ledges tried us very severely. We could not help resting every now and then, and our guides became a little impatient, assuring us that, 'Comme ça, nous n'arriverons jamais. It was no use talking, it was tremendous work. The cliff was nearly perpendicular, each step being a separate climb. The higher we went, the more fearful seemed the precipice we were scaling on looking below. After another sharp tug, the guides advised a glass of wine and a crust. This we had, and then got on better, the guides soon telling us we had walked well the last hour. We now approached a difficulty, consisting of a steep slope of snow, like the roof of a Gothic church. The rope was now called into requisition, and we were all attached to it. Lochmatter cut some steps with his axe, and started up. T

*

"A Guide to the Western Alps." By John Ball, late President of the Alpine Club. + The names of many of the peaks north of Monte Rosa have clearly a Moorish origin, e. 8., Mischabel, Almagel, Alphubel, Allalein. The villages of Allmengal, Aballa, and Balen have probably a similar derivation.

then put his feet into the holes, and followed him, I next, and the other guide last. We stood still while fresh steps were cut, when the process was repeated; and in this way, after much slipping and tumbling, we gained the top of the slope, and took to the rocks again. Hence to the summit was really difficult and dangerous, being a zigzag climb up the face of the rock, with a foot-hold of from six to twelve inches wide, and, as Murray describes it, 'hanging on by the eyelids.'

"Soon we came to the 'Cheminée,' a narrow space between two rocks, so smooth and perpendicular as to suggest the idea that only a sweep could get up. Lochmatter went up like a cat, and the other guide, placing me in a delightful ledge about twelve inches square, made T- stand on his shoulders like an acrobat, and shot him up to Lochmatter, who dexterously caught him and dragged

him up. I was shot up in the same way, and the guide came scrambling after anyhow. We looked at each other in astonishment at what we had done. Encore une demi-heure,' said Lochmatter, et nous arriverons au sommet. Then it was 'vingt, and then 'dix minutes;' and finally, not before we wanted it, 'le sommet'

"It was a clear space about ten feet by five feet, at the end of a ridge of rock, and apparently the only point at which the ridge could be turned at all. Here, carefully arranging our legs so as not to kick each other over, we prepared to dine. It was twelve exactly, the sun was burning us, and there was not a vestige of shade. Looking the way we had come, beyond the distant peaks, we saw a lake, which our guide declared was Lago Maggiore.

awhile we prepared to descend this interminable plateau of snow; the heat of the sun had of course made it very soft, and we sank up to our knees at every step. We tried a glissade, but it was impossible;* so we were forced to push on as best we could. We passed close under the tremendous Cima di Jazi, whose overhanging cornice seemed as if it would fall and crush us, skirting several yawning crevasses, and we were four weary hours before we got off the snow on to the solid ice of the Gorner glacier. This was harder to the feet, but sloppy and uncomfortable. Presently we reached the first rock of the lateral moraine, and under its shelter we all lay down and slept for about three quarters of an hour. We passed quite round the base of Monte Rosa, and, sometimes on rocks, sometimes on the glacier, we at length struck into the path leading to the Riffel Hotel. Hence a short and easy walk brought us to Zermatt, one of the noblest centres of grand scenery in the world."

* The glissade is effected by thrusting the heels firmly in the snow, throwing the head well back, and steadying the body with the alpenstock, which serves as a support, a drag, and a balancing pole. A slope of snow may thus be glided down rapidly and pleasantly, with the danger, however, to the inexperienced, of toppling forward and thus coming to grief.

There is no place in Switzerland which has risen so rapidly in public favour as Zermatt, or "Young Chamouni," as it is sometimes called. Its situation is surpass

ingly fine, lying, as it does, in a great natural basin, into which six glaciers fall. There is a great and charming variety of scenery-savage and grand, as well as peaceful and tender. The torrents as they emerge from the glacier-caves are turbid and impetuous, roaring amongst the boulders of the moraines or plunging in cataracts down the rocks. But gradually they subside into a comparative calm, and may be found flowing peacefully through the rich green meadows from which Zermatt takes its name.* Leaving the valley, and climbing the Gorner-grat, or the Hörnli, we stand face to face with some of the grandest mountains in Europe:-Monte Rosa, the Lyskamm, the Breithorn, the tremendous Matterhorn with its ten thousand feet of precipice, and a host of others-monuments ofthe Creator's power, to us objects of awe and wonder. The glaciers which de

bouche upon the valley-the Gorner, the Theodule, the Furgge, the Zmutt, and the Trift-all possess points of interest. The first of these, one of the longest in Switzerland, is steadily advancing, ploughing up the ground before it, and demolishing villages in its destructive course.

These vast rivers of ice are so easily accessible from Zermatt that they afford favourable opportunities for the study of glacial phenomena. Huge masses of moraine are heaped up by the glacier along its flanks or at its termination. Fearful crevasses cleave its depths, down which one may look as into a fathomless abyss of green, or blue, or white, crystal, and into which whoso falls finds a sepulchre of ice. Strange and seemingly contradictory effects are produced by rocks and stones on the surface of the ice-plain. Sometimes they sink into its mass, melting the ice upon which they rest through their absorption of solar heat: sometimes they rise high above the general mass upon pinnacles kept from melting by the shadow they cast. But more impressive than all is the steady continuous advance of the whole

* Zermatt is connected in etymology with the German Matt, a meadow; meaning either "upon the meadow," or, as some suppose, "the destroyed meadow," like Champéry. Similarly, the Matterhorn is "the horn or peak of the meadows."