Above the Snow Line (Volume 6); Mountaineering Sketches Between 1870 and 1880

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1885. Excerpt: ... 169 CHAPTER VI. ASCENT OF THE AIGUILLE DU DRU 'Decies repetita placebit' Disadvantages of narratives of personal adventure--Expeditions on the Aiguille du Dru in 1874--The ridge between the Aiguilles du Dru and Verte--' D fendu de passer par la '--Distance lends enchantment--Other climbers attack the peak--View of the mountain from the Col de Balme--We try the northern side, and fail more signally than usual--Showing that mountain fever is of the recurrent type--We take seats below, but ha ve no opportunity of going up higher--The campaign opens--We go under canvas--A spasmodic start, and another failure--A change of tactics and a new leader--Our sixteenth attempt--Sports and pastimes at Chamouni--The art of cray-fishing--The apparel oft proclaims the man--A canine acquaintance--A new ally--The turning point of the expedition--A rehearsal for the final performance--A difficult descent--A blank in the narrative--A carriage misadventure--A penultimate failure--We start with two guides and finish with one--The rocks of the Dru--Maurer joins the party--Our nineteenth attempt--A narrow escape in the gully--The arete at last--The final scramble--Our foe is vanquished and decorated--The return journey--Benighted--A moonlight descent--We are graciously received--On 'fair' mountaineering--The prestige of new peaks--Chamouni becomes festive--' Heut' Abend grosses Feuerwerkfest'--Chamouni dances and shows hospitality--The scene closes in. It is to some extent an unfortunate circumstance that in a personal narrative of adventure the result is practically known from the very beginning. The only uncertainty that can exist is the actual pattern on which the links of the chain are united together, for the climax is from the outset a foregone conclusion. The descript...