The Ascent Of The Matterhorn Part 21

The view from the _Cabane_ extends from the Bietschhorn on the north to the Grand Tournalin in the south; and includes the Mischabel group, the Allalleinhorn and Alphubel, Mont Rosa, etc. etc. Its situation is not high enough to overlook those mountains, and so the prospect is very similar to the northern and eastern half of the view from the Riffel. The uppermost 800 feet of the Matterhorn can be seen from the hut, but the rest of the part above it is not visible, being hidden by a small ridge which projects from the face. Whilst stopping in the _Cabane_ 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 year 1879 is a memorable one in the history of the Matterhorn, for in it there occurred two deaths upon the mountain, and two new routes were discovered. Sufficient information has not come to hand at the time I write upon what is termed the "_affaire Brantschen_" to enable one to form a correct opinion about that lamentable business, and it is enough to say that upon August 12 a party started from Breil, composed of Dr. Luscher, Prof. Schiess, and the guides J. M. Lochmatter, Jos. Brantschen, and Petryson of Evolena. They gained the hut on the "cravate" in due course, and on the following day the party crossed the mountain to Zermatt, with the exception of Brantschen, who was left behind in the hut, some say only slightly ill, and others at the point of death. Which of these was the case is only known by those concerned. They sent back a.s.sistance to their comrade in a somewhat tardy fashion, and when the relief party gained the hut Brantschen was found dead.

At the time that this was taking place on the southern side of the Matterhorn, an accident occurred on the north-east face by which a life was lost. Messrs. A. E. Craven and Dr. Moseley (of Boston), with the guides Peter Rubi and C. Inabnit, left Zermatt at 10.30 P.M. on the night of August 13, 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 of 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, and within quite a short distance of the hut, 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 a.s.sistance; placed his hand on 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 almost the whole of the north-east face. He fell about 2000 feet, and was of course killed on the spot. His body was recovered three days later, and was interred in the English burying-ground at Zermatt.

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 found. On September 2-3, Mr.

A. F. Mummery, with the guides ? and ? , succeeded in gaining the summit by first going up the long b.u.t.tress of snow which runs out from the mountain to the Z'Mutt glacier, and then up the rocks above. I have been unable to procure any details respecting this expedition and my only information about it has been derived from Mr. Baumann, who followed in Mr. Mummery's traces three days later. Mr. Baumann says: "We followed the long ice-slope to its extreme upper end, then the jagged arete above it for a short distance, and then deviated a little to the right, climbing by a secondary rocky ridge descending towards the Stockhi until within an hour of the summit, when we struck the main Z'Mutt arete and so completed the ascent by joining the Breil route."

At the very time that Mr. Mummery was occupied in his expedition, Mr. W.

Penhall, with the guides F. Imseng and L. Sorbriehen, was engaged in a similar enterprise, and also ascended the Matterhorn from the direction of the Stockhi. He, however, at the first took a route closer to the Tiefenmatten glacier, though he at last, like the others, eventually got upon the main Z'Mutt arete and completed the ascent by following a portion of the Breil route.

Neither Mr. Mummery, nor Messrs. Baumann and Penhall, descended by the routes which they struck out, and in each case the respective parties descended by the northern or Zermatt route. It is therefore at present impossible to determine the relative difficulty of the various routes up the mountain. Still, I think that the great majority of tourists will, as heretofore, prefer the ordinary Zermatt route, and that comparatively few will patronize the newly-discovered ones.

The ascent of the Matterhorn has now taken its place amongst those which are considered fashionable, and many persons get upon it who ought not to be upon a mountain at all. Although much has been done on both sides of it to facilitate the routes, and although they are much easier to traverse than they were in years gone by, it is still quite possible to get into trouble upon them, and to come utterly to grief. Considering how large a number of entirely incompetent persons venture upon the mountain, it is surprising so few meet with accidents; but if the number of accidents continues to increase at its present rate it will, ere long, not be easy to find a place of interment in the English churchyard at Zermatt.