CHAPTER XIV

WINTER STATIONS--WINTER SPORTS--HOW TO USE SKI 300

The awakening of the English--Switzerland the ice and snow rink of Europe--The high winter stations and the low--Principal sporting centres--Insular delusions--The Continental network of winter sport associations--Winter sports on ice--Tobogganing--The winter climate varies with the altitude--A classification of sporting centres according to altitude--The ski-runner is monarch of the Alps--How to keep one’s ski in good order--How to learn the gentle art of running on ski--Precepts and practice--The turns, breaks, and swings--_Point final_.

ILLUSTRATIONS

SUNSET, FROM MONT DURAND GLACIER _Frontispiece_

FACE PAGE

THE WILDSTRUBEL HUT 21

OBERGABELHORN, FROM THE DENT BLANCHE 29

SPORT ON THE ZAN FLEURON GLACIER 42

FROM THE DENT BLANCHE, LOOKING WEST 50

MOVING FROM THE TOP OF THE FINSTERAARHORN 60

DESCENT INTO THE TELLITHAL, LOETSCHENTHAL 70

ON THE TOP OF THE FINSTERAARHORN 80

ABOVE RIED, LOETSCHENTHAL 90

WILDSTRUBEL AND PLAINE MORTE GLACIER 100

KANDER GLACIER 123

GASTERNTHAL 130

CONCORDIA PLATZ 149

BREAKFAST ON THE FINSTERAARHORN 163

ADOLF ON THE FINSTERAARHORN ARÊTE 178

THE VALSOREY GLEN 190

THE SONADON CLIFFS 214

ON THE DENT BLANCHE, WITH MATTERHORN 230

TOP OF DENT BLANCHE 234

ON THE STOCKJÉ, LOOKING EAST 238

FOOT OF STOCKJÉ, LOOKING EAST 243

UPPER SCERSCEN AND ROSEG GLACIERS 253

THE SONADON GLACIER 266

AT THE FOOT OF THE COL D’HÉRENS 279

THE BRITANNIA HUT 302

MAPS.

DIABLERETS--WILDHORN--WILDSTRUBEL--GEMMI PASS 64

KANDERSTEG--FINSTERAARHORN--GRIMSEL 114

FERRET--ENTREMONT--BAGNES 182

THE PENNINE RANGE FROM GRAND ST. BERNARD TO ZERMATT 208

MISCHABEL RANGE AND MONTE ROSA 240

PIZ BERNINA CIRCUIT 248

Ski-Runs in the High Alps