CHAPTER V

THE BERNESE OBERLAND FROM END TO END 113

The Oberland circuit--My appointment with Arnold Lunn--An Anglo-Swiss piece of work--An unbelieving public--Switzerland and Britain--Geographical--Practical--We start from Beatenberg--The Jungfrau ice-slabs--New Year’s Day at Kandersteg--In the Gasterenthal--On the Tschingelfirn--Foehn-effects on the Petersgrat--The Telli glacier--The Kippel bottle-race--A church door--Theodore Kalbermatten--The Loetschen pass--Burnt socks--Roped ski-ing--The Concordia breakfast-table--Why we did not ascend the Jungfrau--The Concordia huts--The Grünhornlücke--On snow “lips” and cornices--An afternoon snooze--The Finsteraarhorn hut--A guideless party--Ascent of the Finsteraarhorn--Our next pass--A stranded runner--The Grimsel--Home life at Guttannen--Our sleigh ran to Meiringen--A comparison of winter and summer work--Memories and visions--Table of levels--How to form a caravan--The pay of the men--Side-slip and back-slip--Future railway facilities.