CHAPTER XXI

THE WHOLE DUTY OF THE CLIMBER--ALPINE DISTRESS SIGNALS

I cannot bring this book to a more fitting end than by quoting the closing words of a famous article in _The Alpine Journal_ by Mr C. E. Mathews entitled "The Alpine Obituary." It was written twenty years ago, but every season it becomes if possible more true. May all who go amongst the mountains lay it to heart!

"Mountaineering is extremely dangerous in the case of incapable, of imprudent, of thoughtless men. But I venture to state that of all the accidents in our sad obituary, there is hardly one which need have happened; there is hardly one which could not have been easily prevented by proper caution and proper care. Men get careless and too confident. This does not matter or the other does not matter. The fact is, that everything matters; precautions should be not only ample but excessive.

'The little more, and how much it is, And the little less and what worlds away.'

"Mountaineering is not dangerous, provided that the climber knows his business and takes the necessary precautions--all within his own control--to make danger impossible. The prudent climber will recollect what he owes to his family and to his friends. He will also recollect that he owes something to the Alps, and will scorn to bring them into disrepute. He will not go on a glacier without a rope. He will not climb alone, or with a single companion. He will treat a great mountain with the respect it deserves, and not try to rush a dangerous peak with inadequate guiding power. He will turn his back steadfastly upon mist and storm. He will not go where avalanches are in the habit of falling after fresh snow, or wander about beneath an overhanging glacier in the heat of a summer afternoon. Above all, if he loves the mountains for their own sake, for the lessons they can teach and the happiness they can bring, he will do nothing that can discredit his manly pursuit or bring down the ridicule of the undiscerning upon the noblest pastime in the world."

ALPINE DISTRESS SIGNALS

No book on climbing should be issued without a reminder to its readers that tourists (who may need it even oftener than mountaineers) have a means ready to hand by which help can be signalled for if they are in difficulties. That in many cases a signal might not be seen is no reason for neglecting to learn and use the simple code given below and recommended by the Alpine Club. It has now been adopted by all societies of climbers.

The signal is the repetition of a sound, a wave of a flag, or a flash of a lantern _at regular intervals_ at the rate of six signals per minute, followed by a pause of a minute, and then repeated every alternate minute. The reply is the same, except that three and not six signals are made in a minute. The regular minute's interval is essential to the clearness of the code.

GLOSSARY AND INDEX

GLOSSARY.

ALP A summer pasture.

ARÊTE The crest of a ridge. Sometimes spoken of as a knife-edge, if very narrow.

BERGSCHRUND A crevasse forming between the snow still clinging to the face of a peak, and that which has broken away from it.

COL A pass between two peaks.

COULOIR A gully filled with snow or stones.

GRAT The same as _arête_.

JOCH The same as _col_.

KAMM The same as _arête_.

MORAINE See chapter on glaciers, page 7.

MOULIN See chapter on glaciers, page 7.

NÉVÉ See chapter on glaciers, page 7.

PITZ An Engadine name for a peak.

SCHRUND A crevasse.

SÉRAC A cube of ice, formed by intersecting crevasses where a glacier is very steep. Called thus after a sort of Chamonix cheese, which it is said to resemble.

A

Albula Pass, 20

Aletsch glacier, 12, 142

Almer, Christian, 29, 50, 51, 71, 126, 134

Almer, Ulrich, 42

Altels, Ice-avalanche of the, 78

Anderegg, Jacob, 162

Anderegg, Melchior, 24, 50, 113, 162

d'Angeville, Mademoiselle, 204

Ardon, 59

Arkwright, Henry, 98

Aufdemblatten, Peter, 269

Avalanches, different kinds of, 15

B

Balmat, 52

Barnes, Mr G. S., 32

Bean, Mr, 108

Bennen, 59, 113, 252

Bich, J. B., 262

Bionnassay, Aiguille de, 169

Birkbeck, Mr, 113

Blanc, Mont, 3, 92, 107, 162, 203

Bohren, 52

Boissonnet, Monsieur, 59

Borchart, Dr, 150

Borckhardt, F. C., 269

Bossons, Glacier des, 9

Breil, 253

Brenva Glacier, Ascent of Mont Blanc by, 162

Burckhardt, Herr F., 147

Burgener, Alexander, 226

C

Carré, Glacier, 172

Carrel, J. A., 252, 259, 261, death of, 280

Coolidge, Rev. W. A. B., 30, 171

Couttet, Sylvain, 89, 99, 109

Croda Grande, feat of endurance on, 48

Croz, Michel, 126, 134, 252

D

Davies, John, 269

Dent, Clinton, 58, 221

Douglas, Lord Francis, 45, 259

Distress Signals, Alpine, 291

Dru, Aiguille du, 221

E

Eigerjoch, 208

F

Falkner, Monsieur de, 269

Föhn Wind, Note on the, 80

G

Gabelhorn, Ober, 42, 45

Gardiner, Mr, 170

Garwood, Mr Edmund, 194

Glacier tables, 11

Gorret, Charles, 281

Gosaldo, 48

Gosset, Mr Philip, 59

Grass, Hans and Christian, 44

Greenland, Glaciers of, 7

Guntner, Dr, 33

H

Hadow, Mr, 260

Hamel, Dr Joseph, 92

Hartley, Mr Walker, 226

Haut-de-Cry, 59

Hinchliff, Mr T. W., 122

Hudson, Rev. C., 113, 269

I

Imboden, Joseph, 5, 30, 35, 38, 40, 84

Imboden, Roman, 32, 84, 194

J

Jungfrau, 147

K

King, Sir H. Seymour, 278

Klimmer, 150

Kronig, F., 269

L

Lammer, Herr, 72

Lauener, 41, 52, 66, 208

Longman, W., 142

Lorria, Herr, 72

M

M'Corkindale, Mr, 108

Mammoth, 105

Maquignaz, J. P. and D., 269

Martin, Jean, 154

Mather, Mr, 113

Mathews, Mr C. E., 289

Mathews, Messrs, 208

Matterhorn, 23, 72, 250

Maurer, Andreas, 46, 226

Maurer, Kaspar, 239

Meije, 170

Mercer, Mr, 269

Miage, Col de, 114

Moming, Pass, 126

Moore, Mr, 126, 134, 162

Moraines, 10

Moser, 269

N

Nasse, Herr, 150

P

Palü, Piz, 44, 150

Paradis, Maria, 203

Penhall, Mr, 72

Perren, 113

Pigeon, The Misses, 153

Pilatte, Col de, 134

Pilkington, Messrs, 170

Plan, Aiguille du, 46

R

Randall, Mr, 108

Rey, Emile, 46

Reynaud, Monsieur, 135

Richardson, Miss K., 169

Riva, Valley Susa, 18

Rochat, Mademoiselle E. de, 169

S

Saas, Prättigau, 17

Schallihorn, 83

Schnitzler, 150

Schuster, Oscar, 48

Scerscen, Piz, 194

Sesia, Joch, 153

Sinigaglia, Leone, 281

Stephen, Sir Leslie, 113, 208

Stratton, Miss, 206

T

Taugwald, Peter, 269

Taugwalder, 259

Trift Pass, 112

Tuckett, Mr F. F., 66, 113

W

Wainwright, Mrs and Dr, 44

Walker, Mr, 50, 134, 162

Wetterhorn, 51

Wieland, 194

Wills, Chief Justice, 51

Whymper, Mr C., 126, 134, 250

Z

Zecchini, G., 48

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