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Scrambles Amongst the Alps (National Geographic)
 
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Scrambles Amongst the Alps (National Geographic) (Paperback)

by Edward Whymper (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: National Geographic Books; Reprint edition (1 Oct 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0792269233
  • ISBN-13: 978-0792269236
  • Product Dimensions: 22.6 x 15.2 x 3.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 188,694 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Product Description

Scrambles Amongst the Alps describes nine years Whymper spent climbing in the Alps, from 1860 to 1869, a time when mountain climbing was just starting to become an international sport getting international headlines. Whymper was a prodigious climber; he once gained 100,000 feet of altitude in the mountains in something like 30 days, attacking peaks with an energy and determination that remain remarkable to this day. But the big kahuna was the Matterhorn, and the book spends much of its time on Whymper's seven failed attempts at it, and on the eighth, in which he summited, and four men died. The book makes an excellent guide on this account to the history of early climbing and climbing techniques.

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Customer Reviews

2 Reviews
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5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing Victorian, 31 Mar 2006
By Justin Murphy (Luxembourg) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Since I am interested both in mountaineering and in things Victorian, this book was perfect for me. Whymper wrote with a typically British understatement and wry amusement. It is a style of writing that you either love or hate: I love it. He was not only a pioneer of mountaineering - doing amazing things with the pitifully poor clothing and equipment of the day (he was happy to bivouac on a mountain with only a "blanket bag") - but also very involved in geology and, especially, the study of glaciers. It was typically Victorian to involve oneself in several fields of study at the same time. He also has interesting things to say about the inhabitants of the alpine regions, including the consequences of the in-breeding that was apparently common in some areas. This book is a delightful relic of very different times.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Edward Whymper made many first alpine ascents, including the Matterhorn in 1865 which ended in tragedy on the descent, 18 Sep 2009
By Jerome Ryan "mountainsoftravelphotos.com" (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Originally Published in 1871. Whymper details his Alps climbs in the 1860s with many first ascents including Mont Pelvoux in 1861, Barre des Écrins in 1864, Mont Dolent and Aiguille d'Argentière in 1864, and Grand Cornier, Pointe Whymper on the Grandes Jorasses, and Aiguille Verte in 1865. But Whymper will always be remembered for the first ascent of the Matterhorn on July 14, 1865.

The Matterhorn was considered to be mountaineering's biggest challenge at the time, and Whymper met with failure again and again. Finally on his eighth attempt he finally succeeded, becoming the first man to reach the summit on July 14, 1865.

On the descent, tragedy struck when four members of the party slipped and were killed, and only the breaking of the rope saved Whymper and the two remaining guides from the same fate. A controversy ensued as to whether the rope had actually been cut, but a formal investigation could not find any proof.

The accident haunted Whymper: "Every night, do you understand, I see my comrades of the Matterhorn slipping on their backs, their arms outstretched, one after the other, in perfect order at equal distances - Croz the guide, first, then Hadow, then Hudson, and lastly Douglas. Yes, I shall always see them."

I thoroughly enjoyed the parts of the book dedicated to climbing and was struck by Whymper's adventurous spirit, and his dedication and perseverance. The book does drag on a bit in a few parts with chapters on the technical details about glaciers and railway tracks. The 130 illustrations, many woodcut by Whymper himself, bring the story to life, and are almost as good as photographs.
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