On The Hills
Great Gable, Eagle’s Nest Ridge, Tricouni Rib. – This new climb starts from the Dress Circle. The right outer edge is climbed to the platform where a perched block is mounted. The short traverse to the right is very tense, but once the upright rib or rock corner is reached, straightforward climbing for 70 feet brings within reach a waiting room. The second can now be brought up. It is better not to enter the shallow grassy gully on the right, but to stick to the sound rock all the way. A final steep slab, just difficult, concludes the climb at the crest of the Ridge, where the newly fallen block lies across the gap. (Aug., 1925.) – C .D.F.
Scawfell, Slime Chimney. – To reach the foot of the climb from Mickledore we scrambled a little way round the base of the overhang towards Cam Spout, climbed two easy terraces and passed a narrow crack in favour of the wider breach in the vertical wall whose top was lost in mist. The climbing started abruptly on slippery, wet, flat ledges, and Beetham took up his position of support under a steady stream of icy water.
In the square vertical corner there is a forty foot crack into which the right arm and, at times, the right knee can be wedged. The left arm and leg slide about on the smooth shiny face going directly away in front. The strain on the right shoulder was unreasonably severe, and for a week afterwards I could not lie on that side. Trying to hurry made the climbing clumsy, and I was dismally slow. The excessive cold nearly put the party out of action, except of course Beetham.
I unroped and climbed two pitches before I could announce a way out at the top. With Wakefield and J. W. Wright we built a cairn and shivered. The name is Wakefield’s. (Whitsun., 1925.) – C .D.F.
Scawfell Pike, Dow Crags, Chockstone Chimney. – At Easter , 1925, Addyman, H. & F. Booth discovered a splendid wide chimney with two thirty foot pitches at the north-east end of Dow Crags on the Eskdale side of Scawfell Pike not far beyond Esk Buttress and the Esk Chimneys. The climbing was difficult and the views outwards past the big chockstones very striking.
The Alps. – The season of 1924 was very bad, that of 1925 was worse, that of 1926 started badly but settled down after 11th August into one long succession of perfect days.
In 1924 W. V. Brown, J. Hilton, and E. E. Roberts climbed Gross Rinderhorn, Balmhorn and Altels (traverse), Lötschen Lücke, Hinter Fiescherhorn (S. peak) in a storm, Grüneckhorn and Gross Grünhorn, Burstspitze, and Tellispitze (traverse, much new snow).
W. A. Wright was fortunate enough to get in Col de la Galise, Col du Palet, Tsantaleina, Dome de Val d’Isère, Grande Motte, Pte. de la Galise, Pte. Franchet, Monte Viso from the south. Luckier still in 1925 he climbed the Aiguille Pers, Albaron, Charbonnel, Central Levanna, Ciamarella and Albaron, Aig. Rousse, Rochers Bellevarde, Pte. de Sana.
A. Bonner in the same seasons climbed Blümlisalphorn, Mettelhorn, and Dent du Midi.
E. Creighton in 1924 did the Albaron, Ciamarella (traverse), Grivola, and Herbetet.
A. W. Woodward in September climbed the Rimpfischhorn, Zinalrothorn, and Untergabelhorn.
In 1925, W. V. Brown, F. S. Smythe, J. Hilton, E. E. Roberts, and J. V. Hazard met at Zermatt but in nine days accomplished nothing but the Pointe de Zinal, and a solution of the mysteries of the Matterhorn Couloir on the Riffelhorn. Then they fled home to a wintry September.
F. S. Smythe had, however, snatched quite a successful season. With J. H. B. Bell (S.M.C.), Jungfrau from the Guggi, Trugberg, Strahlegghorn, Schreckhorn – Lauteraarhom traverse (see article by Bell in the Alpine Journal, Nov., 1925). Attempt on Schreckhorn (“Thunderstorms in the Alps,” A.J., May, 1926). With J. V. Hazard, Klein Fiescherhorn, first ascent by E. face (A.J., Nov., 1926), Grüneckhorn, Bietschhorn (traverse). Finally Pointe de Zinal.
Jungfrau Traverse. – Left Guggi hut 3 a.m., nasty descent to glacier by lantern. Up icefall, intricate and very dangerous. Bergschrund below Schneehorn not easy, ice slope above steep. Rocks of face firm and good to Schneehorn. Over snow hollow to second ice-fall, cut up twenty foot ice wall. Bergschrund below Silberlücke impossible only fifty feet from the col. So traversed Silberhorn, climbing it by N.E. ridge, exceedingly bad snow, two or three feet over ice. Many gendarmes down to Silberlücke, on the way bad thunderstorm and wind and snow. Ridge to Hochfirn not difficult, but much new snow in the worst possible condition all day. Summit 5 p.m. Jungfrau Joch, 8 p.m. Supper, bed, and inadequate breakfast, 75 francs.
Grüneckhom. – By the long ridge from the Grünhornlücke. Having started much too late, 7 a.m., we were unable to take the usual descent to Concordia on account of the state of the snow. Waited till the snow froze after sunset and completed the descent to the Ewig Schneefeld by lantern light following tracks on a complicated route. Bergli, 12 p.m.
Bietschhom. – From the Bietschhorn hut to top did not rope. Descent by E. ridge quite amusing, but not worthy of all that has been said about it. In several places forced off ridge into a stone-swept couloir. Left ridge lower down for a subsidiary rib, traversed an ice slope to bridge over schrund. Baltschieder hut one of the best. – F.S.S.
In 1926, A. B. Roberts climbed Central Levanna, Ciamarella, Albaron, Bessanese, Grande Motte, Aig. de la Glière, Sana, etc. W. A. Wright crossed the Feejoch, returned over the Adler Pass to the Britannia Hut and back again over the Allalin Pass, next the Lysjoch to Gressoney, the Bella Forca to Fiéry, and the Théodule Pass to the Riffelalp.
W. M. Roberts, J.W. Wright, F. H. Slingsby, with J.H. Bell and Miers, succeeded in spite of bad weather in doing Petite Dent de Veisivi, Cassiorte, L’Evéque, and Col d’Hérens, finishing by climbing the Alphubel from the Täsch Alp and descending to Saas from the Alphubeljoch in dense mist. W.M.R. later climbed Piz Led in the Engadine.
Bentley Beetham led a large party consisting of Wakefield and Meldrum (F. & R.C.C.), Shebbeare, Burnett, Brown and E. E. Roberts in various detachments. He himself climbed Tschingelhorn, Pigne d’Arolla and Serpentine, Castor, Pollux, Obergabelhorn, Rothorn, Nord End over Monte Rosa to Zumsteinspitze and Signalkuppe, Lyskamm (traverse), Aig. d’Argentiére, Aig. Verte, Mont Blanc de Tacul on to Mont Maudit and Mont Blanc, Lauterbrunnen Breithorn.
Burnett did the first four, Monte Rosa, and Rothorn. Brown and E. E. Roberts were together on the Felikjoch, Untergabelhorn, Matterhorn, and Aig. d’Argentiére, while Brown also got Monte Rosa and Rothorn, and Roberts Aig. Verte and Lauterbrunnen Breithorn.
