Arolla and Its Climbs

by Algernon Blackwood

When writing a description of a mountaineering centre, one is invariably embarrassed by the unlikelihood of its suiting every reader. Some may be experienced climbers, preferring only the hardest expeditions, while others may be new to the sport, and unfit for anything but easy scrambling. It is for mountain lovers, therefore, of average climbing capacity that this article is intended, in the hope that they may realise that, in spite of many changes, Switzerland still possesses a few charming, though remote, centres, where the Alps can be contemplated amid simple surroundings, and may also be climbed without the aid of electric railways. Even in climbing circles there are a great many individuals whose horizon is bounded by Zermatt, Chamonix and Grindelwald, and who, when the name of Arolla is suggested, have a vague idea that it is situated in the St. Gothard Valley or the Upper Engadine. Once, however, one has removed from their minds all ideas of Airolo and Arosa, one may go on to point out its correct position, namely, at the head of the Val d’Herens, which branches off from the Rhone Valley at Sion. Here is a bit of Switzerland as the early pioneers knew it; just a simple upland village, with nothing to recommend it but its own natural attractions, unsupplemented by tennis tournaments or fashionable “five o’clocks.” In fact, Arolla has nothing to offer the idler, no funicular ascents, not even a grotte aux fées. And yet, though primarily a hunting-ground for the mountaineer, it provides ample scope for less ambitious projects, no one presumably venturing so far afield without some form of pedestrian exercise in view, And here lies one of the chief attractions of the place, in that it can offer ascents of every description and difficulty; it is an admirable school to choose for one’s early climbing education, while many of its peaks will call for all the resources of the most finished mountaineer. It would be, of course, impossible in so small a space to give anything like a detailed account of the expeditions to be made; but even the scantiest description of them may be of some assistance to any who feel inclined to climb a little off the beaten track. So, always bearing in mind that this article is intended for the average climber, I will try to give some idea of the most interesting ascents to be made.

For an introductory acquaintance with the district there is nothing to beat the Petite Dent de Veisivi, whose jagged ridge is so plainly seen to the northeast of the village; it is a perfectly straightforward piece of rock climbing of some three hours, and, though there are passages where the hands play as large a part as the feet, there is nothing which should worry an active and enthusiastic amateur. Among other second-class peaks there are the Aiguille de la Za, of which the pièce de résistance is a rather smooth slab; the Pigne d’Arolla, for those who do not mind a day’s trudge in the snow; and, lastly, the Mont Collon, an admirable combination of snow and rock work, and perhaps the most imposing-looking mountain in the neighbourhood. Of the more difficult climbs, the ascent of the Aiguille de la Za by the west face and the traverse of the Aiguilles Rouges form undoubtedly the finest expeditions of the district; they are, naturally, only for mountaineers of some experience, and are well worth a visit. The former is simply a succession of rock walls, broken up at intervals by narrow ledges from which the leading climber can attend to the safety of those below. One or two passages call for a considerable amount of gymnastics, particularly the last parapet, which is not at all unlike a lift shaft, with a glimpse of the Arolla hotels directly below. More serious still is the traverse of the Aiguilles Rouges, for not only is it a longer and more exhausting climb, some three hours being required to reach the base, but the rock work in many places is of a more sensational and tiring nature, On the northern and central peaks the climbing is fairly straightforward; but it is on the southern point that the exciting part of the day begins. Seen from below it resembles a huge hand of countless fingers; and, as a matter of fact, about nine of these fingers, or gendarmes, are crossed en route. Most of them involve exercise of the gymnastic order, and, if covered with a little ice, can cause unlimited trouble. But, on the whole, the rock is sound, and there are few climbs round Arolla which call for such a sustained effort of mind and muscle, and which afford the well trained cragsman so magnificent a reward.

Such in brief are the principal attractions of the district; but perhaps no account of Arolla would be complete without some mention of the Dent Blanche, that formidable summit which, though not in the immediate neighbourhood, is so easily approached from the convenient Bertol hut. As with all the great giants of the Alps, the ease or difficulty of its conquest is entirely dependent on weather conditions; in a hot summer its southern ridge may offer very little difficulty, while after a fresh fall of snow the ascent might be scarcely justifiable. In August of this year the writer, with a friend and two guides, was fortunate enough to make the descent by the West Ridge, perhaps the most impressive side of the mountain. Seen from above, the view of those shattered precipices is one to be remembered; tower upon tower succeed one another in an endless succession of jagged teeth, until the eye can scan the wonderful ridge no longer, but is caught by the glint of the Ferpécle icefall away below, like the flash of clear water at the bottom of a well. But the Dent Blanche is not a peak to be trifled with, and should not be attempted in doubtful weather, and therefore if time at Arolla is limited, it is wiser to confine one’s attention to the summits near at hand and where weather conditions are of less importance. Every day spent in those stoney highlands will be one to look back to, and when the climbing season comes round and the mountaineer longs once more for the ring of the axe or the tinkle of the cowbells on the upland pasture. Let him remember Arolla and spend such a summer as only his fondest dreams could picture.