numerous ascents have been made, and of these the only one which calls for mention is that by Signor Giordano, on September 3-5, 1868. This gentleman came to Breil several times after his famous visit in 1865, with the intention of making the ascent, but he was always baffled by weather. In July 1866 he got as high as the 'cravate' (with J.-A. Carrel and other men), and was detained there five days and nights, unable to move either up or down! At last, upon the above-named date, he was able to gratify his desires, and accomplished the feat of ascending the mountain upon one side and descending it upon the other. Signor Giordano is, I believe, the only geologist who has ascended the Matterhorn. He spent a considerable time in the examination of its structure, and became benighted on its eastern face in consequence. I am indebted to him for the valuable note and the accompanying section which follow the Table of Ascents.[1]
The two tables upon pp. 422-23 explain themselves. The first exhibits at a glance all the attempts which were made to ascend the Matterhorn before July 1865, whether by natives or whether by stranger-amateurs; and the second, all of the ascents which have been actually made since that date. Besides these successes, there have been a large number of failures. I have been compelled to omit all mention of the latter, merely on account of their number. Great trouble has been taken to make the following tables accurate; but it is, of course, possible that some names have been omitted which should have been inserted.
The ascents have been equally divided between the two routes. The northern one still remains, I believe, just what it was in 1865, with the exception of the hut built upon the eastern face. The southern route, however, has been rendered very much easier by the ropes which have been placed over all the difficult places. It is another thing whether it is safer than it was. Unless a greater amount of supervision is given to these ropes than I expect will be given to them, and unless they are replaced from time to time by new ones, they will be likely to render it more, rather than less, hazardous. In difficulty, there is now probably little or no difference between the routes. Very poor climbers may make, and have made, the ascent. Novices, in my opinion, ought to be invariably deterred from attempting it, and if it ever becomes fashionable (like the ascent of Mont Blanc, for example), the most disastrous consequences may be anticipated.
- ↑ Signor Giordano carried a mercurial barometer throughout the entire distance, and read it frequently. His observations have enabled me to determine with confidence and accuracy the heights which were attained upon the different attempts to ascend the mountain, and the various points upon it which have been so frequently mentioned throughout this volume. He left a minimum thermometer upon the summit in 1868. This was recovered by J.-A. Carrel in July 1869, and was found to register only 9° Fahrenheit below the freezing point. It was supposed that it 'was protected from the winter cold by a deep covering of snow. The explanation is scarcely satisfactory.
occurred on July 14, 1865, and improved the route. Others who have made the ascent by the northern route have thought the same; but, as far as I can learn, there has not been any material deviation from the route we took over the small difficult part of the mountain; and my information leads me to believe, that most of those who have ascended or descended the northern route have passed over the exact place where the accident occurred.
