Year of publication 1960 - Fell and Rock Climbing Club

18 THE EVENING ALPSmaxim: nature abhors a vacuum. The Bliimlisalp range mustfeel dreadfully at a loss without loose stones. Moreover,Hermann refashioned the steps, always with his mind on theway down. The year before, an eye-witness had told us howfour Swiss boys—after dashing gaily along the main ridge ofthe Bliimlisalp from the Morgenhorn to the highest point—slipped on the slabs of this ordinary way. They had notbothered to take their crampons off but just ran on down,full of their glory. x\ trip—then, spikes skittering and shriekingon the limestone like ineffectual brakes, they were off.All gone in an instant. It haunted us. That can happen somany ways on, or away from, the mountains.At the summit, when we had all gathered, thick as choucas,on the sheltered bit of rock outcrop, there, amid us, Hermannlolled at ease, while some of us hurt ourselves in laughter at hisextravaganzas. He pointed, with grave seriousness andelaborate descriptive phrasing, to a meadow somewhere inthe Switzerland now displayed below us. When a considerablepart of the crowd had at last well-formed personalopinions as to which meadow he had directed their attentionupon, he remarked cursorily, "Well, it's not mine!" andresumed his recitation of the names of visible peaks.Thanks to all this, a much refreshed miscellany of partiesaddressed themselves to the descent. It was far easier andsafer than the Weisse Frau: but still, falling stones are stonesand heads are tender. So again the younger went below totake it and the responsible and experienced followed downaloft to refrain from sending. So happily down to the col:a pause for sweets, then the hutward plug. We arranged tomeet Fritz Kunzi again at the Doldenhorn Hut, so off hewent and we rested.The Doldenhorn is easy but reputedly long. Prudence,the accumulated experience of unnumbered seasons, indicatedan early walk up to the hut—among the most attractivelysituated in the Alps—and a good rest there before the ascenton the morrow. But there are always things to be done.Before they were done the day in Kandersteg had becomeappallingly hot. Why kill yourself on a hut path with a hutsack exactly at the hottest moment of the day? You know theanswer. The Times to be collected at Kandersteg Station.The Post Office business. A cool drink to speed departure.