Scrambles Amongst the Alps in the Years 1860–69 · Chapter
II: The Ascent of Mont Pelvoux explained
Whymper describes the geography, history, and challenges of the Dauphiné Alps, focusing on Mont Pelvoux.
What happens
Whymper describes the geography, history, and challenges of the Dauphiné Alps, focusing on Mont Pelvoux. He recounts his journey from Briançon, the inhospitable inns and suspicious locals, the tragic history of the Vaudois massacre, and the beginning of his ascent with Sémiond and others. The chapter highlights the region's rugged beauty, cultural isolation, and the personal difficulties of early mountaineering.
Themes in this chapter
Exploration and Discovery
Whymper's first serious mountain scramble and the claim of a first ascent, despite later disputes.
Cultural Encounters and Superstition
Interactions with suspicious locals, the priest who mistakes Whymper for a deserter, and the dialects of the region.
Human vs. Nature
The harsh, desolate landscape of the Val Louise, with boulders, debris, and extreme climate contrasts.
Characters to notice
- Edward Whymper
Narrator and protagonist; describes his first serious mountain scramble and encounters with locals.
- Sémiond
Guide who leads the party up Mont Pelvoux; picks up a lad to help transport stores.
- Jean Reynaud
Companion on the ascent; sings French songs by the campfire.
- Principal J. D. Forbes
Mentioned as an author whose work contained errors about Mont Pelvoux.
- M. Elie de Beaumont
Mentioned as an author whose work contained errors about Mont Pelvoux.
Key passages
“I look back upon this, my first serious mountain scramble, with more satisfaction, and with as much pleasure as upon any that is recorded in this volume.”
Whymper regards this ascent as one of his most satisfying mountaineering experiences.
Reflects personal significance of the climb.
“The inn—l’Étoile, chez Richard—is a place to be avoided. Richard, it may be observed, possessed the instincts of a robber.”
Whymper warns against the inn at Abriès, accusing the innkeeper of dishonesty.
Illustrates poor accommodations and local deceit.
“More than three thousand persons, it is said, perished in this massacre; the growth of three hundred and fifty years was destroyed at one blow, and the valley was completely depopulated.”
The Vaudois massacre wiped out centuries of settlement and killed thousands.
Highlights the tragic history of the region.