Scrambles Amongst the Alps in the Years 1860–69 · Chapter
The Ascent of the Dent Blanche explained
Whymper and his guides attempt the Dent Blanche, a notoriously difficult peak, facing extreme wind, cold, and technical challenges.
What happens
Whymper and his guides attempt the Dent Blanche, a notoriously difficult peak, facing extreme wind, cold, and technical challenges. They reach the summit ridge and find a cairn, confirming a prior ascent by T. S. Kennedy, but are forced to retreat without fully standing on the top. The descent is harrowing, with frostbite and exhaustion, but they survive and later meet Kennedy, who reveals the cairn was not his.
Themes in this chapter
Conquest and Perseverance
Whymper and his team persist through extreme wind, cold, and technical difficulty to reach the summit ridge of the Dent Blanche.
Danger and Mortality
The descent is life-threatening; frostbite, numbness, and the risk of benightment on an un-sittable face nearly lead to death.
Companionship and Trust
The team works harmoniously, with Croz, Almer, and Biener supporting each other and Whymper; mutual reliance is critical for survival.
Scientific Observation
Whymper explains the formation of bergschrunds due to unequal glacial motion and friction, and notes the behavior of wind and clouds.
Characters to notice
- Edward Whymper
Leader of the expedition; decides to attempt the Dent Blanche, navigates the ascent and descent, and later meets Kennedy.
- Michel Croz
Guide; prophesies wind trouble, advises return, but continues; identifies the cairn on the summit.
- Franz Biener
Guide; assists in the ascent and descent, cutting steps and securing the rope.
- Christian Almer
Guide; directs Whymper on handholds, works vigorously during the descent.
- T. S. Kennedy
Previous ascensionist of the Dent Blanche; Whymper meets him afterward and learns the cairn was not his.
- Jean B. Croz
Mentioned as one of Kennedy's guides during the 1862 ascent.
- Johann Kronig
Mentioned as one of Kennedy's guides during the 1862 ascent.
- Leslie Stephen
Mentioned as having attempted the Dent Blanche previously and failed.
Key passages
“I halted my little army at the foot of the glacier, and inquired, 'Which is best for us to do?—to ascend the Dent Blanche, or to cross to Zermatt?' They answered, with befitting solemnity, 'We think Dent Blanche is best.'”
Whymper stops the group at the glacier and asks whether they should climb the Dent Blanche or continue to Zermatt; the guides solemnly choose the Dent Blanche.
Shows the collective decision-making and the allure of the peak.
“We crossed the bergschrund of the Dent Blanche, I suppose, at a height of about 12,000 feet above the level of the sea. Our work may be said to have commenced at that point.”
After crossing a large crevasse at roughly 12,000 feet, the real climbing begins.
Highlights the bergschrund as a key obstacle and the start of serious difficulty.
“The men rose with the occasion, although even their fingers had nearly lost sensation. There were no murmurings, nor suggestions of return, and they pressed on for the little white cone which they knew must be near at hand.”
Despite numb fingers and brutal conditions, the guides do not complain or suggest turning back; they push forward toward the summit.
Emphasizes the team's determination and resilience.
“The clouds opened, and I saw that we were all but upon the highest point, and that, between us and it, about twenty yards off, there was a little artificial pile of stones. Kennedy was a true man—it was a cairn which he had erected.”
A break in the mist reveals a cairn just twenty yards away, which Whymper initially believes was built by Kennedy.
Moment of discovery and mistaken attribution; later corrected by Kennedy.
“We turned back at 4:12 p.m., and at 8:15 crossed the bergschrund again, not having halted for a minute upon the entire descent.”
The team retreats at 4:12 p.m. and descends without any breaks, reaching the bergschrund again by 8:15 p.m.
Illustrates the relentless pace and urgency of the descent.
