Rock-climbing in the English Lake District: Third Edition — John Shaqi
Rock-climbing in the English Lake District: Third EditionJones, Owen Glynne
General
Rock-climbing in the English Lake District: Third Edition
Jones, Owen Glynne
Lake District (England) -- Description and travel; Mountaineering; Rock climbing -- England -- Lake District
His energy in climbing this year was remarkable, I had almost said
stupendous. In addition to the long climbs referred to in the
above extract, it will be seen from the list given above that he
twice ascended the Zinal Rothhorn, traversed the Obergabelhorn and
Matterhorn, and did two important climbs without guides. The ascent
of the Rothhorn from Zinal was the first that Mr. Hill and he made
together in Switzerland. The traverse of the Rothhorn and the ascent of
the Weisshorn he did without guides, in company with the Hopkinsons,
who perished in 1898 on the Petite Dent de Veisivi. Mr. W. J. Williams,
who climbed much with Jones in the Alps, has kindly placed in my hands
a very characteristic post-card of Jones’s, giving, in his own brief,
vivacious way, a clearer idea of his boundless enthusiasm and energy
in his favourite sport than anything that anyone else could write.
It is dated ‘Bellevue, Zermatt, Monday, Sept. 2, 1895,’ and reads as
follows:--‘The Hopkinsons and I traversed the Rothhorn without guides
in grand style. Reached the summit from the Mountet in 4¼ hours,
including ¾ hour halt. Had a shock of earthquake on the top. Next day
we went up to the Weisshorn, bivouac in open air, and the day after
managed the Weisshorn. It was delightful. Then they went off to their
people at the Bel Alp, and I stayed on at Zermatt ever since. The
weather was bad at the end of the week (Weisshorn on Friday), but on
Monday I crossed the Furggenjoch with Elias Furrer, whom I took on for
14 days at 20 francs, and Tuesday traversed the Matterhorn; Wednesday,
the Monte Rosa hut; Thursday, Monte Rosa from the Lysjoch, a lengthy
expedition, but magnificent; I carried my camera the whole time;
Friday, the Fluh Alp; Saturday, the traverse of Rimpfischhorn from the
Adler pass, dangerous by falling stones, but very jolly; Sunday, I
rested and photographed down here. To-day I go to the Täsch Alp, and
to-morrow shall attempt the traverse of Täschhorn and Dom in one day.
If the weather still holds I shall then traverse the Dent Blanche,
which is now in fine condition, like ourselves. Love to all.--Owen.’
Lived there ever a keener mountaineer? On the day before he was killed,
as we were walking down the Arolla Valley together, I expressed
surprise at the vast amount of eager work he was crushing into every
week. He replied, ‘You see there are only a few years in which I can do
this sort of thing, and I want to get as much into them as possible.’
Alas! Owen Jones had not twenty-four hours more; the years were ended.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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