What do you think?
Rate this book
Scrambles Amongst the Alps
When he first saw the Alps in 1860, Edward Whymper was a 20-year-old English wood engraver whose dream was to become an arctic explorer. Ambitious and hungry for adventure, he fell in love with the challenge the Alps presented and set out to conquer them peak by peak. Whymper made quick work of the challenge, racking up dozens of first ascents and acquiring a reputation as one of the best in the nascent field of mountaineering. But on the Matterhorn, considered to be mountaineering's Holy Grail at the time, Whymper met with failure again and again. On his eighth attempted ascent he finally succeeded, becoming the first man to reach its magnificent peak. The victory came at a heavy cost, however, as Whymper watched four of his companions fall to their deaths on the descent. It was a tragedy that would cast a shadow over the remainder of his life.
Published in 1871, Scrambles Amongst the Alps is Whymper's own story of his nine years spent climbing in the Alps. One of the first books devoted to the sheer thrill of mountaineering, it is a breathtaking account of the triumph of man over mountain in a time before thermal clothing, nylon ropes, global positioning systems, and air rescues. It also offers Whymper's controversial story of the tragedy on the Matterhorn. One of the best adventure books of all time, Scrambles Amongst the Alps is an essential classic of climbing literature by one of mountaineering's most legendary figures.
Published in 1871, Scrambles Amongst the Alps is Whymper's own story of his nine years spent climbing in the Alps. One of the first books devoted to the sheer thrill of mountaineering, it is a breathtaking account of the triumph of man over mountain in a time before thermal clothing, nylon ropes, global positioning systems, and air rescues. It also offers Whymper's controversial story of the tragedy on the Matterhorn. One of the best adventure books of all time, Scrambles Amongst the Alps is an essential classic of climbing literature by one of mountaineering's most legendary figures.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1871
40 people are currently reading
997 people want to read
About the author
Edward Whymper
154 books7 followersBritish mountaineer, explorer, and illustrator best known for making the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 10, 2020
One of the real classics within the adventure genre. The book is a time witness from the decades when the alps were still unexplored, when pedestrianism were a sport and when six bottle of wines, one bottle of whiskey and two cigars was adequate packing for the conquering of a four thousand meter high peak. The conquest of Matterhorn is of course the highlight and a must read for anyone going to climb in the alps.
August 10, 2023
...)Kto idzie w góry, musi podjąć się wysiłku. Ale z wysiłku przychodzi siła (nie tylko energia mięśni – coś więcej),pobudzenie wszystkich zdolności, a z poczucia siły rodzi się przyjemność. […] Nie możemy oszacować naszych radości, tak jak mierzy się wino lub waży ołów – a jednak są one realne (...).
Historia pierwszego w dziejach zdobycia Matterhornu 14 lipca 1865 roku przez 7-osobowy zespół pod kierownictwem autora książki, Edwarda Whympera, który po ośmiu nieudanych próbach zdobycia tej góry stanął w końcu na wierzchołku wspinając się słynną granią Hörnli. Oprócz niego na wierzchołku stanęli również: przewodnik alpejski z Chamonix – Michel Croz, Lord Francis Douglas, ks. Charles Hudson, Douglas Hadow oraz Peter Taugwalder ojciec i Peter Taugwalder syn – dwaj ostatni to szwajcarscy przewodnicy alpejscy. Niestety, w czasie zejścia doszło do tragedii – czterech członków ekipy zginęło, spadając w przepaść, a ze szczytu powrócili tylko Whymper i Taugwalderowie....
Trzeba przyznać, że autor był osobą nieprzeciętną – skrupulatnie analizował popełnione błędy, dokładnie obserwował rzeźbę terenu, śnieżne pola i szczeliny. Każde przejście dokumentował, a czytelnikowi serwował pogłębione rozważania o ruchach lodowców i ich wpływie na skały, górskim klimacie czy zjawiskach metrologicznych. Osiem razy schodził ze stoków Matterhornu przegrany i od razu obmyślał kolejną próbę pokonania szczytu, którym był na wskroś opętany...
Nie sposób pominąć tutaj wybitnego sposobu snucia tej historii - momentami jest ciekawie ale bywa też i trudniej zwłaszcza kiedy Whymper wpada w poczet rozważań naukowych (dziś już trochę przestarzałych) i najzwyklejszą drogę przejścia potrafi opisywać z najdrobniejszymi detalami co momentami staje się nużące ale dla kogoś zainteresowanego historią alpinizmu i szczegółowymi rozważaniami Whympera na temat sztuki wspinaczkowej, może to stanowić o zwiększonej atrakcyjności książki.
Zdobycie Matterhornu jest też ciekawe z innego względu – dokumentuje niezapomniane lata alpinizmu oraz czasy zdobywania dziewiczych wierzchołków
kiedy jeszcze czekan i raki nie stanowiły obowiązkowego wyposażenia ekwipunku wspinaczy...
Historia pierwszego w dziejach zdobycia Matterhornu 14 lipca 1865 roku przez 7-osobowy zespół pod kierownictwem autora książki, Edwarda Whympera, który po ośmiu nieudanych próbach zdobycia tej góry stanął w końcu na wierzchołku wspinając się słynną granią Hörnli. Oprócz niego na wierzchołku stanęli również: przewodnik alpejski z Chamonix – Michel Croz, Lord Francis Douglas, ks. Charles Hudson, Douglas Hadow oraz Peter Taugwalder ojciec i Peter Taugwalder syn – dwaj ostatni to szwajcarscy przewodnicy alpejscy. Niestety, w czasie zejścia doszło do tragedii – czterech członków ekipy zginęło, spadając w przepaść, a ze szczytu powrócili tylko Whymper i Taugwalderowie....
Trzeba przyznać, że autor był osobą nieprzeciętną – skrupulatnie analizował popełnione błędy, dokładnie obserwował rzeźbę terenu, śnieżne pola i szczeliny. Każde przejście dokumentował, a czytelnikowi serwował pogłębione rozważania o ruchach lodowców i ich wpływie na skały, górskim klimacie czy zjawiskach metrologicznych. Osiem razy schodził ze stoków Matterhornu przegrany i od razu obmyślał kolejną próbę pokonania szczytu, którym był na wskroś opętany...
Nie sposób pominąć tutaj wybitnego sposobu snucia tej historii - momentami jest ciekawie ale bywa też i trudniej zwłaszcza kiedy Whymper wpada w poczet rozważań naukowych (dziś już trochę przestarzałych) i najzwyklejszą drogę przejścia potrafi opisywać z najdrobniejszymi detalami co momentami staje się nużące ale dla kogoś zainteresowanego historią alpinizmu i szczegółowymi rozważaniami Whympera na temat sztuki wspinaczkowej, może to stanowić o zwiększonej atrakcyjności książki.
Zdobycie Matterhornu jest też ciekawe z innego względu – dokumentuje niezapomniane lata alpinizmu oraz czasy zdobywania dziewiczych wierzchołków
kiedy jeszcze czekan i raki nie stanowiły obowiązkowego wyposażenia ekwipunku wspinaczy...
December 29, 2025
A fascinating glimpse into victorian-era mountaineering in the Alps.
I really grew to appreciate the verbose style of writing in Whymper's accounts of his scrambles amongst the alps, though it did become tedious in certain chapters focused on more mundane topics like the engineering of Swiss trains and hypothetical mechanics of glaciers.
In his detailed writing, Whymper reveals much of the cultural underpinnings and seeds of modern mountaineering. The mountaineer is a man of much privilege and many means, and that along with their discernment and determination are their best asset. The mountaineer employs many porters and guides to do much of the hardest work. The mountaineer knows best, perhaps better than the locals. All of these characteristics embodied in this book gives the reader the sense that the author is kind of a judgemental rich douche.
Despite this, much of Whymper's reflections do strike the reader as true mountaineering wisdom, and his more tedious passages also give way moments of pure appreciation for the varied beauty of the mountains. This contrast of genuine appreciation, psuedo-scientific speculation, learned mountaineering wisdom, the historically specific descriptions of now well-developed towns in the Alps, beautiful engravings/illustrations, and ultimately the tragedy of his first ascent of the Matterhorn make this a worthwhile read.
Every aspiring mountaineer should read this book to get a taste of the history.
I really grew to appreciate the verbose style of writing in Whymper's accounts of his scrambles amongst the alps, though it did become tedious in certain chapters focused on more mundane topics like the engineering of Swiss trains and hypothetical mechanics of glaciers.
In his detailed writing, Whymper reveals much of the cultural underpinnings and seeds of modern mountaineering. The mountaineer is a man of much privilege and many means, and that along with their discernment and determination are their best asset. The mountaineer employs many porters and guides to do much of the hardest work. The mountaineer knows best, perhaps better than the locals. All of these characteristics embodied in this book gives the reader the sense that the author is kind of a judgemental rich douche.
Despite this, much of Whymper's reflections do strike the reader as true mountaineering wisdom, and his more tedious passages also give way moments of pure appreciation for the varied beauty of the mountains. This contrast of genuine appreciation, psuedo-scientific speculation, learned mountaineering wisdom, the historically specific descriptions of now well-developed towns in the Alps, beautiful engravings/illustrations, and ultimately the tragedy of his first ascent of the Matterhorn make this a worthwhile read.
Every aspiring mountaineer should read this book to get a taste of the history.
January 24, 2018
Splendido. Unico. Un libro scritto magnificamente (da uno che di professione non faceva lo scrittore) perché passa tra diversi generi letterari con grande maestria e competenza (dall’avventura al trattato scientifico, dal diario di viaggio meramente descrittivo a una serie di considerazioni personali che toccano l’ambito dell’antropologia) e non annoia mai. Tutt’altro! Avvince. Sempre. Magnifiche poi le incisioni tutte eseguite dallo stesso Whymper, ad hoc per questo libro, che voleva intenzionalmente redigere per un grande pubblico, un utenza recentemente scolarizzata nell’Inghilterra del secondo Ottocento e che aveva fame di conoscere meglio tutte le avventure e le scoperte del periodo eccezionale che stavano vivendo (da Darwin a Linvingstone, tanto per citarne un paio) ma che non era in grado di “leggere e basta”: chiedeva immagini per accendere ancora di più la loro fantasia. Un libro scritto da un uomo particolare d’eccezione: un solitario (per scelta, perché non Whymper ha sempre posto avanti a sé i suoi obiettivi piuttosto che amicizie) ma non un misantropo (piuttosto un uomo giusto, che ha sempre saputo pesare bene le persone con cui aveva a che fare, implacabile coi fanfaroni e gli imbroglioni, ma di buon cuore con tutti quelli che hanno dato il meglio di sé in rapporto alle loro possibilità – toccante il ritratto del portatore Meynet, per esempio), un implacabile perseverante ma non per vanagloria ma per il piacere personale di arrivare in fondo alle cose, capirle meglio e tramite questo processo definire meglio la sua posizione all’interno di questo mondo. Un gran libro scritto da una grande persona.
May 12, 2013
Written in a late eighteen hundreds style, but none the less interesting. I was in Zermatt on a skiing trip in the mid eighties and my ski instructor was a mountain climber in the spring and Summer and we got to talking about the Matterhorn. I asked him if he had climbed it... he said " 3 to 4 hundred times, first when I was 16 and from then on until last year when my legs started to bother me." (He was 65 years old and out skied everyone on the mountain!!!) It was then he told me about Edward Whymper and his exploits in the Alps. When I returned to the village that afternoon I bought a copy of Scrambles Amongst the Alps and read it while on vacation. Difficult to read, very dry, its a different style of writing. Still a good first hand account of climbing the Matterhorn. It was Whymper's seventh attempt at climbing the Matterhorn and it cost the lives of four of his party.
October 23, 2023
I read a French edition that is a selection of texts from this volume (adding up to 175 pages instead of over 400).
The author of this book, Edward Whymper, is a legend of mountaineering; one of the great pioneers from the 19th century. This book relates many of his ascents in the 1860s, and particularly that of the Matterhorn, the last great peak of the Alps to "fall" - but not without much competition and death.
Very striking is the manner in which this early alpinism resembles the current state of climbing in the Himalayas/Karakoram: rich and cultivated foreigners (calling themselves "tourists") visiting a comparatively destitute region, hiring locals as guides or porters, to go on multi-day trips involving several bivouacs. When the people of Chamonix angrily confront Whymper for summiting the Aiguille Verte without hiring one of them, how can we not think of the Sherpas attacking Ueli Steck, in 2016, for trying to summit Everest without a guide? How can we not compare the superstitions of the people of Zermat, about the spirits residing at the top of the peaks, with those of inhabitants of the Himalayas who view their mountains as vaguely "sacred"? A century apart, the history of the hobby repeats itself...
The stories here were mostly enjoyable for their historical value about the nature of early alpinism (cutting steps in ice for hours for lack of good crampons, dealing with unpredictable weather in the absence of a reliable forecast, carrying massively heavy tents of questionable design, etc.) and to a somewhat lesser extent for the adventures described. Whymper does not exaggerate the dangers sufficiently to turn these hikes into a thrilling page turner, despite a few memorable close calls (and one actual disaster). Nevertheless he is a pleasant narrator, funny at times (about a dodgy character: "he said he had never spoken truer words, and perhaps he had not, for he is reported to be the greatest liar in the Dauphiné"). Although the book focuses more on landscapes and action than on people, we get to know a cast of remarkable characters with distinctive personalities - especially notable are the guides Croz and Almer, equal in competence but opposite in demeanor, and the hunchback Meynet, target of ridicule from his own people but able to find exaltation in the beauty of the mountains (when he's not busy making cheese). Whymper himself comes across as a likeable dude.
All in all, an enjoyable read, which will be especially valuable to anyone who practices some form of mountaineering.
The author of this book, Edward Whymper, is a legend of mountaineering; one of the great pioneers from the 19th century. This book relates many of his ascents in the 1860s, and particularly that of the Matterhorn, the last great peak of the Alps to "fall" - but not without much competition and death.
Very striking is the manner in which this early alpinism resembles the current state of climbing in the Himalayas/Karakoram: rich and cultivated foreigners (calling themselves "tourists") visiting a comparatively destitute region, hiring locals as guides or porters, to go on multi-day trips involving several bivouacs. When the people of Chamonix angrily confront Whymper for summiting the Aiguille Verte without hiring one of them, how can we not think of the Sherpas attacking Ueli Steck, in 2016, for trying to summit Everest without a guide? How can we not compare the superstitions of the people of Zermat, about the spirits residing at the top of the peaks, with those of inhabitants of the Himalayas who view their mountains as vaguely "sacred"? A century apart, the history of the hobby repeats itself...
The stories here were mostly enjoyable for their historical value about the nature of early alpinism (cutting steps in ice for hours for lack of good crampons, dealing with unpredictable weather in the absence of a reliable forecast, carrying massively heavy tents of questionable design, etc.) and to a somewhat lesser extent for the adventures described. Whymper does not exaggerate the dangers sufficiently to turn these hikes into a thrilling page turner, despite a few memorable close calls (and one actual disaster). Nevertheless he is a pleasant narrator, funny at times (about a dodgy character: "he said he had never spoken truer words, and perhaps he had not, for he is reported to be the greatest liar in the Dauphiné"). Although the book focuses more on landscapes and action than on people, we get to know a cast of remarkable characters with distinctive personalities - especially notable are the guides Croz and Almer, equal in competence but opposite in demeanor, and the hunchback Meynet, target of ridicule from his own people but able to find exaltation in the beauty of the mountains (when he's not busy making cheese). Whymper himself comes across as a likeable dude.
All in all, an enjoyable read, which will be especially valuable to anyone who practices some form of mountaineering.
January 11, 2026
Edward Whymper’s Scrambles Amongst the Alps is not merely a mountaineering classic; it is a primary historical document of the Golden Age of Alpinism, written by the very man who defined its outer edge. Reading it today feels less like consuming an adventure memoir and more like standing beside a Victorian climber with hemp rope in hand, peering into crevasses with no margin for error.
The book’s greatest strength lies in its granular detail. Whymper does not romanticize the Alps in a vague, poetic way; instead, he gives you bearings, ridgelines, weather shifts, rock quality, route-finding decisions, timing, and mistakes. You can almost reconstruct his climbs from the text alone. His descriptions of early ascents—particularly on the Matterhorn—are precise enough to feel like proto-expedition reports. For anyone interested in the evolution of climbing technique, this is gold: step-cutting for hours in hard ice, the logistics of hiring guides, the limitations of equipment, and the constant calculation of risk are all documented with near-clinical attentiveness.
The psychological dimension is equally compelling. Whymper’s obsession with the Matterhorn, his rivalry with Carrel, and his relentless drive to succeed create a subtle tension throughout the book. When the tragedy of the Matterhorn descent finally occurs, it lands with weight because you have already seen the ambition, impatience, and competitive atmosphere building for hundreds of pages. The accident is not treated melodramatically; instead, it is narrated with a kind of restrained, almost forensic sobriety that makes it more disturbing.
That said, the book does demand patience. The Victorian prose is dense, occasionally repetitive, and at times self-justifying. Whymper can come across as defensive, especially when addressing criticism from contemporaries. Some chapters read more like extended route logs than narrative literature, which will appeal deeply to climbers and historians but may challenge casual readers.
Still, the rewards are substantial. This is a book where you witness the birth of modern alpinism: ethics, ego, technique, exploration, and mortality all intersect on exposed ridges and unstable snowfields. Few adventure narratives feel this authentic because few were written by the person who actually changed the history of the sport.
A demanding but richly rewarding read—especially for those who appreciate precision, realism, and historical depth in travel and mountaineering literature.
The book’s greatest strength lies in its granular detail. Whymper does not romanticize the Alps in a vague, poetic way; instead, he gives you bearings, ridgelines, weather shifts, rock quality, route-finding decisions, timing, and mistakes. You can almost reconstruct his climbs from the text alone. His descriptions of early ascents—particularly on the Matterhorn—are precise enough to feel like proto-expedition reports. For anyone interested in the evolution of climbing technique, this is gold: step-cutting for hours in hard ice, the logistics of hiring guides, the limitations of equipment, and the constant calculation of risk are all documented with near-clinical attentiveness.
The psychological dimension is equally compelling. Whymper’s obsession with the Matterhorn, his rivalry with Carrel, and his relentless drive to succeed create a subtle tension throughout the book. When the tragedy of the Matterhorn descent finally occurs, it lands with weight because you have already seen the ambition, impatience, and competitive atmosphere building for hundreds of pages. The accident is not treated melodramatically; instead, it is narrated with a kind of restrained, almost forensic sobriety that makes it more disturbing.
That said, the book does demand patience. The Victorian prose is dense, occasionally repetitive, and at times self-justifying. Whymper can come across as defensive, especially when addressing criticism from contemporaries. Some chapters read more like extended route logs than narrative literature, which will appeal deeply to climbers and historians but may challenge casual readers.
Still, the rewards are substantial. This is a book where you witness the birth of modern alpinism: ethics, ego, technique, exploration, and mortality all intersect on exposed ridges and unstable snowfields. Few adventure narratives feel this authentic because few were written by the person who actually changed the history of the sport.
A demanding but richly rewarding read—especially for those who appreciate precision, realism, and historical depth in travel and mountaineering literature.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2020
This is a classic among mountaineering books, relating the author's experiences climbing the mountains of the Alps from 1860-1869. The writing style and words used to describe his exploits can't help but make you smile, as in the following description of what happens when he falls while glissading down a mountain: "In my dreams I glissade delightfully, but in practice I find that somehow the snow will not behave properly, and that my alpenstock will get between my legs. Then my legs go where my head should be, and I see the sky revolving at a rapid pace; the snow rises up and smites me, and runs away; and when it is at last overtaken it suddenly stops, and we come into violent collision....So it is as well to glissade only when there is something soft to tumble into." At times he veers off on long descriptions of how glaciers move or how lakes are formed, but if you stick with it, you will be delighted by his stories. And do continue reading into the Appendices as he tells of other ascents of the alpine peaks.
May 29, 2023
Scrambles Amongst the Alps In the Years 1860-’69 by Edward Whymper (Ten Speed Press 1981) (796.522) (3794).
I love first-person mountaineering accounts. Edward Whymper’s Scrambles Amongst the Alps In the Years 1860-’69 is unique simply because of the dates covered in the author’s account.
This volume must have smelled musty even when it was originally published. The language employed is entertaining and obviously dated. Nevertheless, this is an important tome in the outdoor adventure genre.
It is worth remembering that Whymper’s “scrambles” took place in the days when mountain climbers were anchored by hobnail boots!
My rating: 7/10, finished 5/29/23 (3794).
May 29, 2018
I really enjoyed this book and found it very easy to read. It is very interesting to read of many first ascents and notable ascents in a time where the alps where still unconquered in many its highest reaches as well as the dynamic between the tourists and guides/locals. i I really appreciated the detail Whymper goes to in describing his thoughts on mountaineering and glacier travel.
March 7, 2019
What language and what humor. A thoroughly enjoyable read not to be missed out on by all of us who live for the mountains.
September 10, 2019
Didn't finish..
May 2, 2025
Perhaps having been to Zermatt made me appreciate this book so much. The lead up, the technical part of mountaineering, the guides, and a very good writer.
February 2, 2015
Recent climbing fatalities in the French Alps drew me back to Edward Whymper’s classic work, an account of his many excursions and victories in the Alps and most notably the story of the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 and the expedition’s tragic descent.
When Whymper first arrived in the region in 1860, he had “only a literary acquaintance with mountain-climbing.” He took to it at once, returning often to make many first ascents. But it was the grandeur of the Matterhorn, considered the “most completely inaccessible of all mountains,” that truly gripped him, and over the next years he would make seven attempts to conquer it before finally, on the eighth try, he reached the summit.
Inevitably that fatal trip hovers over the entire book. The final chapter, a sober and sobering account of the accident, is devastating. Whymper describes the lineup of the seven men, the sudden fall of the least experienced climber, and the breaking of the rope that doomed the four in front. The death of the guide Croz, who we have come to know through previous excursions and who had never wanted to climb the Matterhorn, is especially moving. It all happens so quickly it’s hard to believe that this rock of a man is really gone.
Throughout the book, Whymper brings to life the joys he experienced in his scrambles, and he concludes that in the end, these pleasures couldn’t be effaced. Nonetheless, he writes,“there have been griefs upon which I have not dared to dwell; and with these in mind I say, Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are nought without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime.”
When Whymper first arrived in the region in 1860, he had “only a literary acquaintance with mountain-climbing.” He took to it at once, returning often to make many first ascents. But it was the grandeur of the Matterhorn, considered the “most completely inaccessible of all mountains,” that truly gripped him, and over the next years he would make seven attempts to conquer it before finally, on the eighth try, he reached the summit.
Inevitably that fatal trip hovers over the entire book. The final chapter, a sober and sobering account of the accident, is devastating. Whymper describes the lineup of the seven men, the sudden fall of the least experienced climber, and the breaking of the rope that doomed the four in front. The death of the guide Croz, who we have come to know through previous excursions and who had never wanted to climb the Matterhorn, is especially moving. It all happens so quickly it’s hard to believe that this rock of a man is really gone.
Throughout the book, Whymper brings to life the joys he experienced in his scrambles, and he concludes that in the end, these pleasures couldn’t be effaced. Nonetheless, he writes,“there have been griefs upon which I have not dared to dwell; and with these in mind I say, Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are nought without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime.”
July 27, 2012
Whymper's book about some of his first ascents of peaks in the Alps, including the first ascent of the famed Matterhorn alternates between really fascinating and dry. His curmudgeonly character frequently causes him to underplay the difficulties of his ascents and some of the stories suffer from that. His tragic climb of the Matterhorn, where a majority of his companions died, is the best story of the book and he makes you wait for until the end. There are several chapters that focus on the geology of the region and this is where the book really dragged for me -- more because I'm interested in mountaineering history rather than the make up of the mountains themselves. I'm glad I read this historical account, but it isn't one I'd ever pick up to read again.
March 11, 2015
A great classic both of mointaneering and literature in one.
Edward Whymper wrote down first hand his impression and beautiful drawnings on his adventures and early climbs in the Alps (it's funny he called it just "scrambles", while in fact he was climbing pretty hard).
The book is very good, very interesting if you're passionate about climbing and climbing history, and pretty well written, giving it's out of 1880;
If not otherwise it could be a bit too dispersive and technical to be enjoyable.
Pretty good, the ebook can be found for free on gutenberg.org
Edward Whymper wrote down first hand his impression and beautiful drawnings on his adventures and early climbs in the Alps (it's funny he called it just "scrambles", while in fact he was climbing pretty hard).
The book is very good, very interesting if you're passionate about climbing and climbing history, and pretty well written, giving it's out of 1880;
If not otherwise it could be a bit too dispersive and technical to be enjoyable.
Pretty good, the ebook can be found for free on gutenberg.org
May 26, 2012
Have just re-read this classic, he talks about where I live, which makes this rather dry book more interesting. There's now a huge statue of him here which I drive past every day on my way to work.
I'm always amazed that Whymper would turn up, go up to the summit of previously unclimbed mountains, walk back down to the valley, then "walk to Grenoble" - 120km away...
I'm always amazed that Whymper would turn up, go up to the summit of previously unclimbed mountains, walk back down to the valley, then "walk to Grenoble" - 120km away...
November 2, 2020
I'm re-reading now. My daughter read it in "literature" seminar course at Emory featuring Pomo take on mountaineering. Whymper was in the first party to climb the Matterhorn, he was the only survivor of the climb.
This is a mountain travelogue. He's quite a good writer, an illustrator by profession he has good powers of observation.
Anyway, I reading a 2nd time.
This is a mountain travelogue. He's quite a good writer, an illustrator by profession he has good powers of observation.
Anyway, I reading a 2nd time.
December 14, 2009
Interesting history on climbing, but he tends to digress for pages on minutiae that bored me
Read
March 31, 20101871 book; maps; hundreds of hand-drawn illustrations
September 14, 2010
A little dry but still a classic.
July 27, 2011
A very good, but sometimes vey technical, book on early mountainclimbing.
October 1, 2013
Great historical piece, a little slow at times.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews