Mönchjoch

But I had come to Switzerland for exercise, and this is not obtained by riding on trains. The Jungfraujoch has already become a starting point for several excursions (including, for instance, the Jungfrau) and with knowledge of this fact I had brought along guides from Grindelwald. Leaving the train at Jungfraujoch we proceeded to cross the Monchjoch, a great snow pass with an altitude of about 12.000 feet, which led us into the midst of further magnificent scenery, so that during the course of the day I saw again every important peak of the Bernese Oberland, including Jungfrau, Monch, Eiger, Schreckhorn, Finsteraarhorn, Viescherhorner and Aletschhorn; and as I looked at them I recalled much of the pleasure and some of the difficulties and excitement experienced in climbing them in years past. Our walk lasted only four hours, as we rejoined the train at the Eismeer station, but it proved to be a good practice walk and furnished considerable exercise; for our start being a late one and the weather warm and clear, we encountered soft snow throughout, which rendered the going heavy. Frequently we sank to above our knees and sometimes to our waists.

At Eismeer I was struck by some of the decorative inscriptions in the waiting-room. One read as follows:

„Ob Juden, Heiden, oder Christen,
Wir sind auf Erden nur Touristen.“

To post the following, however true, involved some boldness on the part of a management doubtless quite as anxious to receive the money of „fools“ as of any other class of travelers:

„Den Narren kann man nicht entgehen,
Auch auf den höchsten Bergeshöhen.“

„Ihre Torheit zu beweisen,
Gehen viele Leut' auf Reisen.“

„Ist einer ein Esel und sonst nichts weiter,
So wird er durch Reisen nicht gescheiter.“

As principal climbing centres for this summer I selected Zermatt and Chamonix and proceeded to the former from Grindelwald on August 1, traveling first by automobile through Interlaken, Spiez and the beautiful Simmenthal to Martigny, and thence by train. My excellent guide of 1905, Joseph Taugwalder, I found to be engaged, but through him was introduced to Hieronymus Julen, another first-class guide, who in turn selected Adolph Julen as second guide, and on Saturday, August 2, by way of further practice, we ascended the Riffelhorn. The time required to put one's self into training, so that difficult walking and climbing shall be an enjoyment and never a burden, will vary with the individual, but three or four short, stiff excursions will accomplish a great deal in this direction and usually prove sufficient; this, at least, is my experience. The Riffelhorn is a rock well known to most mountaineers as affording many interesting short climbs, some easy, some rather difficult. I have been on it at least half a dozen times. Elsewhere I have described the route known as the „Matterhorn Couloir.“ To-day we took the „Sky-line“ route, and I returned to Zermatt with some further exercise to my credit and in better condition than I was before.