A FAIR MOUNTAINEER 



Photographed by Dan Beard 



the climbers by a day or two of pre- 

 liminary work, just for exercise and 

 "hardening." Sitting in his comfort- 

 able chair on the hotel porch, he would 

 say between puffs at his briarwood 

 pipe : 



"Get yourselves into better physical 

 condition before we start. Take a day 

 or two of preliminary work by your- 

 selves without a guide. Keep entirely 

 away from below the edges of the ice- 

 fields. Stick to the bare mountain- 

 sides ; beware of the faces of the gla- 

 cier ; there you will be in grave danger 

 when you least expect it. See that ledge 

 up on the timber-line? Looks like you 

 could almost throw a stone to it. Well, 

 it is a long three miles away as the crow 

 flies. Now, start and scramble over 

 the logs and through the brush, being 

 careful about loose rocks. Leave the 

 hotel at sunrise in charge of a native 

 who will carry your luncheon. When 



you reach that rock at noon, wave this 

 big red handkerchief at me ; I will see 

 it through field-glasses. Then descend 

 easily. Shoot a fool-hen if you can 

 find one ; build a fire and have supper, 

 and return in time for going to bed. 

 You will sleep all right, and enjoy your 

 breakfast in the morning. Then you 

 can tell me how stiff and sore your legs 

 are, and we will see about taking you 

 on a real trip." 



He may keep one at this preliminary 

 work for a week, or even refuse to con- 

 duct members of a party who do not 

 respond well to the "training." The 

 incidents of such days at the hotel are 

 often ludicrous. Men will return hope- 

 lessly wearied, on the verge of collapse, 

 profanely stating that they are several 

 kinds of idiots for submitting to this 

 sort of thing. The next morning they 

 will drag their jaded legs down to 

 breakfast, abuse the guides, vow that 



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