Matterhorn man
Modern alpinists try to climb mountains by a route which will give them good sport, and the more difficult it is, the more highly it is regarded. In the pioneering days, however, this was not the case at all. The early climbers were looking for the easiest way to the top because the summit was the prize they sought, especially if it had never been attained before. It is true that during their explorations they often faced difficulties and dangers of the most perilous nature, equipped in a manner which would make a modern climber shudder at the thought, but they did not go out of their way to court such excitement. They had a single aim, a solitary goal -- the top!
It is hard for us to realize nowadays how difficult it was for the pioneers. Except for one or two places such as Zermatt and Chamonix, which had rapidly become popular, Apline villages tended to be impoverished settlements cut off from civilization by the high mountains. Such inns as there were were generally dirty and flea-ridden; the food simply local cheese accompanied by bread often twelve months old, all washed down with coarse wine. Often a valley boasted no inn at all, and climbers found shelter wherever they could -- sometimes with the local priest (who was usually as poor as his parishioners), sometimes with shepherds or cheesemakers. Invariably the background was the same: dirt and poverty, and very uncomfortable. For men accustomed to eating seven-course dinners and sleeping between fine linen sheets at home, the change to the Alps must have been very hard indeed.
现代登山家尝试从能给他们很好运动的路径登山。而且道路越困难，就会越被注意。然而在以前，情况完全不同。早期的登山者寻找最简单的道路登顶，因为顶点就是他们向往的奖赏，特别是那些从未有人达到的（山顶）。事实上在探险期间他们经常会面对危险的大自然中许多困难和威胁，他们用一种会使现在的登山者感到战栗的思想武装自己，但他们并不刻意（go out of the way)去追求这种刺激。他们有一个很简单很单一的目标--顶峰！
今天我们很难理解这些先驱们面临多少困难。除了一两个象Zermatt和Chamonix等一些迅速流行的地方，阿尔卑斯山的村庄趋向于赤贫的殖民地，文明在这里被高山阻断。那里的旅馆普遍都很脏，而且会遭受跳蚤的折磨，食物经常是当地的干酪和12个月前的面包，下咽的都是粗劣质的葡萄酒。经常有一些山谷根本没有旅馆，而登山者则尽可能地寻找庇护所。有时是和当地的牧师（经常和教区的居民一样贫穷），有时是和牧羊人或者干酪制造者。但环境总是一成不变的：肮脏，贫穷，并且十分不舒适。对于那些习惯于一周吃七顿晚餐，并且睡在家里上好的亚麻被褥中的人来说，换成阿尔卑斯山（的环境）一定会相当痛苦！
