. The fascination of Switzerland. en they troop in herds totheir valley quarters. 47 THE ouiDEs THE FASCINATION Of course even when a man is a guide he isnot that and nothing more ; there are the monthsof late autumn, winter and early spring to beaccounted for. He may be a wood-carver if helives in the Oberland, especially near Meiringen,or a cheese-maker in Gruyere ; he has his j)ieceof land to cultivate ; he may go out as a forester;he may be a carpenter, or he may be hired asan hotel servant. Some who live in valleys witha winter season throw themselves into wintersports, learn English or C
. The fascination of Switzerland. en they troop in herds totheir valley quarters. 47 THE ouiDEs THE FASCINATION Of course even when a man is a guide he isnot that and nothing more ; there are the monthsof late autumn, winter and early spring to beaccounted for. He may be a wood-carver if helives in the Oberland, especially near Meiringen,or a cheese-maker in Gruyere ; he has his j)ieceof land to cultivate ; he may go out as a forester;he may be a carpenter, or he may be hired asan hotel servant. Some who live in valleys witha winter season throw themselves into wintersports, learn English or Continental skating andteach it to visitors ; otheis become expert skiers,and pioneer parties over passes and mountainslopes, where as much nerve and skill are neededas on the summer heights. It would seem that many guides after passingthe prime of life take to keeping hotels in climb-ing centres, where they are sure of their previousemployeis as patrons, and where over pipe andLager they can fight all their battles over again. 48. OF SWITZERLAND mountain huts CHAPTER VII MOUNTAIN HUTS If you have never climbed you are apt to regardthe guides as among lifes idlers, and climbers asa poor lot. They are annoying too. They willget up at unearthly hours and clatter about inmountain hotels, making the wooden floors of thehotel resound to every step, so that sleep isimpossible in the small hours till they have gone. Perhaps you are a good walker yourself andhave been say, up the Faulhorn or over the TeteNoir or Great Scheidegg. You have been abovethe timber line and have crossed a glacier or two,but above the snowline you have not fact those who do go seem to you to be foolhardy(if not actually fools), risking life and limb forwhat ? Nevertheless, the talk of the climbers is full ofinterest. They will point out to you that thelittle jagged bit of rock opposite which looks asthough it could be knocked off with a croquetmallet, is really quite a respectable peak, and takesan h
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