Hours of Exercise in the Alps

by John Tyndall

John Tyndall (1820–93) was a prominent physicist, particularly noted for his studies of thermal radiation and the atmosphere. He was a prolific writer and lecturer, who was able to bring experimental physics to a wide audience. While researching his 1860 work, The Glaciers of the Alps, he became a proficient climber, and this work, first published in 1871, combines climbing expeditions in Switzerland with comments on glaciation and geology. It was extremely popular, with a second edition in the same year, and German and American editions in 1872. He was one of a group of noted Alpinists of the period, making the first ascent of the Weisshorn in Switzerland and finally conquering the Matterhorn in 1868, three years after its first ascent. This account of Victorian climbing expeditions makes fascinating reading, and shows the length an experimental scientist was prepared to go in search of knowledge.

Genres: Mountaineering

508 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1872

About the author

John Tyndall FRS (2 August 1820 – 4 December 1893) was a prominent 19th century physicist. His initial scientific fame arose in the 1850s from his study of diamagnetism. Later he made discoveries in the realms of infrared radiation and the physical properties of air. Tyndall also published more than a dozen science books which brought state-of-the-art 19th century experimental physics to a wide audience. From 1853 to 1887 he was professor of physics at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London.

Reviews

[Bill Leach · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book that takes one back to the earliest days of climbing, where little equipment is used. While mention is made of the use of an alpenstock, unfortunately no detail is given on the boots used in these ascents. Ropes appear to have had no standardization, being used largely to hold short falls. Much is made of the ability to travel over dicey terrain with confidence and skill.

In contrast, when they targeted the Matterhorn they took technical equipment including a hammer, nails, ladder and a higher quality rope.

While Tyndall does many ascents with guides on occasion he heads off solo, enjoying the solitude and his own direction. He reflects on the merits of using a guide versus self-direction.

The book includes descriptions of many climbs. Interestingly, Tyndall always emphasizes the aesthetics, describing the stark beauty of the mountains - particularly evident in his climb of Snowden.

Tyndall was a scientist and his alpine observations contributed to his work. The mechanism of the formation of alpine valleys was unknown at the time, with some arguing that they were fissures that form on the earth's surface. Tyndall (chapter "Sculpture") argued against this idea, demonstrating that gorges were caused by erosion and larger valleys by glacial action.

Tyndall did much work measuring glacial movement, his mountaineering observations contributed to his understanding that glaciers move through plastic deformation of the ice. He reviews a paper on glaciation by Helmholz.

Tyndall describes the mechanism of the foehn wind - a warm wind experienced on the lee side of a mountain range - as being caused by the moisture loss due to cooling of rising air masses on the windward side and subsequent adiabatic heating as the air mass moves down slope on the lee side. Earlier thinking was that such winds must have originated in the Sahara as they are so warm and dry.