The Alps Or, Sketches of Life and Nature in the Mountains [Paperback]

First published in English in 1861, this work is a guidebook to the Alps and the Alpine way of life.First published in English in 1861, during the golden age of alpinism and travel writing, this work by Hermann Alexander Berlepsch (1814?83) was translated from German by Leslie Stephen (18321904), a renowned British mountaineer in his day. The book is a scientific and cultural guidebook to the Alps.First published in English in 1861, during the golden age of alpinism and travel writing, this work by Hermann Alexander Berlepsch (1814?83) was translated from German by Leslie Stephen (18321904), a renowned British mountaineer in his day. The book is a scientific and cultural guidebook to the Alps.Following the precedent and standards set by the Baedeker guides, travel literature enjoyed great popularity during the later nineteenth century. This guidebook to the Alps, written by Hermann Alexander Berlepsch (1814?83) and translated from German by the renowned author and mountaineer Leslie Stephen (18321904), was first published in English in 1861. This was during the golden age of alpinism, when many major peaks were ascended for the first time. While later mountaineers concentrated on climbing as a sport, earlier expeditions were of a more scientific nature; this guidebook, which provides detailed information pertaining to the geology, flora and fauna of the Alps, is a reflection of this ambition. Also containing descriptions of village life and Alpine customs, it enjoyed a significant readership in its day and was also translated into French. It remains an instructive work in the history of alpinism and travel writing.Translator's note; 1. The fabric of the Alps; 2. Granite; 3. Erratic blocks; 4. 'Karrenfields'; 5. Nagelfluh; 6. The landslip at Goldau; 7. The Ban-forests; 8. The Wettertanne; 9. Prostrate firs; 10. Alpine roses; 11. The southern valleys; 12. The chest-nut woods; 13. A tale of the clouds; 14. Cloud pictures; 15. 'Wetterschiessen'; 16. Thunderstorms;lS4