Taking advantage of this year marks the hundredth anniversary of the Royal Society Sports Peñalara, I was asked to try to summarize the highlights of those hundred years to the present day.
When Constacio Bernaldo de Quiros and some friends founded the Peñalara Society ill winds blowing in Europe. Actually war drums sounded across the planet. But Europeans looked the other way, as so many times in critical moments, dances enjoying fashion and prosperity of a century that began with the promise of being one of the most decisive; probably the best and the worst in history. That same year, eg, were completed reconstruction of Central Station New York,that would become the world's largest terminal. Today, fortunately concluded, can say that the history of the twentieth century has been of extreme. Never reached such a level of achievement, not many people inhabiting the planet, and profound changes, but, while, or tragedies such monstrous butchery. None of that could intuit those friends in 1913 they walked a cultural and sports that has withstood all the good and bad of a century decisive. But, would have been enough to dig a little deeper look to realize that humanity is heading for disaster.
Before starting to type a single letter was a long time pondering how to start this little review of one hundred years of world mountaineering
At the beginning of the century Europe was a fictitious peace, it was an armed peace and vigilant. That same year 1913 of war Balkans lit the fire, after the attack of Sarajevo, widespread confrontation would lead to the entire continent and then spread outside Europe. And 1914 war, first, became universal and deliver them with means incomparably more powerful and lethal. Neither politicians nor generals were able to understand that wars had changed, being unable to stop a devastating war ended leaving millions dead and wounds that, to not close properly, reopened again a few years later with another world war even more terrible. Among both, a dreadful civil war in Spain that left our battlefields full of corpses, Thousands of Spanish exiles and some economic consequences, social and political that would last nearly forty years. Largely, of one form or another, even today, we are still heirs to that world that emerged from those destructive world wars ...
Each of these climbs and expeditions and had a very fascinating history
Before starting to type a single letter was a long time pondering how to start this little review of one hundred years of world mountaineering. I wish to start with a big climbing expedition or a good, But as I started thinking about those adventures I realized I could not steal the reader the context in which they developed, or the historical circumstances in which the climbers had to cope, adventurers and explorers from around the world. Neither wanted this chapter from becoming a long list of mountaineers and explorers, except essential, being aware that the story of the most important expeditions and ascents of these hundred years take me several books. Each of these climbs and expeditions and had a very fascinating history, since the first ascent of the north face of Eiger the last performed on the Trango Tower.
But within a few pages I can barely afford more than sketch the major milestones alpine and some of the players who were, in my opinion, more decisive, both the importance they may have at the time or because their influence on later generations. So hopefully some indulgence of readers if they find certain name of mountaineer, or some expedition, they consider more important than here realize.
I hope some indulgence of readers if they find certain name or some expedition climber
Obviously nothing started from zero in 1913. The Mountain Feeling more than a century ago has begun to develop. With De Saussure, Balmat and Paccard mountaineering has moved from prehistory to history. From the first two ascents Mont Blanc, in 1786 and 1787, Mountain phenomenon begins to develop, though at first very slowly. Tras De Saussure, scientist and passionate mountain, others will follow their steps in the journey to nature.
Tras De Saussure, scientist and passionate mountain, others will follow their steps in the journey to nature
But, but slow, This development will be unstoppable and will bring significant changes in the Alps. These early changes and will complain to some of those pioneers, for having built hotels, roads and shelters distorting the essence of the mountain, whose mystery "guarded by a few initiates, is lost in the hands of the crowd " (“From the Travels of De Saussure”, R. Topfer. Ginebra 1834). As can be seen the debates and concerns are also repeated históricamentea.
