Author | William Cecil Slingsby |
---|---|
Language | English |
Publisher | David Douglas |
Publication date | 1904 |
Norway, the Northern Playground: Sketches of Climbing and Mountain Exploration in Norway between 1872 and 1903 is a 1904 book on mountaineering in Norway by British mountaineer William Cecil Slingsby. The book tells the story the first ascents of many of the most challenging peaks in Norway and contributed greatly to popularizing mountaineering in Norway—particularly in Jotunheimen—among the international and especially British mountaineering community, which had thus far largely focused on the Alps. It was published in Edinburgh by Scottish publisher David Douglas in 1904, with 425 pages, 32 full page illustrations, 9 maps and 70 vignettes. A second revised edition was published in 1941, edited by Slingsby's daughter Eleanor Slingsby and with a short biography of William Cecil Slingsby authored by Geoffrey Winthrop Young.
Slingsby first visited Norway in 1872 and fell in love with the country. He has been called the discoverer of the Norwegian mountains, and the father of Norwegian mountaineering (insofar as he seems to be the first who actively pursued climbing in Norway and was the first person on several mountains). [1] [2] Mountaineering historian Jill Neate noted in 1986 that "Slingsby was one of the leading climbers of his generation, climbing in Britain and the Alps, but he is still revered in Norway as the 'Father' of Norwegian mountaineering. His book remains the classic, indispensable work on the region." [3]
Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become sports in their own right. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, and bouldering are also considered variants of mountaineering by some, but are part of a wide group of mountain sports.
Jotunheimen is a mountainous area of roughly 3,500 square kilometres (1,400 sq mi) in southern Norway and is part of the long range known as the Scandinavian Mountains. The 29 highest mountains in Norway are all located in the Jotunheimen mountains, including the 2,469-metre (8,100 ft) tall mountain Galdhøpiggen. The Jotunheimen mountains straddle the border between Innlandet and Vestland counties.
Professor John Norman Collie FRSE FRS, commonly referred to as J. Norman Collie, was an English scientist, mountaineer and explorer.
Geoffrey Winthrop Young was a British climber, poet and educator, and author of several notable books on mountaineering.
William Cecil Slingsby (1849–1929) was an English mountain climber and alpine explorer from Carleton, North Yorkshire. Born in Bell Busk, near Gargrave, Yorkshire, Slingsby first visited Norway in 1872 and fell in love with the country. He has been called the discoverer of the Norwegian mountains, and the father of Norwegian mountaineering. Together with Norway's early skilled mountain climber Kristian Bing (1862–1935), he is considered to have been a pioneer explorer of Jostedalsbreen, the largest glacier in continental Europe.
Albert Frederick Mummery, was an English mountaineer and author. Although most notable for his many and varied first ascents put up in the Alps, Mummery, along with J. Norman Collie, Geoffrey Hastings, and two Gurkhas are also the first men in recorded history to have attempted to summit one of the Himalayan eight-thousanders.
Store Skagastølstind is the third highest peak in Norway. It is situated on the border between the municipality of Luster and Årdal in Vestland county, Norway. The 2,405-metre (7,890 ft) mountain is part of the Hurrungane range. The mountains Vetle Skagastølstind and Midtre Skagastølstind lie immediately to the north of this mountain and the mountains Sentraltind and Jervvasstind lie immediately to the east of this mountain.
Harold Andrew Raeburn was a Scottish mountaineer. He was one of the most prominent British mountaineers of his era with several first ascents. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries he took part in numerous ascents in Norway, contributing to the popularization of Norwegian mountaineering among the international mountaineering community. Some of his regular mountaineering partners in Norway were William Cecil Slingsby, Howard Priestman and Norwegians Kristian Tandberg and George Paus. He was mountaineering leader on the initial 1921 British Mount Everest reconnaissance expedition.
The Alpine Club was founded in London on 22 December 1857 and is the world's first mountaineering club. The primary focus of the club is to support mountaineers who climb in the Alps and the Greater Ranges of the world's mountains.
Store Knutsholstinden is a mountain in Vågå Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The 2,342-metre (7,684 ft) tall mountain is located in the Jotunheimen mountains within Jotunheimen National Park. The mountain sits about 60 kilometres (37 mi) southwest of the village of Vågåmo and about 25 kilometres (16 mi) northwest of the village of Beitostølen. The mountain is surrounded by several other notable mountains including Skarvflytindene to the east, Leirungstinden and Vesle Knutsholstinden to the southeast, Store Svartdalspiggen to the west, and Nordre Knutsholstinden to the north.
Therese Bertheau was a pioneering female Norwegian mountaineer. She was among the first in modern times to introduce trousers as an everyday item of clothing for women.
Robert Lock Graham Irving, was an English schoolmaster, climbing writer and mountaineer. As an author, he used the name R. L. G. Irving, while to his friends he was Graham Irving. He is noted for being the person who introduced George Mallory to mountaineering.
Norsk Tindeklub is a Norwegian mountaineering association. The club was founded in 1908. The association issues climbing guides and mountaineering books. The club has issued several jubilee books in the series Norsk Fjellsport. The club has three cabins, in Skagadalen (Hurrungane), Vengedalen (Romsdalen) and Flatvaddalen (Innerdalen).
Turtagrø is a hotel in the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway, near Hurrungane in Jotunheimen. The hotel has been a central meeting place for mountaineers from the late 1800s.
Carl Wilhelm Rubenson was a Swedish-born Norwegian mountaineer and non-fiction writer.
George Wegner Paus, often known as George Paus, was a Norwegian lawyer, mountaineer, skiing pioneer, sailor, rower, poet, diplomat and business executive.
Eleanor "Len" Winthrop Young (1897–1994) was a British climber. She was a co-founder and the first president of the Pinnacle Club, a British women's climbing club, and made numerous ascents in the Alps and many in the United Kingdom.
Geoffrey Hastings (1860–1941) was a British mountaineer who made numerous first ascents of rock-faces and peaks in the Lake District, the Alps and Norway, and helped to lay the foundations for mountain-climbing as a sport. He, Albert Mummery and J. Norman Collie were authoritatively considered to be the finest climbing trio of their day and were the first to attempt to reach the summit of an eight-thousander in the Himalaya.
Johan Kristian Tandberg was a Norwegian mountaineer, skiing pioneer, publisher and sports writer.
Howard Priestman was a British mountaineer, photographer, and cartographer. He was among the most renowned mountaineers from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, known for numerous first ascents in areas such as Jotunheimen and Northern Norway.