The Golden Age of Alpinism

150th anniversary of first ascent of the Bietschhorn.

This content was published on August 12, 2009 - 16:36

1 minute

I have a wealth of experience as a journalist working in Switzerland and enjoy producing videos, articles and podcasts on a range of subjects, recently focused mainly on politics and the environment. Born in the UK, I studied law at Nottingham University, then went on to attend the first-ever post-graduate radio journalism college in London. After working as a radio journalist in the UK and then Switzerland from 1984 to 1995, I returned to the UK to complete a post-graduate diploma in film at Bournemouth Film School. I have been working as a video journalist ever since.

150 years ago, British climber Leslie Stephen became the first to scale the almost 4,000 metre Bietschhorn in the Bernese Alps. His humorous description of the ascent appeared in the first edition of the Alpine Journal in 1863, the mouthpiece of the elite British institution, the Alpine Club. His article helped to draw streams of climbers to the Swiss Alps, and this period became known as the Golden Age of Alpinism. Julie Hunt retraced the footsteps of Leslie Stephen and visited the home of his Swiss guide, Johann Siegen. (Julie Hunt, swissinfo.ch, 13.08.2009)

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The Golden Age of Alpinism

150th anniversary of first ascent of the Bietschhorn.

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