IMont Blanc—“Uphahla” LwaseYurophu

UKUSUSELA ebuntwaneni uHorace-Bénédict de Saussure (1740-1799) waseSwitzerland, osisazi ngendalo, wayethabathekile ziintaba zeMont Blanc, ezizezona ziphakamileyo kwiiAlps. Echukunyiswa yinto yokuba kunzima ukufika kwinkcochoyi yazo, wathembisa ngokumnika ibhaso umntu oye wafika kwinkcochoyi—ephakame kangangeemitha ezingama-4 807. Kwaqaliswa imigudu yokuya kowona mmandla uphezulu ngowe-1741. Kodwa kwathi ngoAgasti 1786 abemi ababini baseChamonix, eFransi—uJacques Balmat, ophanda ngeekristale noMichel-Gabriel Paccard, ongugqirha—bafika kwinkcochoyi yeentaba zeMont Blanc. Kunyaka olandelayo uSaussure neqela lakhe lezazinzulu bafikelela kowona mmandla uphezulu eYurophu, eCol du Géant ngowe-1788 baza bahlala apho iintsuku ezili-17. La ke yayingamalinge okuqala okunyuka intaba ekubhalwe ngawo nawaphela sele engumdlalo.

Ngowe-1855, iqela elalikhenkethiswa ngamaTaliyane lathi ebunzimeni laya kufika kwelinye icala leMont Blanc. Kwafikelelwa kummandla ophezulu okwicala laseItali emva kweminyaka elithoba. Abantu ababenyuka ezi ntaba babengenazo izixhobo zakutshanje ngaphandle kwemisimelelo enencam yentsimbi. Isazinzulu ngomhlaba uGiotto Dainelli wabhala esithi, kuqala “kwakufuna amandla ukunyuka uye kwincopho usuka ezantsi uhamba ngeendlela ongazaziyo, nto leyo abangayicingi kwaukuyicinga abantu abanyuka kwezi ntaba kule mihla.” Ngoku, abantu baye bafikelela nakwezona ndawo zithe qelele.

Ngenxa yokuba inemimandla ekude, iMont Blanc yayigqalwa njengendawo engaziwayo nangona ikumbindi weYurophu. Eyona ncwadi eyaziwayo ethetha ngayo yabhalwa ngowe-1088 C.E. Kwimaphu yeemonki zaseChamonix ezingabalandeli bakaBenedict, ezi ntaba zibizwa ngokuthi ziyirupes alba ibinzana elithetha “iintaba ezimhlophe.” Kodwa ke, kwaqengqeleka iinkulungwane eziliqela abantu bezibiza ngokuthi ziiAccursed Mountain ngenxa yokuba babesithi kuzo kuhlala iidemon namarhamncwa. Kuthiwa igama elithi Mont Blanc elavela ngowe-1744, libonisa ukuba abantu babefanele bayeke ukusebenzisa igama elithi Accursed Mountain.

Ukwahlukahlukana Kwemimandla Ekwezi Ntaba

Unokukwazi ukubona iintaba zeMont Blanc xa ukwinqwelo-moya. Zizizikwekhilomitha ezingama-600, inommango onobude obuziikhilomitha ezingama-50—owahlula i-Itali, iFransi neSwitzerland—ineenkcochoyi eziliqela eziphakame kangangeemitha ezingama-4 000 nangaphezulu. Ezi ntaba zinamatye ekristale nawenyengane. Izazinzulu ngokwakhiwa komhlaba zicinga ukuba ezi ntaba zineminyaka ezizigidi ezingama-350 “kuphela” zikho. Abantu abathanda iintaba bashiyeka bebamb’ ongezantsi ngenxa yobuhle bezi ntaba zihonjiswe ngeegesi ezisemoyeni nangomkhenkce okula matye enyengane aqhezukileyo nangalinganiyo.

IMont Blanc Xa Uyondele

Nabantu abangenabo ubuchule bokunyuka iintaba bayakwazi ukubona umbindi wezi ntaba kuba basebenzisa icable car eyaqala ukusebenza ngowe-1958. Owona mmandla uphakamileyo efikelela kuwo le nqwelo yiAiguille du Midi oziimitha ezingama-3 842 ngaphezu komphakamo wolwandle, apho uyibona kakuhle iNtlambo iChamonix.

Kule mihla, akusekho nto ifihlakeleyo eMont Blanc. Imibala yayo emihle ebomvu ibonakala kakuhle ekuseni nangongcwalazi xa imitha yelanga ifikelela kumatye ayo enyengane abandayo “aluphahla” lwaseYurophu.

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Itonela ElikwiiNtaba ZeMont Blanc—Iphupha Liye Lazaliseka

“Ndibona iintlambo ezimbini apho kuthethwa ulwimi olunye nabantu bayafana. Ngenye imini kuya kuze kwakhiwe indlela phantsi kweentaba iMont Blanc yaye kuya kudityaniswa iintlambo ezimbini.” Kwadlula iinkulungwane ezimbini ngaphambi kokuba kuzaliseke iphupha likaHorace-Bénédict de Saussure. Ngowe-1814 kwafakwa isicelo kukumkani wasePiedmont nowaseSardinia; kodwa umsebenzi waqala ukwenziwa ngowe-1959 waza wagqitywa ngowe-1965.a Eli tonela linobude obuziikhilomitha ezili-11,6, liqala kwicala ngaseItali yaye liziimitha ezili-1 381 ukuphakama lize liye kuma ngaseFransi yaye kwelo cala liziimitha ezili-1 274 ukuphakama.

NgoMatshi 24, 1999, kwatsha ilori kweli tonela yaza yabangela umonakalo omkhulu. Iqondo lobushushu laya kwi-1 000 ngokukaCelsius linyibilikisa iimoto ezininzi. Kwasweleka abantu abangama-39 ngenxa yokufuthaniseleka kwaza kwenzakala abangama-30. Emva kokwenziwa kophando isithuba esingangonyaka laphinda lakhiwa. Eli tonela lavulwa kwakhona ngoJuni 25, 2002, nangona abantu abaninzi balapho nabo balondoloza indalo ababesithi iimoto ezininzi ezihamba apho zingcolisa umoya. Kwezi nyanga zine zidluleyo kuye kwahamba iimoto ezili-132 474 kweli tonela.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso]

Ilitye lesikhumbuzo likaH. B. de Saussure, eChamonix, eFransi

[Inkcazelo]

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Photochrom Collection, LC-DIG-ppmsc-04985

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UKUJIKELEZA EZI NTABA ZIPHAKAMILEYO

Nangona izincutshe zokwenyuka iintaba kuphela ezikwaziyo ukunyuka iintaba zeMont Blanc, nabantu abangenabuchule bokwenjenjalo bayakwazi ukubukela ubuhle bazo xa behamba kufuphi nazo. Ngokuqhelekileyo, ezona foto zintle zezi ntaba azifotwa ngumntu osenkcochoyini kodwa zifotwa ngumntu ome qelele kuzo. IMont Blanc ingqongwe ziindawo onokubukela kuzo ubuhle bendalo. Abantu abathanda indalo nabanemilenze eyomeleleyo banokuhamba umgama oziikhilomitha ezili-130. Le ndlela iseMont Blanc yenziwa ngokudibanisa ezinye iindlela ezimfutshane. Xa uhamba ngeenyawo kule ndlela unokubona iFransi, i-Itali neSwitzerland. Olu hambo luthabatha iintsuku ezilishumi yaye uhamba iiyure ezisixhenxe uze ngezinye iintsuku uhambe ezintathu ubuka ubuhle bezi ntaba ukwiindawo eziphakamileyo. Abantu abangenalo ixesha elaneleyo bajikeleza enye yezi ntaba.

[Umfanekiso]

Incopho yeAiguille du Midi iyeyona iphezulu ekufikelelwa kuyo “ngecable car”

[Inkcazelo]

Courtesy Michel Caplain; http://geo.hmg.inpg.fr/mto/jpegs/020726/L/12.jpg

[Imaphu ekwiphepha 22]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

FRANCE

SWITZERLAND

ITALY

Mont Blanc

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USaussure wenyuka iintaba zeMont Blanc ngowe-1787 (umfanekiso ozotyiweyo)

[Inkcazelo]

© The Bridgeman Art Library International

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IMont Blanc