IMatterhorn Eyingqayizivele

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ESWITZERLAND

“KUNEMATTERHORN EYODWA kuphela kuwo wonke umhlaba; intaba EYODWA kuphela enobukhulu obulingana ngalendlela. Umbukwane oyisimangaliso!” Washo kanjalo uGuido Rey, umcaci wezintaba wase-Italy.

Ngempela, iMatterhorn iyisiqongo esingavamile, enye yezintaba ezaziwa kakhulu emhlabeni. Kungenzeka awuqali ukusibona isithombe esikulamakhasi salentaba ehlaba umxhwele.

IMatterhorn enjengombhoshongo ocijile isemngceleni we-Italy neSwitzerland, kumakhilomitha ayishumi eningizimu-ntshonalanga yedolobhana laseZermatt, eSwitzerland, idolobha lentaba eyaqanjwa ngalo. Ingamamitha angu-4478 ukuphakama futhi ineziqongo ezimbili eziqhelelene ngamamitha angaba yikhulu.

Nakuba iyingxenye yeCentral Alps, iMatterhorn izimele yodwa, ayinabo omakhelwane abaseduze. Lokhu kwenza lentaba ibe yinhle lapho uyibuka nhlangothi zonke futhi ithandeke ezithombeni.

Ngokufanelekile abanye bachaza iMatterhorn njengemise okwe-obelisk. Izinhlangothi zayo zozine zibheke ezinhlangothini zonke, futhi uhlangothi ngalunye luhlukaniswe ngokuphelele isiqongo.

Nakuba iphakeme, iMatterhorn ayimbozwa iqhwa ngaso sonke isikhathi. Ngasekupheleni kwentwasahlobo izindonga zayo zamadwala aphakeme ziba neqhwa elincibilikayo ngenxa yokufudumala kwelanga. Ezansi, izintaba zeqhwa ngasempumalanga nangasenyakatho-ntshonalanga zinamathela kulentaba njengebhande elimhlophe elisokhalweni lwayo unyaka wonke.

Abantu abaningi ebakhangayo lentaba engenakuqhathaniswa baye bazibuza ukuthi yavela kanjani. Akukho nqwaba yemvithi ngaphansi kwayo engaba insalela yenhlabathi eyabunjwa ngayo. Noma iyiphi imvithi enjalo kumelwe ukuba yakhukhuleka phakathi nezinkulungwane zeminyaka ezingaziwa selokhu yaba khona. Yeka ubukhulu bamandla emvelo aye abangela lombukwane omuhle!

Ukwakha Ngaphansi Kwayo Kudala

Isigodi sezintaba esiholela ngaphansi kweMatterhorn sase sakhiwe kakade ngesikhathi soMbuso WaseRoma. Umlando ubika ukuthi ngonyaka ka-100 B.C.E., ujenene waseRoma uMarius wawela iNtuba iTheodul, empumalanga yeMatterhorn, ephakeme ngamamitha angu-3322. Lomzila wasentabeni wawusetshenziswa futhi phakathi neNkathi Ephakathi ukuthutha izimpahla zisuswa eningizimu ziyiswa enyakatho.

Ngalezo zikhathi izakhamuzi zazinenhlonipho enkulu ngeMatterhorn, ngisho nokwesaba okuyinkolelo-ze. Zazingazami nakancane ukucaca lentaba, ezazicabanga ukuthi uDeveli uqobo lwakhe wayehlala kuyo! Ubani omunye owayengaphonsa izinguzunga zeqhwa namadwala amakhulu njengezindlu?

Ukwanda Kwesithakazelo Kuyisayensi Yemvelo

Lokho labo bantu abathobekile ababekugwema kamuva kwathandeka kakhulu emphakathini waseNgilandi ovelele. Isithakazelo esingokwesayensi saqala ukwanda, okwenza ukuba abahlola izindawo bacace izintaba bezihlola emikhakheni yolwazi enjengesayensi yokwakheka komhlaba, ukudweba amabalazwe, nesayensi yezitshalo.

Eqinisweni, kwasungulwa i-Alpine Club ngo-1857 eLondon, futhi izicebi eziningi zaseNgilandi zaya eFrance, e-Italy, noma eSwitzerland ziyohlanganyela ekucaceni i-Alps. Lamadelangozi acaca iziqongo ezihlukahlukene, kuhlanganise neMont Blanc. Nakuba lentaba iphakeme kunazo zonke eYurophu ngamamitha angu-4807, ayibakhathazi kakhulu abacaci bezintaba kuneMatterhorn.

Akuyona yonke lemizamo eyenziwa ngenxa yesayensi yemvelo. Isifiso sokuvelela saba nengxenye. Ukuba nodumo ngenxa yokuba ngowokuqala, onesibindi kakhulu, kwakuyisici esibalulekile. Ngaleso sikhathi eNgilandi, igama elithi “ezemidlalo” lalisho kuphela ukucaca izintaba.

Ngehlobo lika-1865 abantu babematasa kakhulu ekucaceni izintaba, ikakhulukazi iMatterhorn. Lombhoshongo ocijile othakazelisayo wawungesinye seziqongo zokugcina ezingazange zicacwe. Wawubhekwa njengongacaceki, futhi abaqondisi bezihambi bendawo benqaba ngisho nokuzama. Isimo sabo sengqondo sasiwukuthi, ‘Caca noma isiphi esinye isiqongo—kodwa hhayi iHorn.’

Nokho, ukucacwa kweMatterhorn kwakungenakugwenywa. Ekuqaleni kwawo-1860, kwacacwa iziqongo eziningi zezintaba. Abacaci bafunda kokuhlangenwe nakho futhi basungula amacebo amasha. Lapho eneminyaka engu-20 ubudala, u-Edward Whymper waseNgilandi wathunyelwa eSwitzerland umhleli othile waseLondon ukuba ayodweba imifanekiso yezintaba yokuhlobisa incwadi ekhuluma ngazo. UWhymper zamhlaba umxhwele izintaba, futhi wakuthanda kakhulu ukuzicaca. Wacaca iziqongo eziningi eFrance naseSwitzerland futhi wazama kaningana ukucaca iMatterhorn. Kodwa iHorn yayingacaceki.

Ukucaca IMatterhorn!

Ekugcineni, ngo-July 1865 amaqembu amathathu ahlukene acaca izintaba ahlangana eZermatt—womathathu ayezimisele ukucaca iMatterhorn. Ecindezelwa isikhathi ngenxa yeqembu lase-Italy elalingase lifike kuqala kunawo, lamaqembu amathathu anquma ukuhlangana abe i-cordée eyodwa, noma uhide lwabacaci bezintaba abasebenzisa izintambo. Leli qembu lalakhiwa amadoda angu-7—u-Edward Whymper noLord Francis Douglas, uCharles Hudson nomngane wakhe osemusha uHadow—bonke ababengamaNgisi—kanye nababili baseSwitzerland nomqondisi wezihambi waseFrance abaphumelela ukumqasha.

Besuka eZermatt ekuseni ngo-July 13, ngokungaphamazeli bacaca lentaba ngasempumalanga futhi bathola ukuthi izingxenye ezingezansi kulula ukuzicaca. Bamisa itende labo endaweni ephakeme ngamamitha angaba ngu-3300 futhi bajabulela ingxenye esele yalolo suku olubalele.

Ngakusasa ekuseni, ngo-July 14, kusantwela ezansi, baqala ukucaca. Babengayidingi kakhulu intambo. Ezinye izingxenye zazinzima kunezinye, kodwa babezinqoba izithiyo ezithanda ukuba ingozi. Ngemva kokuphumula izikhathi ezimbili, bafinyelela engxenyeni ebucayi kunazo zonke. Amamitha angu-70 okugcina ayembozwe yiqhwa, futhi ngo-1:45 ntambama, bafika esiqongweni. Babekwazile ukucaca iMatterhorn!

Lesi siqongo sasingenazimpawu zokuthi kunabantu ababeke bafika, ngakho ngokusobala babengabokuqala. Yeka indlela ababezizwa ngayo! Isikhathi esingaba ihora, leli qembu labanqobi lajabulela ukubuka indawo okuhlaba umxhwele nhlangothi zonke, lase lilungela ukwehla. Abacaci bezintaba base-Italy ababezama ukukhuphuka ngalolo suku olufanayo basala emuva kakhulu futhi badikibala lapho beqaphela ukuthi babehluliwe emjahweni.

Ukulahlekelwa Okukhulu

Nokho, ukunqoba kwalaba bacaci kwakuyobalahlekisela kakhulu. Lapho befika entubeni enzima njengoba babehla, behla ngentambo eyodwa, beholwa umqondisi onokuhlangenwe nakho okuningi kunabo bonke. Naphezu kokuqapha kwabo, umcaci omncane kunabo bonke washelela futhi wawela phezu kwendoda engezansi, edonsa nabangenhla. Ethuswe ukumemeza, amadoda amathathu asekugcineni akwazi ukubambelela emadwaleni. Kodwa intambo yagqashuka, futhi ngokuphazima kweso, amadoda okuqala amane akhalakathela eweni.

Beshaqekile, u-Edward Whymper nabaqondisi ababili baseSwitzerland basala esimweni esibucayi kakhulu. Kwadingeka ukuba bakanise ubusuku bonke futhi babuyele eZermatt ngakusasa. Ngakho udumo lwangalolo suku ngokushesha lwaphenduka inhlekelele eyathinta abasinda ukuphila kwabo konke.

Izidumbu ezintathu kwezine zatholakala kamuva entabeni yeqhwa kumamitha angu-1200 ngezansi kwendawo ingozi eyenzeka kuyo. Esesine, sikaLord Douglas, asizange sitholakale.

Lezi kwakungezona izisulu zokugcina emithambekeni yeMatterhorn. Naphezu kweqiniso lokuthi izintambo eziningi ziye zaboshwa zaqiniswa emadwaleni emizileni ehlukahlukene ekhuphukayo noma emaweni nasemifantwini ewumngcingo nangaphezu kokuhlangenwe nakho okwengeziwe namathuluzi athuthukiswe ngempela asetshenziswa abacaci bezintaba, kuye kwafa abantu abangaba ngu-600 kulentaba kuphela.

Izingozi

Into ebangela ingozi kakhulu isimo sezulu. Singashintsha ngokushesha okukhulu. Usuku lungaqala libalele, kodwa ngokuphazima kweso, inkungu ethe ngcí noma amafu amnyama angasibekela lombhoshongo ocijile futhi kuqubuke isiphepho esisabisayo. Lokhu kungase kuhambisane nemibani nokuduma okusabekayo, kanye nesivunguvungu, futhi kugcine ngokuba likhithike. Konke lokhu kungenzeka ngosuku lwasehlobo olubalele!

Uma abacacayo bebhekana nokushintsha kwesimo okunjalo, kungase kudingeke bachithe ubusuku endle, mhlawumbe endaweni encane ephakeme engabavumeli ngisho nokuba bame. Amazinga okushisha angaba ngaphansi kwezinga-qhwa. Ngezansi isikhelekehle. Khona-ke umuntu angase afise sengathi ngabe wabuka iMatterhorn ebuqamama!

Enye ingozi amatshe awayo. Ngezinye izikhathi abacaci abangenangqondo ngokwabo abenza ukuba amatshe awe. Nokho, ezimweni eziningi, izimbangela zingokwemvelo. Ukushintsha kwezinga lokushisa, iqhwa, imvula enamandla, nokushisa kwelanga, kanye nezivunguvungu ezizungeza iHorn, konke kugasela emadwaleni, kwenze ukuba kuqhephuke izingcezu ezinkulu. Ngezinye izikhathi zihlala ziqinile iminyaka eminingi, njengenqwaba yamapuleti, kodwa izinguzunga zeqhwa zingase ekugcineni zizibangele ukuba zinyakaze futhi ziwe.

Abacaci bezintaba abaningi bayamangala ukuthi sekuyizinkulungwane zeminyaka lesi senzakalo senzeka kodwa lentaba iye yahlala injenge-obelisk, kungabonakali shintsho ekwakhekeni kwayo. Nokho, uma kuqhathaniswa namadwala ayo alinganiselwa kuma-cubic meter ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-2,5, lamatshe awayo awamakhulu ukuba ashintshe ukwakheka kwayo. Nakuba kunjalo, ayabalimaza futhi ababulale abantu.

Manje, ukucaca iMatterhorn sekuyinto ethandwa uwonk’uwonke. Abanye abaqondisi sebeyicace izikhathi ezingamakhulukhulu. Futhi, amadoda nabesifazane abaningi benza lokhu bephindelela, bekhetha umzila ohlukile isikhathi ngasinye.

Kodwa kukhona nalabo abakuzamayo kodwa abaqaphelayo ukuthi izimo azizinhle noma ikhono labo, impilo, noma ukuqeqeshwa akwanele. Ngakho abaqhubeki nokucaca, kodwa bavumela ukuhluzeka kwengqondo kuze ngaphambi kodumo “lokunqoba” iMatterhorn.

Nakuba kunjalo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi lentaba ehlaba umxhwele uyibone ezithombeni noma kumabhayisikobho noma uye wama eduze ubabaza imibala yayo emihle lapho ilanga liphuma noma lishona, kungenzeka uye wakhumbula uMklami Omkhulu. Ngenhlonipho ejulile ngomsebenzi wakhe, kungenzeka inhliziyo yakho iye yenanela amazwi eHubo 104:24: “Jehova, yeka ubuningi bemisebenzi yakho; yonke uyenzile ngokuhlakanipha; umhlaba ugcwele izidalwa zakho.”