IMont Blanc “Isiqongo” SaseYurophu

KUSUKELA ebuntwaneni, isazi semvelo saseSwitzerland uHorace-Bénédict de Saussure (1740-1799) sasithakazeliswa intaba ephakeme eyaziwa ngokuthi iMont Blanc, isiqongo esiphakeme kunazo zonke e-Alps. Njengoba kwakungelula ukuyiqombola, sathembisa ukuklomelisa umuntu wokuqala owayezofika esiqongweni sayo esingamamitha angu-4 807. Imizamo yokuqala yokufinyelela esiqongweni yenziwa ngo-1741. Kodwa kwaze kwaba ngo-August 1786 lapho izakhamuzi ezimbili zaseChamonix, eFrance—uJacques Balmat, owayengumhloli wamatshe ayigugu noMichel-Gabriel Paccard, owayengudokotela—zifinyelela phezulu esiqongweni seMont Blanc. Ngonyaka owalandela, uSaussure wafinyelela esiqongweni esiphakeme eYurophu ehola iqembu lososayensi, kanti ngo-1788 wafinyelela esiqongweni seCol du Géant, futhi wahlala khona izinsuku ezingu-17. Kwakuqala ngqá ukuba kubikwe ngabantu abaqombola izintaba njengengxenye yezemidlalo.

Ngo-1855 iqembu elaliholwa abaholi base-Italy lafinyelela kwesinye isiqongo seMont Blanc, okwakunzima ukufinyelela kuso kunesokuqala. Uhlangothi olungase-Italy lwalesi siqongo lwafinyelelwa eminyakeni engu-9 kamuva. Labo baqomboli abanesibindi bagibela ngaphandle kwamathuluzi esimanje, besebenzisa izinduku zensimbi ababebambelela ngazo kuphela. Emuva ngaleso sikhathi, “ukufika esiqongweni sentaba, nisuka phansi esigodini futhi nilandela imizila eningayazi nhlobo, kwakudinga amandla nokuzimisela okungenzeka kunzima ukukuqonda ngabantu abaqombola izintaba namuhla,” kusho isazi sokuma komhlaba uGiotto Dainelli. Namuhla, ngisho neziqongo eziqhelile zale ntaba sezifinyelelwe izikhathi eziningana.

Endulo, iMont Blanc yayibhekwa njengendawo engafinyeleleki, nakuba isenkabeni yeYurophu. Incwadi yokuqala eyaziwayo eyayichaza ngokukhethekile yabhalwa emuva ngo-1088 C.E. Ibalazwe lezindawo ezidayisayo lezindela zehlelo likaBenedict laseChamonix liyibiza ngokuthi i-rupes alba, okusho “intabamhlophe.” Kodwa kwase kungamakhulu eminyaka abantu bendawo beyibiza ngeNtaba Eqalekisiwe ngenxa yokuthi kwakuthiwa kuhlala amademoni nezinkanyamba kuyo. Kubonakala sengathi igama elithi Mont Blanc lavela okokuqala ngqá emdwebweni ngo-1744, okwaba uphawu lokuthi idumela layo elibi lase lizophela.

Izinto Ezihlukahlukene Kulolu Khahlamba

Umuntu angakwazi ukuyibona yonke intaba iMont Blanc uma ehamba ngendiza kuphela. Ihlanganisa indawo engaba amakhilomitha-skwele angu-600, inomhosha ongaphezu kwamakhilomitha angu-50 ubude—ohlukanisa i-Italy, iFrance neSwitzerland—kanti ineziqongo ezimbalwa ezingaphezu kwamamitha angu-4 000 ukuphakama. Le ntaba inamadwala ekristalu negwadle, akheka ekujuleni komhlaba. Izazi zokuma komhlaba zithi lolu khahlamba luselusha, luneminyaka “nje” eyizigidi ezingu-350 lukhona. Amadwala egwadle aye ashintshwa amakhemikhali asemoyeni nezinguzunga zeqhwa, futhi manje aseqhekekile, anemifantu emikhulu namagquma kanye neziqongo ezinhle ezibathakazelisa kakhulu abaqomboli bezintaba.

Ukuhlolisisa IMont Blanc

Ngisho nabantu abangachwepheshile ekuqomboleni izintaba bangakwazi ukubona inkaba yale ntaba eduze, ngokugibela inqola ehamba ngentambo kagesi eyaqala ukusebenza ngo-1958. Ibanga eliphezulu kakhulu le nqola efinyelela kulo i-Aiguille du Midi, engamamitha angu-3 842 ngaphezu kogu lolwandle, futhi okwazi ukusibona kahle iSigodi saseChamonix esingaphansi uma ukuyo.

Namuhla, uma kubhekwa ukwakheka kwayo, alusekho uhlangothi lweMont Blanc olungaziwa. Kunalokho, iwumbukwane omuhle, ikakhulukazi lapho ilanga liphuma nalapho seliyoshona, lapho imisebe yelanga ishaya amadwala “esiqongo” saseYurophu, okusenza sibe nemibalabala ekhazimulayo.

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Umhubhe OseMont Blanc—Umuzwa Uba Iqiniso

“Ngibona izigodi ezimbili lapho kukhulunywa khona ulimi olulodwa nalapho abantu befana khona. Luyofika usuku lapho kuyokwakhiwa khona umgwaqo ngaphansi kweMont Blanc, kuhlanganiswe lezi zigodi ezimbili.” Kwadlula iminyaka engamakhulu amabili ngaphambi kokuba umuzwa kaHorace-Bénédict de Saussure ugcwaliseke. Ngo-1814 kwenziwa isicelo sokuqala enkosini yasePiedmont naseSardinia; nokho, umsebenzi waze waqala ngo-1959 waphela ngo-1965.a Lo mhubhe, ongamakhilomitha angu-11,6 ubude, usuka e-Italy endaweni engamamitha angu-1 381 ukuphakama uyophelela eFrance endaweni engamamitha angu-1 274 ukuphakama.

Ngo-March 24, 1999, iloli lagqamuka amalangabi kulo mhubhe, ladala inhlekelele. Izinga lokushisa lanyuka laba ngu-1 000 degrees Celsius, lancibilikisa izimoto eziningi. Abantu abangu-39 babulawa ukuhogela intuthu, kanti abanye abangu-30 balimala. Ngemva konyaka wonke kuphenywa, umsebenzi wokuvuselela umhubhe waqala. Wavulwa ngo-June 25, 2002, naphezu kokubhikisha kwabashisekeli bokuvikelwa kwemvelo nezakhamuzi, ezazithi amaloli amaningi ahamba kule ndawo abangela ukungcola. Ezinyangeni ezine ezidlule, kuhambe izimoto ezingu-132 474 kulo mhubhe.

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Umfanekiso oqoshiwe kaH. B. de Saussure, eChamonix, eFrance

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

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UKUZUNGEZA LE NTABAKAZI

Nakuba isiqongo seMont Blanc sithandwa abaqomboli abangochwepheshe, ngisho nalabo abangakaze bafinyelele eziqongweni zezintaba bangabujabulela ubuhle bayo ngokuyizungeza nje kuphela. Ngokuvamile, izithombe ezinhle zale ntaba azithathwa esiqongweni kodwa zithathwa buqamama. IMont Blanc izungezwe yiziteshi zokuyibuka okwazi ukuyibona kahle uma ukuzo, ikushiye ukhexile. Abantu abathanda imvelo nabanamandla bangahamba emizileni engamakhilomitha angu-130. Umzila okuthiwa iMont Blanc Tour, owakhiwa ngokuhlanganisa eminye yale mizila, iwumzila ozungezayo, okuthatha uyokufaka eFrance, e-Italy naseSwitzerland. Njengoba uhlukaniswe waba yizigaba eziyishumi ezithatha amahora amathathu kuya kwangu-7 ngosuku, lo mzila ukunika ithuba lokubona ubuhle bendawo. Abangenaso isikhathi bangajabulela ukuhambahamba kwenye yezintaba eziningi ezizungeze le ntabakazi.

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I-Aiguille du Midi isesiqongweni esiphakeme kakhulu okufinyelela kuso inqola ehamba ngezintambo zikagesi

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

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(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

FRANCE

SWITZERLAND

ITALY

IMont Blanc

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USaussure eqwala iMont Blanc ngo-1787 (umdwebo)

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© The Bridgeman Art Library International

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

IMont Blanc