science

Silver age of alpinism

Silver age of alpinism is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Silver age of alpinism rather than just read about it. In short: The silver age of alpinism is the name given in the United Kingdom to the era in mountaineering that began after Edward Whymper and party's ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 and ended with W. W.

Key takeaways

Silver age of alpinism belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Silver age of alpinism to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Silver age of alpinism from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The silver age of alpinism is the name given in the United Kingdom to the era in mountaineering that began after Edward Whymper and party's ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 and ended with W. W. Graham and party's ascent of the Dent du Géant in 1882. Whilst the golden age of alpinism (1854–1865) was characterised by the first ascents of many of the greatest Alpine peaks, the subsequent silver age may be seen as consisting of the first ascents of the many worthwhile peaks left unclimbed, although these peaks were – and remained – largely unknown to the wider public in Britain. Once these peaks had been climbed, many ambitious alpinists turned their attention to more distant and often loftier ranges, such as the Caucasus, the Andes, the Rockies and, latterly, the Himalayas. Prominent alpinists and guides of the period include Christian Almer, Melchior Anderegg, Hermann von Barth, Alexander Burgener, W. A. B. Coolidge, Henri Cordier, Clinton Thomas Dent, James Eccles, D. W. Freshfield, Pierre Gaspard, Paul Grohmann, Paul Güssfeldt, Michael Innerkofler, John Oakley Maund, Thomas Middlemore, A. W. Moore, Albert F. Mummery, Julius Payer and William Penhall.

First ascents in the silver age 1865 Aiguille du Chardonnet, Lauterbrunnen Breithorn, Cima Tosa, Dammastock, Grünhorn, Hochfeiler, Monte Cevedale, Monte Cristallo, Nesthorn, Tschingelhorn, Vertainspitze 1866 Dreiherrnspitze, Gross Litzner, Monte Zebrù, Piz Cengalo, Piz Platta, Piz Palü (1868?) 1867 Cima Piazzi, Civetta, Gletscherhorn, Hintere Schwärze, Olperer, Piz Badile, Pizzo Campo Tencia 1868 Bellavista, Ebnefluh, Grandes Jorasses, Hochgall 1869 Dreischusterspitze, Ellmauer Halt, Gspaltenhorn, Große Zinne, Großes Seehorn, Hochfrottspitze, Hohberghorn, Langkofel, Parseierspitze, Thurwieserspitze, Watzespitze 1870 Ailefroide, Cimon della Pala, Lenzspitze 1871 Aiguille du Plan, Dreitorspitze, Portjengrat, Trugberg, Waxenstein 1872 Glocknerwand, Trafoier Eiswand, Vezzana 1873 Aiguille de Rochefort, Hinterer Brunnenkogel, Le Râteau 1874 Aiguille de Triolet, Pflerscher Tribulaun, Rosengartenspitze, Zwölferkofel 1875 Roche de la Muzelle, Sass Maor 1876 Aiguille du Plat de la Selle, Les Droites, Mont Collon 1877 Aiguille Noire de Peuterey, La Meije, Pic Coolidge, Piz Scerscen 1878 Aiguilles d'Arves, Aiguille du Dru, Elferkofel, Les Bans, Mont Maudit, Sextener Rotwand 1879 Cima Ovest, Dürrenhorn, Monte Argentera, Petit Dru 1880 Aiguille des Grands Charmoz, Fußstein, Grohmannspitze, Olan 1881 Aiguille du Grépon, Dôme de Rochefort, Kleine Zinne, Totenkirchl 1882 Dent du Géant, Paternkofel A number of high, major summits were reached at a still later date, including the Aiguille Blanche de Peuterey (1885). Many technically challenging peaks, especially in the Dolomites, defeated climbers into the 20th century, with Campanile Basso (1899), de:Campanile di Val Montanaia (1902), Torre Venezia (1909), Torre Trieste (1910) and Aiguille Dibona (Angelo Dibona - 1913) perhaps being the last big prizes.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Silver age of alpinism

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Silver age of alpinism claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Silver age of alpinism before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Silver age of alpinism ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Silver age of alpinism

In research: Silver age of alpinism appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Silver age of alpinism in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Silver age of alpinism is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Alpine Club (UK), History of mountaineering, History of the Alps, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Silver age of alpinism outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Silver age of alpinism in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Silver age of alpinism means in your own words.
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Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Silver age of alpinism in simple terms?

The silver age of alpinism is the name given in the United Kingdom to the era in mountaineering that began after Edward Whymper and party's ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 and ended with W. W.

Why does Silver age of alpinism matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Silver age of alpinism?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Silver age of alpinism.