William Cecil Slingsby
Encyclopedia
William Cecil Slingsby was an English
mountain climber and alpine explorer.
Slingsby first visited Norway
in 1872 and fell in love with the country. He has been called the discoverer of the Norwegian mountains, and the father of Norwegian mountaineering
(insofar as he seems to be the first who actively pursued climbing in Norway and was the first person on several mountains). Together with Norway's early skilled mountain climber Kristian Bing (1862-1935), he is considered to be have been a pioneer explorer of Jostedalsbreen
, the largest glacier in continental Europe.
Slingsby is perhaps most famous for being the first on "Storen", or Store Skagastølstind
(2405 m) in 1876, the third highest mountain in Norway. It was considered impossible to climb then, but Slingsby defied popular notion and climbed the mountain, for the last part alone.
His crossing of the 1,550-meter-high (5,800 ft) Keiser Pass, Norway, on skis in 1880 also helped inspire the sport of ski mountaineering
.
He also spoke and wrote strongly about several other mountains for example Slogen
. His classic book on climbing in Norway, Norway: the Northern Playground, was first published in 1904 and republished in 1941. A new edition was released in 2003. It is considered worth reading for those mountaineering in Norway, even today.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
mountain climber and alpine explorer.
Slingsby first visited Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in 1872 and fell in love with the country. He has been called the discoverer of the Norwegian mountains, and the father of Norwegian mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
(insofar as he seems to be the first who actively pursued climbing in Norway and was the first person on several mountains). Together with Norway's early skilled mountain climber Kristian Bing (1862-1935), he is considered to be have been a pioneer explorer of Jostedalsbreen
Jostedalsbreen
Jostedalsbreen is the largest glacier in continental Europe. It is situated in Sogn og Fjordane county in Western Norway. Jostedalsbreen lies in the municipalities of Luster, Balestrand, Jølster, and Stryn. The highest peak in the area is Lodalskåpa at a height of .Jostedalsbreen has a total area...
, the largest glacier in continental Europe.
Slingsby is perhaps most famous for being the first on "Storen", or Store Skagastølstind
Store Skagastølstind
Store Skagastølstind is the third highest peak in Norway. It is situated on the border between the municipality of Luster and Årdal in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The mountain is part of the Hurrungane range...
(2405 m) in 1876, the third highest mountain in Norway. It was considered impossible to climb then, but Slingsby defied popular notion and climbed the mountain, for the last part alone.
His crossing of the 1,550-meter-high (5,800 ft) Keiser Pass, Norway, on skis in 1880 also helped inspire the sport of ski mountaineering
Ski mountaineering
Ski mountaineering is form of ski touring that variously combines the sports of Telemark, Alpine, and backcountry skiing with that of mountaineering...
.
He also spoke and wrote strongly about several other mountains for example Slogen
Slogen
Slogen is a mountain rising up from Hjørundfjorden in the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The mountain is located just west of the municipal boundary with Stranda and just north of the nearby mountain Jakta...
. His classic book on climbing in Norway, Norway: the Northern Playground, was first published in 1904 and republished in 1941. A new edition was released in 2003. It is considered worth reading for those mountaineering in Norway, even today.