Ireadseveralbooks，andherearesomeofthethingsIfoundout。One\'sshoesmustbestrongandheavy，andhavepointedhobnailsinthem。Thealpenstockmustbeofthebestwood，forifitshouldbreak，lossoflifemightbetheresult。Oneshouldcarryanax，tocutstepsintheicewith，onthegreatheights。
Theremustbealadder，fortherearesteepbitsofrockwhichcanbesurmountedwiththisinstrument——orthisutensil——butcouldnotbesurmountedwithoutit；
suchanobstructionhascompelledthetouristtowastehourshuntinganotherroute，whenaladderwouldhavesavedhimalltrouble。Onemusthavefromonehundredandfiftytofivehundredfeetofstrongrope，tobeusedinloweringthepartydownsteepdeclivitieswhicharetoosteepandsmoothtobetraversedinanyotherway。
Onemusthaveasteelhook，onanotherrope——averyusefulthing；forwhenoneisascendingandcomestoalowbluffwhichisyettoohighfortheladder，heswingsthisropealoftlikealasso，thehookcatchesatthetopofthebluff，andthenthetouristclimbstherope，handoverhand——beingalwaysparticulartotryandforgetthatifthehookgiveswayhewillneverstopfallingtillhearrivesinsomepartofSwitzerlandwheretheyarenotexpectinghim。Anotherimportantthing——theremustbearopetotiethewholepartytogetherwith，sothatifonefallsfromamountainordownabottomlesschasminaglacier，theothersmaybracebackontheropeandsavehim。Onemusthaveasilkveil，toprotecthisfacefromsnow，sleet，hailandgale，andcoloredgogglestoprotecthiseyesfromthatdangerousenemy，snow-blindness。Finally，theremustbesomeporters，tocarryprovisions，wineandscientificinstruments，andalsoblanketbagsforthepartytosleepin。
IclosedmyreadingswithafearfuladventurewhichMr。WhymperoncehadontheMatterhornwhenhewasprowlingaroundalone，fivethousandfeetabovethetownofBreil。