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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Where did the French party join up with Buhl and his group on the 1952 climb?
(a) The Ramp.
(b) The Second Ice Field.
(c) The Hinterstoisser Traverse.
(d) The Flatiron.

2. What equipment was Harrer missing, that he realized he should have brought?
(a) Heavy crampons.
(b) A cold weather harness.
(c) Ice pitons.
(d) Carabiners.

3. How many climbers were in the first ascent to the top of the North Face?
(a) Five.
(b) Three.
(c) Two.
(d) Four.

4. What quality does Maix say Harrer has that qualifies him to write about the Eiger?
(a) He has climbed the North Face.
(b) He has been both a climber and a guide.
(c) He has been a professional climber.
(d) He has met many men who successfully climbed the Eiger.

5. How did Harrer survive the avalanche at the Spider?
(a) He was held by his piton.
(b) He held himself with an axe.
(c) He was partially sheltered by an overhang.
(d) He held on to Kasparek.

6. In the story the author tells at the beginning of the book, how does the climber criticize Harrer's idea to write about the Eiger?
(a) He says the book will either be sensationalistic or unnecessary.
(b) He says the book will either be too detailed or too general.
(c) He says the book will be inaccessible and obscure.
(d) He says the book will be boring and unreadable.

7. What did the climbers do that blocked their path back down?
(a) They inadvertently caused a rockslide that covered a climbable path.
(b) They took away a rope from a traverse.
(c) They removed pitons from the rocks as they climbed.
(d) They created a base camp that interfered with the path.

8. On Rebitsch and Vörg's return to the base of the North Face later in the month, what do they decide to do?
(a) Place ropes across treacherous areas of their intended climb.
(b) Stock food and water at good locations up the slope.
(c) Carve footholds in the lower part of the steep slope.
(d) Create a well-stocked camp a day's climb up the mountain.

9. Where did Heckmair and Vörg stay while waiting to start their climb?
(a) At a hotel.
(b) In a tent at the bottom of the North Face.
(c) In a camp in the railroad passage.
(d) In a tent secluded from the others to remain unnoticed.

10. How many climbers were there in the first party to attempt to climb the North Face?
(a) Three.
(b) Two.
(c) Four.
(d) Five.

11. What happened to the two climbers who arrived at the North Face early in the summer of 1936?
(a) They became ill and gave up the attempt.
(b) They climbed as far as the Second Ice Field and back down.
(c) One of them died on a climb on another mountain.
(d) The weather remained bad, and they gave up waiting.

12. How did the mountaineer who first climbed the Eiger write his account?
(a) In an article in the Alpine Journal.
(b) In a letter to the Alpine Journal.
(c) In a short, self-published book.
(d) In an article for the London Times.

13. Where did Harrer escape to?
(a) Syria.
(b) Tibet.
(c) Bangladesh.
(d) Burma.

14. What did Toni Kurz's party say to Allmen when he called to them?
(a) That they were going to separate.
(b) That they needed help.
(c) That they would be down soon.
(d) That they were going to attempt to climb up again.

15. On what day of the climb did Toni Kurz and his party turn back?
(a) The fifth day.
(b) The third day.
(c) The second day.
(d) The fourth day.

Short Answer Questions

1. How high is the Eiger?

2. Preparing for the final ascent, what did the climbers do with their unnecessary provisions?

3. What nationality was the second team to successfully climb the North Face?

4. What caused the people on the ground to lose sight of the first climbers up the North Face on their third day?

5. Who was the first mountaineer to climb the Eiger?

(see the answer keys)

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