1937: On the Eiger Summary and Analysis

In 1937, several parties of climber gathered, all planning to attempt climbing the North Face. Newspapers had a role in both public outcry against the climb, considered by many to be suicidal, as well as the sensationalism of the effort. The Swiss government issued a warning that rescue or recovery attempts on the mountain were not guaranteed. Keying on the term "North Face Fever," the author compares the mountain to an infection, and the mountaineers to the immune system that fights for the health of the human race by subduing, not the mountain, but the new ground for human development.

The weather was bad, and one party left without making an attempt. There were rivalries, including national rivalries, between the climbing parties. Two Italians, Giuseppe Piravano and Bruno Detassis, started up the northeast face, on the difficult Lauper...