LE BLOND (Elizabeth Alice France). High life and towers of silence. By the author of "The high Alps in winter". London, Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1886. In-12, publisher's full cloth binding, smooth spine decorated with gilt title, gilt edges. First edition, illustrated with a frontispiece portrait of the guide Édouard Cupelin, a vignette in a bandeau, and 6 plates out of text. Accounts of climbs: crossing the Matterhorn with A. Burgener, 1st ascent of the Bieshorn... but the most interesting account is that of the 3rd ascent of the highest peak of the Dent du Géant. On 28 July 1882, the Sella brothers' guides, Jean-Joseph Maquignaz with his son Baptiste and his nephew Daniel, used artificial means (pitons and fixed ropes) to successfully climb the lower summit of the Dent du Géant, now known as the Pointe Sella (4,009 m). The highest peak, Pointe Graham (4,014 m), was climbed on 14 August 1882 by William Woodman Graham with guides Auguste Cupelin and Alphonse Payot. The second ascent was made on 4 July 1883 by two caravans: the first by Paul Perret, guided by François and Alfred Simond, from Montenvers, and the second by J. W. Hartley (who had made the first ascent of Petit Dru with Dent), guided by Joahnn Jaun, from Courmayeur. Paul Perret's guides were responsible for re-equipping the route to facilitate the ascent by Elizabeth Le Blond, then Mrs Burnaby, as the ropes left in place by the Sella brothers' guides had deteriorated. Mrs Burnaby, accompanied by the brothers Auguste and Édouard Cupelin, also made the ascent on 13 July. A fine copy. Mrs Elizabeth Alice France Le Blond (Greystones 1860 - Llandrindod Wells 1934) took up mountaineering for health reasons! She did classic climbs and became a specialist in the Bernina and winter ascents. She also climbed in Norway. Her maiden name was Hawkins-Whitshead and, having married three times, she was known successively as Mrs Burnaby (1879 - 1885), Mrs Main (1886 - 1892) and Mrs Le Blond (1900 - 1934). She founded the Ladies Alpine Club, of which she was the first president, in 1907. Perret, 2586 - Neate L 22