Charles Hudson

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Charles Hudson (1828 – July 14, 1865) was an Anglican chaplain and mountain climber from Skillington, Lincolnshire.

Hudson was one of the most important climbers of the 'Golden Age of Mountaineering'. An immensely strong walker, he is considered a pioneer of guideless and winter climbing in the western Alps, having made the first guideless ascent of Mont Blanc in 1855, a guideless ascent of the Breithorn and a near ascent of the Aiguille du Goûter solo in winter, being forced back close to the summit by fresh snow. Amongst his guided climbs were the first ascent of the Dufourspitze in 1855, the first completed passage of the Mönchjoch in 1858, the first ascent of Mont Blanc by the Bosses route in 1859 (with E. S. Kennedy), and the second ascent of the Aiguille Verte (the first by the Moine ridge) in 1865 (with E. S. Kennedy and Michel Croz).

He was killed on 14 July 1865 in the notorious accident on the Matterhorn, being dragged off the north face of the mountain together with Lord Francis Douglas and Michel Croz by the rope of Douglas Hadow. Some have blamed Hudson for insisting on the presence of the inexperienced Hadow in the party, and for not checking the inadequately nailed boots that Hadow was wearing. Hudson's body was retrieved from the Matterhorn glacier and was buried in the Zermatt churchyard.

[edit] References

• Engel, Claire, Mountaineering in the Alps: An Historical Survey, George Allen and Unwin, 1971
• Hudson, Rev. C. and E. S. Kennedy, Where there's a Will there's a Way: An Ascent of Mont Blanc by a New Route and without Guides, Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1856