Christian Bergener

The ascent of the Jungfrau by the Urban Alpine Expedition, headed by Frank Ormiston-Smith, the pioneer mountaineering photograher and filmmaker, on september 24th, 1903. The film consists of 15 scenes and illustrates the whole ascent from Grindelwald through the Fieschier Glacier and the Rothal Sattel and culminates with a panorama from the summit. It was produced by the Charles Urban Trading Co., one year after the huge success of 'The ascent of Mont Blanc'. Charles Urban left the Warwick Trading Company in 1903 to form his own film business, and took with him many of the film-makers who had worked for Warwick, including Ormiston-Smith, who went on to make many more mountaineering films.

Following the successful ascent of Mont Blanc, the Warwick Trading Company expedition led by Frank Ormiston-Smith went on to film the ascent of the Great Schreckhorn accompanied by three guides and porters. Screened in different selections of scenes, the film was presented as ‘the most perilous rock climbing that is within the power of man’. The film also included scenes of the ascent and descent of the Aiguilles des Grandes Charmoz. ‘The ascent of Mont Blanc’ and ‘Climbing the Great Shcreckhorn’ are the two first major mountain films shown widely in cinemas.

A pioneering mountaineering film made by Frank Ormiston-Smith for the Warwick Trading Company in 1902. Ormiston-Smith himself led and filmed an expedition of seven men up to the top of Mont Blanc. The party left Chamonix the 23rd of september up to Pierre-Pointue and Grands Mulets and reached the top the 25th. The film consists of 18 scenes including a final scene of the team on the summit. This is the first major mountain film shown widely in cinemas. The mountaineering filming is rudimentary by later standards, but in 1902 it gave audiences moving pictures of places, and altitudes, which they could never expect to witness otherwise.

On September 28th, 1903, the Urban Mountaineering Expedition, headed by Frank Ormiston-Smith, left Zermatt to attempt the conquest of the Matterhorn. On the 29th, the conquest was completed by the filming of the panorama from the actual summit of the mountain. The film consists of 20 scenes and illustrates the whole ascent from Zermatt through the Hornli Ridge. A copy of the film was found in Zermatt in 1953 and was was erroneously attributed to Frederick Burlingham and dated 1901. Since then, the film has been widely publicized as the first mountain film under the title of 'Cervin 1901', but this is incorrect. Ormiston previously had made 'Alpine series' (1901), 'The ascent of Mont Blanc' (1902), 'Climbing the Great Schreckhorn' (1902) and 'Ascent of the Jungfrau' (1903). The pictures and descriptions of the Charles Urban Trading 1903 film catalogue show without any doubt that 'Ascent of the Matterhorn' and 'Cervin 1901' are the same film.

The ascent of the Wetterhorn by Frank Ormiston-Smith accompanied by the guide Christian Bergner, Rev. H. J. Heard, Mr. E Burchell-Rodway from the Alpine Club, and the hotelier Herr Fritz Boss from Grindelwald. The film consists of 24 scenes including a final scene of the team on the summit. The film starts with the climbers and the guide leaving the Bear Hotel, at Grindelwald. Later the party arrives at the Wetterhorn Hotel, at the mountain base. They climb the Milchbach Ladders to gain the top of the glacier, cross the Seebach Platte and the upper glacier, and pass the night at the Mountain Inn. Next morning they overcome the Great Coulvu and gain the arete to finally reach the summit. Sections of the film are tinted to give the effects of dawn, sunset and rose-glow actually experienced during the climb.

"A series of films taken during a difficult and dangerous ascent of the Jungfrau;, showing views of the climbers at an height of over 13,000 feet. The party consisted of Messrs. Charles Urban, G. A. Smith, F. Ormiston; Smith, the latter being the well-known mountaineer who has made a specialty of photography at high altitudes, and the two famous Bernese Oberland guides, Christian Bergenes and Hans Bernet. The following briefly indicates the incidents of each film, the whole series forming a grand conception of mountain climbing and its attendant difficulties and dangers :-The last drink before leaving the Chalet- previous to the start; Climbing the Jungfrau;-ascending the Gaggi Glacier, crevasses, slide, etc.; Climbing the Wetterhorn - difficult rock and precipice scaling ; Climbing the Jungfrau; - difficult ice and snow traversing, a slip, reaching summit; A lunch on the mountain and return of the climbers."