The Mountaineer's Psalm

Introduction

Thank you for inviting me to take your festival service today (in Skillington - the church where Revd Charles Hudson was vicar from 1859 to 1865)

My interest comes from a former vicar here - Revd Charles Hudson (4th October 1828-14 July 1865).

Charles was born in Park Street in Ripon on 4th October 1828.

He was the thirteenth child of Joshua Hudson who was simply described as a gentleman, which means he was well off.

Charles was sent to St Peter’s School in York where he excelled in swimming, fencing and gymnastics.

When he was 17 years old, he joined a walking tour in the Lake District where they averaged 27 miles each day.

In 1847 he went to St. John’s College in Cambridge where he was one of the University’s best rowers.

He decided to become a clergyman and was ordained in Ripon Cathedral in 1854.

He served some time at Kirklington (presumably his curacy) and then as a Chaplain in the Crimea.

He then moved for a short time to Bridgenorth in Shropshire before becoming Vicar of Skillington in 1859.

He was a prominent mountain climber in the golden age of alpinism and was known an extremely strong walker.

He is credited with the first ascents of

Monte Rosa,

Mont Blanc du Tacul and

the first completed passage of the Moenchjoch.

He also pioneered guideless climbing in the western alps.

It is said he climbed more mountains than he preached sermons!!!.

In July 1865, he was in the team that made the first ascent of the Matterhorn, in Switzerland - the last peak in the Swiss Alps - at 4478 m - to be conquered.

The team of seven made it to the top of the Matterhorn but on the way down one of them Douglas Hadow the least experienced of the climbers slipped.

He pulled three of the other mountaineers down, Lord Francis Douglas, Charles Hudson and the guide Michel Croz.

Edward Whymper and the two other guides Peter Taugwalder the older and his son Peter Taugwalder the younger survived because the rope snapped between the Peter Taugwalder the older and Lord Francis Douglas .

There was a very nasty inquest with the older Peter Taugwalder being accused of cutting the rope holding the mountaineers together to save himself, his son and Edward Whymper.

I have seen the rope in question in the Matterhorn museum in Zermatt and it clearly looks like a break and not as having been cut.

The body of Lord Francis Douglas has never found to this day but the bodies of Hadow, Hudson and Croz were recovered.

Charles had his Book of Common Prayer (often simply referred to as a Prayer Book) with him at the time and those who found the bodies read the burial service from Charles’ Prayer Book over Croz, Hadow and Hudson.

Hadow and Hudson were initially buried together in the Zermatt Mountaineers graveyard.

However once the Anglican Church of St Peter’s Zermatt was built and consecrated in 1890, Hudson’s body was moved from the Mountaineers graveyard and buried under the altar in St Peter’s Zermatt.

My interest in Charles Hudson came from the fact that he is buried under the altar in St Peter’s Anglican Church in Zermatt where I have been a seasonal chaplain a number of times.

This morning I would like to look at the Mountaineers Psalm - Psalm 121.

Given Charles took his Prayer Book with him when he went up the Matterhorn I am sure he would have had it with him every time he climbed a mountain.

At that time it was standard equipment for a Vicar

The Prayer Book has a section with all 150 Psalms.

I have often wondered how often Charles would have reflected on the Mountaineer’s Psalm/ during his ascents and descents from the various mountains he climbed

Psalms 121 is one of the songs of ascent, named because these Psalms – Psalm 120-134 were sung by the Jews as they went up to the Temple in Jerusalem.

You could say they were a mini-Psalter in today’s parlance

They were characterised by the themes of joy, hope and longing for God’s presence

It is believed that these Psalms were associated with annual pilgrimages where Jews would go up Mount Zion in Jerusalem for the three major Jewish Festival. :

1. The first of these major three annual festivals was Passover – also known as the Feast of Unleaven Bread

The festival was a reminder to the Jews of God's miraculous intervention – which saved their nation from slavery in Egypt.

It was also at Passover when Jesus was crucified to save mankind from the slavery from sin and eternal separation from God

Passover was held at beginning of the barley harvest.

2. The second of these major three annual festivals was Pentecost also known as Feast of Weeks