Finzi Neville Samuel

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Biografie:
Finzi Neville Samuel, Cobham, + Cobham
Bergpartner von Franz Josef Biner,Bergführer aus St. Niklaus und Frank Smythe,Großbritanien
Neville hatte eine ungeheure Kenntnis der Alpen. Es gab kaum ein Gebiet, das er im Laufe seines langen und aktiven Lebens nicht besucht hatte. Er war vor allem viel in den Berner Alpen,in den Walliser Alpen und im Montblancgebiet unterwegs.
Noch im Alter von 65 Jahren kletterte er in den britischen Hügeln schwere Touren.

1921 1.Beg.Piz Bakone-Südgrat, (Bergell)
1923 Best.Fünffingerspitze,2996m, (Langkofelgruppe)
1923 Beg.Marmolata-Punta-Penia-Südwand "Alte Südwand",IV+,700 HM,3343m, (Dolomiten)
1923 Beg.Jungfrau "Guggi-Route",4158m, (Berner Alpen)
1923 1.Best.Ago del Torrone-Cleopatra Nadel,IV,3234m, (Val Bregaglia,Bergell)
1928 Beg.von Bergtouren in Norwegen
1929 Beg.Marmolata-Punta-Penia-Südwand "Alte Südwand",IV+,700 HM,3343m, (Dolomiten)
1929 Beg.Ortler-Marltgrat,3902m, (Ortler Alpen)
1929 1.Beg.Scheidegg-Wetterhorn-Nordwestflanke,3692m, (Berner Alpen)
1935 Best.Monte Rosa,4634m, (Walliser Alpen)
1935 Überschr.Wellenkuppe-Obergabelhorn,Abstieg über Arbengrat,4063m, (Walliser Alpen)
1936 Best.Piz Badile,3308m, (Bergell)

Gerd Schauer,Isny im Allgäu

Neville Samuel Finzi (1881 – 1968)
Finzi was a very familiar figure in the Alpine Club and will leave many friends to regret his death, last April. Despite increasing infirmities, he attended Club meetings and dinners until quite recently; in late years he had undergone several severe operations, but his toughness was remarkable and although he had necessarily abandoned climbing a good many years ago, he was notably active still in the garden of his home at Cobham.
Educated at University College School and University College (London) and Hospital, Finzi made his name as a pioneer in X-ray therapy and became Director of the X-ray Department at Barts. He was author of several learned papers on X-ray treatment (especially of cancer) and on ionic medication. He was Master of the Society of Apothecaries from 1955-56.
He was elected to the Alpine Club in 1919 and served on the Committee in 1942. In 1919 he also joined the A.B.M.S.A.C., with whom he was to be very closely associated, as an indefatigable attender at climbing meets, lectures and dinners, and he was their President from 1946- 48. For the Alpine Club he was proposed by G. E. Gask, and seconded by H. Roger-Smith, on a qualification starting in 1910, continuing unbroken to (and including) 1914, and a notable return in 1919 one of his best seasons.
Finzi in 1922 made the acquaintance of the well-known St. Niklaus guide, Franz Josef Biner, and this friendship lasted for many seasons. Frank Smythe, who had climbed with Finzi one year, thought him unsuited to guideless work, and there can be little doubt that he preferred to climb in the old style behind guides. But if he left the main executive work to his guides, Finzi' s toughness and staying powers were put to good use, and he amassed a notable list of ascents. Perhaps the Oberland and the Bregaglia should be counted his favourite centres, but he was well acquainted with the Valais and the Mont Blanc district, as well as less frequented areas.
1923 was a particularly good year for Finzi, his main climbs being the Fünffingerspitze twice, by different routes; the Marmolada Südwand (which he regarded as the finest rock climb he had made); the Jungfrau by the Guggi route; and, most noteworthy of all, the first ascent of the Ago del Torrone (Cleopatra's Needle) in the Bregaglia, one of his greatest achievements ( A.J. 36. 6o ).
In 1928 Finzi and Biner visited Norway, but the weather was against them. The following year, however, he scored his best-known claim to fame; after a repeat of the South face of the Marmolada, and the Order by the Marltgrat (North-east ·ridge), a climb he regarded as quite unjustifiable owing to danger from falling rocks; he finally achieved the first ascent of the Scheidegg Wetterhorn by the North-west face. On this fine climb, Biner led, with Josef Knubel as second guide. (A.J. 42. I, and 55, 428).
Finzi continued climbing year after year; he was back in the Bregaglia in 1936 and was struck by lightning on Piz Badile, a matter on which he wrote a paper for the A .J. (49· 65). But just as the First War had seriously interrupted his start as a mountaineer, so the Second War brought his really active climbing in the Alps to an end. Yet he continued into his seventies to attend climbing meets of the A.B.M.S.A.C., both at Easter on British hills, and in the summer in Switzerland .
Apart from climbing, and gardening, Finzi was at one time a very keen tennis player, and right up to his last years he was a regular attender at Wimbledon.
Finzi was such a constant figure both in A.C. and in A.B.M.S.A.C. circles that it is hard to realise we shall not see him again. The medical profession has lost a distinguished figure, and the Alpine Club a popular member of long standing. Our sympathy goes to his sisters in their loss. F. R. Crepin
T. S. Blakeney
DR. Charles Warren writes:
I feel that I must write something about Neville Finzi, because I got to know him rather well over the years and came to have a high regard for his character. I can remember defending him from a detractor at the A. C. Centenary dinner in Zermatt. I want, therefore, to say something informal about him which will leave members of the Club with an idea of the character of the man, a part from his considerable alpine achievements in his day, which have already been recorded.
I first came in contact with Neville when I was a student at Bart's, where he was then one of our most senior and distinguished consultants. At that time he played an active part in the foundation of the Bart's Alpine Club. The Club, like all such institutions in a floating population, had its ups and downs. But it happened that in our day, first under the presidency of George Gask and then of Neville Finzi, it was particularly active. But I began to know Neville really well after I joined the junior staff of the hospital, and particularly during the early war years when I began to climb with him in the Lakes on the Alpine Club meets, and thereafter in North Wales. As a relatively young man I could not but help noticing that in matters of dress and a certain courtliness of behaviour, Neville was old-fashioned. And yet, as I got to know him, I was constantly surprised how young he was at heart. He seemed to me to be singularly free from prejudice. He greatly enjoyed being with young people with whose ideas he always remained in sympathy.
I will remember the occasion on which we arranged to meet at Pen-y-Pass, where my then future wife was to join us. Neville knew about this and had volunteered to act as her escort from London. Dorothy had never met him before and it had been arranged that they should foregather at his Club. Not unnaturally she was a little shy of this first encounter, but from the moment they met she was put completely at her ease. They travelled to North Wales by the night train and as usual had to change at Llandudno Junction where there was a wait. By that time they were on such easy terms that she found it no embarrassment to borrow a penny from him for an essential purpose. Thereafter the three of us had a delightful holiday in the Welsh hills together, and this started a regular series of meetings which only became less frequent with the passage of years and my increasing professional commitments.
Neville had an immense knowledge of the Alps. There was hardly a district he had not visited in the course of his long and active life. He was still climbing to a standard of 'very difficult' in the British hills at the age of 65. During his later years, however, outings with him were something of a responsibility. But he was so keen that it was difficult to leave him behind. One hadn't the heart to do so.
But perhaps Neville's greatest virtue was that even in old age he remained remarkably 'with it'. His physical appearance made me think of Cervantes' hero and yet no-one could say that he was 'of sorrowful countenance'. But it was his lean build, his beard and his courtly demeanour, particularly in the presence of ladies, which made me think of him as the Knight of the Mancha. He was undoubtedly a character, and one worthy of a place in the ranks of many such amongst
our membership.
When one really got to know him, Neville turned out to be a charming and cultured friend who never lost his youthful outlook and enthusiasm for life despite increasing years and physical disability. Personally I shall always remember my long friendship with him with gratitude and affection.
Quelle: Alpine Journal Volume 73, 1968, Seite 296-299

N. S. Finzi
I would like to add to the obituary in A.J. 73. 296 a few personal reminiscences about Neville Finzi. I met him first in Zermatt at the Monte Rosa in 1935. My climbing companions had returned disconsolately to England, owing to the appalling weather-five days of continuous rain. On their departure the weather promptly cleared and Neville most kindly invited me to join him in a traverse of the Obergabelhorn. He had Franz Biner and I took a young man named Adrian Lagger. Neville hit upon the brilliant idea of doing the climb straight from Zermatt. We left at lam on a perfect morning and reached the summit, via the Wellenkuppe, at 11.30. Descending via the Arbengrat, we were followed by a Swiss lady and her guide. The lady dislocated her shoulder and was in great pain, but Neville soon put it back and enabled her to continue. We arrived in Zermatt at 8pm, after nineteen hours. Neville was not in the least tired. It was a memorable day-a climb done in the old style.
I never had the opportunity to climb with him again, but we remained close friends and met frequently at the club. He was always interested in the activities of the younger generation, and so easy to talk to. Of recent years I used to meet him at his home. He continued ski-ing until, at the age of nearly eighty he broke his thigh by a fall in his garden and was furious because the doctors forbade him to ski again. He generously gave all his ski-ing equipment to me for the use of the Mountaineering Club at St John's.
Neville was a most remarkable man. I count myself fortunate to have been numbered as one of his friends, and shall always remember his kindness and sympathetic understanding.
T. A. H. Peacocke
Quelle: Alpine Journal Volume 74, 1969, Seite 392


Geboren am:
1881
Gestorben am:
04.1968