deep. This tremendous
gully, cut in the snow and ice by the fierce winds blowing round the
mountain, was semicircular in form, and it ended in a gentle incline.
We passed through it, under the towering precipice of ice, and at the
far end we had another meal and a short rest. This was at 12:30 p.m.
Half a pot of steaming Bovril ration warmed us up, and when we marched
again ice-inclines at angles of 45 degrees did not look quite as
formidable as before.
Once more we started for the crest. After another weary climb we
reached the top. The snow lay thinly on blue ice at the ridge, and we
had to cut steps over the last fifty yards. The same precipice lay
below, and my eyes searched vainly for a way down. The hot sun had
loosened the snow, which was now in a treacherous condition, and we had
to pick our way carefully. Looking back, we could see that a fog was
rolling up behind us and meeting in the valleys a fog that was coming
up from the east. The creeping grey clouds were a plain warning that we
must get down to lower levels before becoming enveloped.
The ridge was studded with peaks, which prevented us getting a clear
view either to the right or to the left. The situation in this respect
seemed no better at other points within our reach, and I had to decide
that our course lay back the way we had come.
Pages:
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338