Page:My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus.djvu/42

known "corridor" of the early Breuil ascents—and found no difficulty in following it to the fault that bars access to the ridge. Petrus was promptly swung over to see if the last man could get down unaided. This being pronounced impossible, our second rope was got out. A good deal of time was spent before it could be fixed, the only available knob of rock being too round to admit of its being easily attached. Meanwhile, I had time to look along the ledge which winds like a pathway, round all the irregularities of the mountain, to the southern ridge. It was quite free from ice and snow, and in its then condition could have been traversed with ease. I also came upon a deeply rusted hook driven into the rock, a relic, I suppose, of Mr. Grove's ascent in 1867. Having slid down the rope, we found the remainder of the ledge was very different. Instead of offering firm foothold on the rock, it was loaded with incoherent snow, and the few knobs which protruded through this were glazed with ice, and, for the most part, rotten. It was, however, of no great extent, and we were soon able to plunge through the snow on to the ridge (12.50 p.m.). Petrus, who had been more or less erratic in his movements all day, had disappeared. We followed his traces, occasionally on the arête, but more often on the steep slope to the left, and in three-quarters of an hour found him on the summit (1.45 p.m.).