Page:Canadian Alpine Journal I, 1.djvu/172

Rh and at five o'clock started off into the woods by a path which led towards the mountain. After about two miles' travelling we left the path and blazed a trail of our own, which necessarily hampered our speed, so that it was after eight o'clock before we emerged above the timber line. A long slope of loose rock led up to a perpendicular wall several hundred feet high, and as we looked at it, we decided that we had met our Waterloo: Realizing the impossibility of making an ascent here (on the west side of the mountain), we travelled about a mile to the left, during which time we gradually worked to the top of the sloping stretch of loose rock. This brought us to the northwest corner, where a very interesting needle of rock engaged our attention for a short time. On our left was a bare, steep face of rock some 400 feet high, that led up to a crevice, which in turn led to the top of the face. This seemed our only possible chance of getting up, and we believed that once this face had been negotiated, the rest of the climb would be compaartivelycomparatively [sic] easy. The climbing was very difficult, but extremely interesting. When we had reached a point about 300 feet high, we found it impossible to proceed further, as the rock arched outwards, baffling all attempts at ascent. We then led off some 40 feet to the left along a very narrow ledge of rock, in the forlorn hope of finding a way up to the coveted crevice, but this ledge terminated abruptly, and we found ourselves gazing into a sort of semi-circular amphitheatre some 500 feet in depth. Not caring to risk climbing over such a place as this, we were reluctantly forced to the conclusion that we must retreat, and so the descent began. This climb, however, was extremely interesting, and we found our rope a very useful part of our equipment.

Near where we descended, was a great crevice, leading up about 400 feet, and resembling the space left in a whole cheese when a thin wedge-like piece has