Page:Mannering - With axe and rope in the New Zealand Alps.djvu/153

Rh laid lengthways on the snow to distribute the weight as much as possible.

As the night wore on, the crust of the snow became harder, and after passing through that most unpleasant crusted stage when it will bear until all the weight is put on one foot, became quite pleasant to walk upon, and over the lower part of the Linda Glacier and across the plateau we made a fair pace. As we reached the rise off the plateau on to the Haast Ridge the wind increased in violence, and we had great difficulty in keeping our lanterns (two of which we now kept going) alight.

The crest of the ridge was gained, and the descent of the dangerous snow slopes to the bivouac, 1,200 or 1,400 feet below, commenced. We were soon in trouble again amongst bergschrunds and crevasses, and on two occasions, in going down and feeling for the next step behind, I found on showing a light that my hind leg was dangling in a crevasse!

I must not weary you, dear reader, with further monotonous descriptions of crossing these deadly enemies of the mountaineer, suffice it to say that after an exasperating hunt on the steep slopes and in the dark for our bivouac—the candles being just finished—we finally discovered it at 2.45 an hour before daylight, having been twenty-three hours constantly hard at work without any halt worthy the name.

Sleeping soundly till 9 we made up our swags, and by 11  were on the downward route again for the Ball Glacier camp.

It was quite a wrench to leave our friendly rock, which had become a haven of rest and refuge to us on