Page:My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus.djvu/152

Rh reach the upper glacier simultaneously with the other party. We found them to be led by a well-known Oberland guide, who was not a little elated by his judicious lead. We kept together as far as the foot of the couloir running up to the Charinoz-Grépon Col. Here our ways diverged, so with mutual good-byes, and wishing each other all sorts of luck and success, we parted company, the Oberlander first giving Burgener much good advice and ending by strongly advising him to abandon the attempt, "for," said he, "I have tried it, and where I have failed no one else need hope to succeed." Burgener was greatly moved by this peroration, and I learnt from a torrent of unreportable patois that our fate was sealed, and even if we spent the rest of our lives on the mountain (or in falling off it) it would, in his opinion, be preferable to returning amid the jeers and taunts of this unbeliever.

Having found a rock which protected us from falling stones, we halted for a second breakfast. Turning once more to the ascent we found that the couloir, though not absolutely free from falling stones, is fairly easy, and it was not till about seventy feet below the col, when we had traversed to the right and assaulted a great slab, that we met with our first serious difficulty, and found it necessary to put on the rope. Both Venetz and I made sundry attempts, but, so soon as we got beyond the sure and certain support of Burgener's axe,