Page:My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus.djvu/210

Rh main ridge of the mountain. Immediately in front rose a perpendicular tower, and, directly behind it, but apparently cut off by a smooth step in the ridge, was the summit. The south face of the tower had been rent by frost into three great blocks one above the other. On the second of these dangled an end of rope, lashed round a more or less insecure stone, and it obviously denoted the high- water mark of previous attempts. It appeared barely possible to reach this rope by climbing a crack on the face in front of us, but the better plan was, presumably, to traverse into the gully between the perpendiculax tower and the final peak. This latter, we subsequently learnt, was the line taken by Mr. Morse's party in their various attempts on the peak.

On consultation, however, we agreed that the final peak was probably inaccessible on this side, even if the tower could be climbed, and we were also inclined to think that the end of rope hanging down the rock suggested that the inside of the gully was a less convenient staircase than weary climbers might desire. Slingsby judiciously settled the discussion by leading along the southern ridge towards the "hat." This proved perfectly easy, and at the point noticed the previous afternoon he swung round to the left and led towards the snow patch. In a few minutes we were pulled up by a cliff, faced for the most part with a frost-riven veneer, so near falling that a very slight pull