Page:My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus.djvu/262

Rh belongings of enthusiastic climbers. Down this gully we now proceeded to climb, and after one or two rather awkward scrambles we emerged on the broad slope which lies between the lower part of the two huge buttresses forming the walls of the great couloir. We found the slope covered with well compacted, hard frozen snow, and proceeded cheerily, chipping little steps, till at 4 p.m. I was pulled up by an appalling Bergschrund.

Burgener, who was sixty feet above me, advised cutting right down to the very edge of the chasm to see whether the débris of the broken axe and a looped rope would enable us to baffle the enemy. When I got to the extreme verge of the cliff, I found it overhanging to such an extent that, beyond seeing that no rope in our possession would reach to the bottom, no useful information could be obtained. Burgener, with his usual resource, then made himself a large step, and bid me make my body rigid and allow him to lower me out to such a distance as would enable me to see whether any convenient method of turning the obstruction was within easy reach. With the exception of some séracs far to my right and almost close to the great buttress, the overhanging ice wall was unbroken; to the left a promontory of ice hid everything from view. Having made these observations I yelled to Burgener to pull me back, and we proceeded to consider what was to be done. The séracs on the right were only