Page:My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus.djvu/74

Rh reached the Bergschrund, and were able to examine the first of the problems we had to solve. It was obvious that the upper lip was quite impregnable to direct assault. Even had it been possible, two great masses of rook broke through the slope about three hundred feet above, over which the ice bulged in great dirty green bosses that formed an obviously impregnable wall. To the right of these two masses of rock, but separated by a narrow slope and slightly above them, was a third mass, also surmounted by a bulging roof of ice. It appeared quite evident, that the only way to get into the couloir, was by the slope between the second and third bulge. Luckily a great sérac had kindly bridged the Bergschrund, not, indeed, exactly below this bulge, but still not unduly far to the right of it.

We put on the rope, and, Burgener having coached me over the bridge, I began cutting up the slope, bearing well to the left. The angle steadily increased, and, before reaching the base of the mass of rock for which we were aiming, Burgener took the lead. The traverse under this was very formidable. The right leg, which was next the slope, could no longer be passed between the left leg and the ice, a very unpleasant change of feet being thereby necessitated at each step. Happily this did not last very long, and we gained the ice slope between the second and third masses of protruding rock. Turning sharply, though still