Page:My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus (1908).djvu/157

Rh we had been climbing, and we were compelled to escape by traversing to our left along its lower overhanging edge. We were supported mainly by gripping the lower edge of this slab between our fingers and thumbs, whilst our legs sprawled about on the next slab below in a way which suggested that such useless appendages would have been better left at home. Having surmounted this difficulty, a few yards of pleasant scrambling brought us to the top of the great red tower that forms a fairly conspicuous object from the Mer de Glace.

It was obvious that though we had been going eight hours we had hardly begun the real climb, and we halted with one consent to see whether the attempt was worth further effort. The col between the Grépon and Charmoz appeared accessible, and it also looked as if a way might be forced to the gap between the summit and the tower which is now known as the Pic Balfour. Each of these points, however, was, we knew, more easily reached from the Nantillon glacier. Our object had been to force an ascent straight up the face, and thus avoid the difficulties of the ridge. This we now saw was nearly, if not quite, out of the question. Burgener expressed his willingness to go on, but added that it would, of necessity, involve our sleeping on the rocks. The provisions were too scanty for this to be desirable, and after an hour's halt public opinion clearly favoured a descent.