Page:My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus (1908).djvu/173

Rh A variety of attempts were made to repeat the ascent of the Grépon, but the mountain defied all attacks till the 2nd of September, 1885, when M. Dunod, cifter a month of persistent effort, succeeded in forcing the ascent by the southern ridge. Curiously enough, though he twice reached the Charmoz-Grépon Col, he failed on each occasion, not merely to hit off my crack, within six yards of which he must have passed four times, but also to strike the variation of this route which leads up some slabs on the Mer de Glace face. This latter was invented by some unknown party, whose existence is only deduced from numerous wooden wedges driven into a crack. These wedges were certainly not there when we ascended in 1881, but seven years later Mr. Morse, who, with Ulrich Almer, reached the first summit by this route, found them securely fixed and of great use. Unluckily, owing to lack of time (he was taking the Grépon on his way down from the Charmoz traverse!), it was impossible to complete the ascent, and he had perforce to remain content with the lower summit.

In 1892, therefore, the ascent had never been fully repeated by my route, and had only been twice effected by the southern ridge. In each of these latter ascents F. Simond had been leading guide. Early in August of that year, a party consisting of Messrs. Morse, Gibson, Pasteur, and Wilson, without guides effected the ascent by this same route,