Page:My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus (1908).djvu/186

180 was promptly provided, and, whilst it was being duly attended to, Miss Bristow and I started up the ice, hewing such steps as were necessary. We went extremely slowly, but the excellence of Hastings's culinary efforts so delayed the rest of the party, that it was not till we had halted ten minutes or more on the rocks at the foot of the couloir, that they caught us up. Slingsby then unroped and came with us, whilst the rest of the party swung to the right to attempt the ascent by the southern ridge, more commonly known as the C. P. route. Their object was to effect the climb, if any way possible, without the elaborate rope-throwing operations which have hitherto always been found essential on this side. In the event of failure they were to accept a helping hand from us, so soon as we should have reached the foot of the final peak and were in a position to give them one. As the only serious difficulty by the C. P. route is a section of about thirty feet, immediately below the platform underneath the summit rock, it was obvious we should be able to do this without much trouble.

Five consecutive days of evil weather had sufficed to plaster the couloir with ice and loose snow. We were, in addition, altogether over-weighted with luggage—a half-plate camera and a spare sixty feet of rope, in addition to food, &c., sufficing to bulge out the knapsack in a most obese and uncomfortable way. I also distinguished myself by getting