Page:My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus (1908).djvu/82

76 possessed of the same desire, but on closer examination had invariably abandoned it. However, as we discussed a bottle of Bouvier, first one bit and then another of the couloir was pronounced practicable, and by the time Burgener had indulged in a final and prolonged pull at the brandy flask, to obviate any ill effects that well-shaken Bouvier might cause in the human system, he decided that, "Es geht gewiss," provided, firstly, that we could get into the couloir at the bottom, and secondly, that we could get out of it at the top.

It is true that there was a most repulsive section of the couloir about two-thirds of the way up, where some precipitous rocks broke through the broad ribbon of snow, leaving two narrow gullies of black, shining ice up which the climber would have to force his way. There was the further very serious objection that if we were turned back near the Col, it would be very dangerous to retrace our steps, as the couloir was obviously and obtrusively raked by falling stones, as soon as the sun reached the great rock faces of the Matterhorn and Tête du Lion, and released the frost, which alone held the débris in position. This latter objection was, however, promptly dismissed, being in reality nothing but an additional reason for not turning back. Once in the couloir, we must, no matter what difficulties might be met, force our way to the top. We ultimately determined to go down to Zermatt and