CHAT. VI.

THE VALUE OF A HOPE TO CLIME EPS.

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highest, the crust of the slope upon which he stood broke away,and poured down in serpentine streams, leaving long, hare strips,which glittered in the sun, for they were glassy ice. Carrel, withadmirable readiness, flung himself back on to the rock off which hehad stepped, and was at once secured. He simply remarked, “ Itis time we were tied up,” and, after we had been tied up, he wentto work again as if nothing had happened.*

We had abundant illustrations during the next two hours of thevalue of a rope to climbers. We were tied up rather widely apart,and advanced, generally, in pairs. Carrel, who led, was followedclosely by another man, who lent him a shoulder or placed an axe-head under his feet, when there was need; and when this couplewere well placed the second pair advanced, in similar fashion,—the rope being drawn in by those above, and paid out gradually bythose below. The leading men again advanced, or the third pair,and so on. This manner of progression was slow, hut sure. Oneman only moved at a time, and if he slipped (and we frequently didslip) he could slide scarcely a foot without being checked by theothers. The certainty and safety of the method gave confidence tothe one who was moving, and not only nerved him to put out hispowers to the utmost, hut sustained nerve in really difficult situa-tions. For these rocks (which, it has been already said, were easyenough under ordinary circumstances) were now difficult in a highdegree. The snow-water which had trickled down for many dayspast in little streams, had taken, naturally, the very route bywhich we wished to ascend; and, refrozen in the night, had glazedthe slabs over which we had to pass,—sometimes with a fine filmof ice as thin as a sheet of paper, and sometimes so thickly that we

* This incident occurred close to the place represented in the engraving facingp. 78. The new, dry snow was very troublesome, and poured down like flour into thesteps which were cut across the slopes. The front man accordingly moved ahead asfar as possible, and anchored himself to rocks. A rojie was sent across to him, wasfixed at each end, and was held as a rail by the others as they crossed. We did nottrust to this rope alone, but were also tied in the usual manner. The second ropewas employed as an additional security against slips.

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