factory way across, and unpleasant doubts were being freely expressed when a distant jodel attracted our attention. Far away down the mountain we spied three dots, whom we at once and rightly guessed to be Penhall and his guides. We wasted the next half-hour in alternately watching their progress and studying our slope. At length they disappeared behind a projecting buttress, and this excuse for delay having disappeared, it was decided that we should pass the cleft in front and examine the slope more nearly. We descended into the gap. Burgener and Petrus then scrambled down the gully and soon found a way on to the face. On reaching this point[1] a few minutes later I found Burgener and Petrus already working upwards, and in a few minutes we were again on the arête. After following it a short distance, we reached the point at which it was necessary to take to the evil slope, and the discussion was once more renewed. Burgener was distinctly averse to attempting it, but as there was no other way, Petrus went forward to explore.
- ↑ This point is seen, in the illustration opposite, just beyond the rocky teeth which terminate the snow ridge. The route then turns to the left into the couloir, but again reaches the ridge beyond the first precipitous step. Higher up, near where this ridge merges in the great western face—to the left of three small snow patches—the route turns to the right, and the broken western face is followed till it becomes possible to traverse back on to the final Zmutt ridge, which is then followed to the summit.
