Evening star., 1953-06-19

press on with all speed in order
to settle once and for all the
question Of the spur.
We slept like logs, but Terray
who always wakes on the dot
was up and moving soon aftel
dawn.
We stepped out into the fresh
snow which had been falling
thickly for two days. Here We
felt the height badly and we were
still very cold. Although we were
carrying very little. it was a tire.
mendous strain at first, but We
Sritted our teeth and went on
for we did not want to lose 9
minute.
After an easy chimney we came
out again upon the ridge, which
gradually became so narrow that
we could not walk in balance
along it. So we followed the
crest hanging on by our hands
as though we were traversing ar
immense horizontal bar, with
our feet dangling against the
steep sides. We progressed like
this over a precipice Of some
5000 or 1000 feet.
A Snow Ridge.
Gradually we approached the
famous snow ridge which La
cfenal and Terray had told us
about. Their remarks had been
so contradictory that I had every
reason to be anxious about this
obstacle. In fact, as we came
nearer, it showed itself to be
very high and very steep.
Without hesitating a minute
Terray went ahead; I followed
q short distance behind him
The slope began with an elegant
crescent moon, then it did in
deed become excessively steep.
Soon I felt not only snow un-
der my crampons but hard ice
living beneath. While the first
man cut steps with tremendous
blows, stuck ice-pitons into the
slope to belay him.
Luckily the thin layer Of snow
was extremely hard, and it was
not necessary to make very large
steps.
BY skirting around to the left
we were able to avoid a steep
ice wall. / hammered in an ice
piton regularly every ropes
length, and TeIray did the same,
and as came up collected the
pitons.s We had to be very eco
nomical since we were carrying
only a limited supply Of them
Cutting Hand Holds.
cur noses were right up
against the slope. Often hand
holds as we'll as footholds had
to be cut in the ice.
We now came to the first rock
gendarmes or rock towers Of the
ridge-they were overhanging'
What a series Of disappoint-
ments!
Terray traversed boldly to the
right to reach a crack in the
rock, where he put in a couple oi
pitons. He Delayed himself Sc
curely, then, leaning over back
wards above those plunging ice
slopes, he brought me up. We
were in shadow now, and shiver-
ing with cold.
In turn I Delayed Terray, who
continued his traverse to the
right to avoid a rocky projec-
ton. The going was pretty tricky
and the general feel of the climb
not too good. Soon we were again
together, this time in the sun,
but the situation was most un-
comfortable and indeed precari-
GUS.
The few rays of warmth had
been enough to turn the hard
snow into a treacherous mush,
The last slopes. Of bare ice, gave
us some trouble, and then we
found overselves at the top Of the
ridge, at about 10000 feet. The
weather was now brilliantly fine
There in front of us, seemingly
only a stones throw away, was
Annapurna.
Nature Too Powerful.
Our spur continued towards
the summit of Annapurna. but
the Jagged ice ridge. that looked
like a cluster of cauliflowers, was
scarcely any nearer to us now
than when we had started UP
the spur-the clearness of the
atmosphere entirely falsified dis
tance.
Terray and I thought over the
difficulties that lay ahead. which
we were now in a position to ap-
preciate: we realized that il
would take several days climb
ing to complete the route, even
at the same pace we had kept ur
So far. Nature was too powerful
and the obstacles with which she
confronted us were out Of all
proportions to our resources. Nc
long discussion was necessary.
Even if no other obstacle
cropped up to hinder our prog
ress-we were thinking of the
possibility of a gap in the ridge
1t would have been madness tc
launch an expedition on thi:
route.
No Alpine climb had ever pre-
sented us. with the number Of
difficultieS we had encountered
here. Never, we felt sure, in the
Himalaya had men engaged II
such acrobatics.
With all my heart I hoped thai
the Annapurna glacier woulc
give up its secret to Lachena
and Rebuffat. From our presen
situation it looked quite feasible
/, and we had a good view of tn,
plateau which they aimed, Il
! reach. Should they be forced tt
/. retreat, our last hope would b
gone.
Is Descent More Difficult.
(. Would all this sweat. al thi
strug gle. all this pain, result il
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