Evening star., 1953-06-21


tom of my sleeping bag.
We had forgotten the previous
days weariness and were all
--~---~--------- 49,
Yesterdays INsTALLlAENT de-
seribed the difficult climb through the
Annopurno glacier basin and onto
| the ploteou to estoblish Camp II.
| After q night there. in which the
climbers got little sleep beeouse Of
the eonstont roor Of oyolonehes, they
now ore reody to press on to estobIish
| Comp llI.
ready to take advantage of
the fine weather to 90 UP and
establish Camp III. Over the
CATERS which we wore above our
boots we adjusted the extra
lightweight crampons. which
from now on we used almost
constantly. We took one tent
with us. leaving the other where
it was, with some food. We each
carried about 20 pounds.
| We roped up in the same
order in which we had camped-
Lachenal and Rebuffat together
and Schatz and I on the sec
ond rope.
The route was not very en-
couraging, and $50 feet or so
above our heads the way was
barred by huge vertical wall
of ice. There was not a hope
either to the left or to the
right. If we were to be held up
like this so early in the climb.
Ice Under the Snow.
Schatz and boldly went to
the attack. We sank in up to
our waists and the ice beneath
the snow made us slide ir-
restistibly down the slope.
I seized hold Of one foot with
both hands and. using the other
knee as a fulcrum, I brought my
foot out several inches above
the snow. Then I planted my
ice-ax as high up as I could and
pulled on it to free the other
foot left behind. I slipped and
came back to my original posi-
ton.
My heart thumped; I was
weak for want of breath. FL
nally we had to clear a trough;
this $50 feet took us an hour.
We were now so close to the
wall Of ice that we shivered in
spite of the heat.
I I examined the obstacle: a
snow-covered ledge led up to a
! great overhang Of ice. This
proud colossus. a smooth and
etched by little avalanches.
could be surmounted by cutting
steps up Ait-a. practical route
after all.
A Two Hour Job.
I told the second party that
it would take at least two hours
to reach the top Of the overhang
and that. during this time, they
might as well skirt along the
wall in search Of an easier way.
I glanced at my waist to make
sure the knot Of my rope was
all right, counted the number
of ice pitons and checked that
I had my piton-hammer. A
glance at Schatz to satisfy my
self that he was firmly, placed,
then:
I'm starting. A bit Of slack,
please"
"Go ahead" replied Schatz.
letting the rope out round his
firmly planted ice-ax.
Unaccustomed effort at this
height is terribly hard work and
each blow Of the ak made me
pant. First I cleared the ledge;
the snow was hard and COM
pact, but at last had a stance
at my disposal about a foot wide
and three feet long on which I
was obliged to crouch as my
head bumped against the over
hanging ice.
I still had to advance hori-
zontally for a couple Of yards.
I moved along inch by inch:
the ledge became narrower and
narrower. the wall above pushed
me out further and further until
I was nearly overbalanced. I
finished by crawling. I stopped
to rest, lying on my stomach
and clutching the shaft of the
ak with which I held myself in.
Nothing to Lean Against.
now had to attack the ice
on the roof. With one hand,
and with nothing to lean
against, I could not hit very
hard. The splinters Of ice
showered down on to Schatz.
who stood stoicalIy watchir ny
every movement, and reacy to
stop a possible fall.
First I broke down the end
| of the little gutter in which I
EwaS penned. A few hicks
Clipped in the ice upside down
served as q har1d-hold for my
left hand. Holding on thus
with my left hand ! pulled my
self up very. very slowly, scrap
ing up against the overhanging
ice, with a drop underneath. I
could feel Schatz's eyes on me.
With my right hand now free
I gripped my ak and made a
better hold for my left hand on
| kI1~ kA~A