Mountain Journeys 101 



to sleep at the Grandes-Montt-es (3800 meters). The face of one 

 of the guides was cyanosed, which M. Lepileur attributes to the 

 cold. On the descent, M. Martins had a slight hematuria. 



August 28, third journey; departure from Chamounix at mid- 

 night: 



The ascent went very well up to about 3,100 meters. There, 

 Tournier felt ill, lost courage entirely and was forced to descend. 

 He was pale, his face was bathed with sweat, and he could hardly 

 climb even a few steps, although his burden had been taken from him 

 and although we were on a rather gentle slope. He attributed this 

 failure of his strength to the fact that the day before, not expecting 

 to make the ascent, he had worn himself out at a painful task. His 

 distress ceased as soon as he was two or three hundred meters lower. 



At 3,600 meters, I felt no ill effects as long as I walked slowly; 

 but when I wanted to ascend quickly, as for example, to rejoin my 

 travelling companions, after having paused a moment, I felt discom- 

 fort. M. Bravais suffered much from cold feet for several hours. 

 Several times he had been obliged to stop, and we had reestablished 

 circulation in him by slapping the dorsal side of his toes with our 

 hands .... 



At the Petit-Plateau, I ate, at first with repugnance, then with 

 pleasure, when a little food had stimulated the stomach. We all 

 took a little wine; that was always what helped us most .... 



M. Bravais again, this time like the two others, became very sleepy 

 about the elevation of the Petit-Plateau (3,800 meters). 



When we reached the Grand-Plateau, he was a little tired and 

 so was I. M. Martins was not. Cachat and Ambroise Couttet were 

 exhausted. As soon as they had halted, they lay down on the snow 

 in the sunshine, and remained there for three or four hours, without 

 being able to help us at all. Ambroise Couttet felt nausea besides 

 all afternoon. As soon as he tried to stand up, he was threatened 

 with syncope. The others helped us set up the observation instruments 

 and clear our tent which the snow had three quarters buried on the 

 north-east side. This labor did not tire us at all, and we were no 

 more out of breath than the first time at Chamounix, when we had 

 set up the tent ourselves for practice and to show the guides how it 

 ought to be done. 



None of us had as much appetite as in the valley. M. Bravais had 

 very little; M. Martins and I had none at all. However, I felt no 

 distaste for the fresh food which we had brought. Three hours after 

 our arrival, when I took off my crape mask which hindered me in 

 making my observations, I felt , the beginning of a headache which 

 stopped as soon as I put my mask back on. When I gave careful 

 attention to the observation of some instrument, when, for example, 

 I read a thermometer placed on the snow, and in general whenever 

 I was in a position in which respiration was hampered, I felt a slight 

 sensation of nausea which lasted hardly one or two seconds; the 

 instant before and the instant after, I had no discomfort at all. MM. 

 Martins and Bravais noticed the same effect in themselves. With that 



