chap, xxiv MOUNT HEDGEHOG 333 



afterwards and tried the pole, and I can only say that his 

 performance, in coming last down the upper part of the 

 couloir, was exceedingly creditable. Indeed the whole be- 

 haviour of my two companions was most plucky throughout 

 the expedition. Neither of them had previously ascended a 

 snow mountain, and their perseverance under the conditions 

 in which we found the peak redounded greatly to their 

 credit. I know that their chief reason for accompanying 

 me was pure good nature. Not being mountain enthusiasts, 

 they must have found the ascent tedious and trying in the 

 extreme. 



Coming down was not much more rapid work than 

 ascending, though it was vastly easier for me ; in the end, 

 however, we reached the snow col a little before five o'clock. 

 Here the fog was so thick that farther advance was fraught 

 with considerable risk. The saddle had to be crossed along 

 the top. Any deviation to one side or the other would 

 inevitably have landed us in one of the bergschrunds which 

 swept round the head of each snow-basin, nearly joining on 

 the saddle. We had to hit off the narrow place between 

 them. Not a landmark could be seen. The snow which 

 had fallen during our ascent had completely obliterated our 

 footsteps. After turning in every direction until we lost our 

 bearings, we had to follow our tracks back to the rocks. No 

 other resource being left, we set our compass in the general 

 direction of Bastion Ridge, and plunged into the unknown. 



After some minutes of considerable anxiety, expecting at 

 each step to plunge headlong through the lip of a berg- 

 schrund, I noticed marks on the snow at my feet ; stooping 

 down to examine them I found that I was walking directly 

 in our former tracks. Jodelling with all our might to the 

 imprisoned engineer, we hurried down Bastion Ridge, and 

 at 5.20 A.M. were under the friendly shelter of the tent. 



Our Emergency Food, which we had been too miserable 



