FIRST SUCCESSFUL ASCENT, 1870 



the sensations of extreme fatigue. An instant's pause, 

 however, was sufficient to recover strength and breath, 

 and we would start again. The wind, which we had 

 not felt while climbing the steepest part of the moun- 

 tain, now again blew furiously, and we began to suffer 

 from the cold. Our course, directed still diagonally 

 towards the left, thus shunning the severe exertion of 

 climbing straight up the dome, although at an ordinary 

 altitude the slope would be deemed easy, brought 

 us first to the southwest peak. This is a long, exceed- 

 ingly sharp, narrow ridge, springing out from the main 

 dome for a mile into mid-air. The ridge affords not 

 over ten or twelve feet of foothold on top, and the 

 sides descend almost vertically. On the right side the 

 snow lay firm and smooth for a few feet on top, and 

 then descended in a steep, unbroken sheet, like an im- 

 mense, flowing curtain, into the tremendous basin 

 which lies on the west side of the mountain between 

 the southern and northern peaks, and which is inclosed 

 by them as by two mighty arms. The snow on the top 

 and left crest of the ridge was broken into high, sharp 

 pinnacles, with cracks and fissures extending to the 

 rocks a few feet below. The left side, too steep for the 

 snow to lie on, was vertical, bare rock. The wind blew 

 so violently that we were obliged to brace ourselves with 

 our Alpine staffs and use great caution to guard against 

 being swept off the ridge. We threw ourselves behind 

 the pinnacles or into the cracks every seventy steps, 

 for rest and shelter against the bitter, piercing wind. 

 Hastening forward in this way along the dizzy, narrow, 

 and precarious ridge, we reached at length the highest 

 point. Sheltered behind a pinnacle of ice we rested a 

 moment, took out our flags and fastened them upon 

 the Alpine staffs, and then, standing erect in the 

 furious blast, waved them in triumph with three cheers. 

 We stood a moment upon that narrow summit, bracing 

 ourselves against the tempest to view the prospect. 

 The whole country was shrouded in a dense sea of 



119 



