IX SUNSET ON HARAMOSH 141 



places, bare stretches of rock, too steep for snow to lie on, 

 stood out in dark contrast. Everything was so distinct, 

 I could see the curves and hollows in the snow, and even, 

 it seemed, places where avalanches had fallen and scraped 

 long lines on the smooth surface. In other parts a 

 grayer tinge showed where huge masses of snow had 

 detached themselves, leaving a comparatively rough and 

 uneven surface behind. Gradually as I watched, the 

 colour became deeper and a tinge of purple came over 

 the mountain, until finally the light slowly faded away, 

 and a sombre pinnacle of grayish white was alone visible 

 against the star-lit sky. I do not think that for grandeur 

 and beauty combined, I have ever seen anything that 

 quite equals the view of the setting sun on the steep 

 glaciers round the peak of Haramosh. 



The morning of the 12th rose clear and fine, and we 

 were off up the nala shortly after daybreak, Abdulla, 

 Dudson, a coolie with the tiffin, and I. Shortly after 

 starting we came on the fresh tracks of a bear, which 

 we followed for a while. They led us up the hill and 

 past the remains of an ibex evidently recently killed 

 by a snow leopard. The horns were a fine pair, one 

 40, and the other \o\ inches long, so I had them put 

 up on a prominent tree to be brought back later. When 

 the tracks were seen to lead in the opposite direction to 

 that in which we wanted to go, we gave up following them 

 and went up the glen instead. The bear had led us up 

 to the snow-line, so we kept there. 



The hillside consisted of a series of hollows and ridges, 

 and as we came to each of the latter, we crawled cautiously 

 up to its edge and peered over. If there was nothing in 



