146 THE FINEST SPORT 



direction of the wind In the forenoon is 

 usually, If not Invariably, itpwards'^. All 

 depends on his not moving, for if he goes 

 even a little hicrher he will see and hear me 

 climbing up. 



The next step is to climb down the grat 

 I am perched on, and then I strike a long 

 valley, mostly snow - covered. Two hours' 

 walk and climb, mostly over snow and shaly 

 slopes, brings me to the bottom of my 

 couloir. Then I take the climbing-irons out 

 of my ruck-sack, buckle them on, and com- 

 mence the ascent. It has to be done 

 carefully ; and the best part of a third hour 

 has passed before I crawl out on a flat rock 

 at the top, pushing my rifle before me. My 

 alpen-stock, ruck-sack, and climbing-irons I 

 left ten yards back, together with my nailed 

 shoes. 



