MY FIRST IBEX 23 



thing, as the rough grass plait gets a 

 wonderful grip of stones, snow, rocks, dry 

 grass, and what not. In boots you have 

 no chance except with spikes ; and these 

 are very bad on rocky ground, and make a 

 noise, while with grass shoes you can move 

 quite silently. A grass shoe lasts generally 

 one day, but often not half if the ground is 

 stony. 



The other essential to hill climbing is 

 what may be called the climber's third leg, 

 namely, the " stick." It is some six feet in 

 length, of a tough hill ash, straight and 

 tapering, from one and a half inch in dia 

 meter at the handle to three-quarters of an 

 inch at the point, which is protected by an 

 iron ferrule, hammered out at the end to a 

 flat head about two inches long and one 

 and a half inch in width, which comes in 

 useful when, as constantly occurs, a foot- 

 hold must be cut in the ice, or in steep grass 

 slopes, whenever, in short, it is not neces- 

 sary to cut deeper steps with the small 

 hatchet which is also invariably taken. 



