416 THE TCIIEREK VALLEY. 



The final climb to the pass is very steep for horses ; it has 

 been rendered easier in places by the construction of a 

 zigzag path, but near the top the snow entirely covers the 

 surface. It was satisfactory to find that the old native's 

 alarm was unfounded, and that, as we expected, the snow 

 had only melted sufficiently to give the horses firm 

 foothold. 



We had hurried on, to secure a clear view from the 

 pass before midday clouds blew up and obscured any of 

 the summits. The actual ridge is a thin and steep comb 

 of rock, probably about 10,000 feet in height. The views 

 from it are superb, and we were exceptionally fortunate in 

 seeing them almost unclouded. Looking back from our pre- 

 sent position, we commanded the whole eastern face of the 

 group of the Central Caucasus, as I have before designated 

 the great cluster of granite peaks, of which Koschtantau 

 appears to be the highest. On the left, the steep peak we 

 had previously identified as the Nuamquam, which looks 

 down on Jibiani on the southern side of the chain, was seen 

 above the snowy head of another eminence, rising out of 

 the snowfields of the great glacier we had noticed in the 

 morning. Connected with the Nuamquam by a long snowy 

 curtain was the massive, but yet graceful, pile of crag and 

 ice constituting Koschtantau. The day before we had only 

 seen one end of the magnificent mass ; the fuller view we 

 now obtained of its rocky buttresses, fretted icefalls, and 

 high-pitched slopes, fully confirmed us in the wisdom of 

 our decision, to leave this triumph of mountain architecture 

 alone in its glory. 



At the northern foot of the mountain, at the head 

 of the Dychsu glacier, a comparatively low gaj) leads 

 somewhere — it would be most interestinof to discover 

 whither. An explorer would probably be able to de- 

 scend from it into the Bezeenghe valley. On the right 



