CLIMBING ADVENTURES 179 



the closest shave he had was while endeavouring to 

 reach the summit by the Furggen ridge. In his account 

 of the climb he says : "I approached the great rope, 

 and heard the order to start. I hastily removed my 

 gloves so that my hands might get a better grip ; our 

 own rope which bound me to Aime became taut ; my 

 turn had come ; I, too, began my attack. The first 

 piece was a broken chimney with narrow sides, with 

 rare holds of little value, since the strata of the rock 

 trended downwards. I ascended, feeling with my 

 feet for the knobs, one hand grasping the rock as 

 best it could, and the other almost always clutching 

 the great rope. The cross-bar exercises I had worked 

 at before leaving home stood me in good stead at this 

 juncture. But in my bedroom I had not had that little 

 Furggen precipice at my feet. Such gymnastics were 

 new to me, but I was doing my duty calmly and with 

 the great strength that zeal imparts. 



The sky was deep blue, the -sun was shining, the new 

 mode of climbing interested me. I whistled between 

 my teeth a gay refrain which I had heard in town a 

 few evenings before, and which had remained in my 

 memory I do not know why. But the narrow sides 

 of the chimney were growing smoother, and at times, 

 for lack of holds, I had to ascend by planting the soles 

 of my boots against the rock and pulling myself up 

 the rope by sheer strength of arm. On these occasions 

 my body made a right angle with the wall, and swayed 

 in rather an alarming manner. Being the last on the 

 rope, I had no one to show me where to put my fingers 

 or plant my feet. Antoine was leading, and I never 

 once saw him ; of Aime, who was next above me, 

 all I saw most of the time was the nailed soles and 



