THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



decision in this matter to his discretion, but I myself 

 had not considered there would be much chance of 

 the three men of the supporting-party gaining the 

 summit, and had not arranged their equipment with 

 that object in view. They were thus handicapped 

 by having a three-man sleeping-bag, which bulky 

 article one man had to carry; they also were not so 

 well equipped for carrying packs, bits of rope having 

 to act as substitutes for the broad straps provided 

 for the original advance-party. The supporting-party 

 had no crampons, and so found it more difficult, in 

 places, to get a grip with their feet on the slippery 

 surface of the snow slopes. However, the Professor, 

 who had put bars of leather on his ski-boots, found 

 that these answered as well as crampons, and lent 

 the latter to Marshall. Both Adams and the Pro- 

 fessor wore ski-boots during the whole of the ascent. 

 Ski could not be used for such rough climbing, and 

 had not been taken. All the men were equipped with 

 both finnesko and ski-boots and with the necessaries 

 for camping, and individual tastes had been given 

 some latitude in the matter of the clothing worn and 

 carried. 



The six men made a depot of the sledge, some of 

 the provisions and part of the cooking-utensils at the 

 second camp, and then resumed the climb again. 

 They started off with tent-poles amongst other equip- 

 ment, but after going for half a mile they realised it 

 would be impossible to climb the mountain with these 

 articles, which were taken back to the depot. Each 

 man carried a weight of about 40 lb., the party's gear 

 consisting chiefly of sleeping-bags, two tents, cooking 

 apparatus, and provisions for three days. The snow 

 slopes became steeper, and at one time Mackay, who 

 was cutting steps on the hard snow with his ice- 



176 



