Climbing on the Himalaya and Other Mountain RangesCollie, Norman
History
Climbing on the Himalaya and Other Mountain Ranges
Collie, Norman
Himalaya Mountains; Mountaineering
A short distance below the top a small promontory on the ridge afforded
a splendid point from which a photograph could be taken. Woolley was
sent on so that he might be photographed, proudly planting his ice-axe
on the topmost pinnacle. In due time he appeared clear cut against
the sky; but immediately afterwards from his gesticulations I could
see that something was wrong. The reason was obvious when after a few
moments I joined him. Twenty feet away was another summit a few feet
higher, and between the two a gulf was fixed.
Below us the rock fell sheer for over thirty feet with never a crack in
it, whilst on the opposite side of the chasm the great blocks overhung,
so that even had we descended hand over hand on the rope into the gap,
direct ascent on the other side was hopeless.
But remembering our tactics lower down we tried further back for a
traverse, and soon found that by climbing down a crack between two huge
blocks on the eastern side we could get round into the gap. So far so
good, but how to surmount the difficulties on the further side! An
attempt to traverse on the western side was seen to be hopeless, but
an obliging ledge on the other face ran round a corner. Where would
it lead to? Cautiously we edged along it, passing under the summit
of the mountain. Another crack between great slabs was found; up this
we clambered, and once at its top all difficulty disappeared. We had
conquered Higraf Tind, and all that remained for us to do was to crown
the vanquished mountain with a cairn.
Then we returned to the lower summit, where the cameras and baggage had
been left. After toil came repose. The afternoon was perfect, only a
few clouds floated in the clear sky. Far away to the south-west could
be seen the outer Lofoten Islands, a mass of tangled mountain forms, in
colour every conceivable shade of atmospheric blue and purple, whilst
beyond lay the calm glittering ocean, and far, far away the last and
loneliest of the Lofoten, the island of Röst. Nearer and beneath us
were numberless peaks, the majority of them unclimbed; of them, next
in height to Higraf Tind were Gjeitgaljar and Rulten. In the distance
across the Raftsund in the island of Hindö we could see Mösadlen and
its two attendant pinnacles of rock. These pinnacles, from their
appearance, should be excessively difficult to climb.
At our feet lay the Blaaskovl glacier with the Troldfjordvatn beyond,
a solitary iceberg floating on its waters, and further the Trold Fjord
and glimpses of the Raftsund. All these combined to give an effect of
space and depth to the view far in excess of what one would expect from
mountains not 4000 feet above their base.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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