Rock-climbing in the English Lake District: Third EditionJones, Owen Glynne
General
Rock-climbing in the English Lake District: Third Edition
Jones, Owen Glynne
Lake District (England) -- Description and travel; Mountaineering; Rock climbing -- England -- Lake District
of success to assure us that at last Walker’s Gully had yielded to the
onslaught of the climber.
We pushed the leader’s boots into his jacket pockets and sent up all
our ‘luggage.’ Owing to the half-frozen condition of our fingers, tying
the various things on the rope took so long a time, that we called
forth an impatient exclamation from above. Eventually we, in turn,
landed safely at the top, after swinging ignominiously on the rope,
in much the same way as our ‘luggage’ had done. However, the great
hitherto unclimbed pitch of Walker’s Gully was below us, and there
followed the usual congratulations. Our progress up from the screes had
been slow, something like three hours, but much time had been spent in
reconnoitring under extremely bad conditions.
The situation was still rather serious, for we were perched on a narrow
snow-ledge on the very brink of the upper chock-stone; and the three
of us were almost in a state of collapse from cold and the saturated
state of our clothes. The forced inaction of the leader, whilst we were
finishing the climb, had made him so benumbed as to be almost helpless,
and he was sitting with his feet in the wet snow, ineffectually trying
to put on his boots. We had carefully kept some stockings and gloves
dry in the rücksack; but the opening of the sack with half-frozen
fingers proved unfortunate, for its contents escaped, and, with the
other relics which had come down through Jordan Gap, now adorned the
snow-patch far below. It was then agreed that this narrow, exposed
ledge was, under the circumstances, not a suitable dressing room;
so we gathered up our belongings, including our leader’s boots, and
carefully ascended the snow until we came to a safe resting place. Here
we resorted to the usual means of thawing ourselves, and our leader’s
boots were restored to their appointed places.
The race up the steep snow seemed to revive our spirits, and, by the
time the dry rocks below Great Doup were reached, our sufferings gave
way to the glow of success. One little excitement was still in store
for us, for Jones told us that he was threatened with frost-bite in
both feet. On removing his boots we found that his statement was true,
so we rubbed his feet with soft snow, and, before putting on his boots,
the troublesome feet were placed as far as possible in the pockets
of the warmest member of the party, until circulation was thoroughly
restored.
Night was drawing on apace; so we bade farewell to our ‘vanquished
foe,’ and were soon scampering along the High Level, bound for the
well-earned comforts of Wastdale.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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