the proper route. When I stopped them (because we were going south-west), we were a long way up the Tête Blanche! Our last attempt was in the right direction; we were actually upon the summit of the pass, and in another ten yards we should have commenced to go down hill! It is needless to point out that if the compass had been looked to at the proper moment—that is, immediately the mist came down—we should have avoided all our troubles. It was little use afterwards, except to tell us when we were going wrong.
"We arrived at Zermatt in six and a half hours' walking from Abricolla, and Seller's hospitable reception set us all right again. On the 20th we crossed the Theodule pass, and diverged from its summit up the Theodulhorn (11,391) to examine a route which I suggested for the ascent of the Matterhorn; but before continuing an account of our proceedings, I must stop for a minute to explain why this new route was proposed, in place of that up the south-western ridge.
The Matterhorn may be divided into three sections.[1] The first, facing the Z'Muttgletscher, which looks, and is, completely unassailable; the second, facing the east, which seems inaccessibility itself; the third, facing Breil, which does not look entirely hopeless. It was from this last direction that all my previous attempts were made. It was by the south-western ridge, it will be remembered, that not only I, but Mr. Hawkins, Professor Tyndall, and the chasseurs of Val Tournanche, essayed to climb the mountain. Why then abandon a route which had been shown to be feasible up to a certain point?
I gave it up for four reasons. 1. On account of my growing disinclination for arêtes, and preference for snow and rock faces (see Chap. xiii.) 2. Because I was persuaded that meteorological disturbances (by which we had been baffled several times) might be expected to occur again and again [2] (see Chaps. v. and
- ↑ See Chap. iv. pp. 82-4.
- ↑ Subsequent experiences of others have strengthened this opinion.
