Хребты безумия
V
Thecourseoftheriverbeyondthecityseemedmarkedbyabroad,depressedline,whilethelandassumedasomewhatgreaterruggedness,seemingtoslopeslightlyupwardasitrecededinthemist-hazedwest.
Sofarwehadmadenolanding,yettoleavetheplateauwithoutanattemptatenteringsomeofthemonstrousstructureswouldhavebeeninconceivable. Accordingly,wedecidedtofindasmoothplaceonthefoothillsnearournavigablepass,theregroundingtheplaneandpreparingtodosomeexplorationonfoot. Thoughthesegradualslopeswerepartlycoveredwithascatteringofruins,lowflyingsoondisclosedanamplernumberofpossiblelandingplaces. Selectingthatnearesttothepass,sinceourflightwouldbeacrossthegreatrangeandbacktocamp,wesucceededabout12:30P.M.ineffectingalandingonasmooth,hardsnowfieldwhollydevoidofobstaclesandwelladaptedtoaswiftandfavorabletake-offlateron.
Itdidnotseemnecessarytoprotecttheplanewithasnowbankingforsobriefatimeandinsocomfortableanabsenceofhighwindsatthislevel;hencewemerelysawthatthelandingskisweresafelylodged,andthatthevitalpartsofthemechanismwereguardedagainstthecold. Forourfootjourneywediscardedtheheaviestofourflyingfurs,andtookwithusasmalloutfitconsistingofpocketcompass,handcamera,lightprovisions,voluminousnotebooksandpaper,geologist’shammerandchisel,specimenbags,coilofclimbingrope,andpowerfulelectrictorcheswithextrabatteries; thisequipmenthavingbeencarriedintheplaneonthechancethatwemightbeabletoeffectalanding,takegroundpictures,makedrawingsandtopographicalsketches,andobtainrockspecimensfromsomebareslope,outcropping,ormountaincave.
