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Snæfell at Last

           WewerenowbeginningtoscalethesteepsidesofSnæfell.Itssnowysummit,byanopticalillusionnotunfrequentinmountains,seemedclosetous,andyethowmanywearyhoursittooktoreachit!Thestones,adheringbynosoilorfibrousrootsofvegetation,rolledawayfromunderourfeet,andrusheddowntheprecipicebelowwiththeswiftnessofanavalanche.

           Atsomeplacestheflanksofthemountainformedananglewiththehorizonofatleast36degrees;itwasimpossibletoclimbthem,andthesestonycliffshadtobetackedround,notwithoutgreatdifficulty.Thenwehelpedeachotherwithoursticks.

           Imustadmitthatmyunclekeptasclosetomeashecould;heneverlostsightofme,andinmanystraitshisarmfurnishedmewithapowerfulsupport.Hehimselfseemedtopossessaninstinctforequilibrium,forheneverstumbled.TheIcelanders,thoughburdenedwithourloads,climbedwiththeagilityofmountaineers.

           TojudgebythedistantappearanceofthesummitofSnæfell,itwouldhaveseemedtoosteeptoascendonourside.Fortunately,afteranhouroffatigueandathleticexercises,inthemidstofthevastsurfaceofsnowpresentedbythehollowbetweenthetwopeaks,akindofstaircaseappearedunexpectedlywhichgreatlyfacilitatedourascent.Itwasformedbyoneofthosetorrentsofstonesflungupbytheeruptions,called‘sting’bytheIcelanders.Ifthistorrenthadnotbeenarrestedinitsfallbytheformationofthesidesofthemountain,itwouldhavegoneontotheseaandformedmoreislands.

           Suchasitwas,itdidusgoodservice.Thesteepnessincreased,butthesestonestepsallowedustorisewithfacility,andevenwithsuchrapiditythat,havingrestedforamomentwhilemycompanionscontinuedtheirascent,Iperceivedthemalreadyreducedbydistancetomicroscopicdimensions.

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