Song | The Inland Ice: Part III — The Descent |
Artist | The Mountaineering Club Orchestra |
Album | A Start On Such A Night Is Full Of Promise |
[00:02.48] | September 24, we turned out early and set off with the determination to reach land that day. |
[00:08.57] | This time, too, we were not disappointed. |
[00:10.55] | We pushed on fast, as the gradient was often tolerably steep and gave us much help. |
[00:15.81] | The wind was fair, too, the ice easy, and everything promising. |
[00:19.19] | Some way down a reconnaissance proved necessary, as the ice here got rather rougher. |
[00:24.28] | I went on in front and soon found myself upon the brow of an ice-slope which overlooked a beautiful mountain tarn, |
[00:30.54] | the surface of which was covered with a sheet of ice. |
[00:33.88] | Beyond was a gorge through which a river from the tam ran downwards , |
[00:37.44] | while to the right the great glacier sloped evenly down to its end moraine, |
[00:41.53] | and would have formed the most magnificent coasting-hill imaginable, |
[00:44.41] | but for the stones that lay scattered over its surface. |
[00:47.92] | Here was an easy descent for us, and no obstacles to separate us from our goal. |
[00:53.17] | I soon had the whole party by me , and we stood enjoying the sight of, the land below. |
[00:57.62] | After I had taken a couple of photographs, we set Off down the last ice-slope. |
[01:01.65] | It was steep it was steeper perhaps than any we had run down before, |
[01:05.66] | and we had to use our brakes ; |
[01:07.76] | but the sledges went gaily , and soon we were safe and well upon the frozen tarn below the glacier , |
[01:12.51] | with the “ Inland ice ” for ever left behind. |
[01:16.40] | We now pushed across the tarn towards the river on the Other side. |
[01:19.90] | The ice was not everywhere quite safe ,but by moving carefully we reached the rocks beyond without mishap, |
[01:24.99] | took of the “ crampons ” which we had been using the last few days, |
[01:28.06] | and like schoolboys released, ran wildly about the shore. |
[01:31.26] | Words cannot describe what it was for us only to have the earth and stones again beneath our feet, |
[01:36.16] | or the thrill that went through us as we felt the elastic heather on which we trod, |
[01:39.72] | and smelt the fragrant scent Of grass and moss. |
[01:43.00] | Behind us lay the “ Inland ice, ” its cold , grey slope sinking slowly towards the lake ; |
[01:48.28] | before lay the genial land. |
[01:51.26] | Away down the valley we could see headland beyond headland, |
[01:54.09] | covering and overlapping each Other as far as the eye could reach. |
[01:57.28] | Here lay our course , the way down to the fjord. |
[02:00.19] | I’ll return. |
[02:04.93] |
[00:02.48] | September 24, we turned out early and set off with the determination to reach land that day. |
[00:08.57] | This time, too, we were not disappointed. |
[00:10.55] | We pushed on fast, as the gradient was often tolerably steep and gave us much help. |
[00:15.81] | The wind was fair, too, the ice easy, and everything promising. |
[00:19.19] | Some way down a reconnaissance proved necessary, as the ice here got rather rougher. |
[00:24.28] | I went on in front and soon found myself upon the brow of an iceslope which overlooked a beautiful mountain tarn, |
[00:30.54] | the surface of which was covered with a sheet of ice. |
[00:33.88] | Beyond was a gorge through which a river from the tam ran downwards , |
[00:37.44] | while to the right the great glacier sloped evenly down to its end moraine, |
[00:41.53] | and would have formed the most magnificent coastinghill imaginable, |
[00:44.41] | but for the stones that lay scattered over its surface. |
[00:47.92] | Here was an easy descent for us, and no obstacles to separate us from our goal. |
[00:53.17] | I soon had the whole party by me , and we stood enjoying the sight of, the land below. |
[00:57.62] | After I had taken a couple of photographs, we set Off down the last iceslope. |
[01:01.65] | It was steep it was steeper perhaps than any we had run down before, |
[01:05.66] | and we had to use our brakes |
[01:07.76] | but the sledges went gaily , and soon we were safe and well upon the frozen tarn below the glacier , |
[01:12.51] | with the " Inland ice " for ever left behind. |
[01:16.40] | We now pushed across the tarn towards the river on the Other side. |
[01:19.90] | The ice was not everywhere quite safe , but by moving carefully we reached the rocks beyond without mishap, |
[01:24.99] | took of the " crampons " which we had been using the last few days, |
[01:28.06] | and like schoolboys released, ran wildly about the shore. |
[01:31.26] | Words cannot describe what it was for us only to have the earth and stones again beneath our feet, |
[01:36.16] | or the thrill that went through us as we felt the elastic heather on which we trod, |
[01:39.72] | and smelt the fragrant scent Of grass and moss. |
[01:43.00] | Behind us lay the " Inland ice, " its cold , grey slope sinking slowly towards the lake |
[01:48.28] | before lay the genial land. |
[01:51.26] | Away down the valley we could see headland beyond headland, |
[01:54.09] | covering and overlapping each Other as far as the eye could reach. |
[01:57.28] | Here lay our course , the way down to the fjord. |
[02:00.19] | I' ll return. |
[02:04.93] |