He understands mountain-climbing. I
have done a little climbing but not enough to qualify as an expert.
And, remember, no pranks while we are climbing; a single slip might
result seriously for all of us. Which way do we go, Mr. Grubb?"
"Around back of the Shelter. There is an easy trail leading up to the
top, but that isn't the way you want to go. You want to climb. You
shall. Have you your belts on?" He glanced over the girls critically.
"All right," he added, "follow me."
Janus led the way around a rear corner of the Shelter, after having
labeled and stowed their packs in the hut. He said they would be
perfectly safe there, that no one would disturb them. But the girls
were rather amazed when, instead of beginning to climb up, the guide
started down a sharp incline, calling to his charges to follow.
"Thith ithn't up," cried Tommy.
"We have to go through this gully first of all, then we begin going
up," he explained.
The couloir proved to be something of a hard proposition right at the
beginning. Jagged rocks, sudden narrow miniature gullies, bushes with
sharp thorns, slippery, treacherous shale, made the descent a trying
one.
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