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dubious.’
    ‘What about the north ridge?’
    ‘Ice all the way. Looks very steep. Certainly great technical difficulties. The ticklish part is towards the middle, but there’s another snag, how to get on to the ridge. From here the East glacier, 2 which you would expect to be the normal approach, looks extremely broken up.’
    ‘Can you see the north face?’
    ‘Those great walls of seracs make it a very dangerous proposition. At its foot there is a relatively easy slope, which ought to give access to the north-west ridge, but from where I’m standing I can’t see very well.’
    ‘What do you think of the Nilgiris?’
    ‘Absolutely sheer. Not a hope from this side.’
    ‘Thanks, Coucou. See you later.’
    ‘O.K., Maurice. Off.’
    This first report did not do much to encourage optimism. When he returned we should proceed to a first examination of the problem, with the help of his sketches.
    That evening in the mess-tent Couzy, between cups of tea, confirmed what he had told us by radio.
    ‘We must find a way to the foot of the final pyramid,’ began Rébuffat. On this point everyone was agreed. But on the means of getting there opinions differed.
    What ought we to do? Ought we to go up this East glacier of Dhaulagiri, which was in a chaotic condition and was without question extremely dangerous? Or skirt round the Tukucha Peak, which marks the end of the north arête, and follow this Elbow Valley shown on the map, 3 in order to reach the northern basin of Dhaulagiri?
    ‘We must reconnoitre in all directions,’ I said, ‘and to do so we shall obviously have to split up. During this period of reconnaissance, when we shall be working our way round Dhaulagiri and Annapurna, we need parties of two only .’
    ‘There’s certainly something to be done on Annapurna,’ declared Schatz. Then, dreamily, ‘A pass at 20,000 feet, a track …’
    ‘Dhaulagiri has a nasty look. I’d prefer the other fellow,’ admitted Couzy.
    ‘Very well. Tomorrow, we’ll all get going. You, Lachenal, and you, Gaston, will go and reconnoitre the East glacier. The M.O. and Schatz will take horses, and go up above Lete to get a view of the Tilicho Pass and Annapurna. Matha and I will take a little trip up to the top of the Elbow Valley, marked as the Dambush Khola. Perhaps we shall be able to see the north side of Dhaulagiri.’
    ‘And what about me?’ said Couzy, deeply disappointed.
    ‘You’ll rest in camp. Don’t worry, there’ll be something for everyone to do. It’s now April 23rd, we’ve time enough before the monsoon breaks, early in June. You, too, Lionel, try to keep warm.’
    ‘And stick to light food for the present,’ advised Oudot.
    Terray, who had been suffering from a stomach upset, was feeling a bit better already, but I still thought he looked very pulled down.
    ‘And I suppose I’m to twiddle my thumbs?’ asked Noyelle.
    ‘Your excellency will be good enough to make contact with the big-wigs. And you and Coucou can finish organizing the camp.’
    We were awake at 5 A.M . Lachenal and Rébuffat went off with two Sherpas, carrying skis and one high-altitude unit. This consisted of a nylon tent for two, two special sleeping-bags, two half-length air mattresses, a spirit stove and cooking utensils; the whole weighing roughly 22 lb. A shikari would guide them over the lower slopes of the mountain where otherwise they might well lose time in the valleys and forests.
    Oudot and Schatz were up and about, and their horses were ready at 7 o’clock. I hoped that during the day they would be able to go high enough to see the famous Tilicho Pass and clear up the mystery about it. Then Ichac and I left camp, delighted at the thought of being in the mountains once more. In a few minutes we came to the Dambush Khola, whose valley we were to follow as high as possible.
    ‘Certainly this stream’s on the small side,’ I conceded.
    ‘I don’t want to influence your judgment, Maurice, but to me it’s practically a