We had not proceeded far when a farm servant from Rödsheim overtook us, and said that two English gentlemen required Ole’s presence as guide. They were certainly unfortunate; the expedition had commenced, and Ole sent back a message of excuse.
Ole soon afterwards left the main road. Entering a thick wood to our left in Indian file, we ascended a steep winding foot path, until an open plateau was reached. Very shortly afterwards we reached the “Rödberg Sœter.” Ole knocked at the door, and obtained a rope from the woman. It was exactly half-past ten o’clock. Walking over some undulating turf ground we soon afterwards commenced another steep ascent. The slope was covered with loose stones, scattered on all sides. It was quite dusk, and deliciously cool after the heat of the day. At half-past eleven Ole called a halt, and we had a slight repast of bread and cheese and cold tea.
Again we were en route, still walking in Indian file, and soon reached another long narrow plateau. Over loose rocks, in the dim light, we picked our way as we could for some distance. The Dögurdsmaals Kampen, a steep sharp mountain, rose above us. We at length skirted the glacier lake of the Gjuvbrœen. In this lake we were told by Ole, the Herre Watson, the tourist of tourists, once bathed. Ole evidently considered our countryman one of the best mountaineers he had seen. It must have been a cold plunge; but what is there that an Englishman will not undertake? If we had passed it at mid-day the example may have been followed.
The long reach of stones, whose angular points made it necessary to keep a sharp look-out at every step, were at last exchanged for a gentle slope of tolerably hard level snow. It was a great relief, after the rough pathway of stones just left. A false step on such an irregular causeway involves a broken leg, a grazed shin, or at least a sprained ankle.
At last we reached the edge of a broad but at this point tolerably level glacier, across which we could in the dimness of the night see the dome of the Galdhöpiggen rising beyond. Its summit, a dome of hard frozen snow, rests against a precipice of rocks, above which it rises some feet. From the small nearly flat space, which forms the head of the Galdhöpiggen, the frozen snow immediately slopes off at an angle of from 40 to 50 degrees, and joins the glaciers in the far distance below. It was a wild and desolate scene, as we sat on some broken rocks. Another precipice rose to our right, as if to test supremacy with the Galdhöpiggen in this region of eternal snow. After some slight refreshment we roped ourselves together. No great difficulty presented itself as we crossed the glacier to the rocks which formed an arrête to the snow dome of the Galdhöpiggen. Once or twice Noah sank up to his middle, but the crevasses were narrow and easily crossed. Very easy work to one who had crossed the Glacier des Bossons.
Then commenced the ascent of the steep arrête of rocks, but even these presented no great difficulty to a fair average mountaineer. Then came a rise of frozen snow at the junction of the dome with the rocks. There was an awkward crevasse to cross. Ole carefully tested the snow, and it was soon overcome. We were now on the frozen slope of the snow dome. On this, as we had no nails in our thick fishing-boots, with the utmost difficulty we could keep our legs. With the aid of our Alpine stock the summit was at length reached at five minutes past four o’clock. This is the highest mountain in Norway, 8300 feet above sea level. When we were on the rocks of the arrête we saw a glorious sunrise over the Lauvhöen Fjeld. The morning light enabled us to see a vast wilderness of dark rocky peaks rising from a setting of eternal snow. No sign of human habitation, no signs of animal life—silence reigned around us. Reindeer’s bones were lying on the rocks near the dome.
CHAPTER XXXI.
It was the afternoon of the third day after the arrival of Cadurcis at the gipsy encampment, and nothing had yet occurred to make him repent his flight from the abbey, and the choice he had made. He had experienced nothing but kindness and hospitality, while the beautiful Beruna seemed quite content to pass her life in studying his amusement.
Disraeli’s Venetia.
THE REINDEER’S FATE—DESOLATE SCENE—SEVERAL ASCENTS—THE FRIGHTENED PEASANTS—A COAT LOST—ESMERALDA’S VIEWS—ABSENT TREASURES—OLE RE-ENGAGED—A NEW KETTLE PROP—THE HANDSOME ARTIST—COMFORTABLE STATION—ADIEU RÖDSHEIM—OUR EXCELLENT GUIDE—CROSSING THE BRIDGE—ZACHARIAH’S ESCAPE.
On the hanging precipice of rocks, the highest in Norway, a reindeer had met its death. The large glaciers of Tverbrœen Svelnaasbrœ and Styggebrœen we could see below us. The glorious sunrise had lighted up the Lauvhöen, Hestbrœpiggene, Hesthö, Sandgrovhö, Tvœrfjeld, Lomseggen, and Grjotaa Fjeld with its large glaciers. Then we had the deep valley of Visdalen on one side and Leirdalen on the other. The lofty Fjelds of the Eisteinshovd, Kvitingskjölen, and Hjem Fjeldene in the distance. Across Visdalen and near to us the mountains of the Glitterhö, Glittertind,[92] Glitters Rundhö, and Troldsteens Rundhö. To the west are the mountains of the Vesle Fjeld, the Kjœrringhœtta and many others. What a wild boundless region of peaks to the south—far, far beyond our sight. An endless extent of riven rock, above the glaciers snow, of an ever frozen region. The Stygehö, Tverbottenhorne, Kirken. Uledals Tinderne, one of whose peaks was also afterwards ascended by Messrs. Browne and Saunders. The Leirhö, Memurutinden, Heilstuguhö, Tyknings, Snehö, Beshö, Sikkildals Hö, Heimdalshö, Simletind, Skarvdalstind, Knudshultinden, Mugna, Kalvaahögda Melkedals-tinderne, Skagastöltind, the Koldedals-tinderne, and the wild peaks of the Horungerne.