The same precipice lay below, and my eyes searched vainly for a way down.

The hot sun had loosened the snow, which was now in a treacherous condition, and we had to pick our way carefully.

Looking back, we could see that a fog was rolling up behind us and meeting in the valleys a fog that was coming up from the east.

The creeping grey clouds were a plain warning that we must get down to lower levels before becoming enveloped.
The ridge was studded with peaks, which prevented us getting a clear view either to the right or to the left.

The situation in this respect seemed no better at other points within our reach, and I had to decide that our course lay back the way we had come.