But how about the yak ?" "Where we can climb, it can follow," he answered.
So we strapped the tent and other baggage, including a good supply of cooked meat, upon the beast's back, and started.

The tramp was long since we were obliged to make some detours to avoid slopes of frozen snow in which, on our previous ascents, we had cut footholds with an axe, for up these the laden animal could not clamber.

Reaching the summit at length, we dug a hole, and there pitched the tent, piling the excavated snow about its sides.

By this time it began to grow dark, and having descended into the tent, yak and all, we ate our food and waited.
Oh! what cold was that.

The frost was fearful, and at this height a wind blew whose icy breath passed through all our wrappings, and seemed to burn our flesh beneath as though with hot irons.