About six o'clock
Then , as he felt frightened and shivery , he put some water on the fire , so that he might have hot coffee before starting . When the clock struck one he got up , woke Sam , opened the door and went off in the direction of the Wildstrubel . For five hours he ascended , scaling the rocks by means of his climbing-irons , cutting into the ice , advancing continually , and occasionally hauling up the dog , who remained below at the foot of some slope that was too steep for him , by means of the rope . About six o'clock he reached one of the summits to which old Gaspard often came after chamois , and he waited till it should be day-light . The sky was growing pale overhead , and suddenly a strange light , springing , nobody could tell whence , suddenly illuminated the immense ocean of pale mountain peaks , which stretched for many leagues around him . It seemed as if this vague brightness arose from the snow itself , in order to spread itself into space . By degrees the highest and most distant summits assumed a delicate , fleshlike rose color , and the red sun appeared behind the ponderous giants of the Bernese Alps .