' And will the master ever come for the virgin so clad in bridal array ?
Is the great peak accessible ? AVill cragsman ever stand on the highest
point oi that keen ridge and look down from it on lovelj^ Suanetia on
the lino hand, and the wild Cherkess country on the other ? Well, of
mountains yet unattacked, as of ladies yet unwooed, it is exceedingly difficult
to predict anything, but certainly going up Shkara will be no work for
the timorous, or for those Aveak of limb or un.sure of foot. From a col
to the east of where we stood, to -wdiich snow-slopes of small difficulty lead,
rises the north - eastern arete of the mountain, for some distance not
impracticable. This then could, with much step-cutting, be climbed up
to a certain point, and a considerable height on the mountain reached,
but the higher part of the arete is irregular and broken, looking altogether
impossible for human feet, while the slopes below are of terrible steepness,
the final ridge being also apparently of extraordinary difficulty. Owing
to its gentle curves, it might be \ery hard for a man to know when he
had reached the summit of the mountain. We certainly could see no way
thither, but still ways have been found over places which, from below,
seemed cpiite impassable, and there are peaks in Switzerland now frequently
ascended which, no very long time ago, were deemed altogether beyond the
powers of man, so I am not prepared to say that, with two first-rate guides,
a good mountaineer able to give plentj^ of time to the peak, willing to sleep
out many nights, and to ]5ersevere after unsuccessful attempts, might not,
if blessed with perfect weather, reach the summit of Shkara ; provided
always that he could get supplies of food sent up from the village, which
he would find by no means a very simple or easy task.'

Travellers who are in no sense of the word climbers, but have
sufficient energy and endurance of rough life to be able to camp
for a day or two in this mountain sanctuary, may walk without
difHculty to the crest of the Caucasus at the Zaimer Pass, or to
the ridge under Shkara that overlooks the Dykhsu basin. They
may see many strange sights during their sojourn among the
glaciers. 