self into the soft snow. That descent was a nightmare. When it was my turn to move I was so careful that I seemed to take half an hour to descend the fifty feet until the rope became taut, and when Robin was descending I wedged myself so far into the snow that it took some time to extricate myself when the pitch was over. The rest of the day was spent in doing one other climb and then walking back to the Hostel, where a good supper awaited us, and, believe me, after a day's climbing such as we had just completed, one's appetite is somewhat whetted. No one can even hope to describe the joys of climbing in so many words, much less those of winter climbing when the standard of skill required is higher than that for the corresponding climb under normal summer conditions. Let it suffice to say " every man to his own sport." But the man who takes up mountaineering will be the king of all sportsmen. He will not only become healthy in body, but also in his mind. The sport will teach him to think out his problems gradually and while he is at grips with nature. It is a case of man against rock, of man against nature—either may win the final victory. J.McN.I. (Leeds University Climbing Club). * Pitch—Climbs are divided into a number of pitches to facilitate the progress of the climbers. Between each pitch there is usually a belay. -I. Belay—The climbers only move one at a time, so that if the one who is moving falls, his second may hold him by means of a loop of the rope round a spike of rock—this is the belay. Scree—Masses of loose small stones which will move down the slope when any weight is put upon them.
THE WAR IN THE AIR-HI. In our last article it will be remembered that amongst other things we spoke freely of the performances and armaments of the aircraft of the day. If this were peacetime, we could probably do the same thing now. But we are at war, and to discuss the secrets of our latest machines would be, to say the least, very unwise. So we must ask readers not be irritated if we tend to become elusive. By now one can safely say that Britain is hardened to air-raids. There must, indeed, be few people who at least do not know any friends whose homes have been bombed. 46
