Grindelwald Sunday. Dearest Father. Yes, I've got all the letters, thank you and shall be very glad to have many more! I'm delighted to hear that you went over to Caroline and that you fell a victim to Mrs Talbot. I think her very fascinating. I'm enjoying myself madly - I had a very interesting day on the Schreckhorn yesterday. We went up from here on Friday {afternoon} to the Schwartzegg Hut and lunched on the way at a little place called the Bäregg. It's a most beautiful walk along the top of a glacier, high up on an old moraine from which the glacier has receded 100 ft or so. It's covered with grass and flowers now. This is the most exquisite country. I don't wonder people wanted to climb these hills; there's such a beautiful variety about it, I'm charmed with it. After we had been at the nice comfy hut about an hour (during which time I had seen a friendly marmot - he sat for some time on a rock looking at me and then hopped thoughtfully away) there arrived two young men with their guides. They introduced themselves to me as the Colliers, they are the sons of people Lily is staying with and she had told them to look out for me. They are also the brothers of the Hon. Robert - I thought of Lady Edward and smiled. The older one, Gerard, knew Hugo at Eton; he has just left Oxford. I don't know what the younger one is doing, but he is very beautiful. They explained that they were quite inexperienced, but that they wanted to do the Schreckhorn because it is supposed to be the most difficult thing in the Oberland and if they had done it their parents wd not be alarmed if they did other things. We had a most cheerful evening and retired to bed on our shelf at 8.30. We did not, however, have a very long night, for by 12.30 we were off; "Schreckhorn!" said one of the Colliers' guides, like an omnibus conductor, and we walked off into the night. Till 4 we climbed up a series of snow couloirs and small arêtes, a little step cutting, but all quite easy; then we got onto the rocks and sat down to breakfast till the dawn came. It was bitter cold and we were on the shady side. We then had 2 hours of arête, not difficult, one or two nice traverses at the top, but the rock very rotten and requiring great care. The Colliers did it in excellent style. At 6 we got out into sunshine on a snow saddle and saw down the other side. I was beginning to think that the Schreckhorn had an absurd reputation, but the hour of arête from the middle to the top made me alter my opinion. Its a capital bit of rock climbing, a razor edge going quite steep down, snow on one side and rock on the other, not quite solid so that you have to take the greatest care, and with a couple of very fine bits of climbing in it. It raises the Schreckhorn into the first class among mountains, though it's rather low down in its class. After 5 minutes of wondering what was going to happen next, I found my head and my feet and had a thoroughly enjoyable hours. We got to the top at 7 and the Colliers about a quarter of an hour later. The younger one, Eric looked terribly done and they were both, I think, a good deal surprised at finding themselves with unbroken necks on the top. We stayed 3/4 of an hour eating and photographing. My guides and I nipped down the arête and had got half way down the rotten rock Bellow the saddle before the Colliers reached the saddle. Then we had to stop and take shelter behind some rocks, for the stones came pouring down the couloirs, like cannon balls. We decided that we wd have to wait, so I curled myself up and went to sleep for 50 minutes most comfortably. The Colliers were most apologetic, but they couldn't help it and I was quite happy. We parted at the Schrund, they going over Grimsel way. I took the snow couloir, which was rather imprudent; we glissaded down as hard as ever we could go and good luck was with us, for not one stone fell while we were in it. We got down to the hut at 12. Here rather a comic incident occured. We had left provisions and wood for our return and imagine our feelings at finding 3 Frenchmen burning our wood and making our tea! I said very politely that I was delighted to entertain them, but that I hoped they wd let us have some of the tea, since it was really ours. They looked rather black but made no apologies, nor did they thank me and I went away to change my things outside. When I came back they had gone, but they left the following entry in the visitors' book. "Nous sommes montés au refuge sans guides (brave fellows!) Vue splendide! mais quelle faim! Heureusement nous avons trouvé du thé." I completed the entry by adding "NB It was my tea!" and signing my name. They were not the only people I entertained. When I came back from my toilette I found an oldish man with two little boys, a charming Frenchman (no Bellgian I think he is) and a nice little curate, who said they were indebted to me for some delicious tea my guides had given them. They were all very agreeable; they stayed talking to me while I breakfasted. The Bellgian is one Count O'Gorman, he has a wife down here whose acquaintance I have made. He is a great mountaineer and a delightful person. The two little boys were quite delicious and who do you think their father was? - no less than Dr Lunn! so I have unwittingly made friends with the Mammon of travelling unrighteousness! The little boys have spent most of their time in my pocket this morning and I have lent them a map with which they are enchanted. Their life is a misery to them because their father says they are not to climb big peaks till they are 20 - they are now about 13 I suppose! The little curate I have also been talking to - he's quite a dear, and Count O'G. has given me some useful tips with regard to future climbs here. But for the moment all our thoughts are turned to the virgin arête on the Finsteraarhorn and we are going up to the Schwartzegg to have a shot at it. It has been tried unsuccessfully 3 times; I don't suppose we shall manage it, but we shall have an amusing time over it. We keep it a deadly secret! I sit by some very pleasant Bellgians at meals, a step-mother and father and 2 daughters. They are going tomorrow for which I am sorry. I slept 13 hours last night! They've put me out into a châlet where I am most comfortable. The people are very obliging and my little wooden room looks straight out onto the Eiger. The weather is perfect - I am in luck! I love my guides and everyone compliments me on their charming manners. I shall be so sorry when it's over. Ever your affectionate daughter Gertrude.