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154 THE EXI'LOKATION OF THE CAUCASUS
north-western face of Laboda, best seen as the track begins to
mount the slopes leadmg to the Shtnhivsek, ai'e a very imposing
feature of the scenery.
The Shtukivsek is a pass of the character of the Monte Moro.
If the snow is soft on the east side, it is ahnost impossible to
get laden animals over it. We found it in this state on my
second visit. I had hurried on to the top in hope of finding the
view cleai'. But clouds had already covered the highest peaks,
and I was reduced to botanising on the loose rocks of the crest,
which were covered with a delightful and very varied high alpine
shovits in the rear indicated that our caravan
flora. Presently
was in unusual confusion. Looking back, I saw that all the loads
had been taken off. Our horsemen were energetically arguing
that the pass was impracticable for their animals ; our Jew w^as
distracted and dolorous ; Powell was issuing vigorous orders ;
WooUey, Dent, and the guides were shouldering the heavy loads
the horses could not carry through the soft drifts. The scene
was extremely picturesque, and it was with regret that I at
length ceased to be a spectator and took my part in helping to
heave some of the bundles up the final slope. That day there
was no distant prospect to the west. It was a grievous loss ; the
panorama
of the Shtuluvsek is one of the finest in the Caucasus.
The basin of the Dykhsu is admirably displayed, and the great
peaks that rise in a ring round it are fully seen. On the right,
above the ice-fall of the Tiutiun Glacier, the UUuauz Pass and
the site of D(Mikin and Fox's Bivouac are easily distinguishable.
The descent towards Karaul is steep but easy. At tlie point
where the valley is first reached a glacier comes down from the black
friable schistose range south of the pass.
The ice has been in retreat
lately, and the accumulation of rubbish on its snout has protected
the frozen mass Ijeneath, so that there still remains a great shapeless
mound of earth and stones, the inner substance of which is only here
and there visible under the black pall of moraine, while the main
glacier has retreated several hundred yards and is quite disconnected
with it. In the Arctic regions such a phenomenon is not rare, nianv
of the glaciers in their retreat leaving behind them buried tracts of ice.