This so-called Crown is a naturally occurring circular rock, around the height of three lances laid end to end. It is situated on the same side of the mountain as the one we arrived at when we began our ascent. Apart from the side which faces the meadow, there is a sheer drop of 30,000 feet or more from the rock to the valley below. There are two places where it is possible to climb the rock to gain entrance to the cave. And I can assure you that even the easier of these two routes is sufficient to daunt anyone’s heart, making one fear imminent death. Descending the rock is particularly dangerous: if you had the misfortune to miss your footing and slip there is no power on earth which could save you from plunging to your death. Simply looking down at the abyss is enough to terrify you. The
