Thereafter it was a steady climb until, unexpectedly, we found ourselves tumbling downwards To ascend the peak, we had to surmount another hillock. Just before the summit was the worst stretch - the gal potte, or rock slab. One had to cross over a sheer plate of rock, all glossy with moss and moisture, which lay at a (30-degree angle dropping into a bottomless chasm. This time most of us were reduced to crawling on all fours. At the summit we collapsed on the cairn. We were, however, able to muster a stony reception to our trackers' energetic descent and strident summons to the spot where Grigg's plaque had been.

Once we got our bearings, we felt as if we were sitting on a cloud Thick, gray mist surrounded us. The view was nonexistent. As we commenced our journey downhill huge drops of rain began slicing the cloud making our return a miserable one Nevertheless, today we enjoy recounting sparkling stories about our encounter with Kirigalpotte, all discomforts transformed into adventurous moments.

Whether in misted solitude or as a lone speck in the vast space between grass and sky, whether a patient angler casting into a brook in relaxed expectation or a panting climber struggling up a mountainside in friendly comradeship, Horton Plains is an exhilarating experience. A land of many moods, it is a windswept wilderness to which one returns time and time again.