Then we helped each other with our sticks.
I must admit that my uncle kept as close to me as he could; he never lost sight of me, and in many straits his arm furnished me with a powerful support.

He himself seemed to possess an instinct for equilibrium, for he never stumbled.

The Icelanders, though burdened with our loads, climbed with the agility of mountaineers.
To judge by the distant appearance of the summit of Snaefell, it would have seemed too steep to ascend on our side.

Fortunately, after an hour of fatigue and athletic exercises, in the midst of the vast surface of snow presented by the hollow between the two peaks, a kind of staircase appeared unexpectedly which greatly facilitated our ascent.

It was formed by one of those torrents of stones flung up by the eruptions, called 'sting' by the Icelanders.