At all elevations of from 6000 to 11,000 feet, and not unfrequently
for even 2000 feet more, the pedestrian enjoys a pleasurable feeling,
imparted by the consciousness of existence, similar to that which is
described as so fascinating by those who have become familiar with the
desert-life of the East. The body seems lighter, the nervous power
greater, the appetite is increased; and fatigue, though felt for a
time, is removed by the shortest repose. Some travellers have described
the sensation by the impression that they do not actually press the
ground, but that the blade of a knife could be inserted between the
sole of the foot and the mountain top.--_Quarterly Review_, No. 202.