Read the excerpt. in the narrow crest of this ridge, the basic rock of the mountain had a thin capping of snow and ice—ice that reached out over the east face in enormous cornices, overhanging and treacherous, and only waiting for the careless foot of the mountaineer to break off and crash 10,000 feet into the kangshung glacier. and from the cornices the snow dropped steeply to the left to merge with the enormous rock bluffs which towered 8,000 feet. based on the excerpt, what is author’s viewpoint? the climb will be impossible to complete. the features of the ridge are intimidating. the prospect of completing the climb is exhilirating. most mountaineers are careless as they climb.