J is for Júmre's Ladder

The Átkolel Heights in north-western Tsolyánu are right on the border with Yán Kór. When the war started the Yán Koryáni seized the heights and advanced south around them on either flank only to be halted by hastily raised Tsolyáni forces. A stalemate occurred as both sides gathered their forces. When the Tsolyáni counter-attacked they found it necessary to take the heights to prevent the Yán Koryáni leaving a sizeable force in their rear.

The Átkolel Heights are the eroded cone of an ancient volcano of massive proportions. The caldera is a wooded area with a large lake surrounded by peaks that were the eroded sides of the volcano. The heights are easily accessible from the north, but from the east, south and west are surrounded by steep cliffs. The only access is a feature known as Júmre's Ladder; this is a narrow cleft about ten paces wide that ascends the cliffs from the south. The "ladder" is a series of rough terraces that resemble giant steps; each is about fifty paces deep and five or six feet high. The sides of the cleft are steep cliffs. The climb is long and arduous, made more difficult by the fact that the Yán Koryáni controlled the top third of the "ladder". Several attempts to force the passage failed before the heights were finally recaptured.