TRAMPING CLUB.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18659, 7 April 1926, Page 11

TRAMPING CLUB.

WAIMAKARIRI CAMP. Yesterday the West Coast express brought to Christchurch seventeen members of the Christchurch Tramping Club who had been enjoying the beauties of the Upper Waimakariri during the Easter holidays. Twelve of these had travelled by the early excursion for Otira on Good Friday, which had been specially stopped at the 67J mUe peg tor the party, while the remaining nve had gone up the previous day by an early goods train, and had thus enjoyed mi extra day exploring the W anuaKariri between the iiealey and the Crow Kiver or in walking over Arthur's .Pass. Ihey spent the night in a niusterer's hut a little way up the river. On the arrival of the train on Friday the whole'party, preceded by pack horses with the baggage, started up .the .river, sometimes over tussock flats, Sometimes through thick bush along doer tracks, but more often over the rough boulders of the riverbed. Opposite the Grow Eiver a halt was made for lunch, and a beautiful view was obtained up the river of Mount Eolkston, set with glaciers and enclosed with bush. Late in the afternoon after several fords of the mam river, the camping ground was reached, and soon the tents were erected, and a hot meal was eagerly partaken of. The next three days were occupied in, making various trips to the several beauty spots of the region. On Saturday in a blizzard of rain and snow an ascent was made of the Taiporiti stream to the summit of Barman's Pass (4503 feet), and members went a mile into Westland, and saw a deep gorge wliere the waters of a tributary of the Taipo ran under the snow some two hundred feet below. In the stream, during the course of which many small waterfalls were met, in three places, large falls of snow had completely blocked the narrow valley, forming "natural bridges under which the water poured, and over which was the easiest going. Kilmarnock Tails. On Sunday, which was beautifully fine, members ascended the White river past the Kilmarnock Falls (400 ft) to the head of the river, where, at an elevation of over 4000 feet, several glaciers were seen, one in particular, ending with its nose protruding over a sheer precipice above the valley up which the way" lay. From the top of the river a steep climb led the party to the summit of an unnamed pass, about 6100 ft in height, which connects tho White river and the Avo'ca. Drifting clouds obscured the northern and'western views, but Mt. Greenlaw and another unnamed peak or the same ridge, and also Mt. Harper, all well over 70Q0 feet, were seen splendidly. Eight below the Pass a large glacier offered some good glissades. • ' A Fine Waterfall.

On.Monday a trip was made to the source of tho Waimakariri. After some four or five miles, the valley narrowed, and the rivor entered a fine deep gorge where a waterfall was found whero the whole waters of the Waimakariri took a sheer drop of nearly 100 feet —an aweinspiring spectacle. Smaller waterfalls were 1 visible in every diroction. The way was continued up steep Blopes covered with thick scrub, over some huge roches moutonnees, through a narrow gorge, where a rope was needed, on to a large steep snowfield, which led, after a long climb, to the summit of Campbell's Pass, also at about 6100 ft. The valley to the west was full of cloud, but to the south could be seen the peaks of Greenlaw, Davie, and Harper, while directly above, one on each' side, towered Mts. • Eolleston and Armstrong. The Jattor looked so easy that although: time was short, the party decided to ( try and climb it, and inside an hour they were an the summit of one of the peaks, at an elevation of just on 7000 feet. A few minutes were spent on the summit, where an empty pineapplo tin gave evidence of previous ascents, but no clue to the identity of the climber, who, however, may have 'been a party from Wellington who did some climbing here a few months ago. Mt. Armstrong consisted of a long line of peaks of razorback form, with practically sheer sides on both sides, going down thousands ot feet, to Canterbury and Westland. The descent and,return to camp were made as rapidly as possible, but not rapidly enough to escape the darkness, which closed on the party when three miles of thick hush country separated it from camp. ; -'This'was covered'partly along deer-tracks, which could be found only byi feel, and partly in the river itself, where the party stumbled along on the boulders, often:knee-deep in the water. Camp was reached about eight o'clock. Yesterday an early start was made, and.aftr camp was struck the return journey to, the railway was made in fast time, and. the express to town was caught at the same point that the railway- was left, and the party returned to town well pleased with the success lof the trip and deeply impressed with the. beauties of this" readily-accessible region^' which- they agreed should be made more easily reached as soon as possible, and where better facilities for tourists should immediately ; be instituted.