MOUNTCOOK DISTRICT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 452, 10 March 1909, Page 11

MOUNTCOOK DISTRICT.

MAGNIFICENT ALPINE SCENERY. A VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS. 'A holiday correspondent sends the Christchurch " Press" some notes from Mount Cook, in the course of wbich ho says that Dr. Bell (the Government Geologist),' with Mr. Earle (a member of the English Alpine Club), and Mr. Jack Clarko (the well-known alpine guide, now attached to Br. Hell's survey party), arrived at the Hermitage last week, coming over from the West Coast by way of Grahamjs Saddle and the Tasman Glacier. Dr. Bell is engaged in a very interesting survey ot the Francis Joseph Glacier, whioli should be ot considerable scientific value. So far as can be made out at .the present stage, the glacier moves at the rato of about 3 feet per--day. This is , rapid compared with the Tasman glacier, which only moves about 9 1 inches per day. Dr. Bell is most enthusiastic in prriso of tho unequalled majesty and beauty of the. glacier, aud 'indeed of the West Coast scenery generally. The crlacier is practically free from moraine, and Sescendß to within five or six hundred feet of .th-i sea level in the midst of magnificent forest scenery. Dr. Bell says ho has seen nothing like it in all his travels, and he believes it is.unique in the world. The Rosj railway has made the district more accessible, and there is no question that it has a great future as a tourist resort if tho Government will only provide proper accommodation and open it up by tr Mr?'Claude Mac Donald, of New South Wales, a well-known member of the English Alpine Club, who has beon here for some weeks, has been doing some good mountaineering work. by Peter graham, the chief guide, he made an attempt on Mount Cook, and had got withui 600 yards of the summit when a south-west gale sprang up, and the ascent had to be given up. Mr. kacDonald, returning by Green s Saddle and the Linda glacier, made the first travel so from the Hooker 6' ac '« r . the Tasman glacier He was enabled to examine tho route taken by the Rev. W. S. Green- in tho first ascent of Mount Cook. Both Mr..'MacDonald and Graham agree that in the . present cond'tion ofthe ice - the route is excellent and about as food aß' could be chosen. On February 26 Mr. Mac Donald scaled Coronet peak from the south' the first time that the ascent has been made. On February 27 Mr. Mac Donald- accompanied by Graham, made the first traverse of Mount Malte Brun, ascending bv the south arrete and descending bv the north arrete. It was most unfortunate that, in returning to the hermitago from the fast climb, Mr. Mac Donald injured his foot, probably getting it poisonod from a coloured-thread.in his stookmg. But tor this ho-intended to make an assault on Mount Sefton. This _hasi only once been ascended (by Mr. E. A. Fitzgerald and fflZurbrifffen). It is an exceedingly di&cult mountain to scale, owing to the loose tarnation of the rocks, and readers of Mr. litzgerald's book will recollect the .thrilling, adventures, in: which ho nearly lost his lite. "Revisiting Mount Cook after an absence of nine years," says the correspondent, 1 find great improvements everywhere, except w h'ere most needed, namely> in the Government administration. The old wearisome two-days coaoh journey has been replaced by the finest.motor-service'in New Zealand, so that the journey is now made in comtort in. one day. It is. to speak too highly of -the , way in which Mr. and- Mrs. MacDonald-IbAlc after'the comfort of the guests at -.the Hermitage, but the accommodation .is totally inadequate, and the arrangements lifelessly out' of dato. Numbers of visitors this season have been prevented, from coming up simply bccause there was not room for'. 1 them. Very few New landers' seem "to know what an Alpine paradise lies here;'. The present writer, who, as a tourist, scanipered through the Swiss andItalian Alps,-and has bad a passing glimpse of tho'Rockies,' has seen nothing.approach-; ing the :uppef:|,part of the as an Alpine panorama. Mr. Mac Donald, of New South Wales, a well-known member of "the English-Alpine Club, speaking with ah ~ intimate of the European Alps, says tie s same, thing in the most emphatic terms, ;.and speaks of,- New Zealand as-a whole-as-'the. most wonderful country for scenery -he has • ever visited. That the Government'do not realise the magnificent asset they possess in the Mount Cook district, is shovn by the niggardl.v manner m which they dole out money for its development. A twentieth part of the money which has been lavished on Rotorua would suffice to make this a' 1 tourist resort second to none jn this part ;of'.the world."

ASCENT; OF MOUNT COOK. '

A RECORD SEASON. A telegram, Has been received by the Tourist Department, addressed from the Hermitage, stating that a. successful • ascent of Mount Cook by a new route was made on Friday last: The telegram is from Mr. Peter Graham, the Department's chief guide, who states that tho party which made the ascent included Mr. Earle, of England, Mr. .J.'.Clarke, ind;Mr.' A. Graham, the sender's brother, who if} a ; private guide. The party climbed up'ths'rocks on the western face from tho Hooker Glacier, directly under the main' summit of Mount Cook, in 7} hours from tho bivouac.' They descended by the noVfch-westenv arete to tne Green saddle and coulier, or'ice-flow, to the bivouac, the entire trip occupying loi hours. There has been more high climbing during the present season than in any season since the Tourist' Department was established. List month' Dr. Teicholmann. Dr. Wollmann (Peru), and Mr. A. Graham (guide) ascended Mount Green and Mount Walter, in the Southern Alps, for the first time. Towards the end of last month, also; Mr. Claude Macdonald, a member of tho English Alpine Club, who is now,"living in New South Wales, made the first ascent of Coronet Peak, and first traverse of Mount Malte Brun. At this rate of conquest, the Alps' will soon be common ground.