NORTH ISLAND MOUNTAINEERING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 708, 6 January 1910, Page 3

NORTH ISLAND MOUNTAINEERING.

'& The" : - party,;' chiefly-.'of Auckland; people;; ■MicK'spent;;Christmas;iyfiek.in ascending ths ■;■ three';'mountains,: Buapehu,: Tonga-, 'rirp/: : and: i ;;vNgauruhi>e, .'.inciudedj'.seven Bennett:':.;and;/;-Miss; iDdrothy Pollen .being fthe' .only.'two .'from Wellington.;:.. They -had success-, ful .bxpeditidn",, and.most.'of -the, time';tho .weather \ was good, ,7 thoiig'h.'.it.-.rained; all; ;■ .onianothey.'.'bcca-".'. .:sipn,'i'nearly?blew,' the tents, down. ;-,;.The' pa'rtyi'.camped ',. in ; tbnts, ,; and ; . in ;;the rac-, djmmpdation , ';hut■''• at i; the ioot-f of; .Ru'a-. 'Eehiil'Uhd.'irpm'vthere, ffladejtlie'ascent; ,oi.Veacli:-.mbyntoin/'Btarting\'in , ;;the|nioni:: angsv;bef6ret:sunns9'..so.-as-.tp;''acconiplish: most.of '■ the climbing -before' the.:heat' ..of ; tKe;aii#.4;;;iv-\^v^ ;^;i-'^ r; '' : V^''' ; -^V^V ■.'"-They; went /three- timesv.to is th'e. top .of Tongarifp'—the .'first .-"timeVsiiiiply; for the; sake ;;of 3 -making ;■ the''ascent. ■ and'visiting.; ■.the\-:crafers^Vc.--Another : :- ; .time/'th'ey-;-,--went.. 'right "'pyerflthe and. down '.the ;.o.thpr.. , aajJ'Hb'V'tlie''>lipt , ;spriiig'-.-ifliichV'g«sheSvoul' of:!thS;to6unWin's-;Sidei; ; :and ;rushes{in ; ia; :hot,V ; ste'aming:.<:torrent';'dbwii';-'the; ; * : slope| ;thrpug^' : the"vwrch"rbu^i:i:;lt ; :bus' : 'stream'i';tb:..bathe'in 1 Vi Vaiiid -the ..■party: 'c'ampe.d'-near'it; all night, ;;Teturhing;next i , ! day^-by,ith'e'iway>"they:had ■■ ' ■■•;:;i*i ; .'. ',' ;-Ttie';nipuntaiiis' iTongarirp.: and; Ngauru- , ■ hoeV are ;ript.';beautiful, : ;:ahd ■; they;-'are;,;Eetv dttia-'dcsolate.tufaceous' desert'"that'made. ;ing':th'e. iwejrdAarid/'imbuntains'-.; bhvtHe ;iiipbii. i 'riKuapehu ;rjsßS\whit«-clad: i from. , :a: 'gT'e'y-birbwn , r'base';',sdeyoid ! ; i bf;-; jyegetation;; y^Vlike ; b. V grey-brown V cinder- r jheap.i;-:;Tongirirp c has:4ittle; r cplbur; ; except| iwfee.'-.'iheTe ■■ andi' there, ,/are .jpatches;'.'of;. ; :;w'pod'Scattered''about'jjvithout flny , ■'apparent\;-reaspn - ,:;-fbr;:."their ; 'in; ;thps6:!par.ticyar. ; 'sppts',;'ind,;seyeral: green ;:pase's ;where;*riyersJspout\out',;from'..':.the come , -,tributarie'sj-: of.; , greater; , ;rivers, 'phey flowing': through. • Taiipp . : to;'the'{Waiiato,; . the jthe'^anganui, , Kiyer... Thehir'at "the'.summit,':;-i3' ; .the I'red'-prater, distinct ;fr:oni'-pther9!m'that, nest" of ..little. "6raters- ; so ; /iriooitlike; ':- : The";.party ' were interested -^to 'find 'Vα; variety.''.of,'flowers :grbwirig:on;-Tbrigariro (l s inpuntain v ;butter-,; cups, : :and-ssyeral.yarieties'bf daisy'among: .others.- , ;NKauruh<M'also h.devoid;prlvege-; : tati6n; ; ':Th6'' y iewV;from;.the; snnimit rot. Tongariro':,is .the. !(view: overAlake'^raupp^'vrhich:lies: only a ; :few.miles" away; ■ set. 'in ( with: its ,busWcoybred -, : islands"--fprmiiig'-Ja-i'veryP beautiful-':sight.-.:i:Tr"oni; ebih..'■ of ;l the^mmintams':the ';partyi^pb-' 'tained;;sijle'ndid^yiews'r;o'f;"jrpunt-.'Eg]nont, : sqmetimes';half. veiled.-ih;cloudy at."others;■ 'clear' to 'its " : hase.y}/: {: ")'-'i''y"'^' t big'.'ernptioiv on Nga-: -uruKbe.JsKbrtiy; :befbre\ the; party; rarriyed,; and i.when' they/ reached ■ tho.sum'mitia'-nd ; . looked !?d6wn3nto;ltHe' ; wide';: mail) crater,; Jiyith '.ifeyovefhangjng,.;cliffs/;pf i'pale; is&U; ■shaped praters,: one: of .ith'em 'quiescent, 1 -the'..other..iincessantly'. steaming'; with.'.'.'.'occa-.; I sipnal livelyi' spurts, -' found, tliat..' the: ■floor; of; the' \y.ide'cra'tpr', wasVcpvereavwJtlr. a; flopd : of. halfrdried ■iriiidl-which..had. been: ":f active j':crater.';i;;lt;;had; ' cristea-over : i!sueicient)y : :;to :.allow ; pf, : th'eir walking , sure "of -given;:;by: ; .the;. •bubblestthat;;; hero. and .;;there'; : appeared; .blobbing :bn:;the'isurface. ! ;.They': : ,hadcto: keeputo;'iWindward>'.oJ';•the; crater;. : .tp; avoid ihe fumes''of:'chlorine '.gas,',: which' jare lin-■tenselj-iirritating: to.,the- throat.: ; arid , ; nos-: abie-'tocclimb :;out along the'fhigh.lipiwhere.it:overhung the ;iof '.thp,;buljbling;;crat€r;iind : t loolf "down,'':as ; it ; -seiemed;': for, ..miles .into ;its: riarrow;throatj t :;\yhere' v the steam;'spurted " from ; ;the •bbilingJ'niu'd.!s:;They) made': ;the ; desbeht:6nVthe side of the.mpuntaicD which-. ■hadibeen , :h , eaped , :from..the mouth:of-this-prater';"with; fine/: dustV,ajid.i' % pellets;i' of; .scciriavnb far, ■as.ithe'"'dust-fwas-concerned,-; : it'.;was : de-; licipus' "cotton. .w001,',; thbugli •' 'it. vmust.ibo': acknowledged. ■• perfectyavalanchV'and' set"; thousands''] of < y:' ithat);made : 'it,impbsabls':';for;!anyv-membpr /of;Hh'e; party ;than.'.his;^neiKhbbur,':; : since'J.'thatv .would ':hayp/bee'n;.tb..iet;lbpse^ , a'n : '.avalanche! --Von: shimV^vTh^dnst'':and-AiMq'ria.".:are ,;, so , '' ! HghV ■that'tKe 'wind;.seemsiito,sot; the .whole ;side;.pf^the':; ; niountain: : inv;mbti6n;-- : y'.-Thei ;Party; metytwp: men, .who said'. that .they' ;'had:,made .'the-iascent ,■ of/Ngauruhoe , ifroin ■ that j side, ;< whichi iyas: ; . pnly' possible:; be : ' cau^ythpy'had hard' .rock-:': extending :; through;the: rubble;- < :: ■"■■': .'■■ .■H''JnV-'ffieievjßning,v.wneti'" : jieV-.party,.Vhad.. .again'feachedHheirlcanipj-and just;about. .■suiiset.v.whenSthere -was;, nowhore'. else ;a, ';clpud. : inC'the]:cl6ar-,WneVsky, pneVpf-tho.. -party "exclaimed :■;-;1/boK'■it;;:Ngauruhob!"; an'd; : .■lbpking':.up\yardsj! -they - : saw ':■ a. ;hu'ge iclpud-'ofivblabk'-'smoke. •rising::'fro"m,- : ;thq ;brater;.; ; and'.;Spreadihg:'for'.inife -■the:-ifarlher£sM^ rspreS'd ; VMterallyr".nnU--lhey ; ".'c'6uUrßee'vthe" ■nnelblacky'dustsfallihg?froni ;it like-rain. ; They \ had; ■ by.^^s'only -'-^a ;■: ,'f ewi'' tho,: excitement'l:of ibbing:-on>the .sunimit. ■duririgihn ? 'erupti6hfe;ii;'-' : ' ; : ;.;■■; ;■■-^-S:-';v •'."• ; -'rh«-. ascent-lbf' Ngauruhoe; "was-.the, most interesting :• of fthpiithree,'.;.; and i ! that'.of 'ItuapeHu;:thei'most'^ .-For.\that■ ..they.startedat half-past three ill the taorn:ihg,'\ rea.ched;.; thp..; snow-liney soon,' after eighti and-" the' summit 'about• four hours • later.' They;took;withfthein':neitherJa'rope nor .an.vice-axe,': aid ;got;. on ; ; woil : enough.' ;VValking'inVthe;s9ft;;snow.vwas.'difficult, "arid: they;.■progressed:- like tcfabs,;:digging'' Hhyr'...'. :: ftot'' : --d.eeßly;.',-:Jri{:o"'.the-sideV:of;'-."the fshb^,'-iiising";'.the'irffe'et : '.'in'. i -fact?likb"-:icer : axes.-,.Theyjhad.'hoped; to '.be ..able to: rest sfb^ :^me^J:ime'a^'•.ih'β.'top'/■.andj^jn'irβ, ''rthe, :'«Vagn^cent'-*ieWi-'b«t : /a;-wind'as cold, .bit-', ting,'!' and • searching.-:as i: a; made'. that ; l impossible^::.'and''they;.coTild.only "hastily? visit/ th e ;; 'Joi' lake! ;in; the;; crater. among ■'.thejj snow,-;';'and 'th b : -wide ,'crater. ivhich-:iS:ltheXcfadle"iof i -a':glacier.v:; i This :ffcs'.'a. ; 'desplate;.expans'e ;of : snow;and ice,' anßrwalking'.'onithe ic'e,;they,made , 'their--:-tfay f across: it ;.\Thp"'...descent4 through., the suow'■ was' -made ..very-rapidly,:.the.■ party linking)arni's.vand; coming-^dpwn-briskly.. Tliey':wbuld-;-lijive':iiJ<ed- toiglissado/down, but'.wefo; not.'sufficiently • experienced'.,to 'be "suroithat i'they.would be able, to apply •the i,bfaWe'-ib'ofore'/they;.\reached ;.the .huge ■boulders''at.tlib.bottpm.- ■. .[ ■.":,':■'}. -;-.,-,/f. ■'It ; was:interesting to:iearn.that several■ I bf ; the ladies'whowent on this expedition hid ..'dbne' no ;high fmbuntaihVclimping be-; ■fore! itadies •intending;.to ascend Rua-'pehiiar.e'a'dyised-to'Avear■" veils; a's:.well,as cplburedglasscs.v.for.tlvo. combined effect ; of! sun" rind; snow; is not only- to :burn,.but, ; to'-a'ctually, -scald■'..the.skin, .and. th'bugh'; were-not .at " ; "th'e .time conscious that they" were- being;burned;.-the:party woke next day-, with' faces ..most .gainfully swol-;. ipnVtindr..blistered,;;an'd this, in .spite ;of Applying vaseline: before.,they, set :outJ: Ladies are.Vsoreadvised Vto .wear, , thicksbled hob-nailed> boots.: •, ..Those;.;of tho party who\so. provided .themselves found.. they :; comfort,; where' others, wore .footsore, and. one: ortwo who had light.bdptswore:them:ou.tso ; ,quickly. that they.-could not .'make tho ascent of : Ruapehu;-; Also -.visitors are. advised; that it is not possible to niake good.tea : -among the snows of Bnapehu, as the water will not boil. Otherwise the trip is a- delightful one;:'aridthe air so. exhilaratiag that .it.ispo'ssible-'to .walk; maiiy.; miles; with-. out ; any "sense of fatigue. .'.::'/ ■•

.. Three, respeotaljly-dressed''.women i ; who were' Charged at; the Westminster Court ivith'-shop.-lifting '■ were alleged -,tp■; r havo used their.-inouths. as-;- receptacles ..fiir i sfaleii^.b''r6pchesV; , . : '4itpgether,-,.it'''is'. - isa'id, : . soyen; 'brooches'.■were, recovered ■ from; /the novel';hiding-place.:;:••;■.■. - ■.'•'-, J -V;;;- :■;_;.;!. A