A NEW CLIMB

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 255, 23 July 1919, Page 10

A NEW CLIMB

"MOUNT TUTOKO" EXPEDITION

(By Samuel Turner, F.K.G.S.)

The Info J. R. Murrell Woro leaving for tho war (in which ho lias paid the supremo sacrifice) showed mo a photograph of Mount Tufoko, and explained how tlio Malcolm Eo=s party had mado a serious mistako in calling another liiountaiin Mount Tntoko. I agreed to join Mr. Murrell and his friend E. Williams, of Christchurch, on llig return from the front to climb Mowut Tutoko, which Jack Murrell was sure had nover been climbed. To mako sura I wroto to tho Otago Daily Times." They, however, referred me to an interview with M. Rose, in which he stated his party had reached tho summit of Mount Tutoko. I read Malcolm Koss's solf-contraiuctmg statements in lus book in reference to Mount Tutoko, where it stales clear and .distinctly that lie and his party aid not roach the summit of Tutoko. 'lhis mode the climb more attractive. 1 intended going oarly this last season (ns uluii'roll asked mo not to wait for him), but the lateness of tho season prevented me climbing Mount Cook alone until March, and I could not leavo before the end of March, too late for Mount Tutoko, therefore I decided to lay the foundation lor next venr, and do some preliminary work if I found it too late to make tho Provisions and equipment for about two months were sent via tho Hincmoa, by the kindness of tho TouriF.t Department and Marine Department, who were more than interested in this expedition, prob. ably becauso it was the first serious expedition to this mountain valley. With a friend I loft the Bluff on the s.s. Hintmoa on March 21,_ this Peace, year, and duly lauded at Milford Sound. Tho ship's 'boat rowed us up to Sandfly Hut from its, anchorage in Milford Sound. The world seems to grow smaller tho older one becomes. A Mr. Noble, engineer, Dunedin, whom I met at tlio Sandfly Hut, reminded mo of his having been ono of the audience when I lectured before the (Royal Scottish 'Geographical Society (1905) in Edinburgh-a most mteresting and unitjuo experience to nieet this gentleman in so remote a spot. That same evening -sve commenced, to get loads ready for our porters, and on arrival of our men the following day we completed the loads' and got away the day after at 8 a.m. Six of a, party all heavily laden, we trudged through the bush' for about eight miles, and pitched our tents at i p.m. about li milea short of tlio junction of two valley 6, and about five miles from the head nf tho left branch of the Tutoko River. The sandflies were not as troublesome as we expected after the terrifying description one hears, but this may bo accounted for by the lateness of the season and the plentiful use of Muscobane soap. „ We were up at 5.30 n.m. the morning after our arrival at this camp, which was situated alongside a dry branch of the main Tutoko River. Jack Cowan, assisted by myself, set to work to make a bridge across tho main river by felling three trees across it—this made a good bridge. We left for the head of the valley at 11.30 a.m. Wo only took a preliminary trip to spy out tho land, owing to not having any description of this valley excopt one by Malcolm Ross, which is a most vague description. Wn reached the too of tho valley at 3 o'clock, and as far as we can ascertain, this was the first trip'to the.actual head of tho valley.

We crossed several streams on tho way, and the bed of the river afforded some interesting boulder climbing. We rested on a 'big square block of rock in the middle of the valley, and after some refreshments commenced the return journey, arriving at the camp 'before dark. Tlio journey to the head of this valley convinces one that, tlifre is but one or two routes to get urn nny height; in fact, tlio miles of precipices became n. tantalising sight to one used to being able to climb up almost any steepness or difficult TOck walls and precipices. The rock in the Tutoko district is the hardest crystallised granite. One i.s reminded of this when trying to hop off one boulder to the other in the river bed, which the best Alpine nails fail to grip, preventing ono' getting any purchase for a jump. Thero is (V small dry glacier ot tlio head of this valley, to tho left of which a gully filled with ice rises about MM feet from the valley at an angle of from 35 to 50 degrees.

This looked to be the only possible climb in the ice-glazed conditions so Into in the season, <-o I hod mado up my mind to tackle this with m.v friend Farqnhar, and it was arranged to take tho final] 8 s 10 tent up to the head of the valley. Tho following day we packed the swags for tho journey and rested, but on SCarch 30 wo arranged that Farquhar and I would push on to tho head of the valley and prospect the climbing for tho following day, mid that the three porters should bring along their loads later. We left tho base camy at 6..10, and tollingit easy, reached tho big square rock at tho head of Ihe valley at 10 a.m. Hero we left our rucksacks and commenced tli<> climb of the couloir. We crossed a buttress-of smooth rocks to cut off some of the ice, and after proceeding over several streams of avalanche deposit, wo took to 'the* rocks as it was ijuicker climbing than by cutting steps in the ice. We got about half-way up and carno to the conclusion that we had seen enoujfh to justify our climbing it tho following day. We returned to the foot of the couloir, where we saw the porters oil the' glacier, and as we had wmo time before dark we went up the right sido of tho dry glacier. Returning to the head of tho valley about 5 o'clock, no tent had been pitched, and two of the porters -\vero kept waiting owing to a misunderstanding as to tho right spot for the camp. We let tlio men go and set to work to make a comfortable resting place at the end of the bush, but it was nearly midnight beforo we retired to rest. We wore slow in getting away tho following morning, and at 8 o'clock we plodded up the moraine and ice slopes once more. We took to the rib of rook to the left of the couloir as soon as possible, and quickly reached tho spot upon which wo had turned back the day before.

Above this and nearing the top of tho Toolts we had some difficult climbing, and after ileaving the Tocks altogether 'I had f>i hours' quick step-cutting without rest. It was my friend's first experienco on ice, and although he shaped well, it was necessary to keep watching him on so steep a slope. The slope promised to be a tough nut to crack; it was gotting lato, so wo had to bo content with just getting on the crest of the summit which formed an easy slope of ieo and a con7eiiient pass into the Hollyford Valley. We hurried down as quickly as possible, but it was impracticable to go down/one piece of the rock we had climbed up, this made 11 to 2 hours' extra downward step-cutting on a very steep part of the slope with pieces of ico and stones falling from timo to timo; one piece of ice grossed my companion's leg; therefore we were very happy again on reaching tlio rib of rock in a climbable placo once more. We hurried down, but darkness overtook lis half-way down the rocks, and it mado us do a lot of guesswork in getting off these rocks on to the ice again because most of tho sido overhangs where it meets the ice, ami the rocks are very smooth. It was about 8.30 p.m. before we joined Jack Clarke, who had 111-ought a lantern to show us the way and softie welcome hot soup to cheer us up, and we returned to the high, camp by 9,30 p.m.

It rained during the night, and a change for the worse occurred in the weather. The aneroid dropped fourtenths, so we decided lo (jike nil our equipment down to tho base camp, which wo reached at i p.m. It rained all night Again and next day until about-11 p.m. The following day wo left' for the Tutoko glacier at 9 a.m. up a narrow gorge or valley a mile and a half away from t'ho camp. Whilo Farquliar and Jr.ek Cowan were looking for a camping ground in one part of the tree-covered moraine, I was looking in another part for a camping ground, but realising that wo had come too far up tho .valley, I continued up t'ho ridgo to prospcct up a vouto to tho bivouac, leaving my companions to seek out a cumping place. I saw tho smoke from tho camp fire which had beon lit, and hurried down to camp just before dark. We found 6omo very old tins e.-.ten through by rust. These were found near our oampi and wo concluded they were left by the Ross party. The height was about 1200 feet, abovo sea level. Next day

following day left for the bivouac at 9 a.m., reaching the high camp at 11.1") a.m., and after one hour's rest pushed oil and took provisions to a spot near tho high bivouac. We arrived back at this camp at -J p.m. . , ~ . „ Wo left for,the high bivouac at 8.30 a.m., owing to early wet mist. I went ahead to look for a good bivouac, and discovered tho Murrell-Williams bivouac, but we bivouacked in a much more convenient place high up the slope near good water. I descended to help with the swags, and* afterwards we all agreed on ono spot solected by auc. We arranged that Clarke and i''art)uha.r should pitch tents, ofc„ while I climbed on and cut or kicked steps for the following day. In doing this I gained 1000 to 1200 feet from the Ico Peak summit which Ross culled Tutoko. . After leaving my compariions at the high bivouoo tlio route taken was up an open gully of snow and rock, which, after all out 500 feet, brought ono to a plateau of ice and snow which fed the Tutoko glacier. Thero were surprisingly . few crevasses and tho snow was in ideal condition, enabling me to walk at a fast rate. . A tempting rock peak was on my right of about 1000 feet from the right side of tlio slopo after about, ono mile across this slope, over which I could wailk with the greatest ease, a crevasse stretched nearly the whole way across the foot of the. icepeak, but a good firm suow-bridge made easy passage. The end of i'ho crevasse was a wind-swept hollow about 10 feet deep, forming ft semi-circle; at the back of this there were jagged .rocks, ono with a square top and steep walls, next to this another sharp piece, of rock about ,100 feet higher than the head of the snowslope. I climbed up a narrow snowcotvloi.r and gained the divide of the. ridge. It was a charming scene, the precipico beneath me dropped as far as the eye could sec down into a valley which I took to he the Hollyford vn,llev. There was a gttod 6tret'ch of flat country, witli n. fair sized river flowing down it between me and tho next peak. Climbing back to tho head of the glacier I proceeded to chip steps aemsn Hio base of tho ico peak with the intontion of working to tho left shoulder on the liiorrow, and it looked very promising. I left off chipping steps at 3.45, ns previously airrangod, so that I conld get back to camp for tea. If it had not been for this arrangement T could have climbcd to the summit that night. . It nover occurred to me t.iat we could get rain that night, ?o cutting the time 3.45 on the hard snow. I turned back ill' the best of' spirits and expectations for tho climb and ran most of the way back to eamp ; reaching it in good time, despite being delayed by fog. This big icefield was quite a revelation to me, and the contrast between the smooth plateau or slope without crevasso end the bndly broken glacier below is very marked. From this plateau it is not easy to decide which peak is tho highest, t.iie one across tho broken part of the jriaeiei l or the ono I was on, but from the bottom of the Tutoko valley, where the river Tutoko joins the Cleddau, it is very clear that this peak is not the highest.' It is very much easier to climb than tho peak across the glacier, and the approach to the peak across tho.glacier is very difficult, while the slope up to the peak itself is verv bndly broken, making it an exceptionally difficult, if not dangerous, climb. In some seasons or certain' avalanche time of any season Ihe ice-face of that peak across the glacier (which I think is Tutoko), would be very, dangerous from'ice and s.now avalanches, and. Wore tackling it by that face I intend to do more exploration of tlio district We enjoyed a good tea and retired to rest, but aivoko early in the morning with bad weather, drizzling rain. Clarke went down and Fnrquhar and I hti.ng' on in hopes that tho rain would Won- awn.v, but ns the day wore on it developed into a deluge, and we packed up and took' the tent, etc., down with us, starting at 2.40 n.m., allowing us just time to get back oefore dark.

It was a wet, weary trudge down, and tho greatest caution was ncccsrciry on tho wet grass and scrub slopes. Wo saw Hio welcome smoko of tho high camp just beforo dark.

It surprised me to see lion- the whole mountainside became flooded, mid jtho gorgo near our high camp was ft •beautiful sight. It rained all night, and we began to wonder if it would prevent Jour crossing' tho stream lower down, luckily, however, it stopped raining for about four hours in the early morning. It was now clear to me that it was too. lato in the season to do any. more work or to get any more weather, so we made the high camp secure for nextseason ftiicl started for the Tihso camp at 11.15 a.m., and after a wet trudge wo reached our camp at 1 o'clock, but we had to ford the Tutoko Kiver because the previous day's flood had washed, our bridge made of three trees away down the river, showing how swift and powerful that river can become after two days of heavy rain. Oil Tuesday, April 8, we made tlio base camp secure for next season, and _ left at 10.30, Teaching the forks of the rivers (Jleddau and Tutoko at 1 o'clock.' From this spot wo had a good view of Mount Tutoko, and that was not the Peak that the ltoss party called Tutoko. We reached Sutherland's at 3 o'clock and invited Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland, and family (daughter, grand-daughter, and son) to a banquet at Sandfly Hut, which was very interesting. i The following and last day at Sandfly was spent in drying tents and packing, but we managed to get half a day's fishing in Alilford Sound and had a good, catch. The ledges of rock 20 to 30 feet below water that jut out from the precipices aro feeding grounds for the fisli, and if the boat drifts from over these ledges 'the lino would need to be 1000 to 1500 feet long to reach the bottom. We called upon the Sutheiiands with some fish and to say farewell, and the following day started our first section across Lake Ada's clear crystal water to Quinton Hut, whero wo saw the famous Sutherland Falls, discovered so long ago iiv the sturdy pioneer Sutherland. The uext day over, the Pass was in very heavy rain, no view, but a weary trudge to Pompolona, Hut, a well-kept hut. Wo.left for Glade House early the next morning, and had a welcome day's rest waiting for the boat across Lako Te Anau. The journey from To Anau to Lumsuen waa in very cold weather, and we wero glad to get it over, and back to Dunedin. The only interesting thing on this iourney was our call at MurroH's on' Lake Manapouri. It takes practically fourteen days to get to Milford Sound and back to Wellington. and it is unfortunate there is 110 quicker way of getting there, although in good weather the scenery over the Pass would be very fine. There is no doubt, in my mind that the Tutoko and other deep valleys have in somo prehistoric ago been part of tlio svstem of sounds, but this must liavo been millions of years ago, judging by tlio stream-worn, Lard grauito rocks on the bed of Tutoko and other rivers. _ I have the intention to mako a connection between the Hollyford and the Tutoko vallovs. which will bo tho means of opening uu this part of the Sounds district and connecting it with Martin's Bay. 'When quicker transit comes along, theso remote parts will bo a sourc# of pleasure and health to many people. Tho mountains in the Tu-rn!,-o Valley rise sh»er from the vaMey, ancl to climb Mount Tutoko, 9200 feet, it is necessary to climb over ,1000 feet of mountain, 'iliis is not understood by anyone except tlio man who takes on the task. Tutoko. from tho Tutoko Valley, affords twice tho climb that tlio Matterhorn does from tho last hotel, and the Now Zealand Alps aro bigger climbs than' any mountains to bo found in the Rockies or Switzerland, and afford.quite as much climbing as tho Caucasus, although tho Caucasus are about 15,000 to 16,000 feet above '.sea-level, I hopo'tho Government will grant more money now the war is over to put all tlio tourist and health resorts of this country in good order, Judging by tho great number of I New Zealanders who have done bush travelling and visiting remote parts, I am quite euro it would pay if tho Tourist Department will add the Tutoko Valley extension co tho MilfonV Sound trip. It. would afford one of tho best trips in New Zealand, if not in t'he world. These sounds must be explored more, and connections made—it is Now Zealand's duly to future generations. I hope my expedition to Tutoko, which is tlio first seriI ous expedition, will not bo the last. The I scenery about the Tuloko Valley is I unique even for New Zealand, and a I month's camp or moro can find plenty to do, providing climbing and exploration is