NEW ZEALAND’S MOST DIFFICULT MOUNTAIN CLIMB

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 44, 16 November 1926, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND’S MOST DIFFICULT MOUNTAIN CLIMB

(To the Editor.) Sir,—l am very much interested in the statement. reported in your ,issue of November 15, by Mr. Porter. 'Hi's wellknown alpinist is reported to say that he considered Mt. Tasman New Zealand’s most difficult mountain. As Mr. Porter mentions myself as having made the third ascent of Mt. Tasman he may take notice of my opinion about New Zealand’s most difficult mountain. Mt. Tutoko is fifty times more difficult than Mt. Tasman. .Mr. Porter would experience more difficulty in reaching the bush level on Mt. Tutoko, 2800 .feet, than he would experience in scaling Mt. lasman in rood snow conditions. If 51 f. Porter climbs in December, as he is planning, and gets the same conditions as Zurbriggen got when he wataed up Mt. Tasman in those conditions, this mountain is not the most difficult even in the Mt. Cook district., but in ice conditions Mt. Tasman is a good second to tbo traverse of fbo three peaks of Mt. Cook in ice conditions. I have made both climbs in ice conditions In good snow conditions the conquest of both these mountains, is a very much more easy matter. If those aspirants to the conquest of Ml.'Everest wish to occupy their time with a nioun ,fu " 1 'p* ' t give them good training for Mt. E'erest, I can recommend them to try Mt., lutoko. The conquest of Mt Tnkoko is so much bigger than the climbing of Mt Tasman that 1 would suggest Mr; loiter getting the Alpine Club liehind him before he attempts Mt. Jukoko. because this mountain is a first-class a n J„.T national mountain as difficult as anythin- outside the K2 district of the Himalayas. Ml. Tasman has been climbed three times in .four Miss Pu Four with Guides Alox, and Peter Graham is the onlv pnrtv rennininn n second attempt. For every climb of'Mt. Cook there has been a number of attempts, being New Zealand s highest mountain. 27 climbs from IS9n to 1926 is very few. It has not been .climbed by an amateur nariy yet. Contain 1. LDonne confirmed to me iu London recently that tlm first com-niest of At. Cook was done by these guides whom he hiniscH ensn-od for the Mermi--climbing, and were constantly encage for two rears before their first ascent of Mt. Cook.-I am. etc., p TrnrFß November 15. ______