SOUTHERN ALPS

Hokitika Guardian, 1 March 1921, Page 3

SOUTHERN ALPS

ON ] HOLIDAY PARTY’S EXPERIENCE. j Slx WEEKS EXPLORING LITTLE ]() KNOWN TERRITORY. " 48 kg’ Air H. A. Hull lias returned to Auekland from a journey in the Southern I Alps. W ith his party he spent six A' weeks in the mountains, making several y- ascents, crossing the ranges a numlier ‘ of times, and climhing the little known Mount Jervois, which had been ascended only once before. That was three years ago, when Guide Alec Graham and .Miss Marsden made the initial ascent. A most interesting incident of Mr Moll’s journey occurred when the .y party camped on Chancellor Ridge at ’ the head of the Pox Glacier. This isor‘ la ted mountain stronghold has been j visited but once before; fifteen years ~j ago, when Dr Teichelmann and the Rev Newton, an English climber, explored 1 the country surrounding the ridge. 1 They were pioneers of alpine climbing in the Southern Alps, and during fifteen years the isolated ridge has remained unexplored. Air Moll’s party found billies and cooking utensils belonging to tie early climbers. These ,s were in excellent condition, and were used after their fifteen years o: lying in the snow. It, is singular to learn that in such a far sweeping mountain territory these articles should have lain for so long and then have been of„ n > use again. n ’ The party of three spent six weeks in the mountains, starting their journey from the Wnilm Gorge at thecfont of tin 1 Franz .Josef Glacier, which they ascended as far as Cape Defiance Hut. The glacier, which usually moves at '■ about eighteen inches a day, was found 'N to have attained a speed of twentyfour inches: an unusually high rate for r * Fran:', Josef. From Cape Defiance the 0 party went to Aimer Bivouac, using this place as a centre for ten days’ , | climbing. It was on this expedition ! that Mount Jervois, H(i7o feet, was ascended. The nexl move was to the j Chancellor Ridge at the head of the . Fox Glacier, and it was here that they i found the evidences of Dr Teiehelmann’s i 1 visit fifteen years before. Mr Moll re- 1 ] ” turned to Waiho Gorge after twelve days on the ridge, and then recrossed ' the Alps by the Graham Saddle to . Malte Burn Hut, thus crossing from s > west to east. From there they tramped s 27 miles to the Mount Cook Hermitage, i - walking via the Tasman glacier. They 1 made still another journey across the 1 * l alps through the Coplanc] Pass to Wei- j(' t 1 come Flat Hut and then back to Waiho j, again. The journey through the nioun-. j, . tains, often through entirely new conn-1 i try, revealed many alpine wonders. At Aimer Bivouac there were wonderful (|iiartz crystals, while the flora on the ■ eastern slopes were exceptionally fine. Mr Hull has made many alpine jour*neys here and abroad and is very enthusiastic over our mountains as com-! pared with those of Switzerland and England’s famous lake district.