MISSING MOUNTAINEERS

Hokitika Guardian, 8 March 1921, Page 4

MISSING MOUNTAINEERS

NO NEWS OF -MR S. TURNER’S PARTY. | AID FROM MOUNT COOK 1 HERMITAGE. WELLINGTON, -March -1 j News was received here to-day that Mr Samuel Turner, F.R.G.S., and his party are missing at Mount Tutoko, .Milford Sound. Mr Turner left here last month to attempt the ascent of the mountain. He had arranged with the Tourist Department to have the services of Peter Graham, the well-known Mount Cook guide, for the contemplated ascent, hut as there were several climbers at the Hermitage, including a member of the English Alpine Club, a member of the Canadian Alipne Club, and others, it was found impossible at the last moment t« let Graham go. Mr Turner then secured the services ol Milne, who had been a guide at Mount Cook, and he also had in his party Mr .McPherson, of the hands and Survey Department, and Mr Murrell, probably one of the Murrells at Manapouri. Today a telegram came from one ol the roadmen on the Millord Sound li.uk stating that* the party, which had gone out with three days’ food supplies, had been missing since February 20th. The region in which Mr Turner is thought to he missing is one that has a real fascination for the mountaineer, lor the scenerv is not only very beaut it til, hut is on a .scale of grandeur unexcelled in all the iiord region. It was lirst explored a good many years ago by a mountaineering party consisting ol Messrs Malcolm and Kenneth Ross and Mr William Hodgkins. The route to the mountain from Milford Sound lies beside the Cleddau river, a beautifully clear stream which comes do" n o\oi its great granite boulders through glorious green woods that climb the lomoi heights of a fine canyon. Marion Peak, the end of that range, rises abruptly on the left, and away on the right, up the left-hand branch of the Cleddau. is the steep pass where young Quill lost his loe in his solitary attempt to discover n pass from Wakatipu to Milford Sound. Some two and a halt miles from tlie Sound, the Cleddau forks, and the way to Tutoko lies up the righthand branch—through a dense forest of beech trees, the ground carpeted with beautiful ferns and mosses. Smaller streams that conic down through the lorost from the mountains on the left have cut deep channels, and the swagging ol a tent and provisions through such country is hard work. The river foams about its granite boulders, and if the traveller prefers that way to the dense huAli. he gets glorious views of [leaks of rock and snow rising above the sombre greenery of the beech forest. At the bead of the valley there is some upon country, and the high mountains sweep round it in a grand circle. There are two peaks at the head ol this valley, and there is some doubt -as to which is the real Tutoko, 9010 feet in height. The original party went for the one on the right, which they took to be the higher of the two, hut Mr Turner was of opinion thal the one on the left was the higher. The latter is more of a rock mountain with steep precipices and a good deal ol broken ice. Mr Turner had failed in his first attempt to climb it, but hoped to he successful on this occasion. lie has had great mountaineering experience, and is a very daring (‘limber, especially good .it rock work. Before coining to New Zealand he had climbed in the Swiss Alps and in Siberia. His lirst climb in New Zealand was a winter one on Tongariro, during which lie suffered from snow blindness and lost his way. His first big climb in the Southern Alps was the first crossing of Mount Cook from the Tasman to the Hooker side, which he made with E.vfe, Moss and Peter Graham. Since then he has done a great deal of climbing in New Zealand, and, following Zurbriggen’s example, lie succeeded in a daring solitary ascent of Mt- Cook.

On his present expedition he has quite a strong party, for Milne is a thoroughly reliable man who is used to both rock and ice craft, and who has made several .high ascents in the Mt Cook region. Murrell is well acquainted with the fiord country, and McPherson is an experienced huslmian and used to hill climbing, though possibly neither be nor Murrell can he classed as expert Alpine climbers. Mr Turner, shortly before lie started on his expedition, said he had a good store of provisions at Milford Sound, but il lie has taken only three days’ supply, and has not come hack for more since the 20th of last month, there may he reason for some anxiety as to the safety of the party. If, however, he had a cache of provisions at the foot of the mountain, or some distance up the valley, he may be stifi safe, and waiting for a favourable opportunity to find a route to the summit of the peak. At Mt Cook the season for high climbing has been a very bad one indeed. There was such a small snow ; fall since last season that the ice on the upper glaciers has this season been very much broken. Indeed, Mt .Cook and some of the other high peaks, were quite cut off by great bergsehrunds, so that it has been practically impossible to get at them. The main dangers on the peak that Mr Turner’s party was attempting would he from a slip on difficult rocks, or from an avalanche of broken ice. The original explorers of the mountain during their climb, saw great blocks of serae ice crashing down on to the glacier of which they were the discoverers. Still, Mr-Turner would-have enough experience to avoid such a danger, and he may even now he endeavouring to find another route to the summit after crossing the pass over on to the Holyford side of the range. In the meantime, however, Peter Graham, the well-known Mount Cook guide, is hurrying with a [tarty from Mount Cook to Milford Sound, to see if there is any possibility of getting assistance to the missing climbers.