SOUTH WESTLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 1 November 1929, Page 2

SOUTH WESTLAND

AMONG THE GLACIERS

WONDERFUL SKI RUN

Particulars of a remarkable ski-ing trip among tiie snowfieids below tin main divide of the Southern Alps have been received from Guide Frank Alack, of tiie Glacier Hotel, Wailio Gorge South Westland. Guide Alack was the first person to make tiie trip on ski from, the Franz Josef Glacier to The Hermitage, via Graham’s Saddle (8759 feet high), and his recent feat was probably the most wonderful ski run ever made in any part of the world. ,

“Afteff conducting a party on their way to the Hermitage, as far as Graham’s Saddle,” Mr Alack writes: “I made a return journey on ski by myself, making what is known as the first ski traverse of Kaiser Fritz Range over Mounts Bismarck, Roon and Moltke, at a height of over BCOO feet, finally descending to Cape Defiance llqt (2609 feet). I left the! Saddle at 7.30 n.m. from a height of 8759 feet, and made straight across the Frans Tosef Glacier below The Tusk to Daintree Point, a distance of about four miles, which I covered in less than five minutes. I then ,went up tlm Melc-hoir Glacier and up the Solla-s Ridge above the David Rock to Bismarck.”

The view from this point, Mr Alack states, was magnificent, and it was quite impossible for him to do it justice. Ho was able, to see over 200 miles of coast and heavy forest, with lakes dotted about. He could.,also see many miles of the main divide. The Franz Josef Glacier was right below him, with Waiho resting at the foot, There was a beautiful cloud effect with the early sunrise. Ihe ski run from? here over Roon to Moltke was a wonderail experience, Mr Alack’,s only regret jeing that it was over so soon.

“I was sitting on top of Moltke at 3.50 a.m.,” says Mr Alack, “when i got caught in a very bad light and lost over half an hour’s 'time. From here I ski-eel right down the mountain side past the beautiful Castle Rocks, within fifteen minutes of Defiance Hut, getting in at 11.45. This run took me just over four hours, and I reached Waiho at 2.45 p.m. To have made the trip on foot would have taken up to fifteen hours, and probably one would not have been able to make it at all.”

A few weeks ago Mr Alack and Guide F. Sheeran did the traverse of the Frnnz Josef and Fox Glaciers on ski for the first time that it had been aju'omplished., They left the Aimer Hut at 5.30 a.m., went across the Franz Josef Glacier towards The Blot, and then up the Melcho'r Glacier, crossing the Penck Ridge below Mount Halcoime. From there they obtained a marvellous view of the head of the Franz Josef Glacier and Elie de Beaumont right up to Hokitika, over ICO miles away. They next went to Newton Pass (about 80CO feet high), where they obtained a glorious view of the main divide and the heads of the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers. An easy run then took them down to- Well ek a, where they had afternoon tea at the Fox Glacier Hostel.

Mr Alack regards his most recent ski run as the best of the three he has made, on account of its altitude and the distances to be covered. For fully ten miles he was at an altitude of from 7C09 to 9000 feet, and he considers there is no place in the Southern Hemisphere that affords such wonderful oDportunities for ski runs as the Franz Josef Glacier. He is proposing to explore new runs in the near future.