THRILLING ASCENT

Hokitika Guardian, 6 January 1930, Page 5

THRILLING ASCENT

BLIZZARD ON MOUNT ItOLLESTON. CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 4. A thrilling ascent of Mount ltelles\ton was accomplished on December 31 by Miss G. Brown, .Messrs A. O. Wilkiusbn, W. B. Black, R. Beattie, E. Ci‘‘A. Fcrrier and K. Stothard Brown, all of Christchurch, accompanied by Guide Oscar A. Coberger. The party left Arthur’s Pass at 7 a.m. under fairly good weather conditions, bright sunshine, westerly winds bringing some mist over the divide. Taking the Bealey track, the party was soon above the' Bealey Glacier, which is framed by countless mountain lilies in full bloom. The big snow-field was reached at 9 a.m. and it was decided to make the ascent by the Goldney route, which is somewhat more difficult than the usual route, but faster. Halfway to the Goldney Ridge the mist became heavier until it enveloped the party entirely, giving a, visibility of about thirty yards only, and making it very difficult to find a way on the Goldney Glacier not too steep for footholds in the fairly soft snow. r j'lie last part below the Goldney Ridge proved to be so steep, about 80 degrees, that the, guide had to climb the ridge alone first, between two overhanging cornices and to bring the rope into action to secure the members of the party. A sharp wind, mixed with snow, reached often the velocity of a blizzard, and obscuring any possible visibility, greeted the climbers xm the ridge. Still, they had to 1 move bn quickly las ,tl le .temperature became now below freezing point, the snow was frozen hard and the rock was glazed with ice. Steps had to be kicked all the way to the summit through the frozen surface, and each member of the party had to secure himself by hitting his ice-axe (as deep as possible) into the snow. The peak was reached at 12.30 p.m. where the party had lunch and a rest below the summit rocks in lee of the wind, which had become by now a 'full-grown blizzard. I,'ixey got only one very short glimpse of the Wnimakariri Valley and the pinnacles ot the Crow ice-fall.--Step for stqp during the descent, the shaft of the ice-axe hit into the snow for security, as a slide on the hard-frozen surface would have meant disaster. The climbers decided to make the descent by the easiest route into the Bealey Valley. But after another hour the mist cleared for a few seconds and', the guide found out that, caused by total invisibility, thev had already struck the way down into the Otira Valley. ~; The snow on the lower altitude was softer. ?Jl< f gave the party a ? chance for a long glissade. The head of the valley, covered with huge avalaiuhesV. wa's reached with safoty. A three-mile walk brought the party back to the road, and Arthur’s Pass was reached ft 0.30 p.m.—after a hard, nerve-wrack-ing fight, but in high spirits.