WANDERINGS IN WESTLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 16 January 1930, Page 8

WANDERINGS IN WESTLAND

TWO SEASONS ON THE WEST COAST OF NEW ZEALAND. (By H. E. Newton.) (Reprinted from the Alpine journal, February 1915.)

We then sat there and decided to try Mt. Cook next day; I am still convinced that Teichelmann and the Others had put this up behind my back, and I am still very doubtful about the great difficulties in connexion with the pass. Mt. Cook had been mooted at the Hermitage, but I felt I could not spare the time and ought to get back to the parish by the pass as soon as possible. Now I could not possibly get back for the Sunday, so the obvious thing was to submit to their scheme. We returned to the bivouac fairly early, bringing with us the remains of the ski Mannering and Dixon had used for crossing the big plateau, in the early attempts on Cook. We got off at J .20 next morning February 3, mounting by lantern light to Glacier Dome, climbing on our way some rocks on which a climber whose reputation extends over four continents has a photo of himself leading his party up the buttress of Mt. Cook. We set off after a descent of some 400 ft. across the .plateau, which must be nearly threo miles across; it was in good condition, except where an avalanche had fallen from Tasman. At 4.10 we were at the foot of Mt. Cook; close to the first schrund we had some food and put on the rope, and at 5.10 had sufficient daylight to start again. We crossed the lower schrund after a little difficulty; we then bore to our right towards the N.E, arete; the second schrund gave rather more difficulty, Clark, who was leading, needing several axes and a bit of help; then, after cutting up the slope for some way, wo bore to our right and took to the rocks. Here we were slow, as we were a party of five and had to be careful of loose stones. We got on to the crest at 10.10 a little below the first snow saddle; we went on for an hour and then halted on some rocks a little above the snow saddle. Here we had food, and, leaving the rucksacks, went on-' with only a few raisins and biscuits in our pockets. Starting at 12, wo kept to the ridge,, which was al-

.ornate and rock snow. At 3.15 we wore on the final rocks, and here we had a council of war. If we returned at once wo could get back to .the bivouac and blankets by lantern light, if we went on we might not evert get b.tck to the food we had left at our luncheon spot; however, we decided to go oh, as there seemed to be every prospect of fine weather. The final cap was very hard and needed steps almost the whole way, Clark leading ..it first and then Graham, but it was not till 4.55 that we stepped out on to the to.p. It was a glorious afternoon. For some time wo had been looking over into Westland and were able to trace the coast for miles. I had often gazed up at Mt. Cook from various places on the Coast, from Hokitika, 100 miles to the north, to Jackson’s Bay, 100 miles to the south, nt owing to its being entirely in Canterbury I always thought that 1 should never lie able to spare the time to climb it. Over the Canterbury plains it was rather hazy ,and we were unable to pick up the sea on that side of the islund. The thing that surprised me most was the vast extent of the Alpine country to the north and the width of the main chain. We only stopped for fifteen minutes and then set off again, Gra-

ham leading. When we got to the highest rocks Clark (ailed out to Graham ‘Zurbriggen told me he left a jam tin on the highest rocks; see if you can find it.” The first stone Graham lifted, there lay the tin. We got down to about ten minutes above our sacks at 8 p.m. and then it was dark, and that last bit took us an hour, climbing very carefully and only one man moving at a time. We boiled some snow, but had no tea left, so we got a flavour by scrap-

ing out a marmalade tin. Teichelmann had a sweater, I had a couple of silk scarves, and Low had a waistcoat; none of us, unfortunately, had a dry pair of socks. We were un*'ble to sit down and had to stand during the night, though three of us were able to lean against each other. I suppose we must have had moments of sleep, especially the three together, we were warmer and safer. About midnight we got a fine display of the Aurora Australis. About 3 a.m. Low and I started melting snow over a caudle, and when we had enough we boiled the small ‘billy’ and had a mouthful of hot water and some food. At last the dawn came, and we looked a haggard crew indeed. The night had not been bad; the worst Dart was the wind, which though fortunately not strong, was cold. The first thing we saw was Alec Graham appear on Glacier Dome. We all ‘cooeed’ and he stopped at once, and we thought he must have heard. I bad left a note at the bivouac saying we had started up the arete of Cook and should not be back till 1 o. tt>, told me afterwards that he had spent a very anxious night, but had tried to soothe himself with the Gio"orht. that several parties on Cook had had a night out, but that when be got on to Glacier Dome and could see nothing he was really alarmed.' The sun gbt to 11s very soon and we thawed out quickly, and at 7.20 started straight down the snow, at first having to cut steps, but soon being, able to stamp them. As soon as we came out on to tile snow Alec could count five little dots and was happy again. We got down to the schrund

in two hours and soon were across and out on to the plateau. Graham came along and met us below Tasman. He, provident man, had brought a spare rope and some ban-P-.f-.s and plaster in case there had been an accident, and a tin of pineapple in case there had not. We sat down at once and dealt with that tin and some bread and butter. The snow was still good, and we got back to the bivouac at 12.30. We had lunch +l, r,ve. and gave Alec instructions to boil the billy and to go on« boiling it till we told him to stop. We then set off, and,'getting some good glissades, reached the Ball Hut at 6. 10. Teichelmann and Clark rode down to the Hermitage that night, promising to send some horses up next day. Next morning we started to walk down and met the horses at the Blue Lake; we then double-bank-ed on the three horses and reached the Hermitage by mid-day. I had meant to start alone that evening to get over the Copland in a desperate attempt to get hack for the Sunday, but the. glass was falling and obviously Nor’-West weather was coming up, so I gave up all idea of it.

. It might be convenient here to give a summary of the various routes up Mt. Cook. 1. South Peak, 11,844. A. From the Ball Pass between the Tasman and the Hooker. The Rev. W. S. Green made in 1882 his first attempt by the Southern Arete, Mr Mannering trying it also in 1889; both came to the conclusion it was impossible. Ido not think it has been tried since. B. From the Hooker. The late Mr H. Si Hem, with Jack Clark, in 1906 camped high up on the ridge between the Noeline and Empress Glaciers and ascended next morning to this summit, X have no details of the route. This wa,s the first ascent >of the South Peak. In 1913 Miss Du Faur, with P. Graham and the late D. Thomson-, ascended by this route, and then traversed the three peaks of Mt. Cook and descended by the Linda Glacier. This was a magnificent performance, needing perfect conditions and an unusual absence of cornice on the ridge between the peaks. In March 1914, Mr S. Turner, with P. Graham and F. Milne, climbed this neak and a ridge farther to the North 2. The Middle Peak, 12,178.

First ascended by Fvfe, G. Graham and J. Clark December 20. 1894. From a camp high above the Hooker they climbed by the Empress neve and the W. ridge of the South Peak, then traversed to their left and reached the saddle between the S. and Middle Peaks and followed the corniced ridge to the top; 10J hours, including halts. See ‘New Zealand Alpine Journal,’ May 1895 (out ot print.) This was an attempt to reach the highest peak. 3. The Highest Peak, 12,349. A From the Hooker.

(1) By Green’s Saddle and N. Arete.—On Christmas Day 1894 Fyfe, G. Graham and Clark, from a camp high up the Hooker, climbed up the steep snow couloir between Dampier and Cook, and followed the N. ridge to the top. (See ‘New Zealand Alpine Journal’ as above). This was the first complete ascent of Cook. This is the route down which Ross came, as described in his lecture on February 3, 1914. All accounts speak of falling.stones in the afternoon. (2) By the W. Arete.—ln 1909 Mr Earle, with P. and A. Graham and J. Clark, ascended by this arete direct from the Hooker neve. The rock was

good. This is the quickest and the safest route up Mt. Cook. B. From the Hochstetter Bivouac above the Tasman. (1) The Linda route. —This was the route by which Mr Green all but reached the top with Boss and Kaufmami in 1882, the first serious attempt to climb Cook. The route from the Big Plateau bears round to the right, and to the left up the Linda Glacier, between the divide and the N. E. spur, and then ascends the N. face of Cook. This was the route 1 followed by the gallant New Zealand parties of 1886-1894, who without any professional aid set to work to read climbing books, and then to climb Mt. Cook and eventually succeeded from the Hooker. This route was first completely, ascended by Messrs. F. Wright and H. Chambers, with J. Murphy and J. Clark, in February, 1912, thirty years after Mr Green’s attempt, and they were followed about a month later by Mrs Lindon with Peter Graham and D. Thomson. For accounts <pf this route see Green’s ‘High Alps of New Zealand’ and his letter and marked route in ‘A.J.’ xxviii. 228; Mannering, ‘With Axe and Rope in the New Zealand Alps;’ and the ‘Now Zealand Alpine Journal.’ ) I believe no attempt has been made to ascend the Linda to Green’s Saddle and then follow Fyfe’s route, though Mr C. Macdonald crossed Groton's Saddle. (‘A.J.’ xxiv. 603.) r lhe sad accident reported in the May number shows the danger of this route. That accident see,ms to me to have been the lull of a hanging glacier rather than wliat is usually understood by an avalanche, a danger in my opinion, considering the activity of the New Zealand glaciers, equally great on the Big Plateau below Tasman. (2) By the N.E. Ridge.—This was

first climbed by Fitzgerald’s guide, M. Zurbriggen, in March, 1895, the same season as the first ascent. He

took practically the route that we followed in the next ascent of Cook, ten years later, except that he kept closer to the rocks at the start. For accounts see Fitzgerald, ‘Climbs in the N.Z. Alps,’ and the ‘N.Z.A.J.’ as above. This is a good route, but I think in some years the snow-slope would be very broken and icy. It lias> been questioned whether Zurbriggen reached the actual summit owing to time. We were a party of five; none of us had even been on Mt. Cook except Clark, who had

limbed it in the first ascent from

the other side. Wo had to cut up the final cap; he had to ‘cut a Tew steps.’ A guide of Zurbriggen’s .pow-

ers would go very fast. W e took 15}

lirs. up, he took 14 hrs. 20 min. In the ’ descent, where a guide’s superiority is more marked, we took hrs., omitting the night out; he took 7hrs, omitting 1| hrs. while he was waiting for the moon to rise. I admit that there are several discrepancies between the times in the two accounts, and lie certainly did not follow Green’ route up the ridge.

Mt. Cook has been climbed very much more quickly of late; but first ascents—and our was a first ascent for all the party—are notoriously slow.

There seems to have been no attempt made to climb the Southern Peak by the ridge on the S. side of the Big Plateau and the Hochstetter ice fall.