NEW SKI GROUND

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1930, Page 7

NEW SKI GROUND

FRANZ JOSEF GLACIER

ROUTES

» Besides several high accents of the Minarets, de la Beclie, and Mount Rudolph from the Franz Josef Glacier some interesting expeditious have been mode mi ski this season, for the first time. The fine ski-ing -fields at the head of the glacier are. atily now t>eing used, and these, together with the building of a new hut on Chancellor ridge and the opening of new tracks, are expected still further to extend the popularity of this beautiful mountain resort.

Starting from the. Glacier Hotel, Guides Frank Alack and Tom Sheeran made the trip from the Aimer hut across the Franz Josef snowfields to Newton pass and down the Fox glacier. Guide Alack alone made a trio from, the Aimer hut to the top of Graham's saddle, returning across the Franz Josef to the south-west traversing the Kaiser Frßw tango, Mount Roon, and Mount Moltke, down to the Defiance hut. Both trips afforded wonderful ski runs of .several miles.

SKI-ING ON VAST SNOWFIELD

The ski-ing possibilities of the glac-

' ier have only lately been realised. From Aimer hut there is a permanent field of -six square miles Qn the snowfield at the head of the Franz Josef. Toboggan runs of from two to three miles may be undertaken ; in fact, the Right Horn L. 9. Amery said he had seen no finer field. The new hut which is being built on the Chancellor ridge will enable visitors to ski from ono hut to the other, , opening up great opportunities of winter sports in sqmmer ' time. In winter, there is good ski-mg even from Defiance hut, the lowest of the three. Chief among the .high ascents .has been that of the Minarets, standing, ■ at the head of the glacier at a height of over 10,000 feet. These have been . climbed'- four times during the season. Ite',la ReChe. which is. south of the. Minaret?;,'pn the divide oust of, Grahas been ascended twice afid traversed by |)r. j. 0. Bradgliaw. }ytount . Rudolph (9086 ; feet)'- .has been 4 once, Mount'- Jervois twice, apd. -Mount * Spence once. t-These t all lie,to |ithe‘; south of the Minarets.

i, TFiIP TO- THE HERMITAGE.

A - trip that is becoming more ; and more 'jpqpular vis :thatf|hP !! thf ' Fran# . Joeef .'glacier arid down, the 'f'asman g)aci^-^^tiie;'Hermit||^.:^h^i:i^ a tb taken is.from’ the Aimer hut across the- snowfieldsmf Franz Josef to Graham;s, ...saddle .and tibsndescending down- the eastern 1 side 0 dolph ito jthe. Tasman glacier and thence toMh&Malteßrun or Ball hut. The returnttrip’ is\made|frqm; the Hermitage to the >huti 1 ascending V the ridge to Copeland Pass 5 and thence v ' descending into Copeland valley. On the tpabk -down the vallqy. to Welcome Flathut,ybot‘ springs ate found' at a . height of-',1400 feet. The route continues down; to ; Architect creek, where

the parties are- met with horses about 30 miles below the Waih© river. The passage ,encircles the highest portion of the Alps, and Mount Cook and Mount Tasjnan may he seen from even’ side. About 12 round trips have been made from the Franz Josef Hotel during the season, the dim tiers including the Minister of Education (the Hon. H. A,tmore).

HUT FOR CHANCELLOR RIDGE

Opening up still further trips, a new hut is to be built on the Chan-

cellor rifhre which, running to the south-west from Mount Bismarck, divides the head of the Fox glacier from the Victoria glacier. The hut will measure 24 feet by. 12 feet—the size of the Aimer hut which was opened in August last, and gives accommodation for 12 or 14 people. The material for the hut. which is now lying at the edge of the r ic© by the Fox glacier, has to be carried up bv man-rower. Altogether 170 501 b loads will have to be taken up. The work is estimated to take six weeks or niore, although all the material has been cut out and fitted and has only to be reassembled.

The building of the hut is one of Guide PeW Graham’s schemes for general improvement. With the erection of the Aimer and Defiance huts, he has begun the series, aibout a day is journey apart which will always' give sleeping accommodation to olimbers. The new hut will lead the wnv to Pioneer’s pass (9009 fce+\ which has been traversed onlv twice s in n © 1904, when the first crossing was made bv Dr E. Teichelmnnn and Guide Graham.

A,U the tracks from the Glacier Hotel are in good order. -A new track is to be. opened to Alec’s knob, where the profusion of mountain floAvers so impressed Dr Hill, of KeAV Gardens, on his recent visit to NeAv Zealand that he claimed they alone were worth coming from England to see. The trip t,o Alec’s knob can be made from Waiho Gorge in a day. A neAV track has also been formed to the top of Canavon’s knob, giving fin© views of the mountain peaks, the glacier, ‘ the sea, and Lake Maponrika. . !