A MOUNTAIN TRAMP

Hokitika Guardian, 6 January 1931, Page 3

A MOUNTAIN TRAMP

MATHIAS PASS REGION. EXPEDITION IN THE ALPS. (Christchurch “Press.) After nearly a fortnight spent in the little-known mountain region at the head of the Mathias River, now rarely visited except by doer-stalkers, four members of the Canterbury Mountaineering and Tramping Club,'Dr. B. j Wyn Irwin, -Messrs R. R. Chester, J. ID. Pascoe and H. A. Willis, returned to Christchurch on Saturday. The district visited is-of peculiar interest at tbe present time, as it was the scene of one of Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson’s many activities in the early days of Canterbury. From 1882 to 1885, following a re-

port by Mueller on the practicability of a road from Canterbury to Westland via. tbe Mathias Pass, Sir Arthur was in charge of track-making operations on the east side of this pass—very difficult work owing to the height of the pass, the vertical walls of Canyon Cheek, and the huge rock slips encountered. All but ten feet of tbe track was hewn before the work, largely owing to the Jack of co-operation by the surveyors on the Westland side, was discontinued, and since then it has been, partly destroyed by slips and over-grown by scrub in tbe lower reaches.

Fifteen Peaks Ascended. Members of the party reached this locality by ‘motoring to the Rakaia Gorge, beyond Lake Coleridge; thence after a night : at the Mount Algidus homestead, tramping ‘ up the light bank of the - Rakaia and Mathias Rivers, and making n base camp opposite, the moutli of the grim Canyon Gorge. .This gorge, with sheer lock walls, prov- ! ed quite impassable, tile torrent, waistI deep, having to be crossed fifteen times. From this camp, set among alpine surroundings and peaks bearing extensive snowfields from which descended numerous hanging glaciers and icefalls, ascents were made during tbe fine weather of the last week of 1930, of no fewer than fi teen virgin peaks, thirteen of which were on the main divide. Notable among those scaled were Shad to Peak, a fine pillar-like rock visible from well down the Mathias Valley; Mt. Bryce, the highest peak in the district; Mt. Agassiz, a splendid rock climb; and Mt. Frieda, composed of crumbling sepistie rock and proving /an extremely difficult climb. All tbe principal peaks of tbe Alps between the rarely-used Ken and Mungo Passes (except Tailored and Treadwell), were traversed, and from these vantage points- magnificent views were obtained to the north and south, and across miles of hush-clad mountains to the Tasman Sea. At tbe same time, expeditions up the valley disclosed • beautiful icefalls and glaciers, : and, sidling along the brink of a tre- ( mendous chasm where, 260 feet down, , the waters’of-tile main Mathias boiled, a large glacier was reached —shown on the map made by" Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson. This glacier,: at least three • miles long, was traversed in part in order to teach an unmapped col on its north side, at over 6000 ioet. which was found to lead to a glacier- ed branch of the Unknown river, the main tributary of the Wilberforce.

Across the Divide

Leaving this district, which was found to contain, in spite of years ot culling, many deer, the party set out to cross tile divide, making for Hokitika through typical Westland rough mountain and bush country. From the Mathiap Pass, to avoid Canyon Gorge, it was necessary to climb several thousand feet up the Agassiz range and then drop into the open waters of Canyon Creek. Relatively easy was the final ascent to the summit, where a cairn was built. A steep descent then led to the snowfields at the very head of the Hokitika River, which was followed till it opened into grassy flats known as “Siberia.” and many years ago stocked with sheep from Canterbury by Comyns. one of the three original discoverers of the-, pass. Hundreds of deer were soon in this section. The impassable Hokitika gorges being below this, it- was necessary to reascend and drop over the grassy Frew Saddle—43oo feet— into Frey. Creek', a large branch of the famous Whitcombe River, .named after the surveyor who in 1863 first traversed its tremendous gorges. From the scrub-line to where a rough bush track was picked up several miles down, was the hardest part of the whole trip, the party scrambling and sliding over huge

boulders and wading deep pools in the winding creek bed. Once on the track, better time was made, and an old slab hut, on tbe walls of which were, many names of prospectors of last century, was reached before nightfall. Tim next day a recently-blazed trail was followed to a less precipitous creek bed a short distance above the Whitcombe junction, and in heavy -nor’-west. rain the river beaches were followed without undue difficulty ’for several miles till the party could take to a benched goat track winding high in the dripping bush, above tin: roaring waters -of Collier’s Gorge,- skirting great cliff's and often crossing dangerous slips where wire ropes were necessary, o

A Unique Trip. Coming again to the Hokitika River where it emerged from miles of canyons, the stream was crossed by means of a wooden cage running on a wire rope 150 feet long, and from the main junction of the rivers, an easier track -along which horses had,been taken was picked ii]), and the first outpost of civilisation was reached towards evening. As a combination of mountain, hush,

and river work, the trip was unique in the annals of the club, and the splendid weather conditions enabled the party to accomplish even more than they bad set- out to do.