RUAPEHU CLIMBERS

Hokitika Guardian, 3 September 1931, Page 5

RUAPEHU CLIMBERS

THE RESCUED. ALL RECOVER WELL. ' (By Telegraph—Per Press Association) THE CHATEAU, September 2. The rescued members of the party have made an excellent recovery. Some have already returned to their homes. Stewart McDiarmid (Hamilton), and Alan Flynn (Auckland) went- home last night, and Miss ’Eva Ellett went home this morning to Heleiisville. Bruce Spooner (Auckland) and Harold Addis (Nelson College) are going to-night. To-morrow Miss Esme Broekett (iMasterton) and the two Misses Watkins (Auckland) are returning home. Jock Graham '(Auckland), Mr Harris (St. Heller's Bay), Miss F. Morris (Whangarei), and Miss Julia Rennie (Helensville) are st’ll in bed. Air Graham Bell (of Auckland, who was leader of the party) was in the search parties yesterday. He is remaining at The Chateau until Stanton is found. STANTON’S FATE. HOPES WEAKEN. ' 300 IN TO-DAY'S SEARCH, , WELLINGTON, September 2. The Secretary of the General Post Office has received the following telegram from The Chateau: — “8.30 p.m. • In furtherence of the search for Stanton, another party of a minimum number ,of one hundred and fifty men ja being despatched at dawn.” ... , THE CHATEAU, September 2. Search parties totalling one hundred men combed tho 'Makatote Gorge up to the Forks, nine miles from the railway line, to-day in their search for Warwick Stanton, aged 19, son of Mr J. Stanton, solicitor, of Auckland, but without success. Fifty men are remaining in the bush all night. Elaborate arrangements have been made to continue the search to-morrow. Every man between Taumarunui and Ohakune who is willing to join in the search has been asked to assemble at the Makatote Viaduct at dawn to-mor-row, bringing their food and a change of clothing. Arrangements have been made for the Auckland Express, which reaches the National Park at 3.45 a.m. to pick up the men 'from Ohakune and to drop them at Makatote. A goods train is bringing men up from Ohakune. Every sawmill between these two towns has promised meff, 'and ""at- least 300 'searchers are assured. Portion of The Chateau staff is going down by the Auckland express, and, will establish a base camp and a field kitohen at Petersen's Mill. ' The chances now appear to be against Stanton’s being found alive. He has been out now for 122 hours, and he was in a state of collapse when he was left by Addis at 3,30 p.m. on Monday. Up to this time he had been the fittest member of the party. Nervous power, however, appears to have been his 'driving force, and not physical strength ; and it appears that h{s nerves must have broken down at this time. His collapse may have only been temporary, and he may have recovered after a spell. Hope of this is held out, in view of the remarkably fine condition which the others members of the party were found in. The Makatote Gotjge, where the searchers are concentrated, is the wildest section Of the National Park. Rocky 'walls rise sheer from the stream to a height of 150 to 200 feet. In places ft is impossible to get down to the stream. ' The party which found Addis heard him crying out from the opposite bank, and they tried unsuccessfully for an hour and a half to get across to him. Eventually, they had to go two miles further up the stream before they could cross'. The bush is so dense and the lawyer and underarrowth so matted that it is only possible to move through it by cutting a path with slashers. The difficulties facing the searchers may well be imagined there, especially if Stanton is too weak to answer their “cooees.”" If he is dead, it may be weeks before his body is found. CONTROL OF CLIMBERS. CHATEAU MANAGER’S STATEMENT' THE CHATEAU, September 2. “It is impossible for the present conditions governing the ascent of the. mountains to continue,” declared Mr J. Cobbe, Manager of The Chateau Tongariro, in an interview this afternoon. “For the greater part of the year, ascents may be perfectly safe,' and this fact misleads visitors into a belief that the mountains are always negotiable without risk. , This is not correct, and. even under very fine summer conditions, dense mountain mists suddenly arise and make it impossible to see a foot in front of you. Almost invariably, the climbers who become lost bear to the left in their descent, and this leads them into the most dangerous and inaccessible bush country in the Park. If lest climbers would keep to the open tussock ' country between the snow and the bush, they would .be picked up in a few hours. Many of the most prominent and experienced mountaineers strongly disagree with me. There should be control of the movements of anyone-want-ing to climb. It should be obvious , that no person having this power of

control would interfere' ,with experienced men, but these objectors to control should remember that the Park is now visited by thousands of people who have no knowledge or experience in climbing. The number of visitors is rapidly increasing, and the conditions that met the situation when the ■sole frequenters- of the Park were the Ski Club and mountaineers, can no longer be tolerated. One well known climber voicing an objection to • control, said : “If people go out, they- go out at their own risk.’’ This, is entirely wrong, because, if they become lost, .the searchers who go after them also risk their ■ lives. It is imperative that the manager should be able to prevent ascents under dangerous, icltmatic conditions, and it is also necessary that the rule laid down that searchers must not go out until the early morning be strictly enforced. My orders that no man must leave until 3 o’clock on Sunday morning to search for these students were disobeyed by members of the Ski Club. They left at 11 o’clock on Saturday night. 'They were unable to do any good, because of the darkness and weather, and they were so exhausted that next day, when every experienced man ’was . needed, their services were not available. Inexperienced climbers should undoubtedly have a guide with them, as his experience and knowledge of the mountain conditions are invaluable in ease of trouble. To prevent lost climbers from getting down into the bush country, rock cairns can be cheaply built, and directions painted on them. If these were erected at intervals and instructions wore issued to each climber to look for them if\Jos|, j&tW* would assist them in the tion, Many of the tracks are poled it present, but th® extension -of th® system is necessary to th® north aspect oi Ruapehu,” SEARCH FOR STANTON. 200 MEN OUT. TAUMARUNUI, September 3. The anticipation that the bushmen searching Makatote stream wouldi get Stanton yesterday, not being realised, a party of two hundred men was organised speedily at Taumarunui last night and proceeded to National Park by the express train at two o’clock this morning. The party split up, half getting off at National Park to proceed up Maliuia stream to .the base of Haubaugatahi, and the others going in .at Makatote stream, near Peterscm’s mill at Pokaka. .<* Both parties will comb the whole area and probably meet at the headwaters of Mahuia. ' :