MOUNTAINEERING

Hokitika Guardian, 15 January 1932, Page 3

MOUNTAINEERING

RECORD OF ACCIDENTS. NEW ZEALAND’S SMALL DEATH-HULL. Notwithstanding the great popularity of tramping and moiuitainering in New Zealand which each holiday season draws large of young people into the wild and unfrequented alpine areas, there have been comparatively few fatal accidents over a Jong period of years. a The most sweeping alpine distaster in New Zealand’s history occurred off January 19th, 1930, when four women apd one man were caught in a blizzard between the Maltre Brun and Ball Huts on the Tasman Glacier, all five dying from exposure. They were Miss Doris Herbert Brown, of Rangiora, Vliss Mary Montenth and Miss Helena Keane, of Christchurch, Miss D. Smith of Auckland, and Acting-Guide Edward Blomfield, of Dunedin. The bodies were found by Guide C. Hilgen. dorf, who had remained behind at the Maltre Brun Hut to clear up after the party, huddled together on the face of the glacier at Do La Beehe corner. Ay in many of the tragedies of the New Zealand mountains a tale of heroism was disclosed by the subsequent invesigations, for Guide Blomfield was found to have given up most of hig clothing in a vain attempt to preserve life and warmth in his charges. That was the first fatal accident that had occurred in the Mt. Cook region since three experienced climbers, Mr S. L. King, of the Er.gli h Alpine Club, and Guides “Darby” Thomson and “Jock” Richmond were overwhelmed by an avalanche on February 22m1, 1914. O.r July I.lth last year a ' .young Christchurch tramper, Richard’ William Oliver, lost his life through exhaustion and exposure when he collapse and died on the way from Authur’s Pass to the Carrington Hut in company with Mr Richard Tucker. Heavy snow under foot had made conditions particularly difficult and arduous for tramping.

RUPEHU’S TOLL

The tragic death of Mr Warwick Stanton in August Jast year, loilowing an expedition of fourteen Auckland University students under the leadership of Mr Graham Hell, who had set out to _ climb Mt. Ruapehu, was one of the few fatal accidents that have occurred on this mountain but very nearly resulted in distaster of much greater magnitude. Six of the party, Messrs Hell, li. S. Maecliarmid, and A. Flynn, and Misses M. Watkins, I). Watkins, and E. Eliott, wandered for lour days on the mountain and in the bush at its foot after being overtaken by a bkzzard, - and were rescued in an exhausted condition. With Mr H. Addis, Mr Stanton had left the party in order to try to obtain help but becoming fatigued he was forced to allow his companion to go on alone. Although Mr Addis described the locality where lie had left lii.s friend, the search by hundreds of people proved unavailing, and if was not until twenty days later that the body was discovered. In 1913 Mr W. Dingliam lost his life in the Manganui-a-te-ao stream in the Ruapehu district. While he was descending the mountain he slipped, and striking his head on a rock, was hurled into u pool. He was dead when he was picked up. In '1915, Mr E. Ropkel died from exposure on the mountain. In May, 1927, Mr li. A. II oil,' principal of the University Coaching College Auckland, was drowned in attempting to ford the Mangntunituru or Sulphur stream at a particularly dangerous part, about live and a half miles from the Main Trunk railway. EG.MONT VICTIMS. Since IS9I there lmve been eleven accidents involving the loss of fifteen ; lives on Mt Egmont. Six persons have perished on the upper slopes of ' Egmont as a result of an uneorrocted i slip or a. false step on the hard ice by ; one member of the parties concerned. I The worst of those tragedies 1 vliieh occurred on -May 12th, .1927, I mme as a sad ending to the first-term I mention of three masters and a pupil 1 if the Wanganui Collegiate School. < file party slipped on the ic-p at 7000 ft, 1 uul two masters, Messrs F. Latham inti N. Raines, were killed. 1 A double tragedy occurred a few 1' •ears ago in the district in which the (resent party i,s missing. Two youths lamed Park and Morpeth were drown■d in the Wilberforee river. The ( . Jorpetli-Park Hut is named after the ictims of the accident. ,•