UNCLIMBED PEAK

Hokitika Guardian, 1 April 1932, Page 3

UNCLIMBED PEAK

PARTY TURNED BACK BY CREVASSES.

CLIAIBERS SPEND NIGHT ON MOUNTAIN.

CHRISTCHURCH, March 31

An ascent of the still unclimbed Mount Blair (8185 ft.) at the ‘ headwaters of the Bakaia river was attempted during the Easter week-end by a party of Canterbury Mountaineering Club members, but they were stopped only 85 feet -below the summit.' Their base camp was stationed beyond Mein’s Knob, near the terminal face of the Great iLyell glacier, and the route taken was by way of the Heim icefall.

Leaving the base early on March 26th., quick pace was made up the moraine of the Lvell glacier to the tributary Heim glacier. From this point three of the party strapped on crampons and climbed a. steep ice couloir which was occasionally raked by falling stories. This couloir provided the only route to the Heim snowfield. The Heim icefall proper was a miniature Hochstetter, and could not be negotiated because of incessant avalanching of ice seracs. Two hours of intensive crampon work in the couloir led to the heavily drevassed upper neve of the Heim glacier, which was traversed to the upper icefall under Blair Peak. Careful work threading in and out the crevasses brought the party to 8100 feet at 2 p.m., only 85 feet under the unclimbed summit.

An enormous horizontal crevasse had opened out and barred further access to the Heim face of the peak. : This crevasse was photographed from Malcolm Peak by Dr. E:. Teichelmann before the war. Three months ago conditions would have been suitable for the completion of the climb, hut at the present late stage of the season, crevasses had opened up beyond recognition, and on ice climbs such as Mount Blair the climber is liable to be disappointed even a rope’s length from the peak.

NEW rook; GROUP. From the point reached below the summit a magnificent view was obtained of-the Lyell glacial system, and new topographical information relevant to the location of a fine unnamed 8000 ft. rock group was secured. The descent had to be delayed because of the intermittent rock-falls resulting from the heat of the sun, and the party settled down at 6 p.m. for a 12 hours’ wait in one of the few places where there was no danger from falling stones. The shivering monotony of the night was relieved by the moonlight view of the white spire of Malcolm Peak. The return to the lower levels was completed at dawn. Though, the attempt was technically unsuccessful the members of the party state that they are confident that the ultimate crevasse would he bridged early next season. They advise that future parties should ascend the stoneraked couloir in the shortest possible time at dawn or dusk, as for many hours of the day this access to the south-west ridge would he unsafe and impracticable.