ALPINISTS’ TRIALS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 February 1933, Page 5

ALPINISTS’ TRIALS

IN SOUTH WESTLAND

MAROONED FOR ELEVEN DAYS,

Fears which throughout the past week had been felt in South Westland for the safety of' a mountaineering party of four who for eleven days' had been up in the ranges- were set' at rest on Saturday night. > On' February 7, Hiss Kafhleeji Gardiner, a well-known.. English .alpinist, and a member of the English- AJpxno Club, accompanied by Mr.Binnje, also a member of . the English Alpine, Club, set out with Mr Richard Williams, chief guide at Mt. Cook Hermitage, from the Hermitage with the intention of making an ascent of Mt. Tasman. The party the same day made the Alma. Ridge,,where they were joined .by Chief Guide Jack Pope, from the Franz Josef Glacier. The party /then crossed by way of Newton- Pass to the Fox Glacier and. camped on Pioneer; Ridge, pitching a tent there.

The weather, was up ,to this, time excellent, but ere the first night in the Alps had begun, bad weather conditions, far worse than that experienced at . the time on the lowlands, set in. The test was blown- down, and they retreated to a cave, which -is better known to Alpinisms ais - a ;^'^i.rundj:,, where the tent "was rrteriaotecf,* and they thus obtained shelter, meanwhile, However, as the party bnlyli.had provisions to tide -them- over si? days, the position gradually . became precarious when, there was no‘abatement of the storm, which was most .unusual for the present time cf,-the year in lasting so long iamd keeping xip,so continuously. -As day followed day with no abatement of the-adverse weather, it was realised* that' they wqfild run out of provisions, although there was no great apprehension! at the hostels that they would be otherwise suffering. When they failed to arrive within six days, Three guides' from.' the. Waiho Gorge set out to take-fresh, supplies to the party, -but owing to the stprm still continuing,’ they" were forced to. return on. Friday,: j |This party sparphed at the head of the Franz Josef Glacier and ’Alima. - Ridge, and... also visited the Defiance Hut.

Concern wate then felt for tl?e,lives of the party through exposure--’ and starvation when the relief parties had. been unable to locate them, but it was thought all the time that .thpy would be sheltering. v The' diflScTuty, -- however, was in reaching them with' fresh &ur>plies'. ’ r >-\:

The state of the snow covered region can lie imagined when'•itMs indicated that there were two feet of snow at Waiho and at . the terminal face, of. the Fox Glacier. There was snow right down on the ground at the Fox, where there was a most unusual south-westerly fall. ', Rain fell heavily practically right throughout the period the party was marooned, . and an attempt by. then} to reaoh either Waiho or the Fox would have been courting tragedy,, whilst there were /alarming flashes of, light-

ning. • ' "i \' G, ; '. A,■ ....y-L-There was naturally a sense of real relief on Saturday night, therefore, when the party made their appearance at the Franz Jovef Hotel, after having been found on the Pioneer Radio, where their shelter was located by Mi? .Milton Heinz, who stated that their tent stood An a crevasse,. ; All - four were -ink. somewhat famished state, and might . have been as “all in:” They had suffered very considerably' from their long exposure to the cold and the lack of food. Tiie storm they Had experienced was described by South. Westland residents a? being the worst for many; years.' Miss Gardiner is a constant a overseas visitor, and .she delights iq mountaineering. . '7”