TRIPLE VICTORY

Hokitika Guardian, 23 December 1933, Page 6

TRIPLE VICTORY

MTS. COOK SEFTON AND TASMAN

MISS K. GARDNER’S FEAT

Miss Kate Gardiner, the well-known English mountaineer, has at Ifyst achieved the ambition she cherished since her first visit to New Zealand in 1927 to climb Mounts Cook, Sefton, and Tasman. She climbed Mount Sefton in 1931, bujb failed in several attempts on Mount Tasman in 1929, 1931, and again last year. Advice was received in Christchurch recently of her success in reaching the summit of Mount Tasman last Wednesday. Last season Miss Gardiner was dogged by bad weather, which drove her party off the mountain ihore than once. On one occasion, with another English climber and two guides she spent 10 days in a crevasse at the head of the Fox Glacier sheltering from a fierce storm, an experience the party •was very lucky to survive. Miss Gardiner returned to New Zealand in November to renew her attack, and has been waiting in the new shelter on the Pioneer Ridge for some '.'Weeks for suitable conditions. "Mountaineers not only throughout; New Zealand but all over the world will join in congratulating this intrepid climber on this ascent at her ninth attempt of one of the most -dangerous 'peaks aiid the {second highest in the Southern Alps. As an example of perseverance in any field of endeavour this attack on one mountain can have few equals. On course in her protracted visits to New Zealand Miss Gardiner has climed many other . peaks, m,any of them notable performances but always returned to her ambition of climbing the three peaks. Tlie ascent was made by the western ridge by way of the Engineer Col from the new Pioneer Ridge bivouac, returning over Mount, Lendenfeldt... and the Marcel Col. Mount Tasman lias only once previously been climbed by a woman, Miss Freda du Faur, in 1912,

Miss Gardiner was accompanied, by Chief Guide Vic Williams, of '■the Hermitage, and Chief Guide Franks Alack, of Fox Glacier. The party’s actual climbing time was 16£ hours, but at one stage they were held up. by high winds for nearly three hours. This is the first climb •of Mount Tasman this season. Miss Gardiner will undertake several other climbs before ending her present stay at the Hermitage.