CLIMB TO MT. TASMAN

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 49, 27 June 1938, Page 1

CLIMB TO MT. TASMAN

ILLUSTRATED LECTURE BEAUTY OF THE ALPS A lecture of general interest accompanied by lantern slides of extraordinary beauty anu of absorbing character was given to the older pupils of the four Gisborne schools m the Majestic Theatre recently by Mr .Alan C. Browne, F.R.G.S., a.R.C)A., artist, lecturer and traveller.

The subject was a. climb to Mount Tasman, New Zealand’s second highest peak, towering alongside Mount Look to a height of 11,475 ft. The slides were from '• photographs taken hy Air Browne, who had coloured them with unusual artistry.

Hvery stop of the c-1 1 *ni> was illustrated, from tho gold digg'ngs of the "West Coast, through ciense native bush, the rugged ' and difficult glaciers and snownclds to the summit of Mt. Tasman. Much of tlie climbing was extremely difficult, particularly in the final stages, where the climbers were shown cutting a track on the top of a sharp ridge, on' oacu side of which the men’s legs dangleJ over a drop of 4000 ft.

The climb which was illustrated, took a week to' accomplish, including the time waiting for suitable weather. Some of the -photographs were unusual. Three taken from one spot overlooking the- mountain showed tlie weather in varying moods, the final of

the three being in periectly cloudless conditions, for which Mr Browne waited three months for the desired result. Another photograph was ta ; - en in the moonlight with a 20-nmiute exposure, and' the' details were brought out almost as clearly as i>* daylight, including a background many miles away'.

Alpine flowers, including one within a yard of perpetual snow, were anioug the most interbsting sections of the lecture, the material for which took Mr Browne seven months of hard work and patient waiting to gather.