ASCENT OF EGMONT

Otaki Mail, 7 September 1923, Page 3

ASCENT OF EGMONT

SNOW AND ICE CONQUERED. r , (Taranaki Herald.) Egmojit, despite her heavy winter mantle of snow and ice, was climbed ;> by two young. local climbers, Messrs ,• O. Mace ’and L. Lovell, on Sunday. 1 The weather was beautifully fins s throughout the day and alter an ar--1 tluous climb occupying ten hours, the 3 whole way over snow and ice, ’ tne 1 summit was gained and the party ' rewarded with a glorious view of the surrounding country. An early start on an expedition of 1 this kind is essential and, thoruughlv ■ equipped for a venturesome climb, ; the party left the Old House at 13.45 i a.m. Guided by the light, of a moon i that was nearly full, the party were quickly out of the bush on "to the open track, which was found snowed up and frozen hard, it being necessary to use an axe in places. Humphrey’s Castle was reached at 3.30 j a.m. and front here on, alter roping I together, the climbers were comJ pel led to cut or kick steps.

| BREAKFAST AT 5800 FEET. ! An hour later they were 5800 feet j up. The moon, which had been providing ample light, went down bej hind a ridge, and left them in darkness. Sunrise was two hours off and as the surface of the snow was frozen I hard and good steps were necessary, it was decided to await daybreak, lft was bitterly cold. A hole was dug in the ice with the axes and by the light, from, a small lantern which they had brought- with them, breakfast, consisting of soup and poached eggs, was prepared on a small Swiss cooker. By this time the sun was just lipping the horizon north of Mt. Tongariro. As it rose the panorama was glorious and the warmth of its rays after the intense cold of early morning was most welcome, anil photographs were secured of the glorious scene. 'File advent of the sun made snow goggles necessary for as one of the climbers put it “they would have been blinded in half an hour by the fierce glare." Donning blue glasses, the climbers hacked their way around a steep shoulder into the. couloir to the east of the usual summer scoria route. A CURIOUS PHEXO'MEXOX. Here a curious phenomenon wa discovered/ ' There wjas a stream about ten feet, wide and two inches deep of small cylindrical icicles raov- j ing down the mountain at the rate | of " about twenty feet a minute. “H sounded like a mountain torrent,” said one of tbe climbers when de- l tailing their story to a Herald re- I porter, “and when we first heard it . we thought the wind was rising and I blowing the icicles off the ridge." ' When within 500 feet of the head | of this couloir they crossed over The f.izard and followed another gully i right into the crater. "Here,” said one of the climbers, ‘‘we had to proceed vert' carefully for, though any properly equipped party should negotiate this part of the climb in perfect snfetv. more or less caution is needed according to the condition of the snow." IX THE CRATER. "We entered the crater about 10.15,” continued the climber. "A glorious view of part of the South Island spread out before our eves, and gradually extended all around the horizon as we neared the summit. A girand view of ttie whole of the surrounding counfry was obtained from the summit. Ranges and peaks and even the northern coast line of the South Island was distinguishable.” the atmosphere on top was still, a verv rare occurrence, so they stayed | there and prepared their dinner of i fried eggs, cocoa, etc. Several , photographs were secured and the . top was left at noon. A series of long ' glissades, one of nearly 2000 feet. . took 'them quicklv down the moitntniii side, the house being reached : again "a* 2.15, the climbers, though a, little tired and burnt, being none the worse for their strenuous outing of I lot hours on snow and ice. . The Secretary of the Post a.nd Telegraph. Department has issued v> notice which is to be exhibited at. all post offices drawing attention to the provision in the law making it an offence for a person to open a. letter addressed to another person. It. is stated thai the offence has recently mown more common than U used to be in certain circles, either through inadvertence or idle curiosity. The notice is as follows: "Before a letter is opened, the address should n. examined. The delivery of a letter to a person for whom it is no., mfended does not excuse the opening of the letter by that person, i-ection 91 M, of the' Post and Telegraph Act, 1908 prescribes that every person who, contrary to his duty, opens, or procures. or suffers to be opened. a postal packet, is liable on indictment to imprisonment for any term not exceeding two years, with or without bard labour! or to a fine of £SO. or to