PERILOUS ADVENTURE

Shannon News, 19 February 1926, Page 2

PERILOUS ADVENTURE

AMATEUR MOUNTAINEER. SNOWSTORM AT HIGH ALTITUDE SEVERE ATTACK OF„ BLINDNESS A painful experience brought home to a/party of amateur alpinists recently the dangers of climbing- in the Mount Cook-region, without guides. As a general rule no climbing party is permitted to leave the Hermitage unless accompanied by a guide, and unless the members of it are all experienced alpinists. Three visitors to the Hermitage, all of whom had a little climbing experience, decided to attempt an ascent of Mount Elie de Beaumont (10,200 ft.) without a guide. They set out from the Malte Brun hut early one morning, and at first made good progress. After -a few hours, heavy clouds began to drift across the ranges, and a snowstorm appeared likely, but as the climbers were at a considerable altitude they decided to attempt to reach the summit and return before the storm broke. Before they reached the peak snow began to fall heavily, and they were soon compelled to retreat. Very soon it was difficult to see more than a few yards in the thick snow, and their pace was reduced to a crawl. Presently, in order to see better, they removed their snow goggles, a mistake which might easily have cost them their lives had the snow blindness, which later overtook them, developed before they were able to get.safely off the icefields. . - While-'the pa'rty was traversing a crevasse by a snow bridge, the leading man disappeared, the packed snow having- given way under his Aveight. The other two "anchored" in time to stop his fall, 10 or 12 feet down. The party was, of course, roped together, and there he dangled until, after some exertion on the part of his companions, he was dragged bodily out. Before the ice was left behind, each member of the party had experienced a turn of falling down a; crevasse, but, thanks to the. rope, - each was got safely out of his predicament. The return journey in blinding snow and over rough rock and ice, until the glacier was reached, was made painfully but without further mishap, and the party's relief on reaching the Malte Burn hut was immense. Their troubles were not by any means over. They had underestimated th e effect oL' the glare from the snow and ice in

removing'the goggles, and soon after they reached the hut all were suffering the pain of snow blindness. They sought refuge in dark corners, covering their heads with blankets. They had also neglected to anoint their faces with the cream used to protect the skin in high altitudes, and soon the skin was peeling in strips from their burning cheeks. Next day they were sufficiently recovered to be able to make an easy trip back to the Hermitage, though it was almost a case of "the blind leading the blind," and for some days afterwards they were unable to bear a strong light upon their eyes.