MOUNT COOK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 247, 8 March 1913, Page 3

MOUNT COOK.

I AN EXPLORER'S RECORD. J THE SPORT OF SKI-ING. Christchurch, Thursday. Lieutenant Gran, of the British Antarctic expedition, accompanied by Guides Graham and Milne, has secured the honor of having made the journey to the summit of Mount Cook and back in the record time of 14 hours 30 minutes. Lieut. Gran gave an interviewer an interesting account of his climb. When the journey was first commenced the party encountered unfavorable conditions, and as it = was snowing very hard they decided to I return. Next day they proceeded as far as the Ball hut in' bad weather, I reaching the spot in the evening. They then went ahead to prepare a route for the following day's march. Finding the snow very soft they were able to make steps in the surface quite easily. They commenced the ascent by the aid of flickering candle light. The journey across the plateau was described as "absolutely glorious," but they found the Linda Glacier very much broken, and while crossing the glacier the climbers had to exercise caution and dodge many crevasses. As indicating the state of the glacier, one of the guides told Lieut. Gran that he had passed over the glacier many times, but he had never known it to be so broken and dotted with so many crevasses. However, the snow condi- ■ ' tiohs were very good and climbing at I this stage was not very hard work, but I passing further up the eastern face of | Mount Cook the party met with very I rocky eountry, which was in a state that j made it very difficult to obtain a foot!ing. At this stage the climbers decided to make a "dash for the summit" by . a new route, and they selected the west- ■ ern face of the mountain, a way which had not previously been taken by clrmb- ; ers. The last stretch proved a difficult j climb, but eventually the party reached the summit of Mount Cook. Here they remained for three-quarters of an hour, and they obtained a glorious view. The sea on either side of the South Island was within range of their observation. On the return journey the principal difj ficulty met with was on the Linda Glacier, where the hot sun prevailing had considerably softened the snow, and the men made a slow journey, with snow over their knees.' "Compared with Switzerland, Mount Cook provides a far more interesting climb." said Lieut. Gran. He said that there was a much longer ice field on Mount Cook, and the final stage of the journey was much longer than 1 was on the case on the principal moun- [ tarns of Switzerland, while he said he found the weather conditions at Mount Cook much better than in i Switzerland. Lieut. Gran paid a tribute to the skill and abilities of Guides Graham and Milne, i The reporter mentioned that it had i | been rumored that Lieut. Gran intended * J to make an expedition to the Antarctic 1 j in about three years' time, the object of • J the expedition being to gain further scientific knowledge. Lieut. Gran smil- > ed. and remarked that he thought it 1 too early yet to say anything about the matter. lie did not deny that the thought was in his mind, but ended the subjeet by remarking that "nothing definite has been fixed yet; it is a long time off." Proceeding, Lieut. Gran said: "I like Polar exploration very much. When once one -starts these things one always wants to go back to them. One gets the fever and the Polar regions will , always be calling." Lieut. Gran mentioned that at Fairlie \ he had inspected a new motor sledge ' { that had been invented by a New Zeaj lander. He said he wished to make it ' clear that he did not know a great deal , ' about motors', but he had come to the ' conclusion that compared with the motor sledges used by Captain Scott's expedition the new invention was a machine of much greater speed. It was far lighter and far less expensive. "I should think this sledge'would be well worth..trying in Polar expeditions." concluded Lieut. Gran. Lieut. Gran stated that one of the ' objects of his visit was to ascertain the J , prospects of introducing the sport of ski-ing at Mount Cook, and he found that round about Fairlie and towards Mount Cook the conditions were splendid, and he described the hills as absolutely perfect for ski-ing. "Now," he said, "as the natural conditions are so good it simply becomes a question as to whether sufficient snow can be obtained " at the best spots." contained Lieut. Gran. "But I am satisfied that the country is quite suitable. Of course, ski-ing would not be possible in summer, but in win- ' ter T think the prospects for introducing the sport are very good indeed, and when ' the new Hermitage at Mount Cook is ' completed an inducement should be offered to lovers of mountain regions to " go in for ski-ing." Lieut. Gran expressed a hope that the New Zealand Government would do something to encourage the sport at Mount Cook. He went on to sav that near the Hermitage there is excellent "jumping," the hills providing n tine drop of about 30 degrees, which could be perfected at a very small cost.