MISSING MOUNTAINEERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 March 1943, Page 3

MISSING MOUNTAINEERS

SEARCH ABANDONED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) TIMARU, March 29. The search for two missing mountaineers, Leading Aircraftman W. F. Wallis, Christchurch, and Sergeant W. P. Morton, Auckland, having produced no result on Friday, a further effort was made on the slopes above Malte Brun Glacier. An attempt would have been made on this part of the mountain earlier in the week, but searchers were unable to climb in this direction owing to the iced conditions of the rocks. It was here that Mr T. Newth; Christchurch Mountaineering Club, discovered a number of articles at' a height of from 8000 to 8500 feet up the mountain. There were two ice axes, a pullover, ski cap, and an untouched lunch wrapped in a tea towel. There was also a coiled-up mountaineering rope. It is known that this was a spare rope which belonged to Morton and that the two men were using another rope on the climb.

For some time after the discovery of the articles Mr Newth searched rock faces, but was unable to locate the missing men or their bodies. Searchers have reached the conclusion that the missing climbers fell from a ridge along which they were moving down a very steep rock face. In view of the difficulties involved and the dangers to which searchers would be exposed, it is believed that further efforts to recover the bodies will not be made. The eight men who constituted the search party have been withdrawn from Malte Brun and returned to the Hermitage.