FIRST TRAVERSE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 3, 5 January 1937, Page 3

FIRST TRAVERSE.

SOUTHERN PEAKS. JOURNEY BY TWO MEN. TASMAN CROSSED AGAIN. A successful first traverse of Mount W ilezek and Mount Elie de Beaumont from the west was made 011 Christmas Day by a party consisting of Messrs. D. A. Carty (New Zealand Alpine Club) and J. Cox. On the first day of the trip the party defended the Scenter ice fall and traversed the Scenter glacier and camped at the junction of the Spencer and Lallery Rivers, after a heavy day hampered by mist and rain.~ The next day's programme was to climb to a site for a high bivouac on the ridge between the Scenter and Burton glaciers, within striking distance of the peak of Wilczck. This bivouac was established iu" 111 ist when the party could, proceed no further (says the "C'hrktchurch Press"). Later that evening the mist cleared, and a tentative route for tlie next day was selected. On the next day the climb was begun at 4.4.) a.m. along the ridge. Seveial gendarmes of very rotten rock took about three liours to negotiate before the party reached the snmvfielS on .the western slope of Wilczek that pours over into the Burton glacier. A (traverse of this snowfield was straightforward, and the real ascent of the peak was begun about 10.30. A very steep snow slope on the north-western face led up to slats of rock, heavily plasteied with ice. The rock was found to be very difficult, and had it not been foi an icefield couloir the ascent could not have been made.

Finally the summit reach was attained, and a traverse of a steep razorback with several small peaks, all slightly corniced, was accomplished. The crossing to Elie de Beaumont was without incident, and the summit of the mountain was reached about 2.30 p.m. Trudge Down Glacier. The descent of hlie de Beaumont into l asnian glacier was made without difficulty until the lowest big schriind was reached. This looked impassable, and an attempt was made to turn the slope of Waiter. The usual barrage of rocks and ice made this impossible, and the party retreated to the schrund. After exploration a possible route was round and negotiated safely. A big day finished at the Malte Brun Hut at 9.10 p.m., after a heavy trudge down the Taxman. The earlier days of the climb were full of interest, as the Scenter glacier had been almost untouched, and the Gallery and Burton glaciers had not previously been explored by mountaineers and had been entered only by prospectors in the late nineties. A traverse of Mount Tasman was made by Mr. H. K. Douglas, of Wellington, with Guide M. Bowie, of the Hermitage. Mount Cook, on December 27. The traverse of Tasman, recognised as , w Zealand's finest ice mountain, has been accomplished only once previously, by Mr. H. E. L. Porter and Mr. Marce Kurz, in 1920. The route followed on the present occasion was from the King Memorial Hut on the Haast Ridge, which the party \r 1 om° , a ni '' to tl,e •summit of Alount Silberliorn, reached at 6.15 a.m. and thence by the southern arete to the top of Tasman at 8.55 a.m. The descent was made by the northern arete to Engineer Col and over the top of Mount endenfeld, which was reached at 1 20 p.m., to Marcel Col. The party then descended to the Fox glacier and returned via Pioneer Pass to the Haast Hut at 7.10 p.m. Show conditions were excellent and a clear though cold dav enabled the climbers to enjoy magnificent panoramas of the alps at all stages of the climb. s o-X h \ party had P rev >ously climbed the Silberhorn and Mount Teichelmann on December 19. but on that occasion had to abandon the traverse of Tasman because of threatening weather. By a curious coincidence the last previous climb of Mount Tasman was made m c W,th Mr " Alan C - Browne, f.R.G.S., and Guide Frank Alack on the very same day the previous year December 27, 1935.