SEVEN FIRST ASCENTS

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21356, 26 December 1934, Page 11

SEVEN FIRST ASCENTS

CLIMBING IN LAKE OHAU REGION

PARTY'S SUCCESSFUL TRIP First ascents of Mounts Jackson, Barron, Baker, Simpson, Hickson, Knowles, and Dundas, second ascents by new routes of Mounts Welch and Kitson, and a second ascent and first traverse (ascending and descending by new routes) of Mount Ward were made recently by a party of three mountaineers. Messrs R. Scott Russell (Otago Section of the New Zealand Alpine Club and Canterbury Mountaineering Club), Christopher Johnson, and J. Dawson (Otago Section of the New Zealand Alpine Club), during a very successful climbing trip in the Lake Ohau region. In addition to this excellent "bag" of peaks the party reached for the first time two unnamed main divide passes, and also made the first traverse of Baker Glacier, which is nearly two miles long. The party enjoyed almost continuous fine weather and perfect climbing conditions. Mountr Jackson, the first peak attempted, gave the party what they described as "a good day's outing, but they were not immediately successful in ascending it. A route was tried from a col south of Mount Baker, but after some hours of clinging to steep rocks an impasse was reached. The climbers then turned theiu attention tof Mounts Baker and Dundas, and reached the summits of both without much difficulty.

Mount Jackson Climbed

Later the summit of Mount Jackson was reached by a route up the eastern face. This involved a good deal of ice work, but as it was not yet badly broken, being comparatively early in the season, it provided interesting climbing. The party was forced, however, to traverse Mount Knowles on the way. This peak has "a rickety rock ridge," along most of which the party travelled "a cheval." One gendarme necet-itated a detour down a steep ice-filled gully, after which a few hundred feet of splendid rock gave access to the summit. Mount Barron was climbed from a col to the south of the peak up a long snow couloir. Fortunately the snow was in perfect condition for crampons, and made easy travelling over what mie'.t have proved a very laborious piece of "snowplugging." The second ascents of Mounts Welch and Kitson were made in the same day.

Interesting Ice Formation

An ice ridge to the south of . the peak gave access to the summit of Mount Ward. The only difficulty encountered on this ridge, which forms part of the main divide, was six feet of overhanging ice above a schrund. Eventually the climbers were able to cut steps up the ice, and the summit was reached at 0.30 in the morning. This ice ridge is of peculiar formation, being a sort of "quarter-deck" to the Baker Glacier, which sends its ice down on both sides of the divide. The descent was made to the north of the peak on a very rotten rock face down 100 feet of which the party had to descend on doubled ropes. The camp was reached by traversing the Baker Glacier to the col, from which a long glissade to the south of Mount Baker was obtained. Mounts Simpson and Hickspn were climbed in the one day, presenting no difficulties.

The two divide passes reached by the party are described by the members as better passes than Surveyor's Col, and they are expected to provide better routes to the Landsborough Valley, in which mountaineers have become increasingly interested in the last year or two, but the party did not descend them. After a brief return to civilisation Messrs Russell and Johnson, with Mr A. J. Scott, of Christchurch, have left for more climbing in the Landsborough Valley.