MOUNTAINEERING

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21456, 24 April 1935, Page 17

MOUNTAINEERING

#—_ EASTER AT CARRINGTON HUT MOUNTS MURCHISON AND HARPER CLIMBED The late Easter, with its comparatively short days, did not provide the most suitable conditions lor climbing, but the members of the Canterbury Mountaineering Club who spent the holidays at the Carrington Hut or in crossing the alpine passes enjoyed perfect weather. Nearly a score of club members went up the river by moonlight in the early hours of Good Friday morning from the Bealey railway siding, eight of them continuing to the Park-Morpeth Hut at the head of the Wilberfcrce river as the first stage of the trip over the Harman, Whitehorn's, and Browning's Passes, while about a dozen remained at the Carrington Hut.

On Saturday, Messrs G. McElroy, G. Symes, and H. Esquilant made an ascent of Mount Murchison, the highest peak in Arthur's Pass National Park. Messrs N. Barker and C. G. Buchanan reached for the first time a col at the head of the Marmaduke Dixon Glacier leading to Arthur's Creek, a tributary of the Wilberforce, and three others made a trip to the Waimakariri col. All three parties found the glaciers very "open," and the absence of any surface snow on the ice necessitated constant step-cutting. The ascent, of Mount Murchison took 18V hours.

On Sunday three members of the West Coast branch of the club reached the Carrington Hut in the course of a three-pass crossing from west to east, and on Monday three rover scouts, on the same trip, passed through. That day an ascent of Mount A. P. Harper was marie from Harper Creek by Messrs Buchanan, Barker, Esquilant, and A. Lees, the others returning down the river to the Bealey. The climb on Mount Harper was also an arduous one, and the descent of the bluffs from Camp Spur had to be made in darkness. The remaining members of the party caught the express at the Bealey yesterday on their return to Christchurch.

TWO- PEAKS CLIMHED ASCENTS 11Y RANGIORA CLUII MEMBERS The successful ascent of Mounts Oates (6900 ft) and Franklin (7300 ft), two prominent peaks in the region north of Arthur's Pass, was made during the Easter holidays by Messrs G. Baniield and R. G. Logan, two members of the Rangiora Tramping Club. The two climbers left Otira about midnight on Thursday and after following the Otira river for about three miles, turned up the Deception river in the direction of Goat Pass. Camp was made near Good Luck creek below Mount Franklin about 10 a.m. on Good Friday. The ascent of Mount Franklin was begun at daybreak on Saturday morning, shingle slides and upper basins making good access to the main peak, the top of which was reached at 12.30 p.m. Thc descent was started about two hours later via * steep couloir and camp was reached at dusk. Camp was shifted on .Sunday morning across the main divide via Goat Pass at an altitude of 3000 feet to Kennedy Falls, in the Mingha river headwaters. It was decided to attempt. an ascent of Mount Oates. although the day was well advanced Thc climbers left earnp at 3 p.m., and reached thc summit at sunset, steep bush slopes and divide ridge screes giving access to a rock shimney leading to the final 300 feet of steep sumrait rock. The party was overtaken by darkness and mist during the descent and a wrong lin led them to precipitous bluffs. Renewed ellorts to get down led the climbers to constant bluffs, with a result that they did not reach camp until midnight. Tlicy arrived back at Rangiora yesterday morning.