THREE PEAKS IN ONE DAY

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21580, 17 September 1935, Page 12

THREE PEAKS IN ONE DAY

MOUNTAINEERING AT ARTHUR'S PASS CLIMBERS' STRENUOUS TRIP A traverse of three major peaks of the Arthur's Pass National Park, Mounts Rolleston and Armstrong, and Carrington Peak, was made on Sunday by Messrs E. W. Rich and J. Hayes, members of the Canterbury Mountaineering Club. This "marathon" effort took 19J hours, but the climbers enjoyed perfect snow conditions nearly all the way and ideal weather. They travelled to Arthur's Pass on Saturday night by the goods train, and left the township in bright moonlight at 1.45 on Sunday morning. They climbed Mount Rolleston by way of the Bealey river and \he Goldney Ridge. The snow provided good conditions for crampons from the Bealey "glacier" onwards, and the crest of the Goldney Ridge was reached at 6.30. Here they paused to watch the moon set and the sun rise before continuing the climb to the low peak. This was reached at 7.45, and a little more than an hour sufficed to take them to the high peak. Morning mist spoilt lbs view, and a strong wind did not encourage a long spell on the summit. '

The steep couloir which leads from the summit ridge to the Waimakariri glaciers was frozen hard, but the surface provided sufficient "bite" for the crampon spikes. Sidling round steep slopes to avoid losing height, the climbers reached the Waimakariri Col at 11. After a spell of three-quarters of an hour for lunch they attacked the steep snow slopes of Mount Armstrong, the summit being reached at 12.30. The mist had cleared, and a magnificent view was obtained. No time was lost, however, in retracing their steps to the eol, where the packs had been left, and the climbers then headed for the ridge of Carrington Peak.

A Mistake This, as it turned out, was a mistake, for much more lime was spent on the "up and down" ridge work than would have been spent in following the snow slopes below. The highest summit of Carrington Peak was not reached until 4.45 p.m., and the party determined to save time, if possible, by finding a way down to Campbell Pass rather than return to the head of the Waimakariri snowfields. Retracing their steps about 200 yards along the ridge they found a steep couloir which gave access to the snow slopes below the peak. Sidling round these they reached the ridge leading down to Campbell Pass. From there they were in familiar country and a shingle slide eventually brought them out in the Waimakariri riverbed a fluarter of a mile above the Campbell stream. After a strenuous day the climbers were glad to reach the Carrington Hut at 9 p.m. The climbers tramped down the Waimakariri river yesterday morning, caught the midday express at the Bealey, and arrived back in Christchurch at 5 o'clock last evening.