TWO MISSING CLIMBERS

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23745, 17 September 1942, Page 6

TWO MISSING CLIMBERS

PROBABLY LOST ON AUGUST 27 Observations made by searchers for the two missing climbers, Messrs F. O. Tozer and A. D. Jackson, who set out more than three weeks ago on a trip up the Cass Valley, near Lake Tekapo, indicate that the men probably met disaster on Thursday, August 27, the first day on which they attempted any climb. Messrs L. V, Bryant, L. K, Murray, C. L. Mahan, and F. W. Chapman, who are members of the New Zealand Alpine Club, were among the searchers for the missing men. A diary belonging to Mr Tozer was found by Mr Murray, and entries in it show that the two climbers left Glenmore Station on August 24, intending to spend 10 days climbing in the Cass Valley region. The first day they covered only three miles, spending the night in a small hut at Joseph’s Creek. On the following day, they went six miles to Waterfall Hut, which they intended making their headquarters. On August 26, the men spent the day in the hut, weather conditions being unfavourable for climbing. The last entry in the diary recorded that the men' were retiring to bed early that night (August 26), as the following morning they hoped to clinjb a ro.cky peak at the back of the hut. The searchers found no other record of the missing men’s movements. On Friday, September 4, it was anticipated that they would return from their trip. Stores and sleeping-bags left at Waterfall Hut indicated that the climbers had left the hut, intending to return to it. Footprints were found by searchers at a high level, but bad weather prevented a thorough search of the higher country being made. The search was practically confined to the peak on which footprints were discovered. There is a considerable area of undefined country in the region, with no particularly prominent peak. Several jagged, rocky peaks surround a large snowy basin, which forms the valley from which the climbers operated.