LONG TREK INTO HIMALAYAS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27470, 2 October 1954, Page 8

LONG TREK INTO HIMALAYAS

EXPERIENCES OF N.Z. EXPEDITION “ VAST, UNEXPLORED » AREA DESCRIBED On their way into the Barun valley in the Himalayas and on their returc, members of this year’s New Zealand Alpine Club expedition had to trek 200 miles. This was one of the most interesting parts of the expedition, according to Mr Geoffrey Harrow, a inember of the expedition, who was interviewed in Christchurch yesterday on his return. Reviewing the work of the expedition, Mr Harrow said that they had surveyed a vast area of unexplored country and they had seen more than if they had been aiming at climbing only one peak. The route into the valley, “up and down dale, over watershed after watershed, and ridge after ridge.” In the Nepalese and Sherpa villages, Mr Harrow said, the inhabitants had shown them an “amazing” degree of respect. On their way out from the mountains they had passed through the Solo Khumba, the area south-east of Everest, which is the home of the Sherpas, at a time when the inhabitants were in the middle of great festivities of a religious and thanks* giving character. As Nepal had only been open to Europeans since about 1950, they had seen ceremonies previously seen by few foreigners. Mr Harrow and Dr. Charles Evans, an English member of the expedition, reached the greatest height of any members of the expedition. They reached almost 24,000 feet • as they ap* proached the col between Makalu I and Makalu II insearch of a high camp site. The expedition was then planning an assault on Makalu II or Chomo-Lonzo, both peaks of more than 25,000 ft. Soon after they withdrew to recuperate, Sir Edmund Hillary (leader of the expedition) tell id as a result of the rib injuries he received when he helped in the rescue of Mr James McFarlane from a 60ft crevasse. With Mr Colin Todd, Mr Harrow also reached the summit of the highest peak climbed by the expedition. It was 23,580 ft Baruntse, which Mr George Lowe described as one of the “most technical” climbs ever undertaken over 23,000 ft. Two days later, clearing the line of steps cut by the earlier party, Mesffi Lowe and W. B. Beaven, another Christchurch climber, who had both turned back on the previous assault, also reached the summit.