ASCENT OF MOUNT COOK

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27858, 5 January 1956, Page 13

ASCENT OF MOUNT COOK

PARTY USES FYFE’S ROUTE

(New Zealand Press Association)

TIMARU. January 4. An ascent of Mount Cook by Fyfe’s route—named after the leader of the first party to climb the mountain—was accomplished by three climbers on December 29. This is believed to be the only time the route has been used since the first ascent of Mount Cook on December 24, 1894. by Messrs T. C. Fyfe, George Graham and J. M. Clark.

Last Thursday’s successful climbers were Messrs Graham McCallum. Wellington. D. Herron and Tonquist. Auckland. They started their assault from the Empress hut. traversed the high peak of the mountain to the Haast, and descended by the Linda route.

The same party also made a first ascent by a new route of the middle peak of Mount Cook. This - climb was also made from the Empress hut, the party going up the ice face of the Hooker glacier.

Two other outstanding climbs were made in the region during the holidays. On December 29. Messrs Allan Berry and Neil Hamilton, of Christchurch. made the first ascent of the west buttress of Mount Lendenfeldt (10.551 ft and, on New Year’s Day. the west buttress of Mount Tasman (11.475 ft was climbed for the first time by the same party. The assault of Mount Tasman was made from the Pioneer hut, the climb taking 36 hours.

The second ascent of Mount Cook by the South Ridge route was made by Messrs Bruce Gillies and H. Stevenson, of Oamaru, from the Gardiner hut. The first climb by this route was made by Sir Edmund Hillary and Guide Harry Ayres about five years ago.