ASCENT OF MT. COOK

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27874, 24 January 1956, Page 2

ASCENT OF MT. COOK

WOMAN OF 60 CLIMBS HIGH PEAK

A married woman in her sixtieth year with three children, the eldest of whom is 34, has climbed the high peak of Mount Cook during the recent holiday climbing season. She is Mrs Ruth Charteris, of the Lake Te'Anau Downs Station. She has had the high peak of Mount Cook as an objective for some years, and has been training with guides at the Hermitage in preparation for the ascent. It is believed that no man in his sixtieth, year has yet succeeded in climbing the high peak, which is one of New Zealand’s major climbing feats.

The ascent, which was made in good time, was from the Haast Hut, up the Linda glacier route, which held up many of the Dominion’s leading pioneer climbers in their attempts on the peak. The climb was made with the assistant chief guide at the Hermitage, Mr Murray Douglas, and guide Gavin Harper. They left the Haast Hut and started the 7000 vertical feet of climb half an hour after midnight, arriving at the summit of the high peak about 10 a.m. They got back to the hut about 5.30 p.m.

The ascent aroused considerable interest at the Hermitage, where it is regarded not only as a triumph for a mother of three, but also for skilled guiaing.

The guides said that Mrs Charteris arrived back at the hut in very good condition. She intends to continue climbing lower peaks, but does not propose again to attempt major climbs.

The conditions were very good at the time, and this year 27 persons have reached the high peak during the season—a record. The previous best seasons record was in 1950 when 18 reached the top. The oldest woman previously to have climbed the peak did a grand traverse of the mountain at the age of 58. She was Mrs Ann Thompson, of Greymouth, who climbed the mountain m 1916, and lived to the age of