NEW FIELD FOR ALPINISTS

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27985, 4 June 1956, Page 7

NEW FIELD FOR ALPINISTS

SOUTH GEORGIAN MOUNTAINS HILLARY RECOMMENDS N.Z. EXPEDITION A rich field of virgin peaks on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia was a challenge to New Zealand mountaineers, said Sir Edmund Hillary in an address in the Civic Theatre on Saturday evening, describing his voyage to the Weddell Sea in the Theron last summer. He said he thought an expedition could be formed by mountaineers in the Dominion to visit the island.

“I strongly recommend any mountaineers willing to take up a challenge to turn their eyes to South Georgia,” he said. ‘‘There are some really good peaks there and some magnificent mountains waiting to be climbed.”

Sir Edmund Hillary said that although the mountains ranged in height from only 6000 ft to 9000 ft, mountaineers would have to fight bad weather, which would call on all their abilities. Glaciers were extensive, and any group would have an interesting and an exciting time. ‘‘lt is the ideal sort of area for an expedition,” he said. “In the backbone of mountains on the island only one or two of the numerous peaks have been climbed.” Climb in Gumboots On the Theron’s voyage south the ship called at tue island, and to get some exercise expedition members decided to scale *’a little bump” of ibUUit—a hign, pointed, grey pinnacle of rock —rising from tne waters of the Pay where the vessel was anchored. Delayed by some work aboard. Sir Edmund Hillary said, he was late in starting, and other members were out of sight when he began to climb. He was wearing only shoes, and .near the summit was finding the going very hard indeed when he had to dive under a ledge to escape being swept away by an avalanche of rock and boulder. The avalanche was followed by a young member of the Theron’s crew, who jolted to a stop beside Sir Edmund Hillary and said: “My word! This mountaineering is tough in gumboots.” Telling the story of last summer’s British expedition to set up a base at Vahsel Bay, in the Weddell Sea, Sir Edmund Hillary showed colour slides to illustrate his remarks. An audience of 4bo persons often gasped with delight at the incredibly wide variety of colours in the south polar regions, from the brilliance of the midnight sun to the delicate greens of the smooth sea merging into deep blues and near-black indigos under the lee of a dazzling white iceberg.