Best Season’s Climbing In Alps For Several Seasons

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28795, 16 January 1959, Page 14

Best Season’s Climbing In Alps For Several Seasons

Many climbing parties are now returning from the Southern Alps and back-country ranges after experiencing the best climbing weather for several seasons, and the good conditions have assisted mountaineers in making a number of ascents of the major peaks in the dividing range. Activities included an ascent of Mount Cook, the second this season, climbs of Mount Tasman and the Silberhorn, and a successful assault on Malte Brun (10,421 ft by a woman climber, Mrs ‘W. Croll. Several other peaks over 10,000 ft were also climbed. The ascent of Mount Cook was accomplished by two Austrians, one of whom, Mr H. Leitner, is an experienced guide in hia_home country. They made the climb by the Zurbriggen (north-east) ridge; they subsequently made climbs of Mount Haidinger, the Silberhorn, and Tasman during the Christmas and New Year holiday period. Two members of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Alpine Club, Messrs A. C. Rattray and J. Stainers Smith, carried out several major climbs in the main alpine area, including the third traverse from Mount Goldsmith along the main divide to the Minarets, of 10,058 ft. The climb took 23 hours, the men setting out from the Malte Brun hut at 2 a.m. and arriving back at 1 a.m. the next day. Much step-cutting and ice work was necessary during the climb. They also made an ascent of Malte Brun by the north-west face, possibly a new route, and completed climbs of several other lesser-known peaks in the area which are rarely visited by mountaineers, their attractions being overshadowed by their larger neighbouring peaks. With two members of the Dunedin branch of the alpine club, Messrs Rattray and Stamers Smith made the first ascent since 1952 of Mount Haeckel (9649 ft and they also climbed the Silberhorn, of 10,757 ft. Tasman Peaks Popular The Silberhorn and adjacent Mount Tasman climb (the second highest peak in New Zealand) proved popular with mountaineering parties this season, possibly because of its demanding ice climbs,' and at least six ascents were made during the holidays. These were by Messrs D. McTaggart, K. Payne, R. H. Chapman, and Beedham; A. and H. Dowall, of Otago; R. Miller and R. Dickie: D. Somerset and D. Heraud, of Wellington; and Rattray and Sterners Smith (Silberhorn only). Another party climbed Tasman from the Pioneer hut bn the West Coast side of the Alps, by a route leading out on to the east face, then up the north ridge of the mountain. Three members of the Canterbury Mountaineering Club— Messrs S. Conway, W. Hannah, and R. Chapman—are at present on a climbing trip in the Earnslaw and Dart region of the Southern Lakes district, and while many other parties of club members have made various climbing trips, the club’s unsuccessful attempts to find the materials for building the Three Johns hut near Mount Cook, which-are still buried in deep snow, has demanded most of the time of many members during the holidays. A second attempt to find the

materials was made recently. Some members of the club are also climbing, and carrying out official duties with the New Zealand Antarctic expedition.