UPPER RAKAIA SURVEY

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29385, 12 December 1960, Page 19

UPPER RAKAIA SURVEY

Eight Weeks’ Work By Mountaineers Aiming to compile an accurate map of the rugged mountain headwaters of the Rakaia and produce a history and route guide for the area, a party of climbers left Christchurch yesterday to begin an eight weeks’ ground survey. Led by D. J. Elphick, an experienced mountaineer who has been responsible for organising this private expedition and survey, the party will base itself at the Lyell hut. The other members of the party are A. Goodmanson, of Greymouth. and W. Frew of Christchurch, and G. Warren, a geologist from the New Zealand Geological Survey. Over Christmas, the party will tramp to the Erewhon Col and receive an air drop of supplies, and will then be joined by two other parties—seven climbers from Canterbury University and four climbers from Brisbane University. This will make 15 members in the Christmas survey. The two university parties will leave the area for the West Coast by way of the Wanganui river, and other Canterbury climbers will tramp up the Rakaia to assist with the expedition in midJanuary. In recent weeks, a great deal of preparation and planning has gone into the survey, and packhorses have been used to carry supplies up the Rakaia to the base at the Lyell hut. Mr Elphick said yesterday that the results of the expedition would be published in the “New Zealand Alpine Journal.” A photographic record would be made of the different peaks and detail would be filled in on a sketch map. The plotting and checking of existing topographic maps, he said, would be done by plane table and compass. At one stage of the survey, the party will be living in snow caves at about 7000 ft near Mount Evans. “Our main object is to fix the topography of the upper Rakaia peaks, but we will also be collecting high alpine plants and studying the fauna of the area,” said Mr Elphick.