New Guinea Climb Unsuccessful

Press, Volume C, Issue 29557, 5 July 1961, Page 7

New Guinea Climb Unsuccessful

< -Reuter—Copyright)

THE HAGUE, July 4. An attempt by six New Zealand and Australian mountaineers to elimb i the Carstensi Pyramide 116M)*fti In central Dutch New Guinea, lias been cancelled. according to messages reaching The Hague from the New Guinea correspondent of the Dutch news agency. On June 30 it was reported that the climbers were running short of food owing to the failure of food dropping* by air The weather had been so b,d da T» that aircraft had failed to find the New Zealand party, then believed to be somewhere near the snowline of the peak Radio messages from the climbers had ceased. Yesterday's messages from Hillandia said that all six climbers had returned safely to Ilaga Plain to the north of the Carrtansz at a height nf -000 ft. Five of the six have meanwhile flown on to vVamena in the Baliem Valley. Dave Steiger, the pilot of the American mission aircraft that picked up the New Zealand climbers in tlaga said they were only three days from the summit when they had to give up owing to a food shortage. Geological Find In spite of their failure, the party were not downhearted They had made a number of important geological finds which had made the expedition a success, and they now knew how to tackle the Pyramid from the north side for future attempts. The New Zealand Alpine Club sponsored the expedi-

tion. The British Mount Everest Foundation had also contributed financially towards the expedition. The expedition is led by C. K Putt, a New Zealand resident in Sydney. The others are D. E. Cooper 'Auckland:, T, Barfoot •Auckland), D. B. Dow (Wau, Australian New Guinea), L Crawford and P. Temple (Christchurch). The party left Tiom, at the head of the Baliem Valley, eight days ago for the Ilaga Plateau Just before Ilaga the Beliem river dives underground. reappearing further up. Paths beaten out by the Papuans on the plateau enabled the New Zealand climbers to make good progress. The actual climb of the Carstensz peak from Ilaga was undertaken by the New Zealanders alone, without bearers.