Mt. Cook Climbed By East Face

Press, Volume C, Issue 29680, 25 November 1961, Page 10

Mt. Cook Climbed By East Face

(From Our Own Reporter)

TIMARU, Nov. 24. The east face of Monnt Cook has been climbed for the first time. A party consisting of Messrs D. Cowie, a Scotsman living in Christchurch, P, Farrell. and V. Walsh, Englishmen, also of Christchurch, and L. Crawford, employed by the Mount Cook National Park Board, made the ascent on Thursday. The party flew to the Grand Plateau and arrived at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. They slept until 10 p.m. that day and as the moon was full and conditions favourable, they began the climb towards the centre of the east face at midnight. They climbed for 18 hours, finding good hard snow. The Eiger Wall in Switzerland could not have been steeper than the conditions they encountered, members of the party said. The party reached the summit of Mount Cook on Thursday and then ascended a further 200 yards to traverse the high peak of Mount Cook. They descended by way of the Linda Glacier and spent a very uncomfortable night at an altitude of 11,500 ft. They found it necessary to tie themselves with ropes to the rocks because of the hiarti wind. For about half the climb they were able to use front prongs of their crampons to

grip the ice, and had to use both ice and rock pitons. It took the party one hour to complete 20 yards at one section. They reached the Haast Hut at 2 p.m. today and telephoned The Hermitage to" report their safe arrival. The party then descended to the Ball Hut by way of the Haast ridge and reached the Hermitage at 9 p.m. All were in good condition.