Guiding At Mount Cook “Pretty Well Over”

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29869, 9 July 1962, Page 13

Guiding At Mount Cook “Pretty Well Over”

“Guilding on Mount Cook Is pre:ty well over” said the chief guide at the Hermitage, Mr Mick Bowie, in an interview. He was reviewing the changes which have taken place during the 34 years he has been a guide there. Shorter stays at the mountain. the use of planes to take tourists to the ski fields, and the increasing number of competent amateur climbers have caused the traditional methods of guiding to become almost obsolete.

“There is a different style of travel now. People used to came and spend a fortnight here covering as much ground as possible. Now they are too busy to stay longer than a nigh: or two," he said. Pianes allow them to see the peaks and glaciers without the fatigue of climbing. “It's a thrill really out of the box for tourists to be able to land on a glacier and to fly over the peaks, as well as being able to land right on the ski fields, and the planes are useful for stocking the huts and rescue operations.

"Although if a climber is a couple of days overdue in these mountains you can give up hope for him as a rule,” said Mr Bowie.

There are more people climbing than ever before, but these are mainly from clubs.

"Climbing is a young person’s sport. Guides are too expensive and joining a club is the answer, they have found. Most of them are very competent and the acciden rate in proportion to the numbers climbing is no higher than it ever was," said Mr Bowie. During the years, snowfall had been steadily decreasing and the glaciers had dropped about 200 ft, said Mr Bowie. “However. I understand they will build up again." During his years of guiding. Mr Bowie has met a good cross-section of people The awkward ones are the exception. ‘‘Most are very good. In this dangerous country there is not much use taking a guide if you are not prepared to do as he tells you.” he said. “People are essentially good and will do you a good turn rather than not.” he added.

Many of the people he guided have become friends and return year after year “You don't think of them as employers,” said Mr Bowie.

His own climbing career he describes as “fairly humdrum.” There are few peaks he has not climbed but these are the ones he likes best. “It's often very disappointing once I have climbed a particular peak. The battle is over,” he said. Mr Bowie said that his worst experiences had been on the easier trips, especially through the passes to the West Coast. "You know the route is fairly easy so you take a fairly inexperienced

party out even when the weather is not very good. When it involves a dangerous climb if the weather isn't right then you don't go out,” he said. Are people getting softer? "The hardest exercise most people take at the Hermitage these days is a walk on the Tasman glacier. It's really only healthy exercise, there's nothing really difficult about it. A bus takes them to the glacier, but some people, especially Americans find the going tough. The only exercise they seem to get is to' walk from their houses to the car ports,’ he said.