CLIMBING SEASON

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30442, 16 May 1964, Page 18

CLIMBING SEASON

Bad Weather And Snow

The last climbing season had probably the worst weather for 30 or 40 years, said the president of the New Zealand Alpine Club (Mr W. S. Gilkison, of Otago) jin his report to the annual meeting of the club in i Christchurch last evening. 5 Right through the norma! ! holiday period nor’-westers 1 blew practically unabated and the combination of bad ; weather and dangerous snow f conditions had meant that * climbing over this period virr tually came to a halt, he said. ’ Mr Gilkison said that a ; few lucky ones managed to snatch climbs, while various strenuous cross-country trips . (some unpremeditated) were . made. Those who were able to take their holidays before or after the Christmas- . New Year period found j rather better weather condi.tions and some excellent I climbing was done. ? Another result of the bad snow conditions, he said, was i a tragic series of deaths by F accident and exposure. “While In some of these it 1 appears that the chief cause was the failure of compara1 tive novices to appreciate the dangerous conditions, one ■\ accident, at least, involved 1 competent climbers and appears to have been in the | nature of bad luck combined with unusual conditions." < | said Mr Gilkison. s I He said several important , overseas expeditions had rei ceived or had been promised > assistance from the club. Those already helped were ; the Australasian - American ■ Andean Expedition and P. i Farrell’s expedition to the Peruvian Andes. I Support had already been ' I promised to parties planning 3 1 to visit Heard Island and Nepal, he said.