Expedition’s Obstacles

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31942, 20 March 1969, Page 1

Expedition’s Obstacles

Six-inch centipedes, a swim through shark-in-fested waters, and the landing of more than two tons and a half of fresh water, food and equipment by flying-fpx on a beachless island were among the problems confronting the recent Ball’s Pyramid film expedition in the Admiralties. Ball’s Pyramid is one of a group of rocky islets near Lord Howe Island, a New South Wales dependency about 300 miles off the Australian coast. A Christchurch member of the expedition. Dr J. Pascoe, was the medical officer for the party which made the second ascent of the 1850 ft island peak in February. He is a senior house surgeon at Christchurch Hospital. The expedition, financed by a grant from the Australian Broadcasting Commission, was primarily intended to make a film of the ascent,

Dr Pascoe said yesterday that the 13 members of the expedition, 12 of them from Australia, left Sydney by fly-ing-boat for Lord Howe Island on February 18, a distance of 436 miles. They planned to spend three weeks on Ball’s Pyramid, but unfavourable seas kept them on Lord Howe Island for five days before they could be taken to the pyramid by fishing boat. They were there for two weeks. The 15ft swell and sheer landing prevented the fishing boat from approaching nearer than 50 yards to the pyramid. They had to swim this distance in water known to be infested by sharks and land their food and equipment by flying-fox. They transported 300 gallons of water weighing one ton and a,half and food and equipment'weighing a ton to a base camp about 80ft above sea level.

The pyramid abounded in sea bird life and six-inch centipedes which had been the cause of an earlier expedition failure when a man had been, badly bitten while camped on a centipede nest. *

The climb of the south ridge and descent and its filming took nine days, compared with four days taken by q straight climbing expedition of four Australians on the first ascent in 1965. It was an almost vertical ascent throughout of mostly solid basalt with few steps. It was more an exposed climb than a difficult one and had an Australian grading of “severe;” The summit dome was 30ft

in diameter with a few tussocks growing in the rocks. Rock pitons, bolts and 3000 ft of fixed rope were used during the ascent, but doubleroping down the almost vertical rock faces reduced the time of descent to a day and a half.

The expedition was led by Mr J. Davis, of Sydney, who was one of those who made the first ascent. There were two doctors, a zoologist, and

three women members of the expedition. Four of the climbers were among Australia’s most experienced mountaineers. Ten of its members reached the summit.

The photograph of Ball’s Pyramid was taken from the fishing boat which landed the party on the islet. The south ridge and summit which the expedition clinibed is on the right.