Chief Guides Honoured

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31981, 7 May 1969, Page 18

Chief Guides Honoured

“With the retirement of Chief Guide M. Bowie at Mount Cook, the era of the great chief guides has ended,” says Mr A. R. Craigie, president of the New Zealand Alpine Club, in his annual report to be presented on Friday evening. He says that the committee, wishing to acknowledge the dedicated sendee given by these men, asked Messrs V. Williams, Bowie and H. H. Ayres to accept honorary

membership. “All have been pleased to accept,” says Mr Craigie, “and we welcome them as persons pre-eminently distinguished in mountaineering.” . Mr Williams first went to the Hermitage in 1922 at the

age of 19. He became chief guide in 1927 and headed the guilding service until 1938. Mr Bowie succeeded him as chief guide, but soon after taking the post he left for China with a New Zealand mountaineering party. Mr Bowie served overseas during the war and in spite of wounds returning to guiding, When the National Park Board took over the main guiding service at Mount Cook in 1958, Mr Bowie stayed on with the Hermitage. Mr Ayres started guiding at the Fox Glacier in 1931 and then worked at the Waitomo Caves and the Chateau Tongariro before joining the Hermitage staff in 1937. He

served in the Pacific during the war, and on his return to the Hermitage began a long association with Sir Edmund Hillary. Most notable of their exploits in the area was the first ascent of Mount Cook by the south ridge. Mr Ayers played a major part in the Trans-Antarctie Expedition from 1955 to 1958. He collected the sledge dogs from the Australian base at Mawson and trained them on the Tasman Glacier before returning to the Antarctic to make some important sledge trips in Victoria Land. He joined the newly formed Mount Cook National Park Staff on his return, and became chief guide as well as head . ranger. In 1961 he moved to Hanmer Springs.