Tests for climbers?

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33128, 19 January 1973, Page 8

Tests for climbers?

Sir, —My mountaineering first became safe with thei passing of the Climbing, Retreating and Ascending (Prevention) Act of 1974, whereby I was graded at the ITekapo Plains Camp under Wing Commander S. C. Orr. After a recent regrading, my seven class 3B rope-mates and I made a very safe attack on Mt Sebastopol I (4819 ft by the Nature-walk Spur, wearing the yellow helmets, triple-safety harness and double first-aid kits that characterise my class. The class IE climbers supplied by the park board did 1 sterling service clearing loose i rocks and snow away from I above us, fixing the ropes and brewing the traditional summit cup of decaffeinated I tea. I would like to thank i Mr B. Thomas, Chief Arranger, for verifying that I can in fact descend two grades harder than I can climb. I would also like to ask him what the park board [intends to do about the unclassified blue-jeaned hermit we observed on the south face of Cook carrying an iceaxe and a jam jar of water? —Yours, etc., HOWARD DENGATE. January 18, 1973.

Sir, — Flight - Lieutenant Orr’s comments are no doubt

meant to be helpful but he has not given the matter much thought Not only would such a restriction place the Chief Ra.iger — who, although doing an excellent job, has had very limited climbing experience — in an invidious position but it would alienate the very people he needs to help out on rescue parties. It would also act as a goad to most young climbers and, to enforce it, would need almost a police set up with road blocks. Tragedies are by no means confined to the Mount Cook area but occur anywhere from the Nelson Lakes to the Darrans. Relying- on memory five have been killed on the local hills, three on Torlesse and fourteen on the peaks above Arthur’s Pass itself. In the Mount Cook area, this century, twelve have met their deaths in guided parties while, of the remainder, at least half have been experienced people.—Yours, etc., C. January 1% 1973.