First Mt Cook solo climb in winter

Press, 14 July 1982, Page 21

First Mt Cook solo climb in winter

Timaru reporter An ascent of Mount Cook (3764 metres) by Bill McLeod, of Te Anau, towards the end of last week, was one for the record books. According to the duty ranger at Mount Cook National Park headquarters. Mr Lindsay Bell, it was the first winter solo ascent of the peak. An examination of the park records had shown that the feat has not previously been accomplished in the winter by one person. Thursday night’s climb from Plateau Hut (2350 m which is above Hochstetter Icefall (north side), on the

west ridge of Glacier Dome, in the Grand Plateau, was achieved in 12 hours.' The return journey, by the same route (Linda Glacier) took eight hours. . Mr McLeod left Plateau Hut at 11 p.m. on Thursday, gaining the summit in settled weather. Mr Bell said that Mr McLeod encountered a little powdered snow, but generally it was firm going. “Mr McLeod actually followed the tracks of the guided party which, on July 4. repeated’the first winter ascent by R. Wigley and guides Frank Milne and N. Murrell in 1923;" said Mr Bell.

The repetitive climb by the Linda route was made by Messrs Nick Banks and Gary Ball, and an Englishman, lan Harland (“The Press,” July 7). The honour of having been the first mountaineer to have made the first solo ascent of Mount Cook belonged to the Swiss guide, Zurbriggen. He. with Jack Adamson, who managed the Hermitage, accompanying him part of the way. made the second ascent and first solo ascent by a ridge just south of the Linda Glacier. This ridge is now known as Zurbriggen Ridge.