H. E. Riddiford

Press, 8 July 1989, Page 4

H. E. Riddiford

By

NORMAN HARDIE

Earle Riddiford died in Wellington, aged 67, on June 26. In Wellington he was distinguished as a lawyer and once owned the historic Orongorongo station between Pencarrow Head and Palliser Bay. In Christchurch his name is part of mountaineering history. In the late 19405, while an undergraduate in law at Canterbury University College, he was showing considerable ability as a mountaineer and administrator. He always had drive and ambition. Earle and I were two of a group of four who climbed many new routes, mainly in South Westland, in expedition style, carrying our gear for three weeks. This was before the days of helicopters, and in areas which had no huts.

Earle always had personal aims to make the biggest climb in the district and he would be prominent for the day on that mountain: but sometimes he was an almost reluctant starter for lesser pearls which this expedition style made available to his group. By 1949 Riddiford was pressing his three companions to advance to the Himalayas and even to consider the first ascent of Everest. For various reasons the others withdrew. Financing his own part in the expeditions that followed was always a struggle. Riddiford invited Ed Hillary, George Lowe and Ed Cotter to join him and, early in 1951, the first New Zealand Himalayan expedition went to India. They made several first ascents. Earle was true to form: he climbed none of the lesser peaks, but was out in front on the biggest and best, Mukut Parbat. For 20 years this remained the highest peak climbed by a New Zea-land-led expedition.

While the New Zealanders were still in India the British Everest Reconnaissance Expedition set out for Nepal. Eric Shipton, the leader, invited any two of the New Zealanders to join them. There was agreement that Ed Hillary should go; the second place was vigorously disputed. Earle Riddiford went and George Lowe was bitterly disappointed. The dispute over this lasted for years and was aggravated when Lowe gave his own version of events in his book, “Because It Is There.” Riddiford and Ed Hillary joined the British and it is clear they played a leading role in solving the problems of the lower access to Everest and in recognising the best route to the summit. Shipton accordingly invited both, and George Lowe, for the next attempt. However, the Swiss had beaten Shipton for permission to climb; so the British (and three New Zealanders) diverted to

Cho Oyu, seventh highest mountain in the world. The planning and equipping of this expedition were virtually done by Riddiford, working from an office in the Royal Geographical Society in London.

Cho Oyu was not a happy expedition for Earle. Apart from a mishap in which he damaged his back, the differences with George Lowe kept stirring a disturbing undercurrent. Earle did not return to the Himalayas. He resumed climbing in Westland with two of his original group and a variety of others. In spite of a severe heart attack in the 19705, he still had climbing ambitions and two years ago was on Avalanche Peak, Arthur’s Pass. The Riddiford assessment of , the standards of climbing was confirmed in the early 19505. The leaders of the first four large British expeditions invited Riddiford, Hillary, Lowe, Colin Todd and myself to join them. Tragically, Todd died in a motor-cycle accident on the eve of his departure for Kangchenjunga. Because they had no access to Switzerland during World War 11, young British climbers had little experience of big ice and glacier climbing.

Harold Earle Riddiford and Rosemary, his wife, established their family at Orongorongo, east of Wellington. Earlier, he had looked at several Westland properties and he made some offers. His favourite objective was the Cron run at Haast, along with the Landsborough grazing lease, which he called the "Cron Jewels.”

Earle’s father, Mr F. E. Riddiford, died when he was an infant. After he left Wanganui Collegiate School in 1938, Earle served with the New Zealand Army in the Pacific during World War 11. He worked in the Christchurch law firm of Mr C. S. Thomas, and then went into partnership in Wellington with his cousin, Mr Dan Riddiford, later Minister of Justice in the Holyoake Government. Their firm merged with Smyth, Johnston and Stevens in the early 19705. Earle later retired, except as a consultant to the practice, and concentrated on developing Orongorongo.

The Riddifords lived at Orongorongo for more than 20 years until it was sold a few years ago and converted to a tourist lodge. They bought the property which had been occupied by the Riddiford family almost continuously from 1845.

Earle Riddiford was for a time on the Alpine Club Committee, the Ross Dependency Research Committee and president of the Federated Mountain Clubs.

He is survived by his wife and four children.