AN ADVENTUROUS WALK

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 104, 28 January 1924, Page 9

AN ADVENTUROUS WALK

AIILFORD TRACK AT ITS WORST ’TRYING EXPERIENCES OF A TRAMPING PARTY I Th© Milford Track should not bo attempted in bad woatihor, or by parties including “lame ducks” nt any time. U?ho trying experiences of a party of four that struck it at its worst, during the phenomenally heavy and continuous Dilins from January 10 to January 14, should prove a warning to those who !®re inclined to disregard these essenjtials. Not only discomfort of the most disagreeable kind, but dangers far from imaginary, are otherwise evidently to be mot. 1' Tho party motored from Nelson, and 'HmcounXerod trouble through flooded toreoks on the way to Wamo. Then 'they camo back through the Otira Gorge, and reached Queenstown by way of Hindis Pass. They found the road from the Key onwards much improved Compared to what it was three years ago, but it was still bad in wet Weather. However, a start has been taade to metal it. ,i At Te Anau the troubles of the toarty, one of whom had made the trip before, and knew the track, oomJnenoed. “We had routfh weather on the run tip the lake to Glade House,” said one or them to a Dominion representative. •‘We found the Clinton River bank to bank, and it was still raining hard. We did not attempt the track that day, but the weather conditions were better next morning. . Landed with “Lame Duck.” I ’“We had a young fellow with us from Wellington, aged 17. He started off well enough, and, in fact, was making the pace at first, but he was the cause of all our troubles later on. It was our , intention to make the Quentin Hut, over the pass, tlhe first stage of the journey. After lunoh at Pompolona, the journey was recommenced at 2 p.m., and the top of the pass was reached by 3.30 p.m. Just before we got to the top ihe boy complained that he was tired, though the pace had not been at all hot. “I wish we had turned back then, but he was game, and keen enough to push on, but stops to have his legs rubbed became more and more frequent, and before a- mile had been covered down the other side of the pass he was being supported by <ne of us on each side. Two of the party, thinking that things plight get worse (it was raining steadily all the time we were On the pass), set out for the Quentin Hut for the stretcher, but on reachl ing the first tributary of Roaring Creek it was founjt to be in flood, and they decided to wait for the others and assist them across. V “Roaring Creek” in Flood. “A good rope was found on the bank, and the .first two got across fairly easily, but inside of five minelites,. by the time the others had come . up, with the boy, the creek had risen over two feet, and was then a roaring; torrent. Two of the party struggled Across with the boy, but it was impossible to keep the feet < n the bottom, owing to the swift current. Another party of two had joined up with us, and by holding the rope all managed to get across. Member of Party Collapses. “About half a mile further down, the boy collapsed altogether, and became unconscious for some two hours. A “bivvy’’ was built' f rom some old iron, the remains of an old hut, and two of the party remained with the boy in this shelter, while the others set out for the Quentin Hut. Some difficulty was experienced in crossing the next deep creek, where the water was too deep to wade, but this was avoided by crossing on avalanche ice, at the foot of the cliff, not far from the track. Over an Ice Bridge. “This spot was about two and a half miles from the Quentin Hut, but the first of the party to get back from the hut arrived at about 630 p.m., with the stretcher. One of the track men had also come up, ind the boy was carried down the track to the ice, and across it. This "voided most of the deep water, but on the other side of the. ice was a steep rock face, and the unconscious lad had to be hauled up this rock like a sack of potatoes. The slope was of just sufficient grade to enable one to 1 scramble up on all fours, and if one slipped there was a roaring torre.lt below coming out of the ice. One of the party had a narrow escape cf rolling down this rook, and was only prevented by the prompt action of another. On arriving at the top the boy had slightly recovered, at least he had regained consciousness, and was able to walk slowly with supports. The next three-,

quarters of a mile was done in the twilight, and thereafter there remained a mile or so to bo done in tne pitch dark. Feeling for Track in Dark. “The only way the track <ould bo found was by feeling for it, and to anyone who has been on the track it may seem amazing that any progress was made at all, as it is steep, with many big rocks on it, and banks at tho side over which one may fall- tn one place wo had to edge a»ong a ledge in a waterfall, where a slip would have meant a bad fall. . . “There were some amusing incidents. Once, when we changed to relieve the supporters, one found he was facing up the track and the other down witn the boy facing nowhere in particular, and then one of the party fell down tie bank, and the trackman behind fell on top of him. Frequently the two supports- and the bov would stumble and fall in a heaj>. The hut was finally reached at 10.4 a p.m. .Ladies at the hut attended to the boy, and rubbed him with oil, and by the morning ho had practically recovered. No Candles. “There were no hurricane lamps at the hut, and not even candles to make a bush lantern with a Lottie, vye 'Y® 10 fortunate that at in the worst stage of the trip in the < nark there were frequent flashes of lightning, and we waited, when we seemed in a dangerous spot, nil we could see our way by them. Water flowed down the track so copiously that at tunes we did not know if we were on the track or in the creek. Tho boy went on to Milford, but we let him go, and turned back, after a look at the Sutherland Falls. “There was the consolation that wo saw the falls along this route as few have seen them. There were falls where at ordinary times the rock is dry, and the large falls were magnificent. We could not get closer to the Sutherland Falls than 100 yards, on account of tho heavy spray. Floods at Clade House. “On arrival at the Glado House the Clinton River was well over the banks', owing to the lake having backed up, the water being unable to get away quickly enough. Another party spent a night in a tent opposite tho Glade House, until th© water rose sc high that they ha<i to climb into a tree, and return the following day to Pompolona. It was impossible to row a boat across the stream < n account of the floating logs and the fierce current. The landing stag© at the head of the lake Ayas floating about in the water, and the passengers were taken aboard by means of a rowboat. The jetty at tho foot of the lake was six feet under water, and the passengers here were also landed by means of a boat. The wet roads on our return made a 6|-hour motor-trip out of one we did in 2) hours going in.”