IN THE SOUTHERN ALPS

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 109, 1 February 1929, Page 13

IN THE SOUTHERN ALPS

ANOTHER ASCENT OF MOUNT COOK. A climb of great interest was made last Sunday when five amateur climbers —Miss Marie Byles, Mr. Syme and Mr. Mace, of Taranaki, and Mr. Turner and Mr. Cyril Turner, of Wellington—and a Hermitage guide attained the summit of Mount Cook. This is the second time this giant of the Southern Alps has been conquered this season, and for the second time this season a woman has made the ascent.

On January 6 Miss Kate Gardiner, of Liverpool, was the successful mountaineer; this time Miss Byles, 'C.A.C., of Australia, with Guide Alf. Brustad, has given this proof of endurance and mountain craft. Brustad was the first man to cross to the West Coast this season when he accompanied Miss Aroha Clifford ,of Christchurch, on the round trip early in December. Since Christmas he has done Mount. Kinsey, Mount Sealey (9651 ft. and the Minarets, only being prevented by bad weather from more extensive climbing up the Tasman Valley. Brustad is a Norwegian ski expert, but be has a reputation also as a strong and reliable climber. Mr. Syme and,Mr. Mace have already some good alpine work to their credit. Recently they, in company with Mr. Murray, did the round trip over the Copeland Pass and Graham’s Saddle, and they put up something of a record on the return trip by travelling in one day. and all on foot, from Alma Hut, Franz Josef, to the Hermitage, doing the Minarets (10.058 ft. and De La Beche (10.058 ft. on the way. Mr. Samuel Turner. F.R.G.S., has climbed Mount Cook four times before nn.i has the distinction of being the only mnn to >have performed this feat alone* Mr. Cyril Turner accompanied his father in bis ascent of Mount Hooker at the beginning of. this season, and not long i'o he did the Minarets. From the tune of leaving the Haast Hut till the return the journey took twenty-five Ir-ursi. As is well known, comnarison of th" t™'elling times of climbs is of '" "J’’ since no two parties strike similar conon Sunday was ev-’eHe-t. but the condition of the snow after ie nrevious bad weather accounted for the long and arduous day.