ALPINE HEROISM

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 112, 4 February 1933, Page 18

ALPINE HEROISM

Woman Climber Saves Injured Guide

an arduous descent

In extraordinary feat for a woman was performed by Miss Ida Corrie, au English climber, who brought an injured guide down after making the first accent of Mt. Goldsmith, over 9000 feet, last week. Miss Corrie -will arrive in Wellington this morning. “Miss Corrie is the only woman I know who could have managed to get the injured guide down the mountain in the way she did; she was wonderin these words, Mrs. Peter Graham, of Walho, Franz Josef Glacier, paid tribute to a reporter to the action of Miss Ida Corrie, the English climber, who was with Guide Mark Lysons, last week, when he broke his leg. “On several occasions the injured man and Miss Corrie narrowly escaped disaster, and it is clear that then journey will rank in alpine records as one of the greatest achievements.” said Mrs. Graham. The two had descended from the peak a few hundred feet, and Lvsons broke his leg when, jumping a oft. sehrund, be broke through snow and struck rock. I' or a few minutes he was knocked out.

Fortunately he carried two pitons—short pieces of wood used in wedging, between crevices of rock or into ice on which to belay rope when descending—in his pack, which Miss Corrie used as splints for the leg. Her method was to cut with her axe a ledge on which Lysons could sit. Then she would descend to the full length of the rope to which each was attached, cutting large steps. At the end of the rope she would cut another ledge for Lysons, after which she would climb back to the injured guide and hold him on the rope, while he hopped down on one leg, on which he wore a crampon, which is au iron frame with long spikes. They had to progress in this fashion for thousands of feet. Twice on the descent huge avalanches came down on either side of them, covering them with snow dust. The crampon worn by Lysons saved the lives of the two. Lysons slipped, and failed to grab his axe. with which he could have stopped himself by digging it into the snow. Miss Corrie caught it, and in doing so, missed her chance of forcing the handle of her axe into the snow which would probably have held them, being roped together. Once off the mountain, the worst of the danger was over, but for hours they toiled along the Neve of the Franz Josef glacier. Most of the time Lysons used both ice axes as crutches, and swung himself along. Fortunately a recent fall of snow had closed the worst crevasses.

When passing Martenga, a peak they had climbed the previous day, a huge rock avalanche came down the top, striking terrifying showers of sparks as it came straight for them. Involuntarily Lysons began to run and then found he could not, and they both spent some anxious moments, till the avalanche stopped, just a short distance from them.

It was then apparently about midnight. From the scene of the avalanche to the Teichelman corner was a dreary journey; this corner is always tricky to get round, but at last it was managed. After going a little farther, as it was now broad daylight, Miss Corrie left Lysons in a safe position, and went alone to the Aylmer Hut, getting there at G a.m., and finding there Guide Joe Fluerty, who at once returned with her, and carried Lysons back.