RECOVERING BODIES OF DEAD CLIMBERS

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 157, 31 March 1937, Page 6

RECOVERING BODIES OF DEAD CLIMBERS

Task of Great Difliculty

PARTY SUFFERING FROM FATIGUE

Dominion Special Service

Dunedin, March 30.

Details of the difficulties facing the partv which is engaged in recovering the bodies of the three youths who were killed in the. accident on Mount Trent, near Lake Ohan, on Saturday, were given to a reporter to-day by Messrs. H. J. Stevenson, Weston, and Eric Burns, Oamaru, who returned to Oamaru from the Huxley Gorge where they have been assisting in the work. Their reports indicate that the task of transporting the bodies to the road head is of a most diliicult and hazardous nature owing to the precipitous nature of the country and the numerous boulder-strewn creek-beds. While the party was at present making progress at the anticipated rate, it was stated that the men engaged were suffering from fatigue and from the effects of continued rain, and the bodies might not reach Oamaru until Friday night. Mr. Stevenson stated that the illfated young men were within 60 feet of the summit of Mount Trent when the accident, occurred, and they must have fallen 1000 or 1500 feet down the precipitous mountain side on to the neve or top snows of the glacier below. Death must have been practically instantaneous.

The party of 17 men which set out on Sunday to recover the bodies took all that, day to transport them to the first ice fall of the glacier. The bodies wore found at an altitude of about 6500 feet and were brought to the 5000 feet, level that day. Mr. Stevenson joined the party which set out on Monday morning from the base camp and reached the other party at noon, the climb to the glacier taking four hours. The bodies were carried oVfcr the icefield and hauled by ropes up the face of a 100-foot cliff to a ridge, 14 men being required on tile ropes at the cliff top." From there they were lowered down the steep mountain side to the snout of an unnamed glacier at about the 3500-foot level. It was diliicult and hard work, he said, of a most exhausting nature. “It is hoped,” stated Mr. Stevenson, “to bring the bodies to the packhorses by to-morrow night: but, as the route lies over five miles of rough boulderstrewn creek-bed, with steep banks and heavy bush, it is possible that the trip may take two days and the packhorses will not be reached until Thursday night. From there another four miles have to be traversed to the road head so that it will be either Thursday or Friday night before Oamaru is reached.” Mr. J. A. Sim, Dunedin, has gone out with provisions which will be packed to the base camp by Mr. Preston, of the Glen Lyon station, who has already provided the packhorses required for the outward journey. There are 17 men still in the party, but tliey are all suffering rom fatigue and the effects of soaking rains, and it is possible that, if the last, part of the outward trip proves too difficult for the men in their exhausted condition, fresh -men will, be required to complete the task.