LURE OF THE WILD

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 96, 27 April 1929, Page 17

LURE OF THE WILD

UP TO THE DIVIDE

GRAHAM'S SADDLE TRIP

EXCITING EXPERIENCES

(By'E. E. Muir.)

Characters of Uio Great Apocalypse, Tlio types and.symbols of Eternity. ' —Wordsworth.

"What a rare experience it is to be up above the clouds among the greatest snowfiolds of the Southern Alps, in the midst of mighty ice-clad nionarchs; with a blazing sun shining out of a sapphire sky and only ' the faintest of faint southerly breezes blowing (so faint as to be barely noticeable), while all around, below the 4000 ft level, it. is'-. raining hard all day long! It was un: dor such conditions that we were privileged to'make the journey from the. Aimer bivouac, across the neve at the 1 head of the 'Franz Josef Glacier, up to Graham's Saddle' (8759 ft), the snowbound pass over: the-Great Divide leading down on, to .the Grand Tasman Glacier on the'other side. ' ■ •> WEATHERBOUND IN THE BIVOUAC. • Of.course we were lucky, extremely lucky, but then luck so often rewards" those who are prepared to wait, for it in' the high mountains, and we were in ilo hurry. ■ Having spent the first day in the journey up to Defiance Hut, and. the second day in climbing and descending Mount Moltko (6509 ft), and,in ascending to the Aimer bivouac (close on-6000ft) on the other side of "The .Franz," we. decided to rest tho third day and go on to Graham's Saddle on the fourth, day.- Bain, however, set in on the afternoon of the third day, and continued steadily all through the night and throughout the fourth day and night., So it was a case of hoping for the best on the fifth day. Cooped up in the bivouac, a small galvanized* j l' iron hut, about Bft by 10ft, its gable roof so low' that inside it is only possible to kneel, sit, or He. down, we spent the time in bedon the corrugated gal-vanized-iron floor, vainly endeavouring to find a,yet.more comfortable position in which to doze, and in reading English magazines' whict some previously weather-bound climber had been so thoughtful as to leave behind. One of these magazines contained some notable pictures of English rock climbs, up "chimneys", and such things, and whenever the writer came across it, which he did\yery often, he never failed to -pass wholly censorious, remarks

upon the futility of such scatter-brain-ed attempts. Oui; guide, Jack Pope, a gentleman,in this as in all things, said nothing. He might have remarked that ho had climbed Mount Cook three times, which ho had done, as we learnt afterwards, and so have restrained the writer from harping further on the subject. The hours dragged slowly by. SCHRXJND TOO RISKY TO CROSS. Towards oight o'clock on the morning of tho fifth day, 'the weather cleari ed as indicated, and we set off at 8.30 .to mako. the journey up to \ Graham's Saddle and back to the Aimer bivouac again. Immediately wo were presented with fascinating views of ice actually cascading down- from the Croz and Blumcnthal Glaciers, on the opposite side, into the main ice stream, and of the really great, and awe-inspiring seracs at the head'of the trunk of tho Franz Josef, where the glacier breaks off into huge blocks as the gradoof its bed becomes steeper. Wo had not gone far, and the going in the radiant sunshine was simplicity itself, when the guide roped tho three of us together. Ho said it was always done across the snowficlds, but to complete new chums like ourselves at the game it looked ominous;. After traversing another half-mile- on towards Teichelmann Rock we got' into the shadow; tho snow became harder and tho slope very much steeper, ending some GOOft below in the groat seracs of "The Franz,"; whose; yawning chasms looked embarrassingly inviting. Though

we did not actually need it then, what a sense of security that rope gave! The snow-slope got steeper and'harder still; it became necessary to cnt stops and ascend it.to tho'baso, of thq Toicholmann Rock. And so we came upon our first schrund, a formidable deep crovasso with both lips overhanging, starting at the rock and running down steeply into tho dreaded 'seracs. Tho opposite lip was precipitous, and was considerably higher than thp other. Tho guide explored, and finally said that the passage there was ,too risky. EXCITING CLIMB UP A "CHIMNEY." So telling us to remain where we wero ho cut more steps, and went up higher, investigated further, and then told us to join him, which we did. With a motion of his. hand he then said "TJI here. This is what they call the 'chimney.? " "Up here! Tho 'chimney, '' was a naked wall of rock, of which we could not see,'the top, sloping up a. what'appeared to us to, be an angle of SO or more degrees There was a slight rift in the centre pf it—"What they call the 'chimney.' ". The writer, with .vivid recollections, of what,, he had said about the magazine article in the bivouac,.had nothing to say, and, very generously-, -neither . of the other two said'anything ■'either. The "inward" urge," the longing to cross those ■great ..snowfields above, was very great, there could be no question, of going back though . the writer confesses he 'did' think of it, and so, it was a .case .of. "being in for it." . Without more ado wo started. " '.-' ' To begin with the rock was* exceedingly ■difficult to get- on to, and tho. climb up some 200 ft or more of it took us two hours, doubtless very slow going to .experienced climbers, but-- certainly thrilling, enough to us—sufficient,' indeed,' to last a whole lifetime. The way.in which one learnt how to dig one's knees into the sharp'cutting Took was surprising, tho purchase one got with one's hands on scarcely any hold at all, and yet pulled, oneself up was incredible, while the mannen in which ,one hugged "mother rock'? in several places without either hand or foothold —the guide,, well planted above, taking the strain on.the rope—revealed, a devotion' which, was wholly : unsuspected. ... It was one , continuous succession of thrills. These reached the super-' stage, when, about a third of the way .up ono had'to step round a'vertical break in the "chimney,"; with nothing to hold on to and the naked rock faco plunging down for 70ft below. It'was,, however,, simply accomplished,! the; guide, again taking the strain with the rope, preserving " the balance. This passage completely restored one's .confidence, and one began to take, a real interest in the "chimney,',' with its small rill of, ice;cold water, running down,,and its tiny "basins" m which' one refreshed oneself against thirst by rinsing but tho mouth. ■ The latter half of the: climb up the "chimney proper" was better going.

and certainly exhilarating. Having got up 200 ft or more, it, then became'iEOcessary to descend" some'soft, J a task which was easily'performed, and then we got on to the soft snow' in the sunshine, though, the slope again was very steep.- , ■■'■'. :" ' •■- :':'[ ' ' ;■■ ' ".' -.' " ACROSS: THE, GREAT SNOW-I-lELDS. We gladly bade ' a , temporary adieu to- Teichelmanu Bock, and soon entered upon the most glorious part of the, whole day's adventure—the four-milo stage across 'the great Ge'ikic and Chamberlin snoivfields extending past the Mackay-;' Boelts -right up to the Minarets (10,058 ft), Mount De la Beclic (10,05Sft), Graham's Saddle (8759 ft), and Mount Rudolf (9039 ft), the whole of it, under !Sgood- conditions, simple going. \ Whoever has made; this trip, particularly for the first time, under the exceptionally ,; favourable, '.conditions which' we ■ enjoyed, might justly be on-' vied. 'Getting out- on to the floor',-'of the big -Geikio- snowfield, we were encircled by a: ynst' glittering world .of snow.:an& ice, enclosed toHho north by the ■ Baird Range, St. Mildred, and: Druinmou'd Peaks, to the north-oast - by . the sublime 1 Elie de Beaumont,'with its alabaster robes of snow and iee 1; to tho east by the noble pile of the-Minarets, De'la Beche, Graham's Saddle, and Kudolf; and to the south\ and west by the dwarfed peaks of the Divide and the upper portion of the Kaiser Fritz Range dividing the neve of the Franz ' Josef ,and. Fox. Glaciers. . . v . . . The

snow was all crystallised, and, as we made our way across, it,., rounding or stepping over tho occasional deep crevasses that punctuated' it, it seemed liko ploughing one's way through billions,of diamonds... ..... Passing the Mackay Hocks, in (lie centre of it all, we viewed them witli special interest in tho light of the fact that they arc named after a one-time bold prospector, n'Jio, in his search for, gold in the mountains, spent a night there all alone. "THE VOICE OF THE MOUN- ., TAINS." Entering tho great .Chamberlin snowfield, with the Linden lUdgo on the left running .up to the 'Minarets, wo ascended ono gentle snow-slope after another, and finally, at 2.30 p.m., reached the base of Graham's Saddle, a snow-ridge about COO to ' SOOft high with a curious dip on the crest of it, ■connecting Mount De la Beche and Mount Budolf and providing the pass over the Divide. Half way up this steep snow : slope to the Saddle a formid-able-looking schrund stretched right across; at the far end, to tho right, wicked-looking . cascades "i rock from. Mount Budolf kept bowling down over 4 it; while to the left De la Beehe was sending down occasional avalanches of snow' and ice which cascaded prettily. In this immense' ampitheatre at the foot of the Saddle we- enjoyed our luncheon, and then, as it was getting ■ late and we had yet to get back to the Aimer bivouac, the. writer decided to remain where he was, while the guide and' the remaining member.' of the party, a much better climbe than the writer was, made a rapid ascent up to the Saddle. In" tho -.blazing ,sunlight, under the clear blue sky, in that wonderfully rare and still . atmosphere, it was, a sheer joy to sit there and gaze .across tho wide expanses of the Chamberlin, Cieikie, and Salisbury snowfields, at the black pinnacles of the Linden Ridge on the right, and far down into the gap of the' Franz Josef gorge where the clouds , ■ ; :'■'.. ... in their 'fading glory., stroyo , Like hosts - hi :battle overthrown.- ---" ' .. . ;'. . ■ Longfellow. . ' It was there, amidst such conditions, that ono began'to understand something of what is meant by tho term "The Great Silence," SO often, applied to Arctic and Antarctic regions. .. . . . . Yet, 'strangely- enough, there could be detected, now: and.again,; tho faintest of. faint whines overhead.- . ... . . . One was puzzled. . .'. .'. Was it the voice of the mountains? It seemed that it was,, that, it meant to convey that it-was'not always thus,.that when the Storm Kings raged and the ■lightnings'flashed and'- the- thunders rolled it was not good-for man to bo ■found 'anywhere hereabouts. . ..:' . . . There was evidence of this in the battle of the elements going; on down below. DOUBLE FALL INTO A SCHRUND. Absorbed: thus, and: engaged; tho while in molting Crystallised snow under, the warmth of >.the-sun's[rays in a

disused tin of ; pineapple and our enamel' 1 mugs for refreshment later on, the writer loolced:'back and noticed ■■ 'Guide Pope' ascending to the ■ top of; the' Saddle'alone, while the third member of the jfarty remained ' below the schrund. Evidently something had happened. ■.:.■,;:.,-. ; : '■ ' : ' The ' explanation was afforded later, when they returned... It was that, in. attempting hurriedly to negotiate the formidable passage after:the guide, the third member of the party had fallen twice to the' end cf the rope down into the sphrund. ... . Having fallen once he had pluckily tried again—with the same result:. The ice-axe holds in the jupper perpendicular wall,'3oft high, had given way on both occasions. It was a nasty experience, and he explained that after each ■ fall the awkward part of it. was -to get. securely wedged against both sides,of the ice, and then, having done this, how'to get un wedged and get out again. Nevertheless, ho succeeded, and then, as 'it was so late, remained where he was while the guide-went up on to the Saddle alone and then returned. ■;.-. ,".-" 'y ..'_.- -„".'■•■! SCHEUND PRBFERRBD TO "THE , CHIMNEY." . ; Tho return journey was accomplished in a space of three hours. This time' we avoided "the chimney" on Teichelmann, Bock,, and crossed • tho risky scrund instead—a passage, of a multitude of sensations in which "anchoring" with ice-axes and rope (driving the ice-axes up to their heads into the

snow as a holdfast and coiling the rope around it) was repeatedly necessary, where holding on to one's own wellplanted ice-axe and: balanced .by the rope one went down with back to the void, placing one foot after the. other out into space to find the next step so ably cut by the guide below, and .at the foot where one had to "balance" on this 'loose mass of snow, but was wapicd to place no weight upon it, and where the under-lip overhung, presenting a fresh obstacle, which, too, in its turn, was safely overcome. Thus, as complete.greenhorns, we were given a fair introduction into the excitements of mountaineering, and for whatever wo were able to accomplish we give the credit to our guide and to the early pioneers of the Glacier who had found the way, enabling<us as amateurs to do in a few days what had taken them very much longer as experts to achieve. On that vortical wall of ice it was fas-, cinating to, -watch our guide cutting step after step below him, and all the while preserving a perfect balance. Early in the evening the clouds below won the battle, which had been proceed-, ing all clay with the fine, elements above, and rain set in which continued steadily all next "day. On this, our sixth day out, we made >the descent of the Franz Josef Glacier f roiri Aimer, bivouac to Waiho. Besides giving; us a thorough i ducking, the rain made the surface of the ice very, glassy, which necessitated the frequent cutting of steps, and made progress slow. In crossing from one ice passage into another it was curious to experience alternate currents of'hot and cold air. . v

(The next and concluding article of tins series will deal with'other interesting features of the Waiho district;)