SECOND ASCENT

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 10, 13 January 1933, Page 12

SECOND ASCENT

MOUNT D'ARCHIAC CLIMBED

FIRST COMPLETE TRAVERSE

A party of three members of the Canterbury Mountaineering Club last week made the second ascent of Mount D'Arehiac, 9279 feet, and made the first complete traverse of • the Godley Glacier (states the "Christchureh Times")- The party comprised Messrs. Edgar E. Williams, Stanmore Barnett, and Bruce Turner. The mountain was first climbed about 1910 by Messrs. J. K. Dennistoun and L. M. Earl, who had the services of Guide Jack Clark. The second ascent has been made without a guide. The party left Christchureh on New Year's Day and motored to the Mesopotamia Station, in the Upper Rangitata Valley, and, tramping with- equipment and provision for ten days, reached the Growling Hut that evening. The next two days were devoted to reconnoitring the Upper Haveloek Valley, after which a move was made to a base camp at the junction of the north and south branches of the Forbes ■River. This camp was reached on the afternoon of 4th January. The.weather for the week prior to this had been stormy and threatening intermittently, but showed signs of clearing.. A PJROMIS?ING STA^T. No sooner had the party arrived in camp than the three members to make the climb to ■ the • summit of Mount D'Arehiac set out for a high "bivouac on: the ridge above- 'The morning-..0f sth January broke fine, with a-heavy blanket of fog in the valleys below the ridge, and the party decided to set out-for their objective, leaving no time for further reconnoitring or resting. The route was chosen to include a traverse of an unnamed, unclimbed peak, of about 8000 feet, and, making a start about dawn, a loose shingle ridge was climbed to the' steep, snow: slopes above the neve- of the Forbes Glacier, where crampons were of great assistance until the summit was gained. This peak formed an excellent viewpoint for the peaks surrounding the \G6dley Glacier and the mass of D 'Archjac immediately to the west formed an imposing sight. The party suggests that this unnamed peak be called "The Onlooker." ■ THBEE-HOTTB DETOTJB. •".' The descent having been made by a rock ridge to the col at the head of the Godley Glacier, separating "The On-' looker" from D'Arehiac itself, it was found that the detour had occupied three hours. Several gendarmes had to be turned and a rotten •ek ridge gained to give access to a snow and ice .ridge-leading to the summit rocks: The greatest care had to be exercised on these rocks,. wilich. were firm but steep, leading, not on to tne summit, but to the ice ridge of the peak. This proved? however, to be a low peak, and a similar ridge brought the party to the summit late in the afternoon. Much of a magnificent view was obscured, by a north-west mist rolling in, but the Mount Cook range stood' out in relief against the sun,,making a wonderful picture. The wind: had been keen on the ice ridge, and now .freshened considerably, and no time was lost, in beginning the descent by the same route as far as the col at the. head of the Godley Glacier. ' - BITTERLY COLD NIGHT. , ... : Here it -was decided: to Mvouac^lto enable a-descent to be made to the Goaiey Glacier the next day. . The cold wind increased in force, rising to fierce

gusts and making things unpleasant for the party camped but in the open, in spite of the excellent storm equipment with which they were provided. Toward dawn, snow.started to whistle through the crags—a blizzard was upon the party, and the position was serious. The climbers would have liked to return by the route over "The Onlooker/ but this was impossible, and it was decided to descend on to the glacier. In this decision they were influenced by Mr. Williams's extensive knowledge of the Godley region. The storm showing no sign of abating at 6 o'clock in the morning, a move was made to pull on frozen boots, crampons, and rope. Tho rocks afforded scant shelter from the storm, and each movement required increasing effort until the party left the bivouac at about 7 o'clock. OUT OF THE SNOW. The wind blowing straight up; the glacier made sight a matter of difficulty, and standing against it a matter of will power. About half-way down, however, the snow changed to drenching rain, and when Separation Creek, at the bottom of the glacier, was reached about noon, the storm was left behind. The sun shone out, and wet clothes were soon dry. Not wishing to spend any more nights in the open, the party trampedto the Weka Hut, ten miles down the valley. A return to the base camp was made the following day via a pass at the head of Separation Creek under Maude Peak. Here again the party, starting out in light rain, met a heavy snowstorm and had to force a way through six inches of new snow. The pass led down into the south branch of the Forbes Glacier by way of a snow and shingle slope, and the camp was reached late at night. The party now bad two days 'to. return to Christchurch, and easy stages were made to the Growling Hutt and Mesopotamia in fine weather.