STILL UNCONQUERED

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 10, 13 January 1933, Page 14

STILL UNCONQUERED

SOUTHERN ALPS PEAK

CLIMBERS REPULSED

Mt. Evans, the unclimbed massif of 8612 ft on tho Westland side of the Eakaia watershed, has defied two further attempts to reach its summit. Leaving Gieymouth and Christchurch respectively on Christmas Eve, two parties from the Canterbury Mountaineering Club decided to attempt an ascent by opposite routes (states the Christchureh "Press"). Messrs. W. F. Heinz, F. A. Kitchingham, D. A. Carr, and Wylde, made the traverse of the Big Wanganui river to the Smythe creek. Increasing floods made fording impossible, and with their objective on the other side of the stream, the party did much useful work in climbing on tho slopes of Mount Whitcombe, leading to tho Essex icefall, and thereby gaining a distant but useful view of the. western slopes of Mount Evans. Continued bad weather kept the party from closer acquaintance with these Westland slopes, but.it is their opinion that this approach is by no means easy, and is up to the traditional inaccessibility of the main massif...... ;. ; The Christchurch party, Messrs. W. Barnett, A. P.' Thomson, and J. D. Paseoe, had no less difficulty with floods, and their chosen route over the Whitcombe Pass entailed five days of rough work in the gorges before the high camp in the Wilkinson valley was reached.. "Boulder-hopping" was out of the question owing to the swirling waters, and progress in tho bush was very slow. The ford in' the Whitcombe river-was crossed, and oho member recrossed later to: pay a flying visit to tho Wilkinson cave, where it has been thought possible that tho prospector missing in the district had reached shelter. At no stage of the trip, however, was .any trace of him found, although a keen look-out was kept, j . BAD WEATHER. The high camp had its'.share of the bad weather, and on only two occasions did breaks give opportunity for attempts on. the ,work above. The first attempt ended in a heavy storm about 11 a.m., but in spite of the bad weather the McKenzie col was reached. This had been mapped By a geological party, but owing to the icefall below had not hitherto, been reached.- The party was struck by the change in formation of the ridge of Mount Evans' and Park pome, on either side, and an unusual deposit below the snow-line of the pass appeared to be a slip from a schist slope above. Mist: unfortunatoly prevented a view into the unknown southwestern approach to this col, but it is doubtful whether it will ever be useful as a route from'tho Whitcombe to the. Waitaha-river, because the McKenzie icefall is a problem even with crampons. BAD LUCK SPOILS THE CLIMB. The next attempt was made four days later, .and a good route was found on the north-western slopes, which lead to- the McKenzie Ridge. ' From the highest pbint : reached, it was certain that 8000 ft could be made under good conditions, and there appeared to be nothing.in the last pitch to turn back a party. This route appears the most practicable for future parties. A snowstorm on 3rd January had covered the mountain before noon, and with ice coating the Tocks a retreat had to be made., .' The continued bad weather kept the streams high, and the party were definitely precluded from returning- by their incoming, route. A new route had to be found, which would not include the gorge, but the only hope lay on the eastern slope of Wilkinson icefall, and although the geological report shows this in an unfavourable light, a comparatively; easy route was femnd to the top of the Bracken, snowfield. The Eakaia divide was gained by crossing |he snowfield" to! the JJrewhon col, at which point the packs'were left and first ascents made of two snow domes which have yet to be named. The Eamsay moraine was reached at dusk and the value "of thenew route out is shown by the fact that it only took one day to reach the Eakaia headwaters from the Wilkinson, compared with five days over the Whitcombe Pass. The party was much indebted for the help of Mr. L. Walker,''of Manuka Point Station. HISTORY OP MOUNT EVANS. Mount Evans: has attracted many parties in. the last twelve months. It is a mass of serrated ridges and shelf icefields. Outlying buttresses form the slopes- of the higher: passes in the region. The name Evans appears on the. earliest .maps, ..and- commemorates a man Who did pioneer work in Westland. The Bed Lion, .Peak also commemorates his work. Owing to the difficulty of access photographs of the mountain, were not made in the region till.Mr. James Park, of Hokitika, took his historic photographs from the'Wilkinson cave, which have been reproduced in the Mikonui geological report. When the explorers Whitcombe • and" Louper made their ill-fated trip in, 1863 they gained at least a'view through the mist of the precipices. ■ ■■ . * MISSED BY BUTLER. .The actual discoverers'of the pass, Samuel Butler < and J. H., Baker, had good reason to remember the Upper Whitcombe valley, but owing to the lack'of good sheep country they did not. descend below the level of the sub-alpine scrub. If they had, Erewhon would have been further enriched with a description of the mountain which dominates the territory of the mythical Erewhon. '."-.''.' i ' ' '. With its infinite, variety of map routes, it was' inevitable' that tho first attempt should lead- into one of ;the most impractical. E. B. Chester, of tho Canterbury Mountaineering Club, led a party up the.Eamsay Glacier over the divide to the Bracken snowfield. An exacting day's climbing on the eastern ridge disclosed that there was npthirig to be gained in, further reconnaissance from this angle. The. north riftge was the. next to be attempted, when G. E. Mabin, I. Powell, and J. Wells, of Wellington, made a determined- ascent to 7900 ft. A snowstorm turned the party back, but it is doubtful whether the north ridge will be any more practicable than the east.