MOUNT COOK ASCENTS

Evening Star, Issue 20089, 1 February 1929, Page 4

MOUNT COOK ASCENTS

SECOND CONQUEST THIS SEASON BY WOMEN [Special to the ‘Star.’] CHRISTCHURCH, January 31. A climb of extraordinary inteiest was made last Sunday, when no fewer than five amateur climbers —Miss Mane Byles, Mr Syme, and Mr Mace (or Taranaki), and Mr Turner and Mr Cyril Turner, of Wellington—and a Hermitage guide—attained the summit of Mount Cook. This is the second time the giant of the Southern Alps has been conquered this season, and for the second time a woman lias made the ascent. On January 6, Miss Kate Gardiner (of Liverpool) was the successful mountaineer, this time Miss Byles, C.A.C., of Aristralia, with Guide A. Brustad, has given this proof of endurance and mountain craft. Guide Brustad is a Norwegian ski expert, but he has a reputation also as a strong and reliable climber. He was the first man to cross to the West Coast this season, when he accompanied Miss Aroha Clifford (of Christchurch) on the round trip early in December. Since Christmas, Brustad has done Mount Kinsey, Mount Sealey (9,650 ft), and the Minarets, being prevented only by bad weather from more extensive climbing from the Tasman Valley. Mr Syme and Mr Mace have already some good alpine w r ork to their credit. Recently they, in. company with Mr Murray, did the round trip over the Copland Pass and Graham’s Saddle, and they put up something of a record on the return trip by travelling in one day, and all on loot, from the Alma Hut, Franz Josef, to the Hermitage, doing the Minarets (10,053 ft) and Do La Bccho (10,058 ft) on the way. Mr Samuel Turner, F.R.G.S., has climbed Mount Cook four times, before, and has the distinction of being the only man to have performed that feat alone. Mr Cyril Turner accompanied his father in his ascent of Mount Hooker at the beginning of this season, and not long ago he did the Minarets. From the time of leaving the Haast Hut till the return, the journey took twenty-five hours. As is well known, a comparison of the travelling times of climbs is of little value, since no two parties strike similar conditions. The weather on Sunday was excellent, but the condition of the snow after the previous bad weather accounted for the long and arduous day.