MOUNTAINEERING

Evening Star, Issue 21093, 4 May 1932, Page 2

MOUNTAINEERING

EXPEDITIONS IN OTAGO PAST SEASON'S ACTIVITIES DESCRIBE!! The second annual review of alpine climbing in Otago was given in the concert Chamber last night, when Mr A. P. Harper, president of tho New Zealand Alpine Club, and mountaineers of note in Otago held a large audience, enthralled with the vividness of their descriptions of conquests and climbs, the lectures being graphically supported by films and slides. Air Eric Aliller, the chairman, said that Air Harper had been elected to life membership of the Alpine Club of London in recognition of his devotion to alpine climbing over a period of forty years. At their last display it was stated that the whole of the proceeds would be devoted to the erection of a hut in the Matukituki Valley, and ho was glad to announce that this hut had been erected during last Easter. It was known as the Cascade Hut, and its erection bad been completed in four davs. Air Aliller then showed a number of slides illustrating various stages in the construction of the but, also scones from the country in the vicinity.

The pioneering days of mountaineering were recalled by Mr Harper. Tho New Zealand Alpine Club, ho said, was very much misunderstood. Ho and Mr Mannering had started it forty years ago, and major and minor explorations had been carried out by its members. It had done much useful work in the interests of climbers, and had been instrumental in securing legislation to ensure that guides knew their jobs before they took parties out. What work they did was in tho interests of those climbing mountains. He added that he had never seen any country in New Zealand finer than Otago for mountaineering. The mountains were mostly unnamed and many unclimbed. An interesting collection of slides taken on his excursions in the Southern Alps about thirty-eight or thirty-nine years ago were shown by Mr Harper, who said that in those days lie and his companion, Charlie Douglas, one of tho finest explorers Now Zealand ever had, were away sometimes _ for nineteen weeks from human habitation, and by habitation he did not mean up-to-date hotels and homes, but one or two tumble-down shacks “ something like this,” lie added, throwing a picture on to the screen. “ This is the ‘ pub,’ and beyond it is the store. To reach tho store you had to pass through tho ‘ pub,’ and you were invariably asked to have a drink, so that by the time you reached the store you were in a mood to spend all you had on stores.” They did not carry tents, but camped under' boulders and built bark shelters. They lived on birds, which were easy to capture, as they had never seen human beings before. Mr Harper showed a picture of some of the boulders they had to negotiate, and said that the biggest one ho measured was 150 ft high—about 50ft higher than tho Express Company’s Building—and SOft in circumference. Another photograph showed what ho described as one of tho most weird places in the Southern Alps, which had been seen by only about six people. It was a basin surrounded by cliffs over 4,000 ft high, Avith ice dropping over tho rims. Avalanches broke into the valley below and formed a glacier. This Avas in the vicinity of Mount Sefton. Mount Tasman, Mr Harper said, Avas the finest peak outside the Himalayas, and he also spoke as one aa'lio kneAV the Saviss Alps intimately. Distinguished.visitors, including Mr Amery, had said the same thing. Great stretches of river, valley, and forest, one tract of Avhich had been levelled by a mighty avalanche and Avhich proved a serious obstacle to progress, and snoAv-clad mountain slopes were illustrations shown by the lantern during Mr W. G. M'Clymont’s description of tho club’s camp in the Hoes Valiev.

An event in the mountaineering world during the summer was the ascent of Mount Tutoko, in Fiordland, and the successful expedition was described by Mr A. Jackson. He said that the first ascent had been made in 1896 by Malcolm Ross from the Milford side. There had beau several ascents since then, notably by the late Mr Samuel Turner and others. Mr Jackson’s party started from Gore on December 19 last, and the following morning descended into the Lower Hollyford, ultimately coming to Midler Falls Creek, where they crossed the Hollyford River, and arrived at their base camp at the foot of the glacier. Their first olimb was through the bush, with heavy packs up, and, having passed the bush line, they made up the ridge lying to the north of Don Glacier, which ran from west to east. On account of the iceglazed rocks, it took them five hours to climb 2,500 ft. Their first attempt to reach the summit failed, as bad weather intervened, and they had to return to the glacier, essaying the climb again when conditions improved. On reaching the north-west ridge they found that tho rocks were in a very had condition, and they returned to the head of the glacier, renewing their assault later in the day, when the sun had been shining on the rocks for some time and molted the ice glazo away. They were able to reach the summit by climbing a “ chimney ” in tho precipice. The first film over taken in the Landsborough Valley was also shown, and the Harmony Four were applauded for their singing of the spiritual ‘ Fsu Gwinc to Sing ’ and ‘ March of the Guard.’