INTO UNKNOWN REGIONS

Evening Star, Issue 21992, 30 March 1935, Page 11

INTO UNKNOWN REGIONS

Dart Valley Otago

Alpine Party’s Experiences —First Ascent of Mount Maori

In 1914 two men, both keen and experienced alpinists, headed a party that explored for the first time the sylvan secrets of the Dart Valley, in Otago. Those pioneers were H. 11.I 1 . Wright, A.C., and Major B. Head, who climbed Mount Edward (8,690 ft) before unwillingly returning again to civilisation. Then the War came to frustrate forever the latter’s intention of again entering this unknown tract of wild country and ascending more of its inhospitable mountainous slopes. Major Head’s last climb was the slopes of Gallipoli. Now another party has followed his faint footsteps twenty-one years later, and climbed three peaks, one, Mount Maori |(8,350ft), adjacent to Mount'Edward, being a “virgin-’ climb. That party, all belonging to the New Zealand Alpine Club, comprised J. D. Knowles, E.-E. Echyards, C. E. Smith, and G. L. Edwards.

INTO GLACIER COUNTRY Like their predecessors, the quartet had two seasons previously made a preliminary survey of the valley, adjnired its rugged scenery, gazed with awe at its glacier, the largest valley glacier in, Otago, and penetrated into country that had never before known the tread of man. On March 2, the party left Queenstown by launch on its second adventurous journey. Arriving at Glenorchy, the men, all of whom, belong to Dunedin," pushed on to Rees bridge, where three pack horses were waiting to carry packs weighing approximately 801 b each, and containing food,, .clothes, crampons, and ,an alpine tent. The distance of twentyfive miles to Shelter Rock took seven hours, and here the animals- were left, the loads being shouldered to Snowy Creek saddle, and camp pitched for the night. Conditions were mild, the party utilising the ground as a bed and the starry heavens as a canopy. Next morning the arduous trek commenced, Snowy Creek being forded and followed until its junction with the Dart River, when the course led down hill and up the Dart Valley. The ground was quite open, but its undulating nature was a test...of. fitness and endurance. Away in tlie distance reared Mount Edward, the most; prominent landmark for miles around; Still following the valley, the men ‘at length reached the terminal moraine of the Dari Glacier, which is approximately five miles long and in places a mile wide. It took half an hour to cross to the moraine side, about a mile below Cascade Saddle, and here the tent was pitched. This was the terminal point from which Mt Maori, at the glacier’s head, was to be attacked by the alpinists. Little animal or bird life had been seen so far. There were plenty of Paradise ducks in the Rees Valley, hut relatively few keas had been met, though they abounded during the previous visit to the region. MOUNT MAORI CONQUERED. Delay of the ascent of the mountain was necessitated through inability to see the crevasses of the glacier in the gloom of early morning, but a ■tart was made at 5.30, the party continuing up the frozen river’s course and to the . right of the

Dart’s almost perpendicular ice fall. The basin of the glacier was very much crevassed, and they were forced to wear crampons from the commencement of the climb to the col (a depression between two peaks). From that stage, however, the going was so difficult that the ice axes had to be left behind and the packs containing emergency rations and extra clothing temporarily discarded. Scrambling up hare rocks on the northeast face of Maori soon shattered east face of Maori supported illusions of an hazardous ascent; the rocks were of the rotten variety, and careful footholds became not a precautionary measure, but a necessity. In ample measure did th© destination have its compensations. When the top , was gained the four alpinists were rewarded beyond their wildest dreams. That the “ virgin ” mountain could' no / longer claim that rank was of minor importance compared with the view. Beyond the blue vista of a perfect day lined the peaks of all the Alps—from Earnslaw, Tutoko, and Aspiring in Otago, to Mount Cook in Canterbury. Beneath, completing the picture, lay Lake Wakatipu, a jewel sparkling in the heat of the afternoon sun. Looking down the Arawatta river one could see the white-flecked waves breaking at the river’s mouth, twenty miles away. The eminence of 'Maori was gained at 3 p.m., and the party only lingered long enough ,to casually digest the comprehensive expanse of scenery that surrounded them. Before a reluctant leave-taking from the summit was made photos were secured and a cairn built in wdiich to place a pair of broken horn-rimmed motor car goggels. They were the only means of recording the success of the venture, as a pencil with which to write the names of the party had not been brought. Descent to the camp was made without incident, the crevasses bling successfully passed with the aid of torches. The climb had 'taken eighteen hours. MOUNT EDWARD ASCENDED. The glacier’s tortuous path ran only a few yards away from the camp site, and it served the useful purpose of an ice chamber for keeping food fresh. A jelly placed on its surface set in five minutes. To invigorate tired limbs a day of rest was observed before making the attempt to scale Mount Edward, which had been previously ascended from the Whitburn glacier by Major

Hoad’s party, but not from the other side, the Dart glacier, which offered many more obstacles to a successful climb. Preparations oucc more completed for the essay of the higher of the two mountains, the party passed the lower rotten rock slopes of the mountain, and pushed on to Marshal glacier, which was in perfect condition for crampons, .lb was broken up by crevasses on steep slopes, or, in alpine parlance, by bergshninds, that could have comfortably swallowed a, house. The four men were fortunate in finding bridges of snow to cross on to more solid ground that, once passed, led to the final rock ridge approaching the summit. Here very interesting climbing was experienced, .chimneys (cracks 3ft wide) necessitating climbing with one's back and using the feet as propellers to avoid slipping. The mountain’s top was reached in 83 hours, and as the alpinists had more time at their disposal than when the other summit was gained they stopped for an hour and a-half admiring a glorious outlook. So calm was it that the flame of a match did not flicker, while the atmosphere of another perfect day was stifling. Camp was regained at 7 p.m., the climb taking 13J hours. CIVILISATION REGAINED. Camp was struck the next day, and the party said farewell to a region that had unleashed none of its reputed dangers, but had been hospitable in every way, providing access to its treasures and a holiday that none of the quartet will ever forget.