Crossing of Mt. Blair

Grey River Argus, 2 April 1932, Page 5

Crossing of Mt. Blair

PARTY FAIL JUST SHORT OF SUMMIT.

Hitherto unconquered. Mount Blair. 8185 feet in height, at the head of the river Rakaia, was attempted last Saturday by a party of Canterbury Mountaineering Club members, but they were stopped only 85 feet below the summit.

Leaving the base early on Saturday, quick pace was made up the moraine of the Lyell Glacier to the tributary Heim Glacier. Three of the party strapped on crampons and climbed a steep ice couloir which provided the only route to the Heim snowfield. The Heim icefall proper was- a miniature Hochstetter, and could not be nego-

tiated. Two hours of intensive crampon work in the couloir led to the heavily crevassed upper neve of the Heim Glacier, which was traversed to the upper icefall under Blair Peak. Careful work threading in and out the crevasses brought the party to 8100 feet at 2 p.m., only 85 feet under the unclimbed summit. An enormous horizontal crevasse had opened out and barred further access to the Heim face of th e peak. This crevasse was photographed from Malcolm Peak by Dr E. Tcicheljmann before the war. Three months ago conditions would have been suitable for the completion of the climb, but at the present late stage of the season, the crevasses had opened up beyond recognition. A magnificent view was obtained of the Lyell glacial system, and

new topographical information relevant to the location of a fine unnamed 8000 ft. rock group was secured. lhe descent had to be delayed because of the intermittent rock falls resulting from the heat of the sun. and the party settled down at 6 p.m. for a 12 hours ’ wait. The shivering monotony of the night was relieved bv the moonlight view of the white spir e of Malcolm Peak. Th e return to the lower levels was completed at dawn.