IN THE SOUTHERN ALPS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 24 January 1927, Page 9

IN THE SOUTHERN ALPS.

HAWERA RESIDENT’S HOLIDAY. Just after Christmas Mir Rod S.vme left Hawera to join two friends, both formerly of Taranaki, to enjoy several weeks’ holiday in the Southern Alps. Letters received from him show’ that the party have had a most interesting and a strenuous time, climbing three peaks of over 10,000 feet, besides a number of minor ascents. They have formed a base camp some miles above the hermitage and operate from, there. Writing to liis people in Hawera, Mr Svme .says they had climbed, about the New Year, the peaks—De la Baclie (10,058 ft) Eli de Beaumont (10,200 ft), and Malte Brun (10,420 ft). “With avalanches, schreunds and crevasses,” he adds, “conditions are quite different from Egmont, and these three _ oh mbs took 1.8.16 and 18 hours respectively.” Oil January 10 they did Malte' Brun, and on the following day they left shortly after 2 o’clock in the morning to climb Alt. Green, which was about two hours’ travelling up and across the glacier from Malte Brun. Bad wind conditions drove them back, and for three days these got worse and snow followed. But on the Friday, 14th, an improvement came, and they were able to reach flic i,summit of Mt. Green, at 2.15 p.m. They got back to the saddle at 4 o’clock, and then climbed Mount Walter, which is quite close, reaching flic top at 5.30. They got down to flic glacier at 8.30 and back to their hnfc at 10.30 in bright moonlight. The weather next day was bad, and they were unable to do any climbing. Their programme then was to do Haast Ridge the first fine day and then Alt. Cook. They planned to leave for home via Picton on the 25th. It is worth noting that these three ascents were the first of the season, and, adds Mr Syme. “guideless climbing is practically unheard of.” They had done all their climbing up till, then without a guide. Rod Syme telegraphs from The Hermitage, Alt. Cook, that he and two others, without a guide, almost reached the top of the mountain. His wire is as below: — . “On Fridav. the 21st, with Mace, of Wellington, and Allan, of Nelson, we attempted to eimb Alt. Cook bv the Linda Glacier route. A thousand feet from the summit we had to abandon the attempt, a southerly gale rendering the ice cap undimbable, ”