A MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE

Hokitika Guardian, 1 February 1927, Page 4

A MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE

.SAVED BY AN ICE AXh

CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 31

On a steep mountain slope with an ice-axe as the last means to prevent him slipping to a thousand feet precipice. Dr .1. C. Bradshaw, organist of the Christchurch Cathedral, lmd a mountaineering adventure on’ J/tnuary 8, which be will always remember. He is fortunate to be alive.

Dr Bradshaw spent his holidays at Mount Cook, and on Sa'turdjay morning he told the story of his adventure lo a representative of the “Lyttelton Times.”

On January 0. be left the Hermitage unaccompanied, travelling the fourteen miles to the Ball Hut Memo. The next day a guide arrived from the Hermitage at mid-day and soon afterwards he and Dr Bradshaw set out together, arriving at Malte Brim Hut at the head of the Tasman Glacier, ribout 8 o’clock. Tltf.it journey took them about four hours. The next day, January 8, they left the hut at 4 a.in., walking some miles to the head of the glacier. Beaching there, they began the uscent of Elie do Beaumont. Conditions were fairly good at the beginning and the morning promised well. They reached a point roughly 300 feet from the top, and found that the snow and ice was not in good condition. The guide described the ice as being “hard as bricks.” The cutting of steps was a difficult task, and while they were going round an awkward corner Dr Bradshaw slipped. The guide, unfortunately, was not 1 Miehnred at the time and when Dr Bradshaw’s twenty feet of rope had run out, the guide was not able to hold him and he came down too. “T. fortunately, was able to get. mv axe into the snow slope.” said Hr Bmdshnw. “I managed to pull up on the iec after T had three fingers oil one Dim -I cut almost lo the bone. The guide was also enabled tn pull himself up with his 'axe. Tt was a narrow shave, and if we had not stopped we would have gone over a one thousand feet; precipice, and come out. as the guide said, somewhere in Westland.” Alter this Dr Bradshaw mid the guide went down about two hundred feel to a safe place, where the guide bandaged Dr Bradshaw’s hand. They then began another ascent and got to within one hundred feet of the top, when they were stopped liv an impassable crevasse.

“T wanted the guide to try another route at the hack,” said Dr Bradshaw, “and had wo gone that way we might have reached the top. Rut the weather was changing, and tho wind was troublesome. There was a storm threatening. and the guide, thinking that a snow-storm was coming up, decided that it would he unwise to spend'further time there.’’

Continuing, Dr Bradshaw said that the light became so had during the descent that it was impossible to see the tracks without removing the glases, and as a result they were both affected l>v snow blindness. Tho guide was more troubled by this than Dr Bradshaw was. Next day. the guide was almost unable to see. they got back to Afalte Brim about 0 p.m. The snow had melted and they got into holes almost up to the arm-pits. It. was a solid trip, taking fourteen hours and they scarcely had time to eat. The next day they had to stay in the darkened hut as long as possible holme going hack to the Ball Hut, where they arrived just before dark. It was on this trip down that they lound the leg, a relic of the mountain tragedy of 1014. The next morning Dr Bradshaw set out for the Hermitage by himself. The guide rested his eyes and followed later.