IN THE SOUTHERN ALPS

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17096, 19 February 1916, Page 10

IN THE SOUTHERN ALPS

REC-EXT MOUNTAINEERING FEATS TRAER-SE OF MOUNT COOK. Through the courtesy of a visitor at the Hermitage, the “ Lyttelton Times ” is indebted for details of recent mountaineering achievements accomplished by visitors and guides. After four unsuccessful attempts to climb Alt Cook this season. Guide Conrad Kain made a fifth and successful attempt in company with Airs Thompson, of Wellington, on January 31. Thev left the Hermitage on January 29 for the Hooker Hut. in fine weather. At 5.30 on Jauuary 30 they left the hut for the Hooker Bivouac, accompanied. bv a friend as far as the Hooker ice falls.' Air Samuel Turner and Guide Frank Alilne were some distance ahead. At noon they reached the Bivouac and were welcomed by those two first arrivals. and problems of the climb were discussed. There are three routes to the top from that side, Green’s Coulo, where falling stones constitute a menace from the mountain and in avalanches from Alt Dampier; Earl's route, known as one of tlie safest and easiest; and the route over the low and middle peak leit Earl's route had too much snow on ' the rocks, so the last-mentioned route was chosen. It had only been done once, bv Miss Dufaur with Guides Graham and Thomson, on January 4, 1912. An account of that trip relates that they took seven hours from the loi\ er to the high peak. On one side there were drops of 1000 ft and the other side was as steep as the roof of a house. Seven hours’ stop cutting, said Guide Kain. at such a height was the hardest work, and as he had a lady companion it took some hard thinking to decide on the climb. But the weather was splendid, and at 2.15 the Bivouac was left, and the plateau of the Empress glacier was crossed to one of the reek spurs running down from the lower peak of Aft- Cook. Tn two hours’ time he was high up on those rocks, and the weather was so hot that the snow was soft right through to the ice. causing a danger of avalanches. He cut 2GO step, in a steep ice slope te the glacier between the low and middle. peaks. At 7 p.m. he was back at the Bivouac. At 3.15 the next morning they left for the climb and in tli roe hours' bad come to the end of the steps cut the day before. During the night an avalanche had come down and taken the snow bridge over the bergsehrund away. However, they got across and had only been on the good going of the glacier a few minutes when a big rock .avalanche came down. Shelter was secured and after it was over they hurried on. Snow was found in good order and there was no delay for stop cutting except, at a head of the glacier which brought them to the main ridge, a short distance front the low peak. IVn .minutes later they were on the summit, but without resting went back to the ridge. At 11 a.m. they left for the middle peak, and in exactly one hour arrived there. The burning heat at such a height was extraordinary. On the middle summit they stayed twenty minutes and took photographs. 1 ' . Then the ridge to the high summit was tackled and the highest- point- on the roof of New Zealand was reached at 3 p.m. Three hours front the niiddm peak, and yet- the. previous party met with conditions which took seven hours at step-cutting alone. On the summit the air was almost warm and very calm. Many mountains were covered with clouds and the cloud sea presented a beautiffil sight. As the weather was fine and the snow conditions -good Guide Kain suggested a descent on. the Tasman, side. The summit was left at 3.45 n.m. and they by Green s route. A cry soon they reached the rocks, known as tin summit rocks, on the Tasman side. A narrow escape occurred to Guide Kain. the snow on the steep slope suddenly giving way under his feet. He clung to his ice axe like bark to a tree and with Airs Thomson s skilful assistance the situation was saved. To cut steps then took them an hour. Owing to tbo lateness of the hour the Zttrbriggoti route over the rocks to the light, had to be abandoned in favour of' Green’s route, over snow to the loft. The dangerous Linda Glacier with innumerable crevasses was crossed wi;nout mishap, but- not excitement, ana ns they reached the glacier dome the sun went down and the light faded. The stars lit them into the Kaast biTcuao, where they arrived at 9.40 p.m. They arrived at the Hermitage two days later.

MOUNT SEFTOX TWIX TEAKS. TRAVERSED BY MR SAMUEL • TURNER. • Mr Samuel Turner, F.R.G.S., of Wellington, with Guides Peter Graham and Frank Milne, made the grand traverse of Mount 'Scfton twin peak’s on February 10 and 11 from the Hermitage side by the Zurbriggen and Fitzgerald route and down-to the Copland. Tho first attempt was made on February 8 arid 0, when the guides out steps across the broken ico face seen from the Hermitage. taking five hours to cut across its very broken surface. On the night of. February S it came on heavy rain, which lasted all the following day ami drove the party back to tbe Hermitage. Making a fresh start on February 10 in fairly good weather, they fortunately found the ice steps previously cut in good order. The party left the Bivouac at 3.30 a.m. and on reaching Tuckett s at 8.10 a.m. commenced the ridge climb at 8.45 a.m. The crack up which the ridge must be climbed was iound to have altered since the previous party vent tip. The action of the ice had split about ten feet, at the bottom of the crack, making an overhanging drop of 5000 ft. The north-east summit was reached at, 1 p.ra. and the second summit an hour later. The second summit was found to he only 25ft lower than the first. This is the first time the second summit has been climbed, and constitutes the first complete traverse of Mount Scfton. The party was henighted on the very steep slopes on the Copland side owing to dense fog. and proceeded to climb down to the Douglas Rock on the following day. returning to the Hermitage over the Pass on the same day. The complete journey from the Hermitage and back again occupied two days and a-hnlf, and the climb was full of detail and interest. Mr Turner has waited four seasons for the ice and rock ridge, overlooking the Copland to get into fit condition for the guides to tackle. On 31 r Turner's attempt of Mount. Cook without a companion or a guide it must, be recorded ( that: he could have traversed Mount, Cook if he had followed the steps of Conrad Kaiu and Airs Thomson, but not considering that, fair, he climbed by an entirely different route, even after two guides, who had seen the route the night, before, had declared the Summit Rock by this route ice glazed and not to be climbed, while the route altogether was abandoned by Conrad Kain and Airs Thompson iu favour of the all-snotv climb.