MOUNT EGMONT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 1209, 6 January 1925, Page 5

MOUNT EGMONT.

FREE OF ICE. NUMEROUS ALPINISTS. The Taranaki Herald, in its issue of Saturday, reported that climbing conditions oh Mount Egmont had been improving all that week, and advice had been received that, should the weather remain fine and worm, the summit would be easily accessible the following day by climbers who wore without ice-axes and such equip* rnent. f On Friday lost hard ice had to bo travorsed during about the last 400 fact, but the sun was molting it very rapidly and on Saturday afternoon it was expected'to be possible to reach the edge of the crater on rock. By Sunday, though there would still be ice and snow in the depressions, the track, following a ridge, should be clear. Entering the crater, beside a steep ice slope, there is a. wire rope which gives safe support for climbers. "Hundreds of people," adds thp Herald, "have been on tho slopes, but most, not having proper equipment, have not been able to proceed higher than tho beginning of the ice—if they wore energetic enough to go that for, Several dozens, however, have actually reached the summit.

'"A Jargo proportion of the visitors during the holidays have been motorists o'n lour. For instance no fewor than 10 parties from Auckland, equipped with camping outfits, have called at the' old mountain house; some of them during, the wet weather wheii it was not possible to make use of their own equipment, and they slept indoors, On some nights the house has been literally crowded to the doors.