ASCENT OF NGAURUHOE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 176, 26 June 1926, Page 14

ASCENT OF NGAURUHOE.

A SENSATIONAL FALL. CLIMBER -ESCAPES LIGHTLY. . CHANGES NOTED IN THE CRATER. WANGANUI, June 23. The ascent of Ngauruhoe, which still shows signs of activity, was made from Whakapapa yesterday, the party consisting of Mr A. Murje (Wellington), Mr A. Haywood (Wanganui), and Mr Ross Moody (Shannon). The climb was marked by a sensational accident. Except for a strong wind the weather conditions were ideal. The surface of the mountain was of solid ice and very treacherous. It was necessary to cut steps practically the whole distance.

~ Tho crater was reached after a four hours’ climb, and presented a wonderful spectacle, being intensely active over the whole area. Several new fissures and blowholes have been formed and the shape of the crater has been completely nltered. It appears to be much larger since the eruption. The descent began at 2 p.m. After going a short distance Mr Haywood missed his foothold. His ice axe was wrenched from his hand and ho was precipitated several hundred feet down a rock ice face and hurled over a 60ft. bluff, His meteoric course was arrested by a deep snow drift. He sustained a lacerated thigh and severe abrasions, but escaped serious injury. It was nothing short of miraculous that the other members of the party descended safely. They assisted the injured man back to the hut, where first aid was administered by the ranger, Mr A. Cowling. The patient rapidly recovered from the shock, and was able to get about this morning, apparently none tho worse for his nerve-racking experience.