New Departure In Mountaineering

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 5, 7 January 1941, Page 6

New Departure In Mountaineering

CLIMBING SCHOOL ORGANISED Per Press Association. TIMARU, Jan. 6. A new departure in mountaineering in New Zealand was inaugurated when sixty climbers gathered at the Ball Hut on Christmas Day to attend the first organised climbing school which was organised and is under the control of the New Zealand Alpine Club. The travel arrangements were in the hands of tho Group Travel Association. The lirst outing was up the Ball Pass under four guides and instructors. The next day two groups under Mr. V. Brhatn and Mr. F. Chapman went to the Malte Brun Hut, others arriving later. Standard climbs were arranged including Glacier Dome, Johnson, The Twins, Mochstetter Dome aud Mt. Turnbull w r hieh afforded the climbers relatively simple tasks over a wide area. The weather throughout was perfect. !somo members tackled stiller tasks'and more major ascents were made in the fortnight than over the whole season for some years past. Messrs H. Wtevenson and R. Dick made the traverse of Tasman by way of Syme Ridge. The same trip was later accomplished by Dr. F. Gallas aud Mr. G. Johnson. Messrs Stevenson and Dick also made tho traverse of Mt. Cook, as did Messrs A. Craigio and B. Esquilant w r ho emulated the Rev. Green by spending the night out not far from the site of Green’s historic and enforced bivouac. Dr. Whitehead (Dunedin) and Mr. A. Jackson (Timaru) climbed Mt. Cook from the Gardner Hut, also the new route over La Perouse via Mt. Jellicoe.