ALPINE WONDERLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18641, 23 February 1924, Page 11

ALPINE WONDERLAND.

A BOTANIST'S EXPEDITION. THE COPLAND PASS. MAGNIFICENT SCENERY. Br ARNOLD WALL, Professor of English, Canterbury Collie. No. n. Our fourth day, January 13, was just as bad as ever: more gambling, more nonsensical games, more tinned stuff, some language and a distinct deterioration in "le moral." And our fifth was like unto it, but a change was now apparent, for the weather, hitherto warm, muggy, and "nor'-westery," turned cold, snow fell and whitened the Goatpath Ridge and lay a very few hundred feet above the hut. This, of course, meant southerly weather and presaged the end of our troubles. ' During the afternoon of the 14th, our , good friend Peter Graham arrived with two visitors,- and very shortly afterwards the rain ceased lor good. The travelling had been very slow, as the surface of the glacier, usually granulated and holding, becomes, during heavy rains, clear and slippery, so that we could not possibly have got on and off th« glacier had we decided to attempt it. We all came back to. Waiho together on the Isth in fine weather. We were now compelled to change our plans. *'■ The difficulty of getting a guide at once and our doubts about, the weather and the' state of the Aimer glacier caused us to give up the crossing by Graham's Saddle, and we decided to go over by way of the Copland Pass. This suited the botanist very well, as the snowfielda of the main range are of very little use to him, whereas the Copland affords many fine iunities. To reach the Copland Pass from Waiho it is necessary, first, to go to the Fox Glacier, 14 miles, and thence, 28 miies, to die Welcome Flats Hut, on the Copland River. From this hut, it is about three hours' going to the Douglas Rock Bivouac, from which tne pass can be easily made. Walking a Stringer.

On January 16 we took up our packs and walked to the accommodation house (Williams') at the Fox Glacier. It is a celebrated walk —a beautifully graded road, quite free from the smells and the noises ot motors, as the Waiho River is not yet bridged for traffic. It is quite strenuous enough for men carrying swag'?, as it passes over three high saddles. The. only snag is the W'aikupukupi* River. We were constantly asked whether we could "walk a stringer," and perceived that something funny was before us. The bridge over this river is in disrepair; the decking has gone, but the* main supports upon which the decking rests, the "stringers," remain intact, quite solid and sound. You walk over upon one of these with nothing to hold on to, and the river, very rapid and rough, about 50 or 40 feet below. Two of us walked it, but the third, -who had done this sort of thing once before, walked through the river. The proper method is to cross two at- a time, one on each -stringer, holding the two ends of a. pole, bat we did not know ' this.

Thrilling Glimpte of Mt. Cook. At Williams' we spent a very pleasant evening and " were rejoiced by the sight of Jit. Cook, quite close, shaking off the evening mists just after sunset, which gave us an indescribable thrill. We hao no time to explore the Fox Glacier, which comes down to a very low level, just like the Franz Josef, but' with a troublesome terminal moraine. It looked very handsome and striking, however, gleaming white between its dark containing walls 'of bush-covered rode. The mountains hereabouts are fairly easy oi access and caused the ■ mouth •. of • the botanist to water and the soles of his feet to tingle; but we had w> push on. At Williams', horses are obtained, and a guide to the Welcome Flats Hut, or nearly, and the hut guides from the Hermitage were to meet us. One member of our party, however, opposed an adamantine will to the arguments and persuasions of his companions, and, knowmg his own powers, and integuments, preferred to walk. Provisions were obtained here, as only a light meal can be got at Scott the last house on the way. The pedestrian member got away by six and was carried over Cook's River on one of the horses. For the first 13 miles, as far as Scotfs, the mam south Road is followed. It is very like the famous road to the Fox, passing through splendid glades in the tall solemn forest, all lovely and quiet, with pigeons now and then , flapping across and bell-birds making incessant music all along. Now and then fine cleat- rattling creeks are crossed and two or three quite considerable rivers where the pedestrian had to strip. At Scott's, where we had a light lunch at about 10, the track to the Copland Pass turns into the mountains and follows firs?; the main vallev of the Karangarua River arid later that of its tributary, the Lopland. This all makes splendid walkingplenty of shade, plenty of running water, a fair surface, and no very serious rivers to cross—all through magnificent forestaisles. For all too short a distance the track meanders along the bank of the noble Karangarua River itself, disclosing long reaches of beautiful water fringed "by the high forest. The horses could only be taken as far as Architect Creek, 24 ' miles from the Fox, and four from the Welcome Flats. Here we had to bid our guide farewell and take up our packs.

As Arduous March. • ' This was about 3 o'clock and we looked forward now to a long spell of at least half a day at Welcome Flats and a batti in the hob springs at that place. Tho track here becomes very rough and mounts rapidly; we ail found this four miles very tough indeed. It >-as about 5 when we got into our longed for haven, ,and there we found Mr. Wigley, of the Hermitage, and a guide awaiting us. But the weather had now become threatening and the high tops were all veiled in very dark clouds. It was thought advisable for us to push on almost at once and cover the three hours' journey to Douglas Rock before dark. We acquiesced with some groaning, took a hasty meal, and then took the road again. It was consolation to learn that the spring was just then far too hot for bathing--almost boiling. We had a lock at it and found a very curious kind of small terracing in process of formation alongside it, like ' the famous lest Pink and White Terraces .of Rotomahana. Our guides relieved us of much of our loads and we took it easily enough,- first along me river- bed,, then by a ,well-formed -bash track to the Douglas Rook, where we arrived before dark, 'finishing up our 33miles journey very fresh and happy. At the Rock we. found Jim Stout,, who became our chef and friend and companion during the next, ten days; and a cherrier or more amusing guide we none of - ks ever hope tp have. Blankets and sleep-ing-bags are kept here, and a few necessary "cooking utensils. It affords just room for five or six men to lie under cover. So here we six lay, snug enough, from about 9. soW of us snoring hard and . the ethers listening-in, till a Boat 3 the fog about us remaining very thick all night. The s'-enerv of the Upper Copland is extraordinarily impressive. The river falls in a series of immense rapids and cascades among enormous 1 rocks wth , a most satisfying roar re-echoed from .the very high precipitous ; cliffs which form the -western buttresses of Mount Sefton. The Hook is situated just within the topmost fringe of bush. None of us for a moment regretted the- change of plan which had been forced upon us: the Copland is undoubtedly one of the things which every New Zealander ought to see. , " ' {To" be continued.) y