NEW ALPINE HUT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21292, 20 September 1932, Page 6

NEW ALPINE HUT

FOX GLACIER REGION MORE PEAKS ACCESSIBLE Seven peaks in the Fox Glacier area of the Southern Alps region, all of which are over 10,000 feet in height and which have been inaccessible to climbers in the past, will be available for climbing in the coming season. They are being brought within the range of the average climber by the erection of a hut on the Pioneer Ridge, 8000 feet above sea-level. Chief Guide F. D. Alack, at the Fox Glacier, is building the hut, which will be the highest in the New Zealand alpine will make the route over the Pioneer Pass to the Haast Hut and then to the Hermitage easier. This pass has only been twice previously crossed—once many years ago and last year by Guide Alack and Miss Corry, an English climber.

The new peaks include Mount Tasman. In the past, those who wished to at-, tempt these climbs had to stay at the Chancellor Hut, at the 4500 feet • left, but the journey was too long for all but experts. With the erection of the new hut, the climbing time will be cut downby five hours and the peaks will become, it is expected, one of the most popular regions of the climbing territory. Last season, Guide Alack dug out the foundations and cut all the timber, transporting it on his back to the Chancellor Hut, where it has been stored for the winter. He expects to have the new hut built by November. So f:w, with the exception of the dogs of the Byrd Expedition, there have been no • dog teanis used on the Alps, but Guide Alack intends to train a team this year to haul a sleigh up to the new hut 6ite. He also intends to train the dogs to return to- the Chancellor Hut unattended, as there is a »ki run of four miles on the return journey. The guides expect to come down on skis, leaving the dogs to return by themselves. The first climber to use the hut vrill be Miss K. Gardiner, a noted Englishwoman, who intends to spend five months in the Southern Alps.