MOUNTAINEERING FEAT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21716, 3 February 1934, Page 12

MOUNTAINEERING FEAT

ASCENT OF HAIDINGER FIRST COMPLETE TRAVERSE CLIMBERS IN WESTLAND [BY TELEGRAPH OWN CORRESPONDENT] "WAIHO GORGE, Friday The first complete traverse of Mount Haiciinger, and tho first ascent from the Westland side, was accomplished this week by a party consisting of Miss M. Williams, of Oamaru, Guide Mark Lysons and Joe Fluerty, of Franz Josef Glacier. The party left the Glacier Hotel on January 28 for Aimer Hut, proceeding next day .over Newton Pass to the Pioneer Ridge bivouac, and ascending the glacier peak the same day. Next morning they set out at 6 a.m. for Mount Haidinger, ascending by a snow rib leading from the Fox Basin to the main southern arete of Mount Haidinger, thence to the summit. The last steep ice slope took some time to negotiate, and the summit was not reached until about 3 p.m. Tho traverse was then commenced along the summit ridge to the north peak, and the descent was made by the west face to the Fox snowfield, thence back to the bivouac by moonlight. They arrived at three o'clock next morning, and return sd to Waiho later the same day. Mr. Alister Duthie, Miss Stevenson and Miss Davidson, of Dunedin, with Guide Kurt Suter, of Franz Josef Glacier, after making the ascent of Mount de la Beche, the Minarets and Mount Drummond. from the Aimer Hut, crossed over by Newton Pass. They climbed Mount Spencer en route to the Pioneer bivouac at the head of the Fox Glacier, and from there ascended the' glacier peak and Mount Lendenfeldt.

Afterwards they crossed the divide by Pioneer Pass to the Haast Hut, and thence on to the de la Beche Hut. Here Miss Davidson left the party to return to Dunedin. Miss Stevenson and Mr. Duthie, with their guide, returned to the Haast Hut and recrossed the divide hy Clark s Saddle, a high col nearly 10,000 ft., between Teichelmann Peak and Mount Bountier, connecting the Linda Glacier with that of the La Perouse Glacier and valley, which is a branch of the Cook River in Westland. This is the first crossing of the divide by this col, thus establishing a pass between the Linda Glacier on the east side with that of the Cook River in Westland.