HIGH PEAK CLIMBED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21991, 24 December 1934, Page 13

HIGH PEAK CLIMBED

ASCENT OF MOUNT HUNT

EFFECT OF EARTHQUAKES DISAPPEARING LAKE The second recorded' ascent of Mount Hunt, which is about 6400 feet high, the highest point on the Main Divide botweeu Walker's Pass, at the head of the Hawdon River, 'and Worsely's Pass, at the head of the Poulter lliver (both tributaries of the Waimakariri), was made recently by three members of the Canterbury Mountaineering Club, who made an interesting crosscountry "round trip" up the Hawdon lliver and down the Edwards.

Mount Hunt presents no climbing difficulties, but is interesting as a viewpoint from \v|.ich the little-visited country at the head of the Otehake lliver (Westland) can be correlated with the Hawdon and Poulter country. This pare of the Main Divide, too, is very inaccurately mapped. The party left the train at the Mount White Bridge at 10 at night and travelled up tho Hawdon River by moonlight. The mouth of the north branch was reached in two hours, and 'the party camped until 6 a.m. Continuing up the Hawdon River they reached the foot of Walker's Pass after another hour's travelling. Heavy packs were left behind here, and scree slopes gave access to the ridge leading to Mount Hunt, which is at the junction of the Main Divide and the HawdonPoulter watershed. From the summit a splendid view was obtained of the country devastated by the earthquake of March, 1929. Tho landslide that resulted in tho formation of Lake Thompson, the debrischoked Otehake gorges, and the stripped flanks of Falling Mountain were evidence of the upheaval. Visibility was perfect, and an excellent view was obtained of various outstanding points in tho Southern Alps. After spending two and a-half hours on the summit the party traversed two miles of easy divide ridge to Walker's Pass. The slopes of the divide overlooking Walker's Pass are badly faulted, and great scars in the mountain side show where only a slight shake is nocessary to peel off further huge masses of rock. Camp was made in the Hawdon, ana on the following day tho party crossed the pass into the headwaters of the Otehake. They found the once deep and picturesque Lake Misery on the summit of the pass now little more than a mud-pond—owing possibly to lack of rain, but more probably to earthquakes having caused subterranean seepage. The Otehake tributary was followed for half-a-mile, and then a col overlooking Taruahuna Pass was gained. On the col is a deep tarn, first reported by the party which climbed Mount Oates in 1931. From the col the climbers dropped down to the pass, which is covered with earthquake debris from Falling Mountain. A leisurely trip down the Edwards Valley enabled them to reach the Bealey railway sidine by 11 p.m. They were considerably helped by the recent blazing of a track through the bush above the Edwards Gorge by two members of the club. This round trip, which traverses two of the most picturesque tributaries of the Waimakariri, was pioneered by a party led by the Rev, B. H. N. Tea K ue some years ago.