ASCENT OF MOUNT COOK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19407, 17 February 1925, Page 4

ASCENT OF MOUNT COOK.

WELLINGTON CLIMBER’S FEAT. A telegram was received on Wednesday by Mr R. L. Wigley, of the Mount Cook Motor Company, Ltd., (says the Christchurch Press) stating that the ascent of Mount Cook had been accomplished on Tuesday by Mr F. W. Yossr.lcr, of Wellington, and Guide Milne, in 18 hours 15 minutes. Full details were not available, but it was stated that the climbing conditions had not been at nil favourable, and considerable difficulty had been occasioned by crevasses, especially on tho Linda Glacier, where many crevasses had opened up during tho recent dry weather. It will be recalled that it was on the Linda. Glacier that Mr Sydney King, of the English Alpino Club, and" Guides J). Thomson and J. Richmond met their deaths through being overwhelmed by an nvalanoho while descending from Mount Cook on February 22, 1914. Mr Vosselcr, who is president of the Tararua Tramping Club, Wellington, is well known as a tramper and alpinist. Ho had been to the- Mount Cook district several times previously, and had done a good deal of training in preparation for his attempt at scaling Aorangi. The last previous ascent was made" by Professor Algie, of Auckland, on February 7, 1924. J Another noteworthy ascent was made this month by Mr H. E. L. Porter, of the English Alpine Club, and Guide Milne, who readied tho summit of Mount Sefton (10,354 ft) on February 3. Mount Sefton is generally recognised as being an even more difficult and dangerous climb than Mount Cook, and especially is this so on the south side, from which Mr Porter and Mibie. tackled it. They had a lot of trouble with crevasses and broken ice, and there was no view from the summit owing to clouds; in fact, a blizzard was met with not far from the top. This was the first ascent of Mount Sefton for many years.