ON THE GREAT TASMAN GLACIER.

Otago Witness, Issue 953, 25 April 1889, Page 14

ON THE GREAT TASMAN GLACIER.

SOME DIFFICULT CLIMBING.

1 The party, consisting of Messrs Dixon, Johnson, and Mannering, Mr Cooper (an operator from Messrs Wheeler and Sons, photographers)', and two men engaged in swagging, left the Hermitage on March 25 (says the Christchurch Press), and after being detained at tbe terminal

face of ,the Tasman. glacier for a day by -bad weather, reached the Ball glacier camp (Green's fifth camp) ; ou Maroti 2T. The first few days were epeufc jra ptatograpjbfp wdrk on the Tasman glacier, the pjarty ' campjug ' tvf o jijgb/t§ M oupt M a Jte Brn.ii'. |"ron} . this , poipt" Messrs Di^on," Johnson, and ijannering attempted; an j>speht"pf lijount.de la Beche,'but Tpere foroed to feturp^ 1 owing ' to .some diffiqult work on, icecovered,"rocks f ftejng ,mefc' ( wifch at ap altitude of 8000 ft. "Oq the' downward 1 trip Mr'pixon was taken ill, and aome difficplty was' experienced in reaphipg pamp. ' ' i Aj*et»?n Was m^detothe Ball Glacier camp on the" 31st. Mr Mannerjng ' and the photographer ascended to 7000 ft on the Ball Glacier spar of Mount Cook, from whence a fine exposure of the peak was secured. Mr Manne'ring pressing pn, reaohed the peak of the Mount Oook range, \^hioh this spur leads up to — some 7420ftin Height— and from which gran^ views of each side of the range are obtaiped,. Darkness coming on, camp Fas only made by 10.30 p.tti after greatdifiiculty. '.' ' ■iSbpie^dayß of t^st follbwed, during which Messrs Johnson and Mannering 'explored a new rotite'ontbemo«ntai«H wWch jt Wbelievedwill WwDiately pifo^pFftP^S^; to a height v of $30t)f|ii: ,T\ v*./- f, r 'i' '••'■ f ••" -•• ; pn the 0h April ? one of the swagging hand|( comings up. with supplies,' .with him Messrs Johnson and Mannerjng started for an ascent of the Hophstefiter 4pme, camping the, first nigbt.imde? Moq^t da]asech.§. Tfee asqept ffPm th|a point was accomplished after much negotiatjpg of crevasses and berc/schrundg, and cutting steps up difficult' sbe slopes, in eight hours, the views en tdute being described as wonderfully magnificent, . •' 'From the Bntrimit' the panorama beggars all description. The Wataroa river could be traced from source" to -' taouth, meandering through fofe'sfccladi mountains to the sea, and to the northward and eastward hundreds of peaks of $\\, descriptions.' flanked" by as many glaciers, combined to make the scene one of the grandest panoramas. .The^espent was accomplished in four hours," thelaßt hour being, spent in a maze of oreyaßßeß in the turn of the , glacier in a fast failing light, the party having been 12 hours on the rope without setting foot on » nock. Yon Lendenfeld's time for the mountain was, we are

mrormeu,. onta. , , Owing to an accident to tjie kerosene lamp. 1 and MrDixon's uncertain state of healthi it 1 Wai deemed Ipradent' to-'abandoh' fche^ ; atterapt '6a Moant Cook, although .the i moantain] (was

.apparently jn fine order,* and the"rouie h&^ibeea carefully noted from ■Various points of^ Vantage. A returnto the' Hermitage' Was'^ffected' on .'April6. '.u • •'. -, • . .-.:'.. - a