THE ASCFNT OF MOUNT EARNSLAW.

Otago Witness, Issue 1933, 25 February 1892, Page 35

THE ASCFNT OF MOUNT EARNSLAW.

THE ROSS BROTHERS SCALE THE PEAK.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Queenstown, February 20.

Mr Malcolm Ross, in company with his brother Kenneth, succeeded in reaching the summit of Mount Earnslaw on Thursday last. Mrs Ross reached a height of nearly 9000 ft. The party consisted of the abovenamed, with Harry Birley and D. M'Connachy. A start was made from Glenorcby on Thursday, after many disappointments in consequence of bad weather, the party riding for 17 miles up the Rees river, From this point the climb began, and camp was reached at an altitude of 4000 ft just after dark. The night was fine and gave promise of a good day on the morrow, but the party awoke to find the mountain gradually becoming enveloped in the mists. The time was limited, however, and so it was decided to make a start. The task which the mountaineers had set themselves appeared a hopeless one, as in addition to the fog the mountain was in bad condition for climbing owing to the recent fall of snow during the long spell of bad weather. The snow line was reached after three hours ; some grand avalanches being seen en route. The snow was not in good condition,, but after a short council of war it was decided to proceed, and the party of five, roped together, began to zigzag up the steep snow slopes. The only route lay between some deep crevasses in the ice below and two or three ugly bergs above. From the latter there was no danger, but a slip would have precipated the party into the crevasses below. The rope, however, gave safety, and though the snow was knee deep the ice plateau at the foot of the final peak was reached at about 12 o'clock. Very good work, considering that a lady formed one of the party. At this point the mists cleared somewhat, and a very line view was obtained, the two peaks of Earnslaw towering above in majestic grandeur ; while down below, on the left, were the piles of snow and broken ice of the Birley glacier.

The prospects of success were now better, and after a short halt the climb was resumed. The route formerly taken by Harry Birley was found impracticable owing to the great quantity of soft snow on the steepest part, so a new route had to be selected. The only alternative was to zig-zag up a series of rocky precipices on the Dart river side, and it was evident that the serious work of the climb was about to begin. The first work was up a steep snow slope, which afforded a good foothold, and then the climbers found themselves fairly at the foot of a series of overhanging precipices with snowcovered ledges, and great icicles depending from the cliffs. A few of these came crashing down over a great wall of rock to the left, and that route was consequently avoided. At the first rock the work was fairly easy and the rope was dispensed with, but at last a series of overhanging ledges which were covered with ice seemed to bar the way to further progress. Harry Birley, however, thought it was possible to ascend, and Kenneth Ross, who was leading, after chipping away some of the ice, managed to clamber up. Harry Birley followed, but lost his footing owing to a pannikin which he was carrying at his belt catching in the overhanging rock, and for some time he was in a very precarious position, hanging over a precipice by only his {eft hand. With remarkable coolness and nerve, however, he managed to steady himself on the slippery rock, and Kenneth Ross was able to assist him up. It was agreed, however, that it would be dangerous and almost impossible for Mrs Ross to overcome such a serious obstacle, and a halt was called for another council of war. It was eventually decided that she should return with M'Connachy, who gallantly agreed to forego his chance of making the ascent, and after a parting injunction to be very careful, he and Mrs Ross, taking with them the spare rope, began to descend to the ice plateau at the foot of the final peak, while Harry Birley and the Ross brothers continued the ascent. The last incident, combined with the breaking up of the party, had a rather depressing effect, and for some time the snow ledges were traversed in silence, each one being on the gui vive to obtain the best possible foothold. Then the mists closed round the party again, and at one time they were on the point of turning. Birley said there was more serious work ahead. Mr Ross however thought they would top the peak before 4 p.m., and having j com© so for was unwilling to. return, as indeed

were the others. Owing to mist there appeared to l>e little chance of a view, but all were desirous to provo the truth or otherwise of Harry Birley's statement that he had ascended the peak in 1889. That he had made the ascent was denied by Messrs Daniels and Forsyth, and doubted by nearly every resident at the Head of the Lake, so that locally great interest centred in the present expedition. With every confidence that if they reached the top they would find the shilling left by Birley on the occasion of his ascent, the party again proceeded. Climbing was difficult, owing to the snow and ice on the steep rocks, but fair progress was made. When within about 300 ft from the summit a more serious difficulty had to be faced, as Harry Birley, who had not quite regained his wonted strength after his recent illness, was seized with a fainting fit, and could not proceed farther. He was not long in recovering ; but being still rather weak, Mr Ross urged that a retreat should be made. Harry, however, objected strongly, and after seeing that he was in a safe position the Ross brothers continued their upward journey. They met with some more ugly rock work, and the snow getting harder as they ascended, occasional steps had to be cut with the ice axes. At last, however, the final precipice was rounded, and progressing rapidly along the main arete the cornice of the topmost ridge came into view, and later the cairn and flag pole erected by Harry Birley on the occasion of his memorable climb was seen looming through the fog. Then the mists cleared, and two minutes later the two brothers with a loud cheer stepped on to the summit of the peak. Mr Ross had carried his camera all the way up, and the first thing to be done now was to take a photograph of the cairn, to set at rest all doubts that had hitherto existed regarding young Birley's statement. The cairn was half covered with snow, and the stick, worn smooth and white by the storms of three winters, was benutiful with half-formed icicles and snow work. The rocks were taken down carefully one by one, and there near the bottom of the cairn sure enough was the bent shilling, safely ensconced in a small Irish Moss bottle, just as Harry Birley had said it would be found. The view during a few minutes' sunshine was indescribably grand. The ice cornice overhung considerably, but down below on the east side could be seen the steep upper slopes of the Birley glacier. Towards Genorchy there was nothing to be seen but the upper portion of the Great Earnslaw glacier, and below an unfathomable abyss of mist and cloud. Away to the north-west, however, the sun had dispersed the mist, and a glorious view of snow-clad peaks and splendid glaciers gradually unfolded itself. The sea was plainly visible on the west coast of the island for miles north of Martin's Bay ; and to the north-east, among a fine series of snowy mountains, towered the splendid peak of Mount Aspiring. To the north-west, among the Cosmos ranges, a new lake was discovered, at a height of about 6000 ft, and this Mr Ross named after his brother " Kenneth's Lake."

A few minutes having been devoted to the view the descent was commenced. Two or three standing glissades brought the climbers to the steep rocks, and following in their upward footsteps they came on Harry Birley, who was now quite right and ready to resume the descent. The ice ledges below where Mrs Itoss had turned gave the party a good deal of anxious concern, and in order to avoid these a detour to the left was made towards a steep culoir, or chimney, filled with soft snow, alternating with ice-covered rocks. The descent became dangerous, and the three mountaineers, roped together, proceeded very cautiously, only one man moving at a time, while the others drove their ice axes deep into the snow, and half buried themselves in it to make good anchorage. Mr Ross was lowered down the steepest bit with the aid of the rope ; Birley followed, getting assistance from above and below, and then Kenneth got down by stepping on to Harry's shoulders. There were a few anxious minutes, but at length all difficulties were successfully overcome, and turning to the right the party soon struck their upward tracks. The other rockwork offered no obstacles, and at 4.30, making a glissade down the last snow slope, they rejoined the other^members of the party. For the_ remainder of the journey the snow was in a worse condition than in the morning, but roped together the party succeeded in reaching the moraine at the foot of the glacier by 6.35, and camp at 7 ; the whole journey occupying exactly 12 hours. Glenorchy was reached next day, and there was great eagerness by everyone to see the shilling that vindicated Harry Birley's character. Mrs Ross' plucky trip was particularly the subject of admiring comment, as she had succeeded in reaching an elevation of nearly 9000 ft, and would, undoubtedly, have trod fche summit but for the snow and freshly fallen ice that made the rockwork so difficult. Theparty carried back a variety ef alpine plants, including some fine specimens of eidelweiss. Mr Ross secured a number of interesting photographs, including one of an avalanche from Birley Glacier, and another of the two final peaks, from the ice plateau at a height of nearly 8000 ft. The photographs taken on the summit will, however, be the most interesting to alpine climbers.