A SUBSIDIARY PEAK OF MOUNT COOK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3029, 3 April 1912, Page 88

A SUBSIDIARY PEAK OF MOUNT COOK.

A GOOD CLIMB BT M [SS DU FAUB AND GUIDES PETER AND ALEX. GRAHAM. A VIRGIN PEAK. The present season at the Hermitage has been notable for the large amount of climbing which has been accomplished by the guides and those of the visitors who have proved their ability to reach the summit of Mount Cook and a number of the highest peaks in the magnificent chain of .Alpine peaks for which the Mount Cook district is celebrated. The summit of several virgin peaks has been attained dining the past few weeks and we are indebted to Miss Freda Du Faur, of New South Wales, who, it will be remembered, was the first lady climber to reach the summit of Mount Cook, for the following interesting account of an ascent of a sharp rock cone flanking New Zealand's highest mountain, in company with Peter and Alexander Graham, two of our best-known guide.',:— "The peak I wish to tell you about is a sharp double rock cone immediately below the low summit of Mount Cook, it had never been attempted until about a fortnight ago, when Mr Hugh Chambers and myself, with Guides Clark and Murphy, set out for it. We had a beautiful day, but, unfortunately, chose an impossible route up. The choice of a route on a virgin peak is, of course, often a difficult matter. We became involved in difficulties very early in the day, and after eight hours' steady climbing we arrived at the ridge leading to the summit, only to find it was impossible to proceed further. Time Would not allow us to try a fresh route, so we had to reluctantly give up the attempt for that day. THE NOELINE GLACIER. "On March 14 I set off again with Peter and Alex. Graham as guides. It was not a very promising morning, as a strong north-westerly was blowing, but fine days are so rare this season we decided to try it, in the hope that conditions would improve later in the day. We left the Hooker Hut at 5.30 a.m., and followed the Hooker Glacier as far as the last rocks on the right, at. the foot of the Ice Fall. From there we climbed straight up the Noeline Glacier, which leads round to the base of the last roeke of our peak. The Noeline is a particularly fine and impressive glacier, running back for about a mile and a-half to the base of the Mount Cook arete. None of us had ever seen WONDERFUL CREVASSES as we encountered on our route. The widest must have been about 60ft, with sheen walls on either side and a beautiful ice arch at one end leading down to unknown blue depths. Another, slightly narrower, seemed bottomless, but at last we paw away down one enl a rippled, snowy floor. I suggested to Alex, wo should let him down "on our 100 ft rope to explore, but he concluded he might l»e frozen in the process, so it is still waiting for some more adventurous spirit to discover all its inward loveliness. The head of the glacier is an amphitheatre, walled round on three sides ; on the left the low peak of Mount Cook towered above us, great icicles hanging from tho rock, and in one place what looked to l>e a frozen waterfall about 50ft in height. In the middle ;>toc>d our peak of rugged red rock, square at the summit, from the right of which a jagged red ridge leads down, broken by six fine aquilles, then a perfectly straight ridge for perhaps 30 yards, and " another series of aquilles, leading down to the Hooker Glacier. I have never seen such GLORIOUS COLOURING before; the sky v.ad intensely blue, and the. red rocks 'towering against it, with the snowy glacier floor beneath, formed one of the mast lovely contvasts I have ever seen. We found the rocks very steep at the beginning, but in good repair, and they improved as we progressed. The chief drawback was the wind. We could hear it howling on the heights above us, and every now and again a fierce gust would sweep up the narrow couloir on which we were climbing. Fortunately, it was at our backs, or we could hardly have fought against it. "We reached the summit at 12.30, but were not able to enjoy the glorious view for long on account of the icy wind. The aneroid registered 9850 ft. which makes this about the third highest hitherto unclimbed peak in New Zealand. We had a particularly fine view of the low peak of Cook, of which we took several photographs. Mount also was very fine, towering high above everything else. Th-j sea on the West Coast was hidden by a WONDERFUL BANK OF YELLOW CLOUDS, like a tremendous breaking wave. The Giahams considered this a very bad weather sign, saying that on the only occasion on whion they had seen it before two days' rain and snow followed upon it. We had also an extensive view north, from the head of the Tasman Glacier to far beyond Lake Pukaki in the south. Wo found the summit too cold for a prolonged stay, so retired to a sheltered spot lower down to eat our lunch. Peter Graham was rather anxious to traverse the peak and join the previous route on the Mona Glacier, so he went off to have a look at the south arete. On his return he reported it excellent as far as he could see. However, we decided to return as we had come, mainly because on the ascent Peter's ice-axe had been smashed close to the head by a falling stone —axe, stone, ami all ending on the glacier a thousand feet below, —and

•we wished to secure the axe. It had to be remembered, also, that if we came to any difficulties, two axes among three were too little for comfort and, possibly, safety; 60 rather reluctantly we returned as we had come. We reached the Hooker hut at 7 p.m., having been out just 13J, hours. We were all in the best of spirits and enjoyed an excellent dinner, quickly got ready, while talking over all the incidents of" our very happy and successful day. The wind had risen, and wae roaring round the hut in its own pleasant way, but we were all much too sleepy to be disturbed by the worst wind that ever blew, so sought our bunks and knew no more till early morning, when we awakened to rain and snow, which proved my guides to be excellent weather prophets as well as mountaineers."