MOUNT TUTOKO REGION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3611, 29 May 1923, Page 44

MOUNT TUTOKO REGION.

EXPLORED BY MR S. TURNER. IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES. Air Samuel Turner, of Wellington, explorer and mountaineer, wh u has been doing further exploration work in the Tutoko region from the Hollyford Valley cn the West Coast for the last two months, returned to Wellington last week. He has now spent four seasons in his selt-ixnposed task of exploration in the Tutoko region. No one except those who have been associated with him can form any idea of his herculean task, and probably few men are so specially endowed oy nature as is Mr Turner for undertaking such a task. The long snows of the Southern Alps appeal specially to him. Ills is essentially pioneering work, and it is hoped that the New Zealand Government will provide the moans of opening up this magnificent region for the betnlfc of overseas tourists as well as for our own peojile. Were the magnitude, nay, the grandeur, which Nature has given to these solitudes, Known to the world, people would flock to our shores to see this mighty spectacle a glittering confusion, a wild dazzling riot of glaciers Leaving Queenstown early in March, Mr Turner proceeded to the Ilollyford Valley, via Elfin Bay and the Greenstone. He first of all explored the head precipices of Stickup Creek with the idea of getting on to the icefield at the head of same. He then explored another valiey at the head of Lake M’Kerrow with the further object of climbing the second highest peak in the district, which is considered by some people, incorrectly, to be Tutoko. After about eight days’ exploration, they got to the head of a huge glacier with three icefalis, which separated them from the Peak. "My third attempt,” said Mr Turner, ‘‘was to climb the peak alone. From the bush level close to Glacier Creek I got within 800 ft of the summit and had to give up a second attempt owing to continuous bad weather and heavy snowfall. My next was with a companion, Mr J. Edgar of Queenstown. YV e had cl ini bod to within 400 ft of trie summit by 3 o’clock in the afternoon and could have reached the top if Edgar ;iad agreed to my to be benighted, or if he had fallen in with my further suggestion that he allow me to climb alone. I could have returned to him within an hour and a-half. His being insufficiently clothed, however, was a drawback to his remaining there over night. It was Edgar’s first big climb and he did well, only stepping into the breach to climb after my solitary climbing companion gave up and left the valley. \\ e then came down with the idea of climbing next day, but all the methylated spirits, candles, and food for the attempt were finished. We had also to consider the crossing of the Hollyford, in case of flood. We had very little food at the bush level and at the base camp, which was on the wrong side of the Hollyford, a very dangerous river. It is necessary to have at least ten days’ provisions in reserve to be safe. Our horses had, moreover, broken Uieir hopples and got away, which meant that we had to cross the Hollyford on foot.” The climbing of this peak was not the main object ot Mr Turner’s two months’ sojourn in these regions. His main object this season was to complete his exploration and discoveries in the Hollyford and Tutoko region. “In 1919,” said Mr Turner, "I climbed a pass about 5000 ft above sea level, and, looking over it. concluded that it went into the Hollyford Valley from the Tutoko Valley. Although I spent the two months of that season in this exploration, I had had no chance of corroborating same. In 1920 I spent over two months in that region without getting any nearer my objective, but that year I climbed the real Mount Tutoko, which is given on the Admiralty chart as 9591 ft, as compiled by the s.s. Acheron in 1850-51. Strange to say, however, although the original issue ot this map shows a height of 9691 ft, a recent cony of this survey, to my surprise, shows that the altitude has been altered io 9045 ft, presumably in accord with the 1882 survey made by Mr Wilmot. This is a serious mistake because the 1850-51 map is the most complete one of this district. In 1921 I spent another two months, during which I crosses! over to a high pass down on to a newly-discovered glacier, the end of which had boon seen by the surveyor in 1882, but was not properly discovered or explored. That year I never got a chance of seeing anything of the other side of the pass. This year, however. I made up my mind to find out all about it, because a good many of my friends and New Zealand authorities wore

very keen to get a practicable pass so that tourists could go a complete tour round Tutoko group of mountains to Milford Sound track. It is now very gratifying to me, after eight months of exploration and discoveries in this district to be iLie to complete my exploration by the discovery of this pass, which embraces from Queenstown to Milford Sound, a journey via Elfin Boy, Greenstone Valley, liollylord Valley, across the head of Lake M’Kerfow, over a pass 4100 ft high, almost entirely free from snow all the year round, and across to the ho.ad of an alpine valley.

“It will he necessary for the Government to make a tunnel of about 150 yards through a. rock wall which divides the head of the Tutoko Valley from the head of the valley discovered in my expedition this year. The journey before going through the tunnel can be broken and in one day the second greatest icefield in New Zealand, which is the centre of the Tutoko region, can be visited and two or three hours spent in the most fantastic icefield it would be possible to imagine. Again, anvone wishing to traverse a snow and icefield can go for five or six miles parallel to their route of travel and then descend to the hut at the tunnel. The next day would be a fairly easy one if a good track were cut down to the head of Milford Sound. My threo years’ expeditions in the Tutoko Valley on the Milford Sound side, and my men have been the means of making a good track for half this distance, and a blazed track the second half : and a good hush track has also been made from the ITollyford side to (he bush level on this route by my expedition this season. The expanse of completing the work to make the tour possible will be the tunnel, which will cost, roughly. 30s per foot in all. and the track, which will run into, say, £2OOO W the time the huts required are constructed. I have myself discovered three pas-es from the Tutoko to the Hollyford Valley, but the Hollyford River, and the Tutoko River on the other side, are the chief and serious drawbacks to the passes. They could not he used without a bridge or cage being put across each river. But the number of tourists travelling over the route would not justify the expense of a bridge. “Another drawback is that two of these passes do not embrace the Tutoko group of mountains. The tourist, in crossing these passes, would not see the Tutoko icefields, whidh are about 50 miles in extent. It is worth noting in passing that the latest Government map shows these icefields to be only about 10 miles in extent. The advantage of my round tour may be gathered from the fact that tourists could go via the Routeburn, the Rqekburn, or the Greenstone and the Hollyford. This latter route however, would be the most picturesque. By the route I have discovered there would lie no river which it would he necessary to cross on foot. The Greenstone and Hollyford Rivers could be crossed by horses, and the Pyke by a boat or horses. A boat would take tourists across the head of Lake M'Kerrow and therefrom commence their journey up through the Tutoko icefields and oil to the tunnel hut. The tunnel would be pierced from the right side of the Tutoko River and the tourist would have no difficulty whatever in accomplishing the complete journey from Dunedin and back in 14 days without getting his feet wet. Surely the New Zealand Government will have enough enterprise to extend my exploration and spend three times as much as I have spent, especially as I am willing to take an engineer and surveyor with me. If they are supplied I will provide for them to complete the route mentioned and place on the map all the numerous discoveries I have made during my four expeditions. “Amongst the new discoveries I have made in the Tutoko district are five small lakes, 10 passes, four valleys, and about 40 miles of perpetual ice and snowfields, with four ice falls. The country could not be seen properly or explored unless one climbed up to the perpetual snow level, owing to the precipices being from 6000 ft to 8000 ft higher on both sides of the Tutoko range. The valley on the round tour I have discovered is an easy slope—the only long slope in the whole of the district where it is possible to get on to the icefield. The ice on top of these precipices extends eight to ten miles across from the Hollyford to the Tutoko Valley. The country is the most difficult it is possible to explore, and the conditions of weather, floods of enormous dimensions, the prevalance of mosquitoes and sandflies make the district formidable. (These can be cured.) This district must be tackled by the explorer on a very much larger scale than anybody would give it credit for. One might easily cross the Hollyford River at low water and he imprisoned on the opposite side by sudden change caused by the melting of snow or by heavy rains. Mjk route would make the tourist traffic independent of the weather, and the scenery is the wildest, most fantastic, and varied, nrobablv in the world. The general public complain of the sameness of mountain scenery, and as a mountaineer of 26 years’ experience I must admit that there ig a good deal in this criticism.

“Ihe most remarkable feature about the Tutoko region is that although il.eie are about 30 mountains in that group, eaoh one entirely different from the other from head to foot, and the unique position of the valleys, (he glaciers, and the icefields is exceedingly wonderful. One might stand on a pa-s at a height of 5000 ft. overlooking the Dome glacier, which is about six miles long by two to three miles broad. This glacier is encased as though in a cradle. Its only outlet, is a narrow gorge about 4Crt wide, which is at a height of about 3Cooft. The glacier forces itself over the smooth rocks of this gorge and falls with a roar into a cup of hard granite in ice-worn rocks about 500 ft down. One the north-west of the real Tutoko is a hanging glacier about 7530 ft un on the precipice. The ice breaks away, and as it crashes down the precipice it finds its way into a narrow' n-orge probably 3’o yards wide, and rushes down almost perpendicularly 4000 ft. emptying itself into this huge cup near the entrance of the glacier described. 1 turned the handle of my cinema for one halfminute at the rate of two turns a second before the whole of one avalanche was finished. "I think, however, the New Zealand Government should take over and extend the results so secured so that this generation will hand down to future generations a much extended wonderland which is becoming more God s Own Country than any country in the world. Probably New Zealanders call this “Gcd’s Own Country” be. cause they themselves do not know the wild parts of this fair land, and think that these regions are only visited by the spirits of the Almighty. There is something more than pounds, shillings, and pence to be considered when a people have been entrusted with such a picturesque and healthgiving land like this dominion. Apart altogetner from the influx of overseas tourists, it is the duty of every man in this country to know every part of it and to see that it is developed as a health or scenic resort or for its economic advantages. One can | never tell what part this wonderful mountain region, which contains the second largest icefield in New Zealand, the biggest waterfalls, the highest precipices and most natural state of its birds, game, fish, and bush, is going to play in the future of this country. Shiploads of tourists could be taken to Martin's Bay and within two days be on the icefields of Tutoko by only climbing 5000 ft and walking five to seven miles of snow slopes, which are almost level. New Zealand as an agricultural country has in store very prosperous times, and should now look forward to developing its unexplored regions. ’ The Lake County Council should be subsidised £ for £ to renew the hut at •e head of Lake M‘Kerrow and put the Hollyford track in a sound condition for travelling over. At the present time one must admit it is quite an experience to travel down the Hollyford. For instance, one of my best day’s journeys this season was 23 miles in 26 hours. It takes seven days from Wellington to get to the base of operations in order to climb in (he Tutoko region. No place in New Zealand should take seven days to reach; in my opinion, no place should take more than four days.”