MOUNT ASPIRING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3861, 13 March 1928, Page 20

MOUNT ASPIRING.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ASCENT. By E. M. LI. The third night wits spent under similar conditions, bettered somewhat by tne raising of the sheltering rock about three feet with a parapet of large stones. The persistent wind kept up its doleful and ghostlike wailing, and sleep had again to be postponed till the morrow. From knowledge of this region, the storm had been predicted to last three days, and, as if to order, it died down punctually, leaving in its place a thick fog. The fourth night spent at high level was calm, but colder than usual, and the occupants of the tent were not surprised to find, in the morning, that six inches of snow had fallen. The fog did not lift, how .ever, till 6.30 a.m., too late for an attempt on the peak that day, as, before a start could be made, two hours at least must be consumed in melting snow and nreparing a satisfying meal. The day now broke calm and clear, and the panorama to the south and west, especially to eyes grown tired of blankness, was truly magnificent. The morn ing was spent in drying out camp, and in the afternoon the remaining distance of 200 ft or so to the summit of Mount French was climbed, and then, descend ing about 800 ft to the surface of the

Bonar Glacier, the party indulged in route march of six or seven miles on a vast frozen pausing awhile on the crest of a 3000 ft precipice to look down into the head of the Kitchener River, which joins the east branch of the Matuki tuki.

The total absence of wind in the early evening predicted a perfect day to follow,' and, returning to camp, the cooks set >o work to prepare a meal of many courses as a solid foundation for the morrow s effort to complete the main task. Others, with the aid of binoculars, scanned the steep snow slopes and rock faces of Aspir ing in search, of the most convenient route to the summit, and found only one which seemed practicable, and which all agreed to follow. All were agreed, too, that the gorgeous illumination of the sunset now suffusing its richness on range upon range of rose-tinted mountain peaks, rising from mysterious depths of purple and violet, filled them with a supreme content, and was more than sufficient reward for days of toil and hardship. So late does the sun dip over the horizon at this altitude that the climbers, fully dressed, seemed hardly to have buttoned themselves in their sleeping bags, before a rude clamour betokened that a’ wakeful individual was announcing the hour of midnight, time to be stirring. The engineers of the Primus stoves soon had their machines vomiting fumes and a hot meal was under way in two places. Perhaps the number of courses, or the putting on of puttees and windproof

overalls in confined space caused delay, for the flap of the. tent was not closed, and the party roped together till 2.45 a.m. The descent of easy snow slopes to the surface of the glacier was taken almost at a run, and the walk across the crisp ice of the glacier was exhilarating. Not a cloud appeared to efface the bright stars. . The torch of the leader probing crevasses turned their depths rosy, or cast wierd shadow’s, and was the only light. The crescent moon had dropped two hours before. Straight across the glacier, a distance of about one and a-half miles, is a large rocky bluff at the base of a clean-cut ice ridge leading from near the summit of the mountain. Skirting this and keeping to the left almost level, the selected -oute wound in and out of crevasses until a certain rock was rounded, a little over two hours after leaving camp. Now commenced a period of step-cutting up a long steep ice face with an average angle of 50dcg—slow work, for only ,one or two men could move at a time. To the east light of dawn began to glow, and as it increased a great bank of clouds became visible, slowly sailing up from the West Coast. The rising sun touched these with a very small amount of pale pink, an indication that the weather w’onld be miserable and depressing. On the other hand a riot of red, vivid colour would have heralded a fierce storm. There was hope that the clouds might remain low and the climbers rise into sunlight

above them, so they kept steadily on chopping steps writh regularity, and reached the top of the snow slope at its junction with the main leading of Aspiring.at 6.30 a.m. From this point it had been hoped to obtain a view dowm the valley of the Waiatoto towards Okuru, but the mist obscured all. The rocks hereabouts were all ice covered, and had pendant icicles five or six feet long. The climbers were soon in a similar condition, for the fine hail froze on their clothing, and covered them in a white and crackling armour of ice, and from their eyebrows icicles hung down on to their cheeks. Fingers felt benumbed through woollen and covering leather gloves. The halts r ere not many on account of the cold, and so for three hours more they toiled on, now over an icefield, now over a heap of. slippery rocks, on and up with the end never in sight. The ridge, which was 30 tt or 40ft in width at first, near the summit narrowed down to a mere edge of ice with a slope on either side too steep to climb. Happily the mist hid from the climbers the fact that at times they were standing on the edge of the sheer precipice of the northern face, some thousands of feet in depth. For the final reach, steps had to be cut in the ice, for the last rocks arc quite a thousand feet below the summit, which is an ice cap, shaped like a marquee with two little peaks, the farther one slightly higher than the other. When the first peak was reached, almost without knowing it, and the nearly .evel ridge to the higher peak presented Pelf, the party put on quite a spurt and finished in style at 9.40 a.m., thougn the driving hail robbed them of any feeling of elation. The camera man, who had come prepared for the panorama of a lifetime had to be content with a group of pale-looking sugar candy figures. The time spent in reclining on the ridge, angular as the back of an underfed horse, was not more than five minutes.

The return journey was made in much better time than the outward, because the going was "downhill, and for other reasons. Shortly after leaving the summit an ice ridge breaking off to the left was avoided, as it was the top of the central ridge of the south face, too steep to follow. The climbers moved quickly down the main ridge, and sprawls on the slippery rocks V’ere frequent, a tug on the rope serving, however, to upend the fallen. The point at which the main ridge must be left to descend the --teep snowface to the glacier had been carefully noted, but the steps cut coming up were difficult to find owing to their having been filled in with the hail which streamed continuously down the face. Accordingly, new' steps were cut most of the way, and the climbers lowered themselves down this interminable ladder with the utmost care, as had two men slipped together all might have had their full names in print. It was with great relief that the more level surface of the glacier was at last seen and reached.

After negotiating many deep crevasses on the edge of the glacier, the black bluff a' the foot of the centre ridge was seen, through the fog, like a whole mountain peak. From this point, the longed-for bivouac lay about two miles S.S.W. Accordingly a straight file of five, guided by the compass, headed for home. The bearing was somewhat difii cult to maintain owing to frequent crevasses which had to b e side-stepped and when at last a rise in grade of the iceheld betokened that the far side had been reached, it was known that the bivouac lay up those slopes, somewhere within half a mile. Yet whether to turn east or west no one could be certain until some landmark should become visible. Subsequent clear weather showed that the party arrived within 50yds of where they had stepped on to the glacier early in the morning. Soon there came a rift in the clouds, and straining eyes discerned a great unfamiliar peak ahead with precipitous black cliffs, and the usual capping of snow from which a stream of water tumbled. It seemed very strange that a waterfall could appear so high jp, where all water should be frozen, unless this peak were miles away across the valley. A few steps taken by the leader cleared up the mystery. The peak was just a large rock in the snow, and the waterfall a vein of white quartz. This, and many similar illusions, provided no landmarks, so a course was set along the slopes in the hope of stumbling across the Quarterdeck icefalls. The wind, rising, brought a whirling snow ••torm which forced the party to shelter awhile in a cave, and, even though the glacier is reputed to be the most beautifully shaped of any in the country, they were becoming a little tired of their enforced stay upon it.

At last there were descried faint signs of tracks made deep in the soft snow of the previous afternoon, and these led back over the summit of Mount French to the welcome bivouac, reached at 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. No one was found willing to remain awake till the small hours, as custom dictates. The next day was clear and windy, and the party, having lived on a snowfield for six days, were eager to bid farewell to “ hurricane Camp,” and descend to the levels where are to be had firewood and running water. Four hours’ going brought them down to the daisy patch at the head- of the valley. As it was late afternoon, the avalanche chute was not followed, a way being found over the rocky ledges to the left. ° Bush level reached, a halt was called, and, as before at this spot, all slept under the stars.

From the head of the west branch to Aspiring station is a good day’s march with packs up. Continuous rain next day gave no excuse for delay, and the journey down the winding valley was made in nine hours. The river was forded, waist high, opposite the Wishbone Falls, with

the aid of the light rope. Soon there appeared various promising and desirable signs of civilisation, such as wild gooseberry bushes, milk cows, and finally a hen r -After a little absence in the wilds, all the familiar sights and sounds of a home are brimful of a new and nappy meaning. Here, where the fresh green path, that has been trodden by few, joins the dusty road traversed by many, our journeyends. For many, the end of the road marks the limit of travel in comfort, and there might seem to be no gain in ventunng further. Yet the few who have gone on have found a path leading to health and vigour in a land of strange enchantment. • Ln conclusion, the members of the party gratefully acknowledge the voluntary assistance of Mr Aspinall, of Mount Aspiring Station, in providing pacxhorses, and of Mr Aubrey, of Cattle Flat Station, in transporting them from Niger Hut to Pembroke by motor lorry and car.