SCENIC GRANDEUR

Southland Times, Issue 22108, 31 August 1933, Page 4

SCENIC GRANDEUR

MT. ASPIRING COUNTRY. ILLUSTRATED LECTURE. Last evening members of the Southland section of the New Zealand Alpine Club were treated to a most interesting and instructive lantern lecture by Mr Roland Ellis, of Dunedin, who spoke at length on the comparatively littleknown but magnificent scenery of the mountainous regions of Western Otago. A keen mountaineer, Mr Ellis has done a considerable amount of climbing on Mt. Aspiring and in the vicinity, and his lecture, which dealt principally with two ascents of this peak, was listened to most attentively by his audience. The lecture was delivered in the Mary Elizabeth lounge, Mr J. D. Knowles, chairman of the Southland section, presiding and introducing the speaker. ' Mr Ellis explained that from a spectacular point of view, the first ascent was hardly as successful as it might have been on account of the heavy mist that shrouded the summit, but on the second the weather was beautifully clear, and the climbers, on reaching the top, had spread before them a gorgeous panorama which extended from Mt. Cook to Milford on the northern and western aspects, and along the Dart Basin towards Pembroke and Central Otago on the east and south. The Matukituki Valley formed the party’s gateway to the mountains, and this was followed as far as the confluence of the western and eastern branches of the river. After a short detour up the eastern branch, the climbers then proceeded up the western arm to the Alpine Club’s huts, and eventually established their high camp near the summit of Mount French. The crowning efforts of the trips—the arduous conquests of Aspiring—were graphically described by Mr Ellis, who took his hearers up steep rock faces, along snowfields, and across yawning chasms right on to the razorback saddle on the summit of the mountain, and then vividly described the magnificent views that could be seen from this vantage point. Not a little of the success of the lecture was due to the very fine series of lantern slides that accompanied Mr Ellis’s narrative. Messrs G. C. Tapper and R. J. Smith, who were in charge of the lantern, threw on the screen some particularly interesting views of Mt. Aspiring, taken from an aeroplane piloted by Captain Mercer, of the Canterbury Aero Club. These showed the mountain under conditions that would never be experienced by an ordinary mountaineer, and they served to illustrate the precipitous nature of the slopes of the peak, as well as its resemblance, at certain angles, to the Matterhorn. It was worthy of note, Mr Ellis pointed out when this slide was shown, that Mount Aspiring was known among climbers as the Matterhorn of New Zealand. There were also shown several views of the impressive Quarterdeck Glacier in the Mt. French region, and scenes from Mt. French looking towards the Arawata and Waipara Valleys, as well as views of Mounts Stargazer and Moonraker taken from Aspiring. Illustrative of the difficulties encountered by the party were some slides showing the climbers in action and on top of Mount Aspiring covered with icicles, while the audience was given an unusual view of the saddle on the summit, the mountaineers being shown sitting astride of After viewing last evening’s display it is not difficult to appreciate why Mr Ellis’s lantern slides are recognized as the best set in New Zealand. In addition he has spent a considerable .amount of time and money in producing two i three moving pictures of New Zealand mountain regions, one of these films being at present in London. On the motion of Mr P. C. Weenink, the lecturer was accorded a hearty vote of thanks by acclamation.