SECOND ASCENT

Southland Times, Issue 22218, 10 January 1934, Page 6

SECOND ASCENT

MOUNT CHRISTINA SOUTHLAND CLIMBERS’ SUCCESS MAGNIFICENT VIEW Three Southland climbers had every reason to be satisfied with their holiday expedition when they returned home on Monday after having made a successful ascent of Mount Christina, in the West Coast Sounds region. The trio who made the climb were Messrs Chailoner and Erskine Bowmar, of Charlton, and Mr P. C. Weenink, of Invercargill. Mr Chailoner Bowmar was the leader of the party and he gave a Southland Times reporter a graphic account of the trip and the climb. He was particularly enthusiastic about the magnificent view obtained from the summit of the mountain, and said it was the finest he had ever seen and could only be properly appreciated by those keen enough to make the trip. Mount Christina is one of the higher peaks of the Darran Mountains, some little distance from the end of the Eglinton road in a southerly direction. Tire peak is 8210 feet high and has only once previously been scaled. This was on December 31, 1925, by a party of Otago University students consisting of Messrs Sinclair, Slater, Roberts and Moir, led by Mr W. G. Grave, an experienced alpinist. The first ascent was exactly eight years before the recent successful climb. Mr Grave's party took a slightly different route and the climb occupied 18 hours, but Mr Bowmar’s party were able to make the ascent in a shorter time and avoided one of the hardest stretches of the climb as encountered by Mr Grave’s party. Snow Conditions Perfect.

Mr Bowmar said it was a hard climb all the way, but at no time were any serious difficulties met with. The rocks were exceptionally good, being sound and well broken, while the snow conditions were perfect. A new fall of snow had settled down just sufficiently hard to enable the climbers to kick steps without having to cut them with ice axes. The party included Messrs Gordon Spcden, of Gore, and B. Thomson, of Dunedin, who did not make the attempt on Mount Christina, but remained at the base camp at the foot of the mountain.

The trip was commenced on Christmas Day, Cascade Creek being reached at 7 o'clock. A stop was made for tea and the party camped overnight at the head of the Eglinton road. The weather was threatening on Boxing Day and the climbers were offered the loan of tents for which they were very thankful in the succeeding unpleasant weather. On the Wednesday the weather was still very bad and snow was falling heavily on the tops. The party proceeded as far as the Howdcn hut where they met the members of the Invercargill Tramping Club on their Christmas tour. On Thursday they left for the Hollyford Valley, but owing to heavy rain they camped at Falls Creek. Friday was beautifully clear and they carried on to Cirque camp at the foot of Mount Christina, where the base camp was established. The camp was in a magnificent site with wonderful mountain scenery on all sides. Steep Slopes. The afternoon was spent in packing the gear required for the climb. The route was planned out and, the three climbers left the base at 8 o'clock next morning. The route lay up very steep slopes Some watercourses were crossed leading to a steep gully, but a rock wall stopped further progress and four or five hours were lost on this account. The trio retraced their way to a ledge where they had some tea and then left the packs while a search was made for the correct route. This was found in a few minutes and the journey resumed. The ledge was followed round and the gulch crossed just below a waterfall. After scrambling up easy rocks they came to their bivouac site at about 4500 ft. This consisted of a flat jutting piece of rock about the size of a house on a very exposed site, Mr Bowmar remarking that the party could have rolled off and over the cliff in their sleep. They made themselves as comfortable as possible in their bivouac and settled down in readiness for an early start for the main climb next day. At 2.30 o’clock in the morning they looked out of the tent and were disappointed to find that the sky was overcast and a few spots of rain were falling and they returned to their sleeping bags not too hopeful that it would be possible to crown their attempt with success. At 5 o’clock they awoke again and were delighted to find that the morning was perfectly clear. Preparations were started immediately and after a good breakfast the climbers started off and by 6.30 o clock were climbing over easy rocks towards the first snowfield. At this point they roped up and crossed toward the snow couloir which led on to the second snowfield. Rapid Progress. “As luck would have it, conditions were perfect and the snow required no cutting whatever, our progress being rapid,” said Mr Bowmar. “At 9.30 we had climbed the steep snow of the second field to a rock wall which we had decided to work over. We had a spell here to admire the view which was becoming more comprehensive. By 11 o’clock we had climbed up the last slopes of a huge snow couloir to the col on the ridge. Here we had our lunch and took a number of photographs. “Continuing our route we crossed under some pinnacles on the ridge back to the summit of the ridge from where we dropped again down the side to the bottom of a steep narrow snow couloir which runs practically to the summit ridge of the peak. Quickly climbing this we raced up easy rocks to the summit ridge and completed our climb at one o’clock. Magnificent View. “From the summit the view was magnificent and fully repaid us for our efforts in climbing the peak. It is one of the finest views I have ever seen and it has really to be seen to be properly appreciated. To the west lay Milford Sound; then mountains and peaks to the Climax, Madeline and Tutoko peaks. To the north-east were the lower Hollyford Valley and its peaks, the Dart Valley and its peaks, with Mount Earnslaw and Mount Aspiring in the distance, their silver ice caps being plainly seen. Further to the east lay the less imposing country of the Mavora lakes. Towards the south the country became more sharply defined, the finest being the unnamed peaks at the head of Mistake Creek and the grand mountains through which the Milford track runs. “Directly below, down 5000 feet of crags or precipices on the eastern face, lay beautiful Lake Marion and its valley, this being an exceptionally fine sight, as the mountains and glaciers rise practically sheer on all sides and great grey cliffs contrasted against the blue of the lake and the green of the bush. The white outlet stream ran in turmoil down towards the Hollyford which lay to the south almost below the peak. Other lakes in view were Te Anau. McKenzie and Roberts. Homeward Bound.

“We traversed along the ridge which was intermittently rock and snow, and

shortly after we were forced reluctantly to drag ourselves back to work along the ridge and down because of fog that was drifting from the south and a cold southerly wind. The downward journey was made in excellent time, but on the lowest snowfield we lazed for some time enjoying the sunshine, the weather having cleared considerably. We reached oux - bivouac about 7.15 and cooked a good meal and drank lustily as it was the first liquid refreshment we had had since leaving m the morning with the exception of snow which we ate. After' the meal we sat out on the rock beside the bivouac and watched the sun smK gloriously in a coloured mist that poured back and forth over the peaks.” On New Year’s Day the climbers left their bivouac site in threatening fog and had some difficulty in getting down owing to the poor visibility and arrived back at the base camp at one o’clock, doing full justice to a meal which had been prepared by the two campers who had remained behind. Camp was struck a little later and the party made for Homer Hut at the head of the Hollyford, where they were storm-bound for the rest of the period, except for a few hours during which they climbed to the top of the Gertrude Saddle and admired a much closer view of Milford. On Saturday last they left for the Cascade Creek camp and spent a pleasant evening, continuing the homeward journey next day.