ALPINE CLUB

Southland Times, Issue 25307, 10 June 1935, Page 4

ALPINE CLUB

INTERESTING SLIDES VIEWS OF MOUNTAIN SCENERY Members of the Southland section of the New Zealand Alpine Club were entertained in the Rosewood Lounge on Saturday night with a very fine series of lantern slides showing various aspects of climbing on the Hermitage side of the Southern Alps and in the country through which the new road to Milford will travel. The first series of slides was brought to Invercargill by Mr A. P. Harper, of Wellington, president of the New Zealand Alpine Club, who as the pictures were thrown upon the screen made many interesting observations and explanatory statements. Mr S. C. Bowmar pointed out the salient features of the slides depicting the Southland mounlain scenes. Mr P. C. Weenink, president of the Southland section, presided and welcomed Mr Harper to Invercargill. .In the lean years the New Zealand Alpine Club had been kept alive through Mr Harper’s efforts, he said. All his life Mr Harper had been directly n^ er “ ested in climbing, and in 1897 had written “Pioneer Work in the New Zealand Alps,” a valuable reference book that was available in the Invercargill Public Library. Referring to Southland’s wealth of climbing country, Mr Weenink said that a certain sum of money should be set aside each year for the purpose of engaging competent authorities to place on record the achievements of the pioneer climbers and surveyors who opened up new country and blazed new trails in this part of New Zealand. The speaker stated that later in the winter season a public exhibition of pictures in connection with the mountain regions would be staged. Perfect Reproductions.

Although many of Mr Harper s pictures were taken many years ago they were perfect reproductions without stains or blemishes. Mount Tasman was revealed in a splendid slide and the speaker said that in his opinion it was the finest mountain outside the Himalayas. It was a wonderful peak and was much superior to anything he had seen in Switzerland. People in New Zealand did not know of the many fine mountains to be found in the South Island chain. To the uninitiated Mount Cook was the only peak that mattered, while, in point of fact, there were many other mountains equal to it in beauty and grace. Mr Harper illustrated this fact with several striking pictures. . Slides showing how the Haast icefall had decreased in size during recent years were both interesting and instructive, and then followed pictures of Mt Sefton, climbed by Mr Harpers daughter, the head of the Tasman glacier, Douglas Peak and the King Memorial Hut. Some remarkable studies of ice formation were also included. Mr Harper advised all young climbers to have at least one season among the “big peaks.” There they would acquire much valuable knowledge. When they returned to Southland they would be able to put their experience to good use. The inclusion of Mr L. V. Bryant in the Mi Everest expedition was one of the greatest tributes that had been paid to New Zealand climbers. He had written to General Bruce telling him there were a dozen other young fellows in the Dominion as good as Mr Bryant. A matter of interest to clubs all over New Zealand was the' erection of the hut in the Dart Valley. Money was actually being raised in Auckland to help to build the hut, aand he hoped that when it. was opened there would be a representative gathering of Dominion climbers. Interesting Recollections.

At the conclusion of the showing of Mr Harper’s slides a series of pictures illustrating Southland’s scenic resorts was presented. Mr Bowmar pointed out the interesting features. The pictures comprised views of Milford Sound, the Eglinton Valley and Lake Te Anau. Glimpses of the great stretches of unnamed and unexplored country in the vicinity of Milford were also shown, as well as photographs taken on trips organized by club members. Mr J. M. Fowler, of Branxholme, in the course of moving a vote of thanks to Mr Harper and Mr Bowmar, which was later carried by acclamation, said that the slides of the Alpine Club president were among the finest he had seen. Mr Bowmar’s pictures reminded him that after Quinton McKinnon had cut a track from Te Anau to Milford it was decided to use prison labour to make a road from Milford to Te Anau. In 1890 the project commenced, and work by the prisoners was started at the Milford end. After a road 12 feet wide had been built for two miles the idea was abandoned. Before it was finally decided to cease operations provisions ran short and men had escaped. Later, however, these fugitives from justice were captured. The ridge found by Grave and Talbot was now going to be tunnelled so that the present-day road to Milford could go through. A vote of thanks was passed to the Technical College for the use of the lantern.