A MOUNTAINEERING TRIP.

Colonist, Volume XXVII, Issue 3880, 29 March 1884, Page 2 (Supplement)

A MOUNTAINEERING TRIP.

(From, tho ' Colonist,' March 25.) As we mentioned in yesterday's issue a party composed of Messrs J. H. Cock, Curtis, Heaps, Park, and Dr I

Hudson left Belgrove on the 10th instant en route for Mt. Franklyn. They had been detained for two days by wet weather, but on making .their 'start with pack horses carrying provisions, tent, &c;', they, proceeded by ■way' of Tarndale over Island, Pass, which is 4100 feet above the sea. level,and entered the Clarence Valley on the 13th March; On the 14th they crossecl 'Malings Pass, which has an altitude of 4000 feet, and thence proceeded, via Lake Tennyson, - into the Upper Waiau, and ascending the valley to the foot of Mt. Franklyn on its southern slope they camped at a suitable place 4000 ft above the sea level. Sunday, the 16th inst, was devoted to a reconnoissance survey, with the view of determining, the best route for ascending the mountain, and in the course of their journey on this day one of the party had a somewhat narrow escape. .Whilst making .their way through the snow,' Mr Curtis lost his footing and slid down about 100-feet, wlien he brought' up among some rocks, fortunately little the worse for his mishap. The snow field, it was discovered, fed a small but interesting glacier* and in honor of-the gentlemaij, whoseimishapi had,f6r thetimescaused some consternation* it was resolved to name the glacier the1". Curtis Glacier.'1 Havmg: fettled1; theiirrplan of'faction, our.moiiniaineerihgiriends were astir early on the; morning > of; the 17th, eager tp; [attairi t|ie 'summit; of ,f he ;:^ri/r.eachi% r a, height, of 500.feet they;.discovered a. beautiful .lakeland from which4hey found the iWaiau river1' took1 its? course. r"Thi& lake was' abo'ut,two y miles>long,'with1 a width, '.of' abpiit;, a '.quarter of; ,a. .mile, and .mindful.of;lthe great,kindness "shown, the party by Mr F.A. Thomp.soii, the"G6ver^ent;^uryeybr^whio^e camp ,'they hadpreyipusiy yisited,; and who, with jew or twoiof his men* accompanied them1, they.! resolved to call thisitf Lake Thompsoni I'n;iPrdceeding /onward and upwards' another' lake^ of e^tial dimensions1 was* ;disc,(p,ered ;'at, ;a l^glit of! 6000;^ they found supplied the waters of a branch of DJUryille river, which flow)* into, Lake "B'ptorua, on the i north 61 MpunFFranktyn^ 'and this la'kewas riainedjafterla, daughter !pf^r,!^ark, tlie originator"of the expedition, Lake; Constance; About the level of this Lake heavy, snow fields were encountered, and/ in crossing these there was no little risk; So steep did the snow lie that steps had to be cut, and rcpes were necessary to guard against a false move. At the height of 7500 feet hugei'ocks pile^.on one another, the crevices being occupied.with snow| were met1 with, and these had to be scaled. ■ ' A It. was found that these rocks continued right up : to the isummit, which, by the Aneroid, was found to be only 7850 feet above sea level.:' This fact was somewhat galling to our friends as basing their'belief on; the estimate of Dr Yon Haast, who puts down; Mount Franklyn as having an elevation of 10,000 feet, theyj had started, with the determination of " doing" the second highest lnoun-; tain in New Zealand. Their regrets1 were increased too by the fact that dense mist was rolling up the mountain, arid they were, in consequence,' unable to view, the grand panorama,: which was thus veiled; from view. Little time for regret was possible,; •however,, for' a heavy storm; setting in.| the" party became!;japprehensive; that; .they might miss their.;track. ; The: descent 'proved'itmbre' trying than;the upward journey, for the"' possibility of a slide of some, thousand or two of feet, "with; a, leap .byei:,a sheer precipice of 1 Obpfe'e y t.a:f the;end, "stared them in the face. .'■■■ Notwithstanding s these difficulties, 'Mr Part an'd■some of his com^ panions sticceeded in 'making a splendid botanical collection, obtaining some fine Alpine plants, and they reached their camp Safely the same evening, having reached the summit! at 2 ■ 30. p.m.', On Wednesday, the TBtti, they 'started on their way homewards, visiting 6ri'>their way Lakes Guyon and; Eotpiti, and the scenery in many places they describe" as being surpassingly grand, and:of great diversity.; On the NvE of Mount Franklyn was a ragged peak,, standing:. at: an', elevation of 7000 feet, arid this they named Hud-; son's knob in; compliment to;the doctor, whilst some of the waterfalls they describe as beautiful in the extreme., Ohe. of these,ll^hibH the party named thei .Gertrude, '■ Falls, r after f ai little \ daughter of.; Mr: Heaps,' has & total fall of1 about 1000 feet; and another, equally grand, and haying; a somewhat greate^ volume of water,-tiiey named'the Webber Falls.. The.whole trip,; yas a most interesting, Onß- in every: iespect. '; ;The factual diskiice jirayeired:{was" 250'miles^ and 'though a. j little. roughing x was,- necessary: -all were much by.! r the j trip/ In/;the ' Vicinity <of I'Mqunt Fran'klyjti copper, was discovered. in the shape of PeacqckiOre, an^ gold ,was found 'in,a tributary of ■> the: Waiau, so that with: 'botanical and geological spici-' mens our mountaineering ' friends returned. rich.,. in spoil, , and not a little.- delighted with their most enjoyable trip.