SOLO MOUNTAIN CLIMBING

Taranaki Daily News, 29 September 1930, Page 3

SOLO MOUNTAIN CLIMBING

PRACTICE DEEMED PERILOUS DENOUNCED BY ALPINE CLUB MEN EGMONT CLUB’S SAFETY POLICY. Solo climbing and glissading on fro2* en snow on the mountain were discussed at a meeting last week of the committee of tl ./Mount. Egmont Alpine Club. That the club should express strong disapproval of solo climbing was the opinion of the president, Mr. L. O. Hooker. There was nothing to prevent the most experienced climber from meeting with an accident without anyone knowing where to look for him. It was a matter which, if allowed to continue, would cause grave concern to those in charge of the hostels. He considered the practice most dangerous and a bad example to younger and less experienced members. Club officials were of opinion that there should be at least three persons in any climbing party. The Mount Egmont Alpine Club had adopted a careful policy, said Mr. Hooker, but unfortunately there did not appear to be a general adoption of such a policy. A considerable amount of '■ anxiety was caused when climbers went away singly or in small parties without anyone knowing 'where they were going. It would bo the adoption of a policy whereby attention would be drawn to these matters that would make the mountain safe and maintain public confidence and interest in the activities of the clubs. Mr. Rod Syme also characterised the practice of solo climbing-as-dangerous, citing cases of most experienced alpinists who had been subjected to severe crticism because of dangerous solo ef-_ forts they had made. The clubs were doomed if they allowed parties to go out not under proper control. Every precaution should be taken to prevent the possibility of accidents on the mountain. That solo climbing was safe for an experienced man up to a, certain point was the opinion of Mr. H. Murray, Eltham, who said he had done a consid- b erablj amount of. solo climbing. -If the climber were properly equipped, left instructions as to his intentions, adher-. ed to those instructions and knew when to turn back, the danger was not very great. He agreed in general with the previous remarks, but considered that a great deal ' depended on the commonsense and\the knowledge of the climber. > ‘ The possibility of an accident to even an experienced climber, particularly on a bad day, was referred to by Mr. D. Rytn . Mr. Hooker expressed the opinion that a warning should be given as to the danger of glissading on frozen snow. The practice was recognised as a dan-, o-erous one and the risk of an accident was always present whether the climber had or did not have an ice-axe. Club members were being continually reminded of the dangers attendant upon, such recognised dangerous practices as solo climbing and glissading on frozen ? snow, said Mr. Syme. As a matter ,of safety no one • should go alone outside , the 'safety zone. ■