ROCK FALL ON EGMONT?

Taranaki Daily News, 25 March 1935, Page 9

ROCK FALL ON EGMONT?

INSPECTION BY CLIMBERS NO CHANGE FOUND NOTICEABLE. DAMAGE IN THE MANGANUI GORGE WONDERFUL SIGHT FOR VISITORS. Definite assurance that no alteration in the rock formation in the crater of Mount Egmont has taken place recently was given to a Daily News representative on Saturday night, by Mr. J. L. O. Rowe, Stratford, who with Mr. J. W. Pooley, Stratford, had just returned from an ascent to the summit. Rumours have been current throughout the district that a fall of rock from the lip of the crater had altered the shape of the summit, some people mentioning the Shark’s Tooth, the familiar peak on the east lip of the crater, in that connection, but no definite information has been available. Mr. Rowe, who made an ascent about six weeks ago, made very careful investigations on Saturday and could find no evidence of any fall of rock.

A positive check on the contour of the crater edge to the east of the East Peak or Shark’s Tooth was taken by Mr. Rowe. From, a resting point just below the summit rock, he said, one could by looking over the edge of the crater just see the Dawson Falls mountain house; he had noticed this on several previous visits. On Saturday from the same position he could see the house just the usual amount clear of the far lip. He mentioned, however, an alteration since the recent heavy rains that had probably given rise to the rumour of a fall. What appeared to be a fall of rock was an ochre or yellow face, of rock washed clean by the rain and dried by the sun. The extraordinary extent to which the snow in the crater had melted during the last few weeks was mentioned by Mr. Rowe. About the beginning of the year," he said, the snow lay about four feet below the rock at the point reached by climbers from the Stratford side. Six weeks ago the level of the snow had fallen, but on Saturday it lay about 20 feet below the same rock. The snow in the crater rises at a very steep angle from the south east, forming a precipitous slope, and he suggested that this slope might have been responsible for an optical illusion.

IRRESISTIBLE FORCE OF WATER.

Striking evidence of the tremendous rainfall there must have been on the upper slopes of the mountain recently and of the almost irresistible force of such a large volume of water was seen by the climbers near the Manganui Gorge. Here the mighty rush of water had scoured out a chasm about 100 to 150 feet wide, 50 to 70 feet deep and about 1000 feet long in the centre gully leading into the gorge. In this gap stood massive blocks of ice which, appeared to weigh between 60 to 70 tons each. These had apparently been left behind after the loose rubble covering them had been scoured out.’

“It was a wonderful sight, and showed the tremendous power of the water,” said Mr., Rowe. “Some of the blocks stood about 20 feet high and were 25 feet long. They must have been exposed there for about three weeks.” To reach the place they had climbed past the Manganui Hut to the head of the gorge. They could not approach too near the edges of the' gap, as the slopes were very precipitous and were composed of very fine scoria and pumice, which might-' easily have given way treacherously. - In another gorge scouring had also taken place, though to a less extent. Another interesting feature in connection with the heavy rains was noticed by the climbers from the summit. On previous occasions the Stony River had appeared like a long silver ribbon threading its way through the mountain reserve. On Saturday he noticed that that the same ribbon was bordered on each side by another, showing the extent to which the water had risen during the floods. All the way down this wider bed with the stream in the centre of it was noticeable. It appeared to be from 70 to 80 feet wide, starting at about the 3000 feet level.

A continuous falling of rock in the Kapuni Gorge, just underneath Fantham’s Feak, was heard, often sounding like a series of avalanches. At times the successive reports of the falling rocks was like the beat of a tom-tom, said Mr. Rowe. No rock appeared to be falling on the Dawson Falls side. On the whole, he said, it was a specially interesting climb, the Manganui Gorge being particularly well worth seeing. He and Mr. Pooley had not followed the usual route to the summit from the Stratford side, but had gone via Curtis Ridge and the Priest Fingers, down the Manganui Gorge and straight up to the left of the Shark’s Tooth.