MOUNT PEEL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13666, 7 August 1908, Page 7

MOUNT PEEL.

A WINTER ASCENT.

(By G. E. Mannering).

We were a party of three, my companions being Messrs. J. R. Dennistoun and Gerald Russell. Leaving Mr Dennistoun's homestead at daylight we motored to Holnicote Station at the eastern foot of" Mount IVel, and from there proceeded up the customary route used by the shepherds. As the snow lay very thick and low on all the surrounding foothills, somedoub s were expressed as to whether the mountain could be ascended under existing conditions. The morning was most unpromising, as a gentle rain was falling and the clouds hung low and threatened bad weather. However, we were out for the day and so decided to commence the climb, resolved to return should the weather notimprove. A short scramble up a steepish track through native scrub led us on to a terrace which sloped gradually up to meet the 6purss dipping down from the clouds above us. Before leaving this terrace we put wp a large .number-of. bares which had evidently baen driven to lower levels during the recent heavy snow falls. So numerons were they that we counted some twenty in one group. We commenced the ascent of a fairly steep spur on which the rocks jutted out here and there on the surface, and at about 9 a.m. came to the first patches of snow, which we found to be in good condition for climbing —that is : with a ci ust strong enough to bear one and yet with a surface loose enough to admit of our heavily nailed boots getting a good grip. We were now well up into' the mist, and for the next two hours or so could never see more than a few hundred yards in any direction. The snow became thicker, aiul in some places completely covered the wire fence which runs up this particular spur. At about 10 a.m. we were at fault as to our route, and Dennistoun spent half an hour in exploring down a spur in the thick mist (which siiil enveloped us), whilst Russell and I sat on a rock and did our best to bring the circulation back to our halffrozen feet by swinging them over space. This is a very effective means of warming one's extremities in such unpleasant situations.

Having corrected the error in our route, we kept on. still up the wire fence (which we knew we should ultimately have, to leave on our Tight and descend to a saddle bilowl, until, as we got higher, we began to get glimpses of blue sky above it's. The snow became more variable and had been much drifted. Here it would bear us nicely, "but there again it would let one foot through, and down one would coroe to stTUgsle up attain for a repetition of the performance. This is the most exasperating state that the snow can be found in, and, although provocative of a good deal of mirth to ,the onlooker who for the- nmice happens to be walking on a crust strong enough to bear him, js calculated to try one' 6 temper to the last extremity after the novelty of the performance wears off. But there was not much of it, and , we made fair progress. All of a sudden, at about 11 a.m..; we simply walked up out of the mist. It seemed that in about half a dozen steps we had passed into another world. . The sunlight was brilliant and the snow was dazzling. There lav our peak, directly west, and all around, was a glittering array of snow clad mountains which extended in all directions, except south-eastwards; for scores, and in some quarters for hundreds of miles. Range upon Tange thev stood out, clearly cut against a cloudless sky which appeared exquisitelr blue by contrast with the gleaming -whiteness all around. In our immediate. vicinity, to our left front. Little Mount Peel -was the first peak to catch the eve. It rose boldlv out of the mare of rolling fog below, which filled the valley of the Lynn Creek at our feet. A long 6ndw-clad ridge led from this peak northwards, rising now gradually and again in steep pinches to Mount Peel itself. d ; rectly to our front. To the right, beyond the northern shoulder of Mount Peel, the peaks of the Two Thumbs Ranpe, bounded the vision. I regretted bitterly at this juncture having left my camera in the motor at Mount Peel station, as the opportunity of securing a fine mountain picture was lost. When we started out from below all thonghfc of photography had been abandoned owing to the rain and misf there prevailing. While standing on this view point -we were fortunate to observe that somewhat rare phenomenon of nature popularly known as "The Spectre of the The conditions necessary to see this unique sight are—the sun in a clear skv at a comparatively low altitude behind the observer. with a wall of cloud or fog in front at no great distance. In this case all was favourable and each man could

see his own shadow cast on the curtain of .ftig, approximately life size, with a. complete rainbow encircling the upper portion of his body with the head '(the line of vision) as a. centre. 7 A large secondary rainbow, tile radius of which, uubtended at an angle of somei2o degrees encircled the whole, and framed,' as it were,. : the central bow and figure. The colours of the inner circle, or "halo," or "glory," as it is sometimes called, were clear and vivid, bur the prismatic colours : in the larger, bow were much fainter. By making movements of our arms and legs, all our attitudes and contortions were immediately reproduced in the shadows the mist. Unless we all stood very close together each observer could only distinguish liis own particular halo, but, if quite close to each other all three figures ■ shared a joint halo or glory. We regarded these haloes as prophetic—flattering . ourselves that we were assured of more permanent, ones in a future state. It was some time before we could tear ourselves away from the attractions of this peculiar phenomenon. 1 have, on several occasions, observed it; but. not always in the same form. At times the central bow is wanting arid the figure is magnified' so as to fill the whole of the large bow. On.one occasion I observed it in JLytteiton Harbour, from, the heights on the northern side. Then the'figure was large, and one could cover' the whole length of the harbour with one sweep -of the arm. My companion,, ha.i never seen the occurrence before and were much delightd with the beauty.and novelty of it. We now. moved on along the ridge, the snow being variable in condition. At times we walked with arms around each other's shoulders to avoid; so much sinking in the snow where the crust was weak. A light- north-east yrind was blowing, and the temperature was low, causing icicles to form oil one's moustache. One of my companions, who was clean shaved, coltivated an icicle on the tip of his nose, and, as a handkerchief did not seem an appropriate instrument to' remove it with, the other suggested the occasional use of an ice axe for the purpose, but this was not approved of by the. party concerned. Shortly bgforo mid-day we arrived at the place where rhe spur dips down for about 500 feet, on to io saddle forming the water shed of. I ii J Lvjm Creek running southward to.' the Kangitata, and the Peel 'Creek running westward to the Orari. On this saddle is built an iron hut, used for station purposes, and here we boiled the billy and made tea. From this point there rises steeply a long straight spur leading directly to "the trig station on the summit, 2000 feet above. '" We left the hut shortly after 12, and commenced the toilsome ascent, finding the snow in splendid order. For the first thousand' feet it was pure snow work; then -we reached the out-jutting rocks, which lie at a particularly steep angle, and we continued climbing up the couloirs or ditches between these rocks, occasionally cutting a. few steps wlierei the snow was too hard to kick steps with one's feet. In some places it was so steep that it was necessary to plant one's axe firmly in the snow for assistance imrio'ving up to the next step. . We persevered steadily, and were rewarded at two o'clock by arriving at the trig station at a height of 5715 feet. Our first glance was directed towards Woodbury,, 15 miles distant, from where friends had arranged to signal by heliograph at stated times. In lees' than half a minute we caught their flashes, but unfortunately we were unable to. reply, as we had left .our mirror in the motor car wi h the camera. Our field of view was more extensive than ever, and our attention was chiefly directed to "the main peaks of the Southern Alps, lying to the -westward, and northward. It-wa»* a fine opportunity: for settling the relative positions of many of the more prominent peaks, and valleys in the mid-Canterbury district. We were only how able to realize the true extent of the recent heavy snow-fall. With the exception of a black patch in the Rangitata riverbed ! the whole of the country visible from Burkes Pass to Lake Heron, and even further afield into the Rakaia, carried a uniform coating of. white. All the flat country was badly covered, and the loss in sheep will doubtless prove to be very .heavy. The trig pole is not on the highest point which lies a few hundred yards to the north, and seemed to be above 100 feet higher. We set out for the highest point, but did not get more than 50 yards before meeting . with dangerous snow. : On our left the slopes to the southwest, were very steep - and the snow frozen hard: on our right, to the northeast, wind-driven cornices hung over and we proved them to be dangerous by pushing portions down with our ice - axes. Wei had no rope and did. not feel justified in attempting to go further along the ridge under those dangerous conditions, so, after spending 20 minutes oh the summitwe began to go down. iForfhe first 1000 fret of the descent) wo were frequently obliged to face the slope and go down backwards, for. in this position a much safer hold is obtained. After, leaving the rocks. we found th 6 snow below to have a fair holding surface, the sun having been on it for many hours. From "here we glissaded down*to the hut, making 1000 feet in about ten minutes. There we made a second meal and set off for Mount. Peel Station. We again observed (he phenomenon of the Brocken Spectre which had so attracted us during the ascent, and. winding. our way down the long ridcre reached the station in two hours and 40 minutes from the summit.

Compared with other winter climbs in the Canterbury foothills, such as those of Mounts Hutt, Torlesse, or Puketeraki, the ascent, of Mount Peel is not so long or arduous, though by the route we went, the final 2000 feet is as steep or steeper, than the tipper portions of any of these mountains. The glorious mountain panorama to be seen is in no way inferior to the similar views obtainable from either Mount Hutt or Mount Torleese, and, given proper equipment and experience, the climb

(for in winter, jt may >be . classed .as a i climb") vis ; - one; which< lias .everything to •■recommend* ltv to.-the mountain vlover . 01 hill walker.