A WOMAN'S FEAT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11390, 17 May 1915, Page 7

A WOMAN'S FEAT.

CONQUEST OF MOUNT COOK. Miss Freda Dri Faur. a well-known Sydney girl, is the author of a largo and beautifully presented book, entitled ".lit! Conquest, of Mount Cook, and Other Climbs," in which she relates her adventures wiien mountaineering in the. Southern Alps of New Zealand. After a good deal of varied climbing in New. ZeLknd, she made up her mind to be the first woman to ascend Mount Cook, ami she. relates in this book that she vrc-parod for this feat by going through three months <i hard training in the Ihipaiu Institute ~f Physical Education in Svduey. At 11,000 ft up from sea level"the mountaineers found the rocks coated, with a thin him of green ico like glass, making footholds dangerous; but at last thev'came to the ice-cap that ; crowns the'highest peak. Here is the i author's sdorv of tho supreme moments: "When wo reached the ice-cap-we found it all wind-blown into projecting wavelets of ice, under which the rope caiudit on every possible occasion. I Peter cut .steps lor i'OOft straight up ; the. summit; then we turned slightly to the left, and reached some soft snow, up which we could kick our way. \\e were within a few ieet of the top. They sent me on alone the length ot the , rope. I gained the summit, and wail- j at for them, feeling very little, very j lonelv. and much inclined to cry. they j caught my .hand:, and shook them, their j eye" with pleasure and pride, and wu), an'effort I, swallowed the lump j in my throat and laughed instead. , Then'We ad began talking at once: it j was only 8.-10 a.m., and we had beaten j anv pi-e'vioiis record by two hours, and : I is. mere woman ! I felt bewildered, ami could not reali>c that the goal 1 j had dreamed, of and striven for for { venr.s was beneath my feet. j "At 11 »..in. we began the descent, J Alex leading: the thought of-deseend- ! ing the icy rocks wa« rather a night- j in arc, but' we overcame them wtliout : haiml by care and patience. 1 was cotigra tula ting myself that all was well, quite icrgotting the rotten rocks hover down. They did not let us forgot them j for loin:; oven now. after two years, j and much experience, the thought of j ihe Four hours, we spent open them I makes mo feel sick and shaky. We ; moved one at, a time, and took every : possible care, but now and again seme- j one v, mild di.dudge a- .stone, and it. | wo'.ib! clatter down beliind, or, if small, j pin:.; past hke a rille bullet. One fairly j largo one caught me in the middle ot i lire back; fortunately, it had not come ■ far or la-r. but it double*! me up lor ! the time being. We had then only boon ! on rotten reck for tv. o hours, and had ; at least another two before \i.>- 1 wa.v i afraid to put one foot before the other.- i v.\x knee- wore shaky, a.nd my bruisedbark one dull aeh-v Half an'hour late'-. ; just a.- : J wns.traversing an overhanging., j point, the whole' thing-gave way;. heV . math ray f™t.. Instinetrrelv i jumped-, hf.ck and heard an/ exclamation, from . Peter, behind me. and felt the jerk" of- : t'lm rop-: 1 as he tightened' it. I stood ; with my fneo to o cliff, and a foot of j rock to'spare, while the stout-, rattPd J and fell in showers down io. the rocks \ beneath: then I crawled along 1o Alex, ! who was round the corner, and Poier j followed. Probably inv face, was \ihito under it-, -I know die gir.di-s' were; without a word wo all v;t down in a safe piac."