UNSUCCESSFUL CLIMB.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 694, 22 February 1933, Page 7

UNSUCCESSFUL CLIMB.

Party Hampered by Bad tVeather. Another attempt to climb Mount Evans, a virgin peak at the head of the Rakaia River, has not been attended by success. The essav was made by Messrs J. F. Powell and J. K. Nichols, of Wellington, and Mr L. R. Hewitt, of the Canterbury Mountaineering Club. Though the party spent a fortnight in the neighbourhood, the weather was so bad that the ascent was impossible. In January a party under the leadership of Mr J. D. Pascoe made an unsuccessful attempt, but during their climb they discovered a possible route, and valuable photographs were taken. Mountaineers consider that if an efficient party strikes reasonably fine weather the ascent should provide no insuperable difficulty.

Mr Powell’s party, however, struck anything but favourable weather conditions. On February 8, when the base camp at the Louper stream was reached, there was a severe thunderstorm with heavy rain. Rain and snow for the next two days culminated in an exceptional storm. The party meanwhile had pushed on to the foot of the M’Kenzie bowl in search of a route up the ice fall. It was hoped that in this way the following day’s climbing might be made easier, but half-way up the glacier the rain and mist were driving as hard as ever, and the party was forced to return to the bivouac. Rain was still falling next day, and as rations were running short, all hopes of making the ascent had to be abandoned.