ALPINE ACTIVITY.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20274, 7 April 1934, Page 13

ALPINE ACTIVITY.

Easter Climbing About Mount Cook. DIFFICULT CONDITIONS: Although glorious weather prevailed in the Mount Cook district during the Easter holidays, few climbs of importance were accomplished. A Suutherly storm the previous week had changed the snow peaks into masses of polished ice overlaid with a coating of dry snow, 3 condition dreaded by mountaineers. SeVEral parties visited De la Beche and Malte Brun Huts with hopes of ascending Mout Elie de Beaumont. but the only party which made an atter'npt was repulsed. This party, ‘consisting of seven members of the Otago Section of the New Zealand Alpine Club, spent twenty hours on the climb and reached the summits of the adjacent peaks. Green and \Valter, after much strenuous step-cutting. Three Parties Out. The great rock peak of Malte Brun (10,421 feet) occupied the attention of three parties. On Easter Sunday, Messrs Arthur Pearson and G. Flower, (Christchurch), léft ,Malte Brun Hut at 3.45 a.m. and returned at 8 p.m. making both the ascent and descent by the usual North-\Vest ridge. ‘ The following day thes peak was traversed by two parties, Messrs Eric Miller, H. \V. Edwards, ID. Knowles. (all of Dunedin), and lGuide Suter, and MeSSrs A. J. Scott, l (Christchurch), and D. \V. Foster, (Wellington), and Guide Vic \Villiams. The usual route up was followed, the summit being reached in six hours, but the descent was made by a new route on the north face which proved a difl‘icult piece of work and occupied nearly ten hours. On Wednesday, Messrs Scott and Foster, with Guide Vic Williams, climbed Mount Annan (9667 feet), a fine rock peak near the Tasman Saddle, this being the third ascent of the mountain. Woman Climbcr‘s rest. . The only other climbs accomplished during the holidays were ascents of the Anzacs (8323 feet and 7623 feet) and the Footstool (9073 feet) by Miss Elaine Wickenden (Harwarden) .and Guide Mick Bowie. On Easter Sunday. an attempt was made on Mount Sefton by its treacherout eastern face. The climbers, MeSsrs Jackson and Wasthume, of Timaru, were defeated by the ice conditions under Tuckett's Col, but their eflorts were warmly applauded. ' Another unsuccessful but ambitious venture was an attempt on Mount Haidinger -£rom De la Beche Hut by a Dunedin party, Messrs W. G. M'Clymont, V. 1. Leader and J. H. Golkison. The ice-slopes leading to Aiguille Rouge twice repulsed two experienced North Island mountaineers. Messrs Arne Larsen and Noel Thomson. of Levin.