TWO NIGHTS SPENT IN THE MOUNTAINS

Wanganui Chronicle, 19 April 1949, Page 4

TWO NIGHTS SPENT IN THE MOUNTAINS

Seven Missing Trampers Find Way Out

BLENHEIM, Last Night (P.A.)— Seven Wellington trampers who had been missing since Saturday, when they attempted to climb Mount Alarm, a 9400 ft peak in the Awatere Viflley, found their way out to “Waiautoa” station, 10 miles upstream from live Clarence bridge on tne main Blen-heim-Christchurch road, late this morning.

The party is all fit and well. The party comprised Messrs. Neal O’Neill (leader), Lionell O’Neill, Raymond O’Neill (all brothers), James Lanigan, William Gibson, Trevor Parks, and Roy Cave. They were members of a large party from Wellington which arrived in the Awatere on Friday and established a base camp at the waterfalls four hours’ tramp in from the Hodder bridge on the main AwatereMolesworth road.

On Saturday the party, numbering 14, all men. set out with the intention of climbing on the ridge leading to the summit of Mount Tapuaenuku (9465 feet) but later nine of the party decided to attemot a traverse of Alarm and Tapuaenuku. After some hours two of the nine turned back and one of them says he saw the other seven nearing the summit of Alarm. It had been arranged that the Alarm party should be back at the waterfalls by 9 p.m. and the remaining members of the party kept a night-long vigil with hot meals ready at a moment’s notice.

The weather on Saturday night deteriorated, with snow falling at 4000 feet and over, followed by some rain and then by a stiff frost. Yesterday morning the weather was perfect and searches were instituted both by the party at the waterfalls and by another party of Wellington trampers at the Hodder some distance downstream from the falls. Searches were again carried out today under the supervision of the climbing leader of the party based at the Hodder Hut, Mr. Phil Gardiner.

A mistake in the direction when the summit of Mount Tapuaenuku was obscured by cloud was the cause of the party becoming overdue from their base on the western foothills of the mountain. The error cost them one night in rigorous conditions at 6000 feet on the eastern slopes of Mt. Tapuaenuku and another somewhat less rigorous in the upper, reaches o the Dee River, a tributary of the Clarence After completing a traverse from Mt. Alarm to Tapuaenuku the party found at nightfall that their directions were astray, the first indication coming from a compass check wh’ch showed that they were travelling east instead of west. Saturday night was spent on the eastern slopes at 6000 feet under bitter conditions. Their rations comprised a rusk and a piece of barley sugar each. About 5 a.m. yesterday an attempt was made to regain the summit and to descend to the base camp on the western side, but fat gue soon began to tell and it was decided to take an easier down grade route to the Clarence Valley. Alter a further night in the open the party reached “Waiautoa” Station this morning, and came on to Blenheim today. In the meantime other trampers in the Tapuaenuku area had begun a search and arrangements were made for a police party to go in from Blenheim This afternoon air and sea rescue from the North Island flew over the area and dropped flares in an effort to contact the searchers and drop a message. Men were also sent in on foot to fire the usual recall signal of three rapid lt is expected hat search parties, some of wh ch may have to spend the night at the Hodder Hut, will all return early tomorrow.