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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a150c63 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #60919 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60919) diff --git a/old/60919-0.txt b/old/60919-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a2917b2..0000000 --- a/old/60919-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4656 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, With Axe and Rope in the New Zealand Alps, by -George Edward Mannering - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: With Axe and Rope in the New Zealand Alps - - -Author: George Edward Mannering - - - -Release Date: December 14, 2019 [eBook #60919] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WITH AXE AND ROPE IN THE NEW -ZEALAND ALPS*** - - -E-text prepared by F E H, MWS, and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by -Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 60919-h.htm or 60919-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/60919/60919-h/60919-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/60919/60919-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/withaxeropeinnew00mann - - -Transcriber’s note: - - Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - - A caret character is used to denote superscription. Multiple - superscripted characters are enclosed by curly brackets - following a caret character (example: 16^{th}). - - Changes made are noted at the end of the book. - - - - -THE NEW ZEALAND ALPS - -Printed by -Spottiswoode and Co., New-Street Square -London - - -[Illustration: - -[Wheeler & Son, Photo. - -G. E. Mannering Mr. J. Dixon P. H. Johnson -CLIMBING PARTY ON THE TASMAN GLACIER] - - -WITH AXE AND ROPE -IN -THE NEW ZEALAND ALPS - -by - -GEORGE EDWARD MANNERING - -Member of the New Zealand Alpine Club -Member of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia -Member of the Philosophical Institute Of Canterbury, N.Z. - -With Illustrations - - - - - - -London -Longmans, Green, and Co. -And New York: 15 East 16^{th} Street - -1891 - -All rights reserved - - - - - THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED - TO ALL LOVERS OF NATURE - - - - -PREFACE - - -This short work contains the story of five seasons’ climbing and -exploring in the New Zealand Alps. Most of the material embodied in it -has already appeared from time to time, in rather a different form, in -the Christchurch (N.Z.) ‘Weekly Press.’ - -The author trusts that the publication of the same in book form, -together with a map of the locality and a few photographic -reproductions, will supply a want in the shape of a guide-book to the -Alpine mountain district which is already beginning to be felt by -tourists in New Zealand; and he hopes that the contents may not prove -uninteresting to the general public, more especially to Swiss and -Caucasian climbers, few of whom are perhaps aware of the extent and -nature of the New Zealand Alpine chain. - -The map is compiled by the New Zealand Government Survey Office from -the work of Mr. T. N. Brodrick, Government Surveyor, and that of Dr. -R. von Lendenfeld. The illustrations are from photographs by Messrs. -Wheeler and Son. Their operator has in several mountain expeditions -accompanied the author, who takes this opportunity of expressing his -thanks to the New Zealand Government Survey Department, and to Messrs. -Wheeler, for their kind assistance. - -It will doubtless be said that the summit of Aorangi has not yet been -attained: quite true. Like Mr. Green, the author and his friend were -‘wise in time.’ Yet it is only a quibble to dispute the ascent of the -mountain, for being on the ice-cap of Aorangi is like being on the -topmost rung of a ladder, and yet not upon the projections above that -step. - - CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND: - _April 13, 1891_. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I - - INTRODUCTORY - - PAGE - - The New Zealand Alps and their glaciers 1 - - - CHAPTER II - - THE ROUTE TO THE MOUNT COOK DISTRICT - - A short description of the route to the Mount Cook district, and of - the topographical features of the Mueller, Hooker, and Tasman - Valleys 5 - - - CHAPTER III - - FIRST ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI - - First impressions—Swagging—The Hochstetter Glacier—Defeat—The - perils of river crossing 14 - - - CHAPTER IV - - SECOND ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI - - A flooded camp in the Tasman Valley—Hard struggles—We reach - Green’s bivouac 32 - - - CHAPTER V - - THIRD ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI - - Photography on the Tasman Glacier—Attempt to scale Mount De la - Bêche 42 - - - CHAPTER VI - - ASCENT OF THE HOCHSTETTER DOME - - Camp under De la Bêche—Twelve hours on snow and ice—The - pangs of hunger 58 - - - CHAPTER VII - - FOURTH ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI - - We reach the Great Plateau at last—Defeat again—The crossing of - the Ball Pass 65 - - - CHAPTER VIII - - FIRST EXPLORATION OF THE MURCHISON GLACIER - - Hard swagging—Erroneous maps—The struggle for Starvation - Saddle—Exhaustion and hunger—Return 76 - - - CHAPTER IX - - FIFTH ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI - - Avalanches—The bivouac again—First attempt repulsed—Second - attempt—The Great Plateau—The Linda Glacier—Hard work - step-cutting—The terrible _couloirs_—Victory at last—Descent - by lantern-light—Back to civilisation 90 - - - CHAPTER X - - ON SOME OF THE PHENOMENA OF GLACIERS - - The cause of glaciers—Formation and structure—Motion—Moraines: - Lateral, medial, and terminal—‘Surface’ - moraines—Crevasses—Moulins—Glacier tables—Glacier cones—Surface - torrents—Avalanches—Cornices 109 - - - CHAPTER XI - - CANOEING ON THE NEW ZEALAND RIVERS - - The Waimakariri—The enormous rainfall—Descent of the Waitaki - River—The Tasman branch—Lake Pukaki—Leaky canoes—The - Pukaki Rapids—The Waitaki Gorge—Out on the plains again—Sixty - miles paddle to catch the train—Home once more 119 - - - L’ENVOI 131 - - APPENDIX 133 - - A SHORT GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL ALPINE TERMS 139 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - CLIMBING PARTY ON THE TASMAN GLACIER _Frontispiece_ - - HOOKER VALLEY AND MOUNT SEFTON FROM GOVERNOR’S CAMP _To face page_ 8 - - AORANGI: MOUNT COOK AND THE HOOKER GLACIER ” 10 - - MOUNT TASMAN (11,475 FEET) AND HOCHSTETTER ICE-FALL ” 28 - - MOUNT COOK AND THE HERMITAGE ” 46 - - CROSSING THE HOOKER RIVER ” 48 - - AORANGI FROM THE BALL GLACIER ” 50 - - ICE CAVE, TASMAN GLACIER ” 52 - - MOUNT DE LA BÊCHE (10,021 FEET) FROM THE TASMAN GLACIER ” 54 - - PEAKS ON MALTE BRUN ” 58 - - THE TASMAN GLACIER ” 66 - - MOUNTAIN LILIES (_Ranunculus Lyallii_) ” 86 - - LOOKING ACROSS THE MURCHISON GLACIER ” 90 - - AORANGI FROM THE TASMAN GLACIER ” 90 - - THE MURCHISON GLACIER ” 92 - - AORANGI: THE HIGHEST PEAK ” 100 - - IN THE ICE-FALL OF THE ONSLOW GLACIER ” 120 - - THE SURFACE OF A GLACIER ” 128 - - MAP _At end_ - - - - -CHAPTER I - -INTRODUCTORY - -_The New Zealand Alps and their glaciers_ - - -It is unnecessary for me in these days of universal education and -enlightenment to describe the geographical position of New Zealand, the -‘Britain of the South,’ and the future playground of Australasia. - -Everyone knows that New Zealand consists of three islands, situate -between the 34th and 47th degrees of south latitude, off the south-east -coast of Australia. Reference to almost any handbook of the colony will -furnish every information regarding settlement, population, government, -climate, and so on, and I do not propose to dwell longer than is -necessary on any general matters of this nature. - -It is advisable, however, to describe in as brief and concise a manner -as possible the general physical features of a country containing such -varieties of scenery and climate, more especially those of the South -Island (or Middle Island as it is sometimes called), where the High -Alps and their wonderful glaciers are situated. - -Speaking generally, the highest mountains of New Zealand may be said to -run in a north-easterly direction from the southernmost point of the -South Island through the whole country, like a vast backbone, to the -north-eastern point of the North Island. - -The main formation of the mountains dates back to Jurassic times, so -that the geological structure may be said to be one of great antiquity. - -Volcanic action has long since ceased throughout the South Island; -but there are many active volcanoes in the North, where a perfect -wonderland of hot-springs, solfataras, and silica terraces exists. - -As a whole, the country is heavily timbered—more thickly on the -western parts, where the greater rainfall occurs. This is notably the -case in the South Island, where the hot and moisture laden winds from -tropical regions are deprived by the Alpine chain of their aqueous -vapour. - -The Southern Alps proper may be said to extend over a distance of about -one hundred miles of the middle part of the South Island, the chain -being situated closer to the western than the eastern ocean. The slopes -on the western side are the more precipitous, and are clothed with -heavy timber and intersected by innumerable mountain torrents, fed in -most cases by glaciers, some of which descend to within 600 feet of -sea-level. - -Ranges of outlying foot-hills occur on the eastern side, snow-covered -in winter, amongst which many large glacier-fed rivers have cut their -way, and meander over the plains (probably of entirely fluviatile -formation) which slope gradually from the outer bases of the foot-hills -to the eastern ocean. - -The peaks of the Alps range in height from 7,000 to 12,350 feet above -sea-level, the majority of those over 10,000 feet being contiguous to -the culminating point in altitude—Aorangi—more popularly known as -Mount Cook. Here also are found the largest glaciers. - -The snow-line is a low one when compared with that of Alpine countries -in the northern hemisphere and in relative latitudes. It would be -difficult to compute its average altitude, but in parts where large -glaciers and snow-fields exist it is even as low as 5,000 feet above -sea-level. - -By comparison with Switzerland, for instance, it may safely be said -that the snow-line in New Zealand is from 2,000 to 3,000 feet lower; -consequently we have the same Alpine conditions at a much lower level. -Owing to this interesting fact, we find that the New Zealand glaciers -attain far greater dimensions than those of Switzerland, although the -peaks do not rise to such a height above sea-level. - -In themselves, I believe the mountains compare favourably as to size -or actual height above the valleys below them; Aorangi, for instance, -rising for nearly 10,000 feet from the Hooker Glacier, and Mount Sefton -8,500 feet from the Mueller Glacier, whilst the western precipices of -Mount Tasman (11,475 feet) are stupendous. - -The enormous length attained in remote times by the New Zealand -glaciers is evident on all hands at the lower parts of the valleys, -the heads of which they now occupy; whilst the formation of nearly all -the lakes in the South Island can be traced to the action of ice and -the deposition of terminal moraines, prior to a period of retreat of -the ice. - -There is an interesting feature in the glaciers of this country -peculiar to them; I refer to the deposition of singularly extensive -moraines. The lower parts of the large glaciers on the eastern slopes -are, in nearly every instance, completely covered with accumulated -_débris_ derived from the moraines. This is variously accounted for by -the antiquity of the mountain chain, the slow rate of motion in the -ice, and great denudation from rocks which are much jointed and offer -but little resistance to the splitting powers of freezing infiltrated -water. - -The western glaciers I am not personally acquainted with, but I -understand that they do not carry anything like the amount of moraine, -and I imagine the cause of the disparity will be found in a faster -motion of the ice, and (a yet more potent factor) in the dip of the -strata of the rocks, which is from east to west, the broken faces being -eastward and the slab-like faces westward. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -THE ROUTE TO THE MOUNT COOK DISTRICT - - _A short description of the route to the Mount Cook district, and of - the topographical features of the Mueller, Hooker, and Tasman Valleys_ - - -From Timaru on the east coast the traveller may comfortably reach the -glaciers of Aorangi in a two days’ journey. - -Leaving Timaru by an evening train, Fairlie Creek (the present terminus -of the railway line) is reached, where the night is spent. Two days’ -coaching then are required to cross over Burke’s Pass into the great -Mackenzie plains, across this great ancient glacier bed, past Lakes -Tekapo and Pukaki, over the rivers of the same names, and up the valley -of the Tasman River to a comfortable hostelry called ‘The Hermitage,’ -nestling right under the shadow of that wonderful pile of ice-clad -mountain glory, Mount Sefton. - -Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki may both be aptly compared in one way to the -Lake of Geneva, in that they are of glacier origin, and purify the -rivers which now flow from the present glaciers, parting with their -waters again through channels cut in the ancient terminal moraines -which dam their respective southern shores. - -They are both beautiful, each in its own way—Tekapo sunny, peaceful, -and calm; Pukaki awe-inspiring and grand—but they lack the charm of -chalet and pine tree, of vine and meadow, which so adorn the shores of -the Swiss lakes. - -The immediate vicinity of the road is uninteresting, except from a -geological point of view, for it winds about amongst old moraines, -whose vegetation consists almost entirely of the brown tussock grass so -general in the South Island. - -Yet the geologist or student of glacier phenomena can read on the -surface the history of the formation; _roches moutonnées_ abound, -and, in places, old moraines are spread over the bed rock for miles -together, whilst erratic blocks are dotted about in various directions, -evidencing how extensive has been the action of the ice in ages gone by. - -Though the scenes contiguous to the road may fail to charm the eye, the -distant panoramas of the glorious Southern Alps cannot fail to draw -forth expressions of wonder from the most callous observer. As the -Hermitage is approached, and the great peaks and glaciers draw closer -and closer, the marvellous grandeur of the chain is gradually realised. - -The sight of the reflection of Aorangi in Lake Tekapo, on a calm -morning, is something to remember for a lifetime. The subject has long -been a favourite one for brush and pen, but no one yet has done it -justice. - -A substantial bridge spans the exit of the Tekapo River, but only a -ferry stage exists at the Pukaki River where it leaves the lake. A wire -rope, 450 feet long, is thrown across the stream, to which the ferry -stage floating on two punts is attached by runners. The coach and four -is driven bodily on to the stage, and by the aid of a rudder the punts -are slued so as to point across the stream diagonally. The force of the -water rushing obliquely on to the sides of the punts drives the whole -affair across in a space of about three or four minutes. This ingenious -plan is commonly adopted in the New Zealand rivers. - -During the months of winter it is possible to reach the Hermitage -direct from Tekapo, and thus avoid striking south to go round Lake -Pukaki, by crossing the Tasman River. During summer, however, as a -rule, this river is impassable, for it rises so fast during warm and -nor’-west weather from rain and melting snow that sometimes the whole -bed of the river—two miles wide—is a network of rushing yellow -torrents quite unfordable by man or beast. - -Readers of the Rev. W. S. Green’s ‘High Alps of New Zealand’ will -recollect that his conveyance found a last resting-place in the -quicksands of the Tasman. Von Lendenfeld also, the year after Mr. -Green, experienced an unhappy week’s delay on the eastern bank of the -river. I have myself narrowly escaped drowning at the same point, and -in years gone by the Tasman River has been accountable for more than -one life. - -The river in full flood is a sight to see; the water in places runs -fifteen knots an hour, or even more. In the rapids it is piled up in -the middle from sudden contraction of the banks, and forms crested -billows four or five feet in height, whilst now and then a block of ice -from the glacier may be seen bowling along. - -The ancient glacier-formed terraces of the Tasman Valley are -instructive and interesting. The highest of them are distinctly marked -all down the valley for a distance of forty miles from Sebastopol—a -large face of ice-worn rock near the Hermitage—on the eastern slopes -of the Ben Ohau Range. The story of the ancient glacier can be read as -the eye follows these strange terraces from their starting point 2,000 -feet above the valley bed, down a gentle declination to the terminus of -the Ben Ohau Range. - -Before going into the narrative of my five seasons’ climbing amongst -the peaks and glaciers around Aorangi, it would be as well for me to -describe, as concisely as possible, the general topography of the -Mueller, Hooker, and Tasman Glaciers. - -We will suppose ourselves in the main Tasman Valley, into which all -these glaciers drain, close to the point where the valley first -branches. As we look northward, Aorangi and the range running southward -for twelve miles from the main body of the mountain bound the view, -and divide the valley into two branches. Let us take the one to the -north-west first. Proceeding up this valley of the Hooker for a few -miles, we arrive at a branch valley from the left or west—the Mueller -Valley—completely occupied by the glacier of the same name. Close to -the Mueller Glacier is situated the Hermitage, presided over by Mr. F. -F. C. Huddleston, a true haven of refuge and comfort for the wearied -tourist or mountaineer. - -[Illustration: HOOKER VALLEY AND MOUNT SEFTON FROM GOVERNOR’S CAMP - -[_Wheeler & Son, Photo._] - -We step on to the Mueller Glacier, here completely covered by moraine, -and, turning westwards, strike up its course. On our right, 8,500 -feet above us, clad in ice and snow and glittering in the sunlight, -rises the glorious mass of Mount Sefton, showering down avalanches -upon the glacier. On our left the shingle slips from the rotten and -crumbling crags of the Sealy Range. It is possible for tourists who are -good walkers to reach the head of this glacier, which is seven and a -half miles long and about one mile broad, in one day. The moraine gives -way to the clear ice some three miles or so from the terminal face. Now -we return and make a fresh start up the Hooker Valley due northwards -from the Hermitage. - -Crossing the Mueller Glacier we walk through a perfect garden of -lilies (_ranunculus Lyallii_), celmisias, ‘Spaniards,’ and an endless -variety of sub-alpine plants, for a distance of about one mile from -the northern side of the Mueller Glacier, when we come to the terminal -moraine-covered face of the Hooker Glacier. - -On our right rises up the bold and verdure clad snow-topped Mount Cook -Range, Mount Wakefield (6,561 feet), Mount Mabel (6,868 feet), Mount -Rosa (6,987 feet), and a nameless peak (7,540 feet) being the principal -points of interest. On our left is the northern continuation of the -ridge of Mount Sefton, known as the Moorhouse Range, part of the main -chain of the Southern Alps. Several secondary glaciers descend from the -slopes, but do not reach the bed of the valley below, which is filled -from side to side with the Hooker Glacier. - -Proceeding up the surface of the glacier we get on to the clear ice, -and now on either bank the mountains rise to a great height. On the -right Aorangi suddenly rears itself, from a point known as the Ball -Saddle (7,500 feet), to 12,349 feet in one stupendous rocky ridge, -upon which the ice hangs wherever it can get any hold. This ridge is -known to climbers as the Great Southern _arête_, and has been found, -first by Mr. Green and secondly by myself, to be inaccessible. Right -ahead of us pour down from the highest crags the Mona, Noeline, and -Empress Glaciers, to join the Hooker, alternating with very precipitous -rocky ridges which present every appearance of being quite unscalable. - -Several attempts have been made by surveyors and others to reach the -saddle at the head of the Hooker, but it was only in December 1890 that -the efforts of two climbers (Mr. A. P. Harper and Mr. R. Blakiston) -were rewarded. The expedition can only be attempted with any chance of -success in the early part of the season, when the numberless crevasses -are yet covered with the winter snow. - -From the Hooker Glacier we turn our faces downwards to the south again, -and pay a visit to the north-eastern branch of the main Tasman Valley. - -Crossing the Hooker River at the terminal point of the Mount Cook -Range, where a cage swung on a wire rope over the river now facilitates -the traveller’s passage, we strike north-eastwards up the valley. - -For a distance of four miles our way leads over the shingle and boulder -flats of the Tasman river-bed, here some two miles wide. Patches of -good sheep-feed consisting of tussock and cocksfoot grass (the latter -sown by an early settler) occur on the western side of the valley, but -the river as a rule washes the opposite slopes. - -[Illustration: AORANGI: MOUNT COOK AND THE HOOKER GLACIER. - -[_Wheeler & Son, Photo._] - -Arriving at the terminal face of the glacier we strike up a small -valley between the western lateral slopes of the moraine of the -glacier and the Mount Cook Range on our left, and for a distance of -about seven or eight miles force our way through dense scrub and loose -boulders from the moraine and mountain slopes, to the junction of the -Ball Glacier with the Tasman. This Ball Glacier comes from the Great -Southern _arête_ of Aorangi, and is fed almost entirely by avalanches, -there being no snow-fields—or _névés_ as they are called in Alpine -parlance—of any great extent at its head. - -From this point upwards we strike out on to the ice on our right, -and another seven miles or so brings us to a further division of -the valley, Mount de la Bêche being the dividing peak. The glacier -of the left-hand or northern branch is known as the Rudolf Glacier, -whilst the main body of the Tasman stretches some six miles further -north-eastwards to the Hochstetter Dome, where it again divides. The -saddle at the head of the left-hand branch, again, has been reached -by Dr. von Lendenfeld and by myself in our respective ascents of the -Hochstetter Dome, and commands a superb view of the Whymper Glacier and -valley, and of the Wataroa River on the west coast. The head of the -branch to the right of the Hochstetter Dome has not yet been reached by -man. - -Taking a retrospective glance again at the peaks on either hand, and -commencing at the lower end of the glacier, we have first on our right -the Liebig Range till opposite the Ball Glacier, when the _embouchure_ -of the Murchison Valley occurs, followed by the Malte Brun Range, with -the main peak—the Matterhorn of New Zealand—opposite to Mount de la -Bêche, then the Darwin Glacier followed by the mountain of the same -name, and then the saddle between Mount Darwin and the Hochstetter Dome. - -Now, again, on the left or western side of the great glacier we have -the Mount Cook Range for ten miles, the Ball Glacier, Aorangi, the -Hochstetter Glacier, Mounts Tasman, Haast, Haidinger, Glacier Peak, -Mounts Spencer, Kant, Rudolf (at the head of the Rudolf Glacier), De la -Bêche, Green, and Elie de Beaumont, the last followed by the Lendenfeld -Saddle, to which I have already referred. - -From Mount Tasman northwards to this saddle all these mountains are -situated in the main chain. Aorangi itself, though popularly believed -to belong to the main divide, is in reality separated from it by a -rocky ridge and a saddle of about 10,500 feet, which leads to the -Hooker Glacier on the one hand and the Linda on the other, both being -east of the main divide. Aorangi itself, therefore, consists of a -divergent ridge, the whole of whose drainage goes eastward. - -Though for some years I have believed this to be the case, it is only -quite recently that I have been able to substantiate the belief by -ocular demonstration, when the ascent of the mountain was accomplished -by Mr. Dixon and myself. To this expedition I shall refer later on. - -The reader must picture to himself the great Tasman Glacier, nearly two -miles in width and eighteen to twenty in length, occupying the whole -of the bed of the valley, and fed on both sides by numerous tributary -ice streams from the mountains. - -Of the Murchison Valley it is not necessary for me to speak just now, -as the topographical features will be described when I come to tell the -story of its exploration. Neither is it needful to refer in further -detail to the Tasman for the same reason. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -FIRST ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI - -_First impressions—Swagging—The Hochstetter Glacier—Defeat—The -perils of river crossing_ - -‘To climb steep hills requires slow pace at first.’ - - -It was on March 24, 1886, that I left Christchurch, in company with my -cousin, Mr. C. D. Fox, on my first visit to the great Tasman Glacier -and Mount Cook, or Aorangi.[1] - -[Footnote 1: The Maori name of Mount Cook is ‘Aorangi,’ or, more -properly, ‘Ao-Rangi.’ The commonly accepted meaning of the term is -‘Sky-piercer’ but as the Maori language admits of many varieties of -translation, each version hovering about the region of true meaning, -it is only natural that authorities should differ as to the correct -construing of the word. - -One good Maori scholar, whose reputation as such is almost pre-eminent, -gives the poetical translation of ‘Light of Day’—a singularly -beautiful one, for it is the first peak to catch the morning light and -the last to show the glow of evening. - -Another very well-known Maori scholar, the Rev. J. W. Stack, assures -me that the most reasonable interpretation that can be put upon the -word ‘Ao-Rangi’ is ‘Scud Peak’; and this is a singularly apt one, -for the prevailing nor’-west winds always cause condensation and the -gathering of cloud-banners about the higher parts of the mountain. -‘Heaven-piercer’ and ‘Cloud-piercer’ are also often used, but are to a -certain extent fancy names.] - -I often look back now with feelings of amusement at the audacity with -which we determined to make our first attempt to scale the great -monarch of the Southern Alps, and wonder how we could have been so -self-satisfied with our own powers and confident of our ability in -undertaking such a gigantic task. I can only suppose that it was -ignorance of what lay before us, and a clear case of ‘fools rush in -where angels fear to tread’; for when my thoughts run back over the -toils, hardships, and bitter lessons of experience undergone during -the past six years, and when I think of the position of two completely -inexperienced men (as far as _true_ Alpine work is concerned) launching -straight out into such an undertaking, my heart seems to quail at the -idea. It is true that we both had heard and read of much Alpine work, -and had been for some time in touch with climbing-men, also we were -both practised in hill-walking and accustomed to such work as mustering -sheep, pig-hunting, and shooting over what in England would be termed -rough mountains, so that as cragsmen we could scarcely be classed as -novices. As to any knowledge other than theoretical of the conditions -of snow and ice, however, we might be termed tyros, though Fox had -done a little scrambling on the Swiss glaciers. Nevertheless, we had -sufficient ‘cheek’ to consider ourselves wise and strong enough to go -straight into a really difficult piece of Alpine work, and, laughing at -all discouragement, we set off for the mountains. - -I have already described the customary route to the glaciers of Mount -Cook, so will not weary my readers with a long narrative of the journey. - -At Timaru (four hours by rail from Christchurch) we completed our stock -of provisions, consisting of biscuits, tinned meats, &c., and took the -evening train on to Fairlie Creek (forty miles further inland), where -on arrival we hired a horse and buggy and drove to Ashwick Station, -seven miles distant on the road to the mountains. - -The next day’s journey took us over Burke’s Pass and into the Mackenzie -country, past the beautiful Lake Tekapo, and on to the ferry situate at -the southern end of Lake Pukaki. - -The road itself winds through bleak tussock plains, interesting only -from a geological point of view; but all monotony of the immediate -surroundings is completely lost when one looks further afield and gazes -on the marvellous beauty of such scenes as the Southern Alps from Lake -Tekapo, or the Ben Ohau Range from the plains. Even the most fastidious -globe-trotter could not fail to be deeply impressed with such a picture -as Aorangi from Lake Pukaki. - -To look at Aorangi from this approach is enough to damp the spirit of -the stoutest Alpine climber that ever breathed, and is quite sufficient -to account for the disbelief and incredulity cherished in the mind of -many a shepherd in the Mackenzie country regarding the possibility of -ascending the peak. - -History repeats itself, and just as we hear of the native mountaineers -of the Himalayas, Andes, and Caucasus discrediting ascents of glacier -peaks around whose very bases they and their ancestors have lived and -died, so we find that our own countrymen, whose calling needs their -constant presence amongst their flocks on the lower ranges, refuse to -believe that mountains presenting such an appearance as Aorangi are in -any manner of way to be scaled. - -The following day brought us to the Hermitage. A low mist had hidden -the higher peaks throughout the day, and led to a surprise on the -following morning which I little dreamt of. - -I wonder if all Alpine climbers, in first ‘tasting the sweets of -climbing,’ are similarly impressed with their initial Alpine view! - -No words of mine can describe the ecstasy which seemed to pervade my -whole being as on the early, cloudless morning the wonderful picture -of Mount Sefton reared itself in indescribable sunlit grandeur above -the old bush-clad moraine close by the Hermitage. Here, indeed, was a -new and a fairy-like world to live in. As we sat in the verandah of the -Hermitage the ice-seamed crags appeared to rise up and up until they -culminated in a long serrated and corniced ridge, seeming almost to -overhang the very spot where we rested. - -A scene of mountain glory never to be forgotten, a memory to last a -lifetime! - -More than 8,000 feet above us were built up those ice-clad precipices, -their glaciers glinting in the bright morning light, their avalanches -tearing down the mountain sides and waking the echoes of a hundred -ravines and valleys with their thunder. - -Where is the man who can describe these - - palaces of Nature, whose vast walls - Have pinnacled in clouds their snowy scalps? - -Where is the mountaineer—not the mere gymnast, but the Nature-loving -mountaineer—who can tell the feelings of such a first impression? - -And yet even this scene seems to fade in the memory and suffer by -contrast with those of other pictures in the New Zealand Alps, for up -the Tasman Valley, where later on in the day we wended our way, fresh -vistas of Alpine glory were unfolded to view. - -Aorangi from the Hermitage is also a grand sight. The mountain seems -to possess a startling individuality and a majestic grandeur somewhat -different in character from its worthy neighbour Mount Sefton. The view -is more distant, but the bold outline of the peak stands out in relief -against the blue of the heavens, and rears a face of glacier-clad -precipices to a height of 10,000 feet above the Hooker Valley at the -mountain foot. Light clouds float about the peak and lend an ethereal -air to its beauty, imparting a fairy-like, floating appearance to the -peak itself. At other times the outlines are apparently clear cut -against the sky, giving an air of lasting and monumental dignity, and -conveying the idea of stability from past ages to ages to come. - -After an early lunch, and accompanied by Mr. Huddleston (the landlord -of the Hermitage), and one of his men, we started off for the Tasman -Glacier. The first part of the way leads down over stony flats to the -termination of the Mount Cook Range, and at this point the Hooker River -is crossed. - -On this occasion we double-banked over on horse-back without much -difficulty; but very often the Hooker River is quite impassable with -horses, the torrent being confined in a narrow boulder bed of about 200 -feet in width, which in flood time, during the warmer months of spring -and summer, is quite filled with a roaring torrent, often bearing down -with it blocks of ice from the Mueller and Hooker Glaciers above. - -Turning in a north-easterly direction round the end of the range we -shaped our course up the Tasman Valley, and in two hours’ time from -the Hermitage arrived at the terminal face of the great glacier, which -fills the whole of the valley from side to side, a width of about two -miles. Here, then, the hard work was about to begin, for the horses -could not proceed further, and it was necessary to carry everything -from this point on our own backs. - -Ah! good reader, have you ever carried a swag, a _real_ swag—not a -Swiss knapsack—but a real, torturing, colonial swag? When you take it -up and sling it on your back in the orthodox fashion you remark: ‘Yes; -I think it _does_ weigh fifty pounds.’ In ten minutes your estimate of -its weight has doubled. In an hour you begin to wonder why Nature has -been so foolish as to make men who will carry swags; bad language seems -to slip out ‘quite in a casual way,’ and you begin to bend forward and -do the ‘lift.’ But the ‘lift’ does not seem to fulfil quite all that -is said in its praise, for soon the torturing burden settles down again -and drags on to your shoulders more heavily than ever. After a bit -of nice balancing over loose moraine the swag triumphs. Down you go, -and the wretched thing worries you, whilst you bark your fingers and -swear horribly, bruising your knees and shins, and cursing the day on -which you saw the light of a hard and feelingless world. You recover -and repeat the performance as before, and by the time your day’s work -is done you find out to your own demonstrated satisfaction that the -burden _weighs at least five hundred-weight_. You sling it off and give -it a malicious kick, with the result that you break a thermometer or -some such delicate instrument. Then you try to walk, but stagger about -like a drunken man; there is no small to your back, your back tendons -are puffy and tired like those of an old horse, your head swims, and -your eye is dim. Patience and rest, however, gradually bring you round, -and soon you regain strength and spirits in feeling that at least you -have conquered a day’s difficulties and have brought your board and -lodging so far with you. - -Ah! think of it, you knapsack mountaineers, you feather-bed Swiss -mountaineers, with your tracks, your hotels, your guides, your porters, -and your huts. No; this New Zealand work is not like yours. - -But then, you see, we are enjoying what you cannot get. Exploring -and opening out virgin fields, learning to be our own guides—and -porters—from that best of masters—hard experience. - -We struck up the little valley which here exists between the lateral -moraine on our right and the hill on our left, and toiled on amidst -dense scrub so gnarled and matted that we could at times walk on it -as on a spring bed, though now and then going through, of course. The -scrub alternated with slopes of loose strips of moraine. By evening -we reached a little blue lake which feeds the creek issuing from the -valley’s mouth, and here we pitched our tent for the night. - -The sub-Alpine vegetation here is interesting and varied. Wild Irishman -(_te matakuru_ of the natives or _matagowrie_ of the shepherds), -Spaniards, with leaves like carving-knives and points like needles, -having stalks sometimes eight or ten feet high; stunted totara, many -varieties of veronica, celmisias with large marguerite daisy-like -flowers, the beautiful white ranunculus, and a hundred bushes and -creepers all mixed up in the most glorious confusion amid rocks -sometimes covered with slippery moss, over and amongst which it is -anything but pleasant to force one’s way. The mountain sides are -clothed almost up to the snow-line with beech, totara, ribbon-wood, -veronica, and other trees, the rich foliage being beautifully -varied; but not having sufficient time to cut bedding, we spent an -uncomfortable night. The first evening is always the worst in camp. -In the morning we continued our rough journey up the valley and our -struggle with the ‘worrying’ swag. - -Soon we discovered traces of fires and old camps, and we knew we were -on the tracks of Green’s and Von Lendenfeld’s parties. An hour for -dinner under a splendid waterfall, and more toiling onwards, till at -last we were over the last boulder-face from the mountain on our left, -with the Ball Glacier in full view. Fox, bending down, picked up a -portion of an old veil, shortly after I found a goggle box, then came a -tomahawk lying on a rock, then the historical tent poles of Mr. Green, -and we knew we had reached ‘Green’s fifth camp.’ - -Off came the swags, and right glad we were to be done with them. If a -man were only built on the same lines as a Mount Cook grasshopper he -might ‘stand some show’ in those parts, for these insects are the most -accomplished rock acrobats, jumping twenty or thirty times their own -length at a spring, landing on their heads or anyhow with a bang, and -squaring up for the next jump as coolly as cucumbers. - -We found many relics of Green’s and of Von Lendenfeld’s parties, -amongst them a surveyor’s chain, which, with Green’s tent poles, we -have for the last five seasons used to pitch our tents. - -Scarcely were we made snug for the night when down came a terrific -nor’-wester, blowing with fearful violence, making the tent boom -and shake till we expected it to blow to ribbons. Rain poured down, -thunder, lightning, and avalanches all lent their aid, and the elements -seemed to be having a generally rowdy time of it. All this, of course, -meant snow on the higher peaks; our spirits fell to zero very quickly, -and we gave up all hope of tackling Aorangi for at least a day or two. - -The nor’-wester is the _Föhn_ wind of New Zealand, similar in character -to the _Föhn_ winds of Switzerland or the _Pampiero_ of the Andes. Warm -air laden with moisture travels from the equatorial and Australian -waters, till, striking the range of the Southern Alps, precipitation -ensues, the wind descending on to the eastern plains dry and hot. - -Having studied Von Lendenfeld’s map of the Tasman Glacier and its -surrounding peaks made in 1883 we knew our whereabouts; but as yet we -had not seen the peak of Mount Cook, having been toiling up close under -the eastern flank of the range, which continues from the peak proper -for a distance of ten or twelve miles in a south-easterly direction. - -The morning broke beautifully clear, and we were early aroused by some -inquisitive keas, or mountain parrots, which perched on the tent and -set up an unearthly screeching. These birds are ridiculously amusing -and tame, and we frequently replenished our larder with them by the aid -of a shanghai, or common schoolboy’s catapult, with which instrument of -warfare I have the rather questionable credit of being somewhat of an -adept. When I think of the savoury fries and stews which the shanghai -has brought to our camp table—the table being usually a rock or a -large lily leaf—I begin to be reconciled to the haunting regrets for -apple-destroying and window-smashing which so often beguiled the tedium -of a scholastic career. - -We determined not to attempt any climbing so soon after the storm, but -set out to reconnoitre the route taken by Mr. Green. - -Mounting the steep lateral moraine of the Ball Glacier we were soon -across it and on to the clear ice of the Hochstetter stream beyond, and -felt the joyful crunching of our well-nailed boots as we tramped along -over the uneven surface. - -There is something exhilarating in this setting foot on the clear -ice after days of clambering over cruel rocks, something that seems -to thrill one as the nails go ‘crunch, crunch’ and give such grand -foothold, a cheerful ring in the clink of the ice-axes, a peculiar -charm in the tinkle of the little surface streams, a sense of peace -and loveliness in all around, an inspiration of awe and grandeur -in the glorious masses of mountains which rear their hoary heads -for thousands of feet above, whilst over all there seems to hang an -invisible and imperious over-ruling and omnipotent Power directing the -marvellous workings of Nature. Here man may feel his littleness and -his unworthiness, and yet with Byron he feels what is so beautifully -expressed in ‘Childe Harold’— - - I live not in myself, but I become - Portion of that around me; and to me - High mountains are a feeling. - -The Hochstetter Glacier is one of the most impressive and beautiful -sights in the Southern Alps. Its supplies come even from the very -summits of Aorangi and Mount Tasman, the two noblest mountains in -Australasia. Avalanches from the eastern and northern slopes of Aorangi -descend to a large ice plateau situate at an altitude of 8,000 feet. -From between the great north-eastern spur of Aorangi and the southern -slopes of Mount Tasman the Linda Glacier issues also into this plateau; -it was discovered and named by Mr. Green. From the eastern slopes of -Mount Tasman and the southern flanks of Mount Haast avalanches also -descend to the plateau, which must be some ten or twelve square miles -in area. This plateau has but one outlet—the fall of the Hochstetter -Glacier. Viewed from below, the frozen cascade tumbles in the wildest -confusion over a precipice of 4,000 feet to join the Tasman Glacier -at an altitude of 4,000 feet (roughly speaking), and presents a most -wonderful appearance. The fall at the top is probably about a mile and -a half in width, narrowing to one mile at its foot, and the ice is -broken up into _séracs_, cubes, pinnacles, and towers of all shapes and -sizes, intersected by crevasses of the divinest bluish-green colour, -and each pinnacle crested with a white cap of unconsolidated snow. -One enormous rock protrudes through the ice in its southern and lower -portion, crowned with toppling _séracs_ 200 or 300 feet in height, -which at regular intervals fall over the face of the rock and descend -in magnificent avalanches. First comes a report like a pistol shot, -then follows an almighty crash accompanied by clouds of snow and ice -dust, succeeded by a low rumbling thunder as the blocks expend their -impetus on the gentler slope below, and finally settle down again into -solid ice, to continue their journey of centuries towards the terminal -face of the glacier nine miles down the valley. Above the fall stand -out, in bold relief against the clear sky, the giant forms of Aorangi -and Tasman. - -To stand before this wonderful piece of Nature’s work and gaze on the -weird and fascinating forms of the attendant peaks is an experience not -to be forgotten. - -The awful and solemn silence of the mountains, broken only now and -again by the crash and thunder of an ice avalanche or the screech of a -solitary kea, the complete desolation, the loneliness and remoteness -from the haunts of men, all tend to inspire one with deep thoughts and -feelings. One line in Walter C. Smith’s ‘Hilda’ expresses more than -pages of mine would do— - - The silence of the mountains spoke unutterable things. - -In two hours’ time we were across the glacier and on the point of the -ridge descending from Mount Haast, which bounds the northern side of -the ice-fall. We began the ascent of the ridge amongst snow-grass and -lilies, but soon the vegetation gave way to rockwork, and when a -height of about 5,000 feet was attained we made sure that this was our -correct route, and, mist coming on, we descended again, and reached our -Ball Glacier camp in the evening. - -We resolved to make our attempt on the peak early the following -morning, and accordingly, at 5 A.M. packed our swags, containing -‘tucker’ for three days, spirit lamp, blanket, opossum rug, -mackintoshes, instruments, a change of warm clothing, &c., intending -that night to find a bivouac at 8,000 feet if possible. - -Starting at 5.20 A.M. we crossed the Ball Glacier in the very dim -light of a waning moon, and were on the Hochstetter ice at peep of day, -and making good time across, reached the point of the Haast spur in an -hour and three-quarters. A thick mist hung over us, and we waited for -an hour for it to lift, amusing ourselves by smoking and botanising, -and watching the antics of some queer little wrens. These birds are -absurd-looking little creatures with long legs and longer toes, plump -buff-coloured breasts, no tails, staring little eyes, and look for -all the world like boiled potatoes with their jackets on, set up on -hairpins and let loose on the rocks. - -As the mist cleared we tackled the ascent, and found it pretty stiff -work, although we had snow-grass to assist us for some way up; but the -rocks above this began to show signs of rottenness, and much care was -required to avoid dislodging them. We made good progress to about 5,000 -feet, when we were quite baffled for a time, and were forced to leave -the main _arête_ and look for a more promising route on our right. -Here we proceeded cautiously, crawling through a narrow niche in some -overhanging rocks with a precipice of some hundreds of feet below. -Then the climbing improved till our view upwards was bounded by an -indefinite saddle in the rocks, which might have led to anywhere, but -which did lead, as we subsequently found out, to the easy snow slopes -above. - -As the day advanced small falls of stone occurred, which caused some -annoyance and danger, but we managed to avoid being struck by any. Then -followed another stretch of rotten rock which Fox absolutely declined -to tackle, and as it could not be turned by a détour we were brought up -on this route. - -Fox suggested descending again to cross a large glacier coming down -from the ridge on our right, and trying the rocks on its opposite side. -This plan we eventually carried out, but it was a fatal mistake as far -as climbing Aorangi was concerned. Descending for about 1,000 feet we -stepped on to the ice of what we then thought was the lower part of the -Linda Glacier—owing to a strange error in Von Lendenfeld’s map—but -which in reality was the Freshfield Glacier. We put on the rope and our -goggles, both indispensable in crossing such a snow-covered ice stream. - -On taking to the rocks on the other side we soon gained the lowest ice -slopes, covered with six or eight inches of snow in splendid order, -and adhering well to the ice; now and then we took to the rocks, but -climbed mostly by the snow slopes till we reached the crest of the -ridge and looked over a precipice to Mount Haidinger and the Haast -Glacier below. - -It was now 11 A.M., and after a short rest, upon my suggesting a -move upwards, Fox said that he did not fancy the rocks above—which -certainly did look bad—and counselled a retreat. Of course I was -disappointed, and reluctant to give up the attempt so soon, yet there -did seem to be no end to the difficulties above, and experience has -since taught me that Fox was wise in his counsel, for it was indeed -simple madness for two greenhorns to tackle such work. - -I soon forgot my troubles in gazing on the scene which burst upon us -as we gained the ridge. Below lay the major part of the Haast Glacier, -descending in a similar manner to the Hochstetter ice-fall from the -corniced _arête_ of Mount Haidinger, a marvellous mass of _sérac_ ice. -A long rest here, and a resolve to revisit the locality during the next -season with a stronger party, and we began the descent. - -My first experience of glissading on the snow slopes below was -decidedly amusing; but the art is easily acquired, and after the -inevitable spill or two one soon gets into the way of putting one’s axe -directly behind and not at the side, as is the first impulse. Many and -many a good slide have I enjoyed during the last six years, and I know -no more exhilarating sensation. - -[Illustration: MOUNT TASMAN (11,475 FEET) AND THE HOCHSTETTER ICE-FALL - -[_Wheeler & Son, Photo._] - -In winter time, on the front ranges, we have sometimes made glissades -of 2,000 to 3,000 feet without a stop, and on one occasion, in crossing -the Mount Cook Range, Mr. Arthur Harper and I glissaded close on to -4,000 feet with only occasional stoppages for crevasses. - -Reaching the bottom of the slopes we made an examination of the Haast -Glacier at its junction with the Tasman, which disclosed a terribly -crevassed stream, the ice appearing like the leaves of a half-opened -book, the alternating crevasses occupying by far the greater space. -There ensued an aggravating scramble over the moraine, followed by a -weary trudge across the ice of the Hochstetter, and we reached our camp -at the Ball Glacier by nightfall. - -Sleep visited our wearied eyelids that night and had never seemed so -sweet, but the morning broke raining and stormy, and as it was from the -nor’-west and looked like continuing, we determined to make homewards -for the Hermitage at once. - -Then ensued the awful scramble down between the moraine and the -mountain side with those terrible swags, but, being by this time in -good trim, we arrived at the terminal face of the glacier in four hours -and a quarter, a distance which occupied Mr. Green with Emil Boss and -Ulrich Kaufmann thirteen hours in coming down in their final retreat. - -On reaching the Hooker, we found the river running strongly and rising -fast with the nor’-west rain, but after some looking about discovered -a possible ford where the river anastomosed into four branches, and -steadying ourselves with our ice-axes, waded through the torrent. Cold! -Cold was no word for it, and the force of the current was terrible as -it rushed over an uneven and treacherous bed of boulders. - -But we got through safely, and soon the Hermitage, our haven of refuge, -was in sight, and we struck up the shingle flats at a merry pace, -reaching our destination in seven hours and a quarter from the Ball -Glacier camp. - -On returning from the Hermitage we thought, by crossing the Tasman -River and driving down the opposite bank, to avoid driving round Lake -Pukaki, and so to save thirty miles of travelling. As a rule the river -is not crossable in the summer months, but on this occasion we were -assured of the practicability of getting over; and leaving the track -at Birch Hill Station, we drove out into the great expanse of shingle -which forms the river-bed. - -We had crossed all the streams but the last, and were within a few -yards of the further bank of that, when our horse, poor old Nipper, -sank in a quicksand, and as soon as the current caught his body we saw -it was all up. The horse and buggy got broadside on to the current, and -quick as thought we jumped for it, just as the conveyance was turning -over for the first time, Fox down-stream and I up. - -The first thing I knew was that I was being washed into the bottom -parts of the buggy, then sideways up, but struggling out and gaining a -footing, the first impulse was to whip out my pocket-knife and cut the -horse free, and, in my haste, both blades were broken before a stitch -of the harness was cut. Fox, in the meanwhile, recovered his feet, -and was holding Nipper’s head above water as we all moved gradually -down-stream with the force of the current, the horse and buggy rolling -over and over. With Fox’s knife I was more successful, and cut the -horse free. Fortunately we were being washed into shallower water -on a spit of shingle, and we were able to wade out with the horse, -after which we returned to extricate the buggy, which had come to -a standstill on its side, and was fast being silted up with moving -shingle. It required all our strength to free it, and in doing so one -of the wheels ‘buckled.’ - -I have no doubt that we presented an amusing and half-drowned -appearance as we stood on the bank and called the roll. All that was -missing was my mackintosh, a mat, and whip. - -Then we jumped on our buckled wheel till it sprang back into its normal -shape, and splicing up the harness, wended our way back across the -minor streams to the track at Birch Hill, wetter, sadder, and wiser men. - -We reached Pukaki Ferry an hour after dark and Fairlie Creek the next -evening, where we found the township in a state of jollification over -the annual race-meeting. Most of the New Zealand country townships -boast of their annual race-meeting, the racing lasting one day, and the -whisky part of the proceedings generally running into three. - -Then we took the train for Christchurch. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -SECOND ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI - - _A Flooded Camp in the Tasman Valley—Hard Struggles with Bad - Fortune—We reach Green’s Bivouac_ - - If at first you don’t succeed, - Try, try, try again.—_Nursery Rhyme._ - - -During the winter following my first essay at Alpine climbing I was not -idle, but made several pig-hunting excursions amongst the foot-hills in -North Canterbury, in addition to which, with a companion in the shape -of an old friend and schoolfellow, Mr. M. J. Dixon, I made the ascent -of Mounts Torlesse (6,434 feet) and Puketeraki (5,780 feet) at a time -when these mountains were snow-covered to within 2,000 feet of their -respective bases. - -The former ascent was accomplished in the face of a nor’-west gale, and -well I remember how we had sometimes to lie down on the snow and hold -on to our sticks to avoid being blown clean away. We have twice since -climbed this peak under similar conditions, and I never remember the -wind blowing with such force as it does on Mount Torlesse. - -It was on February 1, 1887, that Messrs. M. J. Dixon, C. H. Inglis, and -myself left Christchurch for a second try at Aorangi. - -We were now well equipped for the attack, having obtained 160 feet of -Alpine rope, three good ice-axes from M. Fritz Boss of Grindelwald, -and suitable nails for our boots. Inglis had his camera and two dozen -plates. - -On arriving at the Hermitage we found that the Hooker River was up and -quite impassable for horses, consequently we were forced to cross the -Mueller Glacier by the Hermitage, walk up the Hooker Valley, and cross -the terminal face of that glacier on to the western slopes of the Mount -Cook Range, after which we worked our way down the river till opposite -the Hermitage again, where a length of fencing wire was thrown across -the torrent by which we were able to take our swags over. - -The roar of the torrent was deafening, and oral communication across -was quite impossible. The wire on our side was made fast eight or -ten feet above the water, and on the other about twenty feet. Three -cheers were given us by the party of tourists on the other bank, to -which we replied, and then we were cut off from the haunts of men for -a week, and thrown quite on our own resources for clothing, food, and -shelter—board and lodging, in fact. - -Then came the arranging of swags, adjustment of carriers, &c., and we -soon discovered that we had all we could carry—over 50 lbs. each. Then -followed the toiling down the steep bank of the river to reach the end -of the range, in the piping heat and glaring sun, now and then having -to ascend the slopes to avoid the river, which rushed along close to -the rocks. - -At one place in particular we experienced some difficulty, having -to resort to the use of the rope to climb a ditch or _couloir_ in -the rock-face where the river boiled past at a terrific pace. Here -the camera was accidentally dropped, and falling down fifty feet or -so, lodged on a ledge which overhung the water. Strange to say, when -recovered it was found to be quite uninjured! - -By dint of continued exertion and considerable expenditure of adipose -tissue we at last turned the end of the range, and upon reaching the -first water as we struck up the Tasman Valley, boiled the ‘billy’ and -made a good lunch. - -The wind now began to rise from the nor’-west, and clouds of dust were -sweeping down the valley, so we lost no time in pressing on to a patch -of Irishman scrub a mile or so below the terminal face of the glacier. -We hurriedly cut some bedding and pitched the tent before the rain came -on, in rather close proximity to an old creek-bed, which had apparently -been dry for some time. - -That creek made up for lost time during the night, and soon the rain -came down in bucketsful as we lay our wearied limbs to rest in our -oiled calico blanket-bags. The thunder crashed and the lightning -flashed, and the Tasman River began to roar, and by one o’clock such -a quantity of rain had fallen as to convert the dry creek-bed into a -roaring torrent, whose waters threw up a bank of shingle, and, turning -its course (horror of all horrors!), came right into our tent. In less -than a minute from the time that we felt the first trickle there was a -foot of water in the tent, and all our impedimenta of every description -were sopping or floating about in the dark, and in imminent danger of -being washed away. - -Hurriedly we collected all we could into our blanket-bags, got into our -boots somehow, and made for higher ground. We could not see a rise in -the ground, but after wading about found a small portion out of water, -and, with much strong language and trouble, succeeded in repitching the -tent—after a fashion. - -Ah! well do we remember the miseries and discomforts of the scene. Wind -blowing in fitful gusts, rain coming down in sheets, while thunder and -lightning and the incessant roar of the Tasman all tended to make the -scene one of terror and discomfort. Matches nearly all destroyed; bread -reduced to a state of pulp; blankets and clothes wet; instruments, -boots, ropes, ice-axes muddled up anywhere, some in the tent, some -being silted up or washed away from the spot where the tent was first -pitched; the floor of the tent now hard, wet stones, in lieu of -comfortable, dry tussock. Oh, the misery of it! - -We lay in our wet clothes the rest of that night, all the following -day, and the next night. Inglis and I scarcely stirred but to eat some -disgusting, soppy mixture or to light our pipes; but Dixon pluckily -rigged up a break-wind with an old tent left by the Birch Hill -shepherds, and after three hours’ persistent labour kindled a fire, -improvising a chimney out of a pair of white flannel trousers and -sundry other garments! - -We were quite hemmed in by water, and were in a constant state of -anxiety lest the river should make depredations in our direction, as -it was quite close to us, whilst in the creek on the other side we -could hear the rocks being rolled down by the force of water. - -Nine inches of rain had fallen during the forty-eight hours, but on -the Sunday it cleared, and once again the warm sun shone out, the -clouds drifted away from the mountains, the birds began to sing, and -the waters subsided as quickly as they had risen, and our spirits rose -again as we spread out our wet belongings on the scrub and donned a -shirt, hat, and a pair of boots apiece, and set out for a visit to -the scene of devastation at the face of the glacier whence the river -issues. The costume was airy but convenient, as we had to cross several -streams before reaching our destination. - -We were well rewarded for our walk, for a wonderful sight was presented -where the river flows out from the glacier. For a distance of half a -mile from the face the banks of the main stream were strewn with blocks -of ice of all sizes up to twelve or fifteen feet in thickness. At one -spot the river rushed in mad violence from a great cavern of ice; in -another it rose as from a geyser from under the ice, sending up a large -column of water to a height of six or eight feet. - -It was quite a new sensation to be dry again, but that night rheumatism -screwed my joints, and some venomous insect bit my shoulder, causing -intense pain for a short time. - -While the rain continued we had all thought of falling back on the -Hermitage as soon as we were able, but a bright sunny morning caused -us to change our plans and forge ahead for the Ball Glacier camp, -weakened though we were in strength and supplies. - -Already we felt that our chance of ascending Aorangi was gone, for -the snow lay thick on the upper peaks and avalanches were of common -occurrence; yet we doggedly pushed on, determined not to turn without a -struggle. - -Leaping from rock to rock, avoiding the scrub and Spaniards by -sticking to the moraine slopes, and scrambling over great _tali_ of -boulders which came from the mountain sides, by evening we reached our -destination (the Ball Glacier), and finding the surveyor’s chain, tent -poles, and hatchet—left by Fox and myself the previous season—in -good order, we quickly had a comfortable camp pitched. A small army -of mountain parrots or keas soon assembled, and the unerring shanghai -procured grilled kea for supper. - -Next morning broke gloriously fine, and by 7 A.M. we were away with -blanket-bags, three days’ ‘tucker,’ and a change of warm clothing, -intending to reach Green’s bivouac on the Haast Ridge that evening, and -to make a final dash at Aorangi on the day following. - -Once again we plunged into all those pleasures and joys of -mountaineering. Again we felt the clear ice of the beautiful -Hochstetter Glacier crunch under our iron-shod feet. Now we were -away from all the hum-drum cares of life, from the misery of flooded -camps, in the free mountain air, with the stupendous ice-falls and the -majestic peaks all around. We seemed to breathe a heavenly atmosphere, -to live a new life in another and a better world. Where is the man who -can come into contact with these surroundings and not be better in -body and soul? - -We reached the foot of the Haast Ridge by 9.30, and here we debated -as to whether we should tackle Aorangi after all, or try De la -Bêche, further up the glacier (which peak would be an easier ascent -and command a magnificent view of both eastern and western glacier -systems). Aorangi it was, however, we had come to tackle, and so, again -shouldering our swags, we went at the ridge. - -We kept to the crest of the spur and found the climbing very simple, -for a thousand feet amongst lilies and snow-grass; but after that the -real business amongst rotten and precipitous rock ridges and faces -commenced, and we had to put on the rope. At this time none of us were -very proficient in the use of the rope, but we soon began to value the -assistance it affords and to appreciate the assurance it inspires. - -It was not until 5 P.M. that we reached the top of the ridge, where we -soon discovered Green’s bivouac, not far from which spot we determined -to spend the night. - -All the way up we had been climbing with the Hochstetter ice-fall on -our left, and had been favoured with the grandest views of Aorangi, -which looked absolutely impregnable; but as our view of the Linda -Glacier and the Great Plateau was shut off by the upper part of the -Haast Ridge, we could not see the route which we were bent on following. - -Here I may remark that the route by which Mr. Green, and subsequently -Dixon and myself climbed the mountain cannot be seen from any distant -point. I refer, of course, to the upper part of the route above the -Haast Ridge. Even the plateau is so shut in as to be invisible from any -distant point, except from the peaks of the Malte Brun Range on the -opposite side of the valley. - -Scraping away all the larger stones from under an overhanging rock -and building a semicircular break-wind, we dug holes for our hips -(one gets very sore in hard beds of this nature if such a precaution -be neglected), wriggled into our blanket-bags, boiled a pannikin of -Liebig, and slept like tops till the morning. - -The rosy fingers of the morn had just opened the gates of day as our -heads emerged from the apertures of our bags, and showed one of the -most magnificent panoramas of Alpine wonder which it has been my lot to -view. - -Three thousand feet below us lay the Tasman Glacier with its marvellous -stream of pure ice, on our right the Hochstetter ice-fall, on which -we could look down and view with wonder its chaos of _séracs_ and -crevasses, the ice-clad precipices of Aorangi rising heavenwards -from it in bold ruggedness. Down the valley to the south-west the -grey moraine, with the meandering river still further afield. Across -the valley the rocky peaks of the Liebig and Malte Brun Ranges with -their hanging glaciers, and right opposite to us Malte Brun himself, -a pyramid of red rock, flanked by ice and snow slopes, standing out -clearly against the morning sky like a great grim castle, and looking -quite safe from any assault of man—on this side at all events. -Following round the panorama to the northwards, Mount Darwin sends -its one great glacier sweeping down into the main stream; then the -Hochstetter Dome stands at the head of the Tasman Glacier itself, and -westward rise the noble summits of Mounts Elie de Beaumont, Green, and -De la Bêche—the last a most beautiful triple peak, queen of the whole -group, and over 10,000 feet in height. Still following round, the eye -falls on the Rudolf Glacier descending from the peak of the same name, -then Mounts Jervois, Spencer, Glacier Peak, and lastly Mount Haidinger, -a fine flat-topped mountain clothed from base to summit in broken ice. - -Behind us lay Mount Tasman (11,475 feet), invisible over the higher -parts of the spur on which we were now situated. From our coign of -vantage we counted twenty-five tributary glaciers of the Tasman, some -with ice-falls, others joining with graceful curve. - -We congratulated ourselves that all our weary toil and hard swagging -had not been fruitless, and felt quite compensated for the miseries -we had gone through at the lower camp, though the main object of our -visit, we feared, was about to be defeated in a very short time. We -pulled ourselves together, put on the rope, and resolved to make some -pretence of a fight for it. - -After an hour’s work we reached the highest rocks, then there came a -dip on to a snow saddle, beyond which, again, snow slopes lead on to -the final summit of the spur which hid the Great Plateau. - -But it was not to be; for whenever we went on to snow we sank -waist-deep, and struggled in vain to make any headway. Here, then, we -were beaten, and planting our Christ’s College flag in the highest -rocks, gave it three cheers for the old school days, and depositing a -bottle with the record of our ascent, turned our backs on the grim -giant Aorangi, and began to go down. - -We struck a better route down by going into some _couloirs_ north of -the _arête_ of the spur, and reached the Ball Glacier camp again, going -down the following day to the Hermitage, after crossing the Hooker by -the kind assistance of a shepherd from Birch Hill. The Hooker River had -risen to such an extent during the rain storm as to carry away the wire -on which we had slung our swags across. The camera was warped with the -wet at the lower camp, whilst the plates were anything but ‘dry’ after -the storm, so photography was altogether a failure in this excursion. - -In the winter time we amused ourselves with another ascent of Mount -Torlesse. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -THIRD ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI - -_Photography on the Tasman Glacier—Attempt to scale Mount De la Bêche_ - - Where rose the mountains, there to him were friends.—_Childe Harold._ - - -It is a thousand pities that the ennobling pursuit of mountaineering is -so neglected in this wonderland of peaks and glaciers. Such advantages -as we enjoy surely cannot exist much longer without calling out the -spirit which lies dormant in hundreds of the lovers of adventure and -worshippers of the beautiful in Nature, who live on in our midst from -day to day in a conventional and monotonous round. - -There are pleasures in the pursuit of adventure amongst the great -snow-fields and glaciers which only those who are initiated can -thoroughly enjoy. - -Ask the man who goes climbing what these pleasures are, and he cannot -tell you, he cannot define them—yet he feels them, and they are ever -luring him on. They are indefinite, inexpressible; but there is a sort -of ‘mountain fever’ which comes when one has once ‘lost one’s heart -to the great mountains.’ In the work all a man’s best physical, and -many of his mental, powers are brought out and strengthened. There is -the energy, perseverance, and patience to last through a long day’s -swagging, the pluck to face all sorts of dangers amongst the snow, -ice, and rocks, combined with the prudence to know when, for the safety -of oneself and the party, to give in and restrain enthusiasm. There are -the qualities of organisation and system, for which plenty of exercise -is found; indeed, one cannot overrate the benefits which accrue. - -Let any who have indulged in different branches of athletics put their -swags on their backs and go for a mountain climb, and I venture to say -that there are greater opportunities for bringing their frames into -good going order and testing their muscular abilities than can be met -with in any school of athletics. - -I have known men in England who have revelled in all our great national -games, but who invariably put mountaineering at the head of the list -after once having tasted the sweets of climbing and been captivated by -the charms of the world above the snow-line. - -To the artistic what do not the mountains offer? To the botanist, the -geologist, the naturalist, the athlete, and even to the invalid? The -strange new world one enters in sub-Alpine regions, the ‘foretaste of -heaven’ one seems to get above the snow-line. - -In out-of-the-way New Zealand we have all these benefits at hand, and -yet we leave the opening out and exploration of our great glacier -systems to foreigners and to visitors from distant lands. - -But this is digressive, and I must tell the story of our third visit to -the Tasman Glacier. - -On the evening of March 23, 1889, the visitors at the Hermitage -were suddenly moved to compassion, mingled with no small amount of -amusement, in beholding through the fast-falling snow-flakes the -arrival of a dog-cart and tandem. - -The leader of the team, a big chestnut draught-mare, seemed to be doing -all the work, and pulling along wheeler, cart and all. The travel-worn -and weary occupants of the vehicle were Mr. M. J. Dixon and myself, and -we had taken French leave for Mr. Huddleston’s chestnut at Birch Hill, -six miles down the road from the Hermitage, our leader having almost -given in after a 250-mile journey from Christchurch. - -Another bold, would-be mountaineer, Mr. P. H. Johnson, accompanied -us with the knocked-up leader, and following in the coach was Mr. -F. Cooper, a photographic operator from Messrs. Wheeler and Son of -Christchurch, who was to join our party for a week’s work amongst the -scenes of the Tasman Glacier. - -The morning of the 24th revealed the flats around the Hermitage all -snow-covered, and the day was devoted to completing preparations for a -fortnight’s camp on the glacier. - -On the 25th, the weather improving, our party left the Hermitage, being -joined by James Annan and William Low, the former a boundary keeper on -the rabbit fence, the latter engaged to help us with the swagging. Two -better men over rough ground never put swag on back, and both entered -into the spirit of the expedition and worked like Trojans to make it a -success. - -We drove our dog-cart down to the Hooker River at the usual -crossing-place—the point of the Mount Cook Range—over two or three -miles of boulders which tested the merits of the coachbuilder’s art to -the utmost, as also the driver’s ability to stay in the cart. Here we -found that a wire rope, some 200 feet in length, had been thrown across -the river to facilitate the work of the rabbiters, who were engaged -in keeping back the hordes of ‘silver-greys’ which were making their -way northwards and ruining run-holders right and left. On this wire -rope is slung, on runners, a rude box, travellers entering the same -pull themselves across, and almost invariably take the skin off their -knuckles with the runners. Crossing by this rope we piled our swags on -to Annan’s packhorse and walked three miles up the valley to a patch -of Wild Irishman scrub, where since our last visit a small galvanised -iron hut had been built. A day’s delay here with bad weather, and then -we shouldered our swags, and on the evening of the 27th reached our -well-known Ball Glacier camp. - -Our plans were as follows: To do a few days’ work with the -photographer, so as to settle his business first, and then be free -to tackle Aorangi during the following week. We wished to give the -photographer every assistance in our power, as such scenery does not -often come within reach of the photographic artist, however energetic -he may be, and can only be approached by a properly equipped Alpine -party, strong enough to carry a good supply of provisions and all the -necessaries for preserving life in such out-of-the-way parts. - -Our first excursion, then, was to cross the Tasman Glacier and make -for the point of the Malte Brun Range at the turn in the glacier just -opposite the point of De la Bêche. Here it was that Dr. von Lendenfeld -had made his bivouac for his remarkable ascent of the Hochstetter -Dome in 1883, when he was accompanied by his wife and one porter—an -ascent that took twenty-seven hours of constant ice and snow work. This -excursion would effect the double purpose of giving us some practice in -ice work, and of securing a fine set of views. - -The day was gloriously fine, and we felt our spirits rise as we -scrambled over the massive lateral moraine of the Ball Glacier, across -the glacier itself—which, by-the-by, shows very dirty ice at this -point, being laden with rocks brought down many years since in the -avalanches from the great ice-seamed crags of Aorangi, which towered in -lofty grandeur above us—then over the medial moraine between the Ball -and Hochstetter Glaciers, where a halt was made, and views of Aorangi -and the Hochstetter ice-fall were secured. - -Once more we stood before this marvellous piece of Nature’s handiwork, -again we heard the thunder of the avalanches, again we saw the -glinting, bristling _séracs_, and gazed in silence and admiration on -the ice-fall of the Hochstetter. - -Crossing the Hochstetter we struck up the medial moraine between that -and the Tasman, straight for the point of De la Bêche. - -[Illustration: MOUNT COOK AND THE HERMITAGE - -[_Wheeler & Son, Photo._] - -The best walking on the New Zealand glaciers is almost invariably found -upon the margin of the medial moraine close to where it joins the clear -ice, so that one is travelling over a mixture of ice and rocks. The -clear ice is too hummocky and entails much undulating progression, -if I may use such an expression, and the moraine itself—well, -the walking on the moraine itself cannot be fitly described in -parliamentary language. - -We secured many good views as we proceeded with a 10 × 8 camera. Mount -Haidinger on our left was particularly fine, its eastern face being -almost entirely clothed with the Haast Glacier, which struck us as -being one of the finest cascades of ice we had yet seen, larger in -extent than the ice-fall of the Hochstetter, though not so picturesque. - -Time was fast going, and we found that to get off the glacier before -dark it would be requisite to strike away to our right, over a mile of -much crevassed ice, to the gully next in the Malte Brun Range, which we -had originally set out to reach. Jumping crevasses and cutting a few -occasional steps, we at last arrived at the eastern side, finding a -very suitable place to pitch our Whymper tent, and discovering to our -joy a small supply of firewood. - -The gully in which we camped had its origin far away up in the -red-sandstone precipices of Malte Brun, and in its bed rushed down a -foaming mountain torrent fed everlastingly by the many small hanging -glaciers above. This stream rushed headlong into a large tunnel of ice -in the side of the Tasman Glacier, over which was formed a tremendous -cave, above which, again, were sheer walls of ice capped with morainic -accumulations, the height from tunnel mouth to moraine summits being -about 500 feet. - -A view of this cave was secured by the photographer. - -Friday the 29th was a morning to be remembered. Thick mists covered -the peaks and seemed to hang over us like a pall. Here and there a -shaft of sunlight penetrated to the ice-field at our feet. Only now and -then would the rude screech of a kea remind us that we were not really -dreaming in some enchanted land. - -We had often talked of attempting the ascent of Mount De la Bêche when -we should have polished off Aorangi; but as Aorangi seemed to require -so much ‘polishing off,’ and we were now camped so close to De la -Bêche, we thought we might as well try our hand at the mountain and see -what we could do in a one-day’s trip from this point, while we left the -artist to his own devices for the time being. - -De la Bêche, then, it was to be. So off we started after a breakfast -of sheep’s tongues and Liebig, putting our oilskins on our backs and -taking our axes, and striking due north for the foot of the long -_arête_ which descends from the mountain and separates the Rudolf -from the Tasman Glacier. Halfway to our ridge we had to put on the -rope, for legs began to go through the now snow-covered crevasses in a -promiscuous and unpleasant fashion. - -It was indeed like an enchanted land, for the atmospheric effects were -extraordinary. High up, shadowed in the mist, were reproduced the -forms of the highest peaks of Mounts Malte Brun and Darwin. There was -no mistaking their familiar outline, which was thrown out in the mist -thousands of feet above, like the spectre on the Brocken. - -[Illustration: CROSSING THE HOOKER RIVER - -[_Wheeler & Son, Photo._] - -Then the atmospheric effect of the mist hanging over the Rudolf Glacier -was most wonderful. Looking up the glacier, we seemed to gaze into -an enormous blue grotto, the sides being the slopes of the main chain -with all its broken glaciers, and the western slopes of De la Bêche, -whilst the overhanging mist furnished the roof or ceiling. A soft, -warm, blue colour pervaded the whole, beautiful beyond expression. - -Arriving at the foot of our mountain we commenced the ascent, finding -the snow of the ice slopes in a loose and powdery condition, and having -to exercise much judgment to avoid precipitating avalanches in the -steeper pinches. - -We climbed without the rope, rapidly, and alternately in snow and -rocks, finding the latter very good—mostly of a red sandstone on which -the nails of our boots took good hold. Looking now and then at the -aneroid, we began to feel confident of making the ascent and returning -to our camp by nightfall. But it was not to be, for, at an altitude of -8,100 feet, we were brought up by a very bad _bergschrund_ and ridge of -rocks succeeding it. - -To the unlearned in Alpine parlance perhaps an explanation of the -nature of a _bergschrund_ is necessary. At the upper termination of -nearly all highly situated ice slopes there almost invariably occurs -between the rocks above, or between the ice slope and the permanent -clinging ice above, a large gap or crevasse, partially filled or -bridged with new snow during the winter months, but more open as the -warmth of spring and summer causes the snow to melt and the ice to -shrink away. - -This crevasse or gap is called a _bergschrund_, and occasionally one -may find in it places where the ice nearly or quite touches the -rocks or ice of the upper side, or sometimes a sound snow bridge may -be discovered. These bridges afford the only means of crossing wide -_bergschrunds_. At the place in question a sharp ridge of ice, the -lower lip of the _bergschrund_, led on to a frail snow bridge with a -dip of some six feet or so in the centre, over a bottomless abyss some -fifteen feet wide. - -Dixon cut steps along the ice ridge, having first to remove a foot of -fresh snow from the surface, and then we walked this novel tight rope, -the _bergschrund_ on our left and steep ice slopes on our right, and -crossed the bridge in safety to a small ledge of ice where there was -only just room for three to stand. Could we proceed? The rocks above -were very bad and ice-coated. I went at them, clearing the inch or so -of ice to get my fingers into chinks in the rock, and ‘squirming’ up -on my stomach, clinging with toes and fingers, and feeling disposed to -hang on by my teeth or even by the proverbial eyelids, reached, fifty -feet above, the crest of the ridge. - -I had been in some queer places in the mountains, but, pardon the use -of a colonial expression, this one decidedly ‘took the cake,’ and I -shall never forget the start I received when I found myself looking -over a sheer upright face of rock on to an unnamed tributary glacier of -the Rudolf, 1,000, perhaps 2,000, feet below. I dared not stand up and -could scarcely crawl, but lay full length on the steep eastern slope -looking over the sharp ridge down the western precipice. On the right, -the razor-like _arête_ of rock continued upwards, and seemed almost, if -not quite, inaccessible. - -[Illustration: AORANGI FROM THE BALL GLACIER - -[_Wheeler & Son, Photo._] - -Then there was a long-range discussion between Dixon and Johnson -on the ledge below and myself on the ridge, ending in a decision to -descend. - -I never to this day can imagine how I came down that fifty feet of -rocks without slipping into the crevasse below, but, by the aid of -Dixon’s directions, I managed to find chinks in the rock-face for the -toes of my boots, and reached the ledge to breathe the air of relief -once more. - -Here we held a council of war. We might, by a traverse of the ice -ridge below, gain the rocks again above this bad place; but the summit -was yet 2,000 feet above us, the cold so intense that the steel of -one’s axe would adhere to the hand, the time was fast going, and -the photographer and our men would be much concerned if we stayed -out another night, besides which we were short of provisions, our -original intention having been to stay out but one night. We decided to -acknowledge ourselves beaten for the time being and to return to camp. - -It goes against the grain with Dixon and me to turn back beaten from -a peak. Indeed De la Bêche and Aorangi are the only ones to which we -have lowered the colours of our grand old school—Christ’s College -Grammar School, of Christchurch, New Zealand—and the latter we have -since revenged ourselves upon. The former will not run away, and we are -nursing a vindictive feeling against this noble triple-topped summit. - -Descending very rapidly, glissading now and then in safe places, we -reached the foot and struck over the Tasman Glacier again for our camp -on the Malte Brun. - -Well for us that we had turned from De la Bêche, for an hour from -camp, Dixon, who had been complaining of not feeling up to the mark for -some days and had been lagging—an unusual thing for him—was suddenly -seized with violent cramp in the stomach and thighs. We thought at the -time it was only temporary, consequent upon great physical exertion and -drinking too much snow-water; but unfortunately he did not seem able to -shake it off, and we had some difficulty in reaching camp over the maze -of crevasses which occur in the glacier just where our Malte Brun Creek -enters. - -Here was a nice state of affairs. One of our best men gone wrong. How -about Aorangi next week? - -Saturday morning found us ‘tuckerless’ and hungry, and Dixon worse -rather than better. - -At 9 A.M. we struck camp and started for the Ball Glacier—really -only four hours distant. Whilst taking some views an hour from camp -we suddenly heard shouts down the glacier, and found that it was our -trusty men, Annan and Low, who, being concerned about our lengthened -absence from the lower camp, had come out to look for us. - -Johnson, Low, and Annan took the bulk of the swags and started -independently for the Ball Glacier, whilst I stayed to follow at a more -leisurely pace with Dixon and the photographer. Dixon could only walk -for a few minutes at a time and required to rest very frequently, so I -sent Cooper on alone, not dreaming for a moment that he could go wrong -in such simple ground, where no crevasses to speak of occurred. - -[Illustration: ICE CAVE, TASMAN GLACIER - -[_Wheeler & Son, Photo._] - -It was 5 P.M. ere we arrived at the head-quarters after a gallant -struggle on Dixon’s part. These are the times which test a man’s -capabilities, these are the trials of endurance to which the -unfortunate who chances to be taken ill in these Alpine regions is -subjected, and it was a great relief to all to see the afflicted one -struggle bravely into camp. - -But a new trouble arose. There was no photographer, and he ought to -have turned up long ago. Johnson set out to look for him, and after -an absence of an hour I was just putting up a swag of mackintoshes, -provisions, &c., prepared to spend the night photographer-hunting on -the glacier, when Johnson’s figure appeared against the sky on the -crest of the lateral moraine, shortly followed by that of the missing -man, who had wandered down past the camp instead of turning off at the -right place. Low and Annan had gone down the valley, and were to come -up next day with more provisions. - -The next day being Sunday, we decided to have a day’s well-earned rest. -Messrs. Brodrick and Sladden, of the Survey Department, came up with -Annan and Low to dinner, bearing with them medical comforts for the use -of our invalid. - -As there were still some dry plates left unexposed, Cooper and I went -out about 10 A.M. and climbed to a height of 1,000 feet above the camp, -on the Ball Glacier spur, from whence we secured a panoramic view on -four plates of the glacier and the mountains opposite. - -From this point, seeing Aorangi looking so grand, we pushed on up the -ridge, intending to secure an exposure from a high altitude. Upwards -we climbed, and the further we went the more I was lured on towards -the main southern ridge of the mountain. I even conceived the idea of -making a pass over to the Hermitage _viâ_ the Hooker Glacier. But the -work became more difficult, and we got into patches of snow and were -unfortunately without our ice-axes. This made our progress more slow -and cautious. Still we pushed forward, the scene becoming grander at -every step. - -At length the light began to fade, and I saw that to get an exposure -of the peak from the main ridge was hopeless, so Cooper unlimbered his -instrument and I pushed on alone, determined to reach the saddle, at -least, and see over to the other side. Reaching the final snow—that -covering the actual head of the Ball Glacier, which had been below us -on our right all the day—I sped across it as fast as I could go, and -keeping a sharp look out for indentations indicating covered crevasses, -reached the rocks of a peak situate a little south of the saddle of the -Ball Glacier. Crawling over a snow bridge spanning the _bergschrund_, -which crumbled uncomfortably under me as I laid hold of the rocks on -the upper side, after a short scramble I attained the summit. - -How shall I tell of the view southwards which met my astonished gaze? -How describe the glorious sunset effects? Life is not long enough to -attempt it. - -I was on the nameless peak south of the Ball Glacier saddle at an -altitude of 7,540 feet—the highest peak south of the great majestic -mass of Aorangi himself, who towered up for another 5,000 feet above me. - -[Illustration: MOUNT DE LA BÊCHE (10,021 FEET) FROM THE TASMAN GLACIER - -[_Wheeler & Son, Photo._] - -I quote from Mr. Green to give some idea of what he thought of our -mountains from this point:— - -‘Deep down below us lay the Hooker Glacier, reminding us of the -downward view from the _arête_ of the Finsteraarhorn, while beyond, the -glacier-seamed crags of Mount Sefton towered skywards. - -‘Further off lay the _mer de glace_ of the Mueller Glacier, a splendid -field of white ice, its lower moraine-covered termination lost in the -blue depths of the valley at our feet. The high ridge connecting Mount -Sefton with Mount Stokes alone prevented us from seeing the western -sea. It was a glorious day, scarcely a breath of air stirring; no -cloud visible in the whole vault of blue; ranges upon ranges of peaks -in all directions and of every form, from the iced-capped dome to the -splintered _aiguille_. It was a wonderful sight, those lovely peaks -standing up out of the purple haze; and then to think that not one had -been climbed! Here was work, not for a short holiday ramble merely, not -to be accomplished even in a lifetime, but work for a whole company -of climbers, which would occupy them for half a century of summers, -and still there would remain many a new route to be tried. Here, then, -we stood upon the shoulder of the monarch of the whole mountain world -around us, within less than 5,000 feet of his icy crown, but a long, -jagged, ice-seamed ridge lay in our path. Was it accessible? Let us -see!’ - -It was not accessible, as anyone who has read Mr. Green’s interesting -book will know, and I could see from my standpoint very plainly that -Mr. Green, with Emil Boss and Ulrich Kaufmann—two of the finest -mountaineers in the world—could not do otherwise than accept a defeat. - -Just such a scene as Mr. Green describes I saw, only that its mystic -beauty was intensified by the soft glow of evening as the sun sank -lower and lower, at last dipping behind a bank of crimson clouds -hanging over a saddle to the westward. - -I seemed spellbound and almost riveted to the spot, and could only tear -myself away when I realised the awkward position of the photographer -and myself, trapped, as it were, by the fast-closing darkness, 4,000 -feet above our camp, with all sorts of climbing difficulties below. -Clambering down the rocks and jumping the _bergschrund_, away I sped -over the névé slopes, and reaching Cooper after an hour’s absence, -found him just packing up his camera. - -It is too long a story to tell of all our troubles and adventures in -getting down the mountain in the dark; letting ourselves down on to -the rocks, scraping our hands on sharp edges, plunging knee-deep in -soft snow, following false ridges terminating in precipices down to -the Ball Glacier below, retracing our erring steps, and at last coming -to vegetation again; then going down off the ridge towards the Tasman, -trying to hit the head of a long shingle slip I was acquainted with, -hearing 2,000 feet above the camp the first ‘cooee’ from our anxious -mates below, and getting down eventually at half-past ten, ravenous, -and almost torn to pieces by the sharp rocks, Spaniards, and scrub. - -Johnson—always self-denying and considerate for others—was out -photographer-hunting again, having gone on to the Ball Glacier and -shouted himself hoarse; he arrived back in camp at 1 A.M. (having been -guided home by a fire which I had kept going on the moraine since -our return), after having experienced a fruitless hunt of eight hours -over rough rocks and ice. This finished the photography, and on the -following day Cooper and Low went down to the Hermitage. A finer week -for securing negatives could not have been wished for, and the thirty -exposures resulted in the best set of mountain views yet obtained in -New Zealand. - -Now ensued a few days’ rest, Dixon, Johnson, and I being left in camp -with a week’s provisions and designs on Aorangi, when Dixon should have -recovered his strength. - -Only one short excursion did Johnson and I make, to see if it were -possible to reach the Great Plateau from the eastern buttress of the -mountain, and so save crossing the Hochstetter Glacier and climbing -the Haast Ridge beyond. Our endeavours were fruitless, for at a height -of some 6,300 feet we were brought up by a high wall of rock. I still -think, nevertheless, that the plateau could be reached in this manner -when a good deal of snow fills the rocky _couloirs_ or ditches which -in places descend in this wall of rock. Should this be so, it will -no doubt prove to be the route of the future for reaching the Linda -Glacier and Aorangi. - -The rock-climbing here, however, is very dangerous, as the frost has -split the rocks up in all directions. One small stone thrown down from -above sufficed to start many tons of loose matter in the _couloirs_, -which rattled down to the glacier below, sending up clouds of dust in -its descent. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE ASCENT OF THE HOCHSTETTER DOME - -_Camp under De la Bêche—Twelve Hours on Snow and Ice—The Pangs of -Hunger_ - - -Thursday, April 4, was a memorable day, for Annan coming up from the -Hermitage with a further supply of the ever-welcome ‘tucker,’ we -started on one of the finest mountain expeditions I have seen in our -New Zealand mountains. - -It was not part of our original plan to ascend the Dome; we merely -intended to reach the Lendenfeld Saddle and get a glimpse of the -opposite coast and the western ocean, and it was with this object in -view that Johnson, Annan, and I shouldered our swags and tramped off to -the foot of De la Bêche, which was made in three hours’ hard walking. - -Here we camped in a snug hollow between the lateral moraines of the -Tasman and Rudolf Glaciers. Small shingle composed our bed, and a snow -patch close by provided us with water, which we boiled in our ‘Aurora’ -stove, as no firewood was to be found so far up the glacier. - -[Illustration: PEAKS ON MALTE BRUN - -[_Wheeler & Son, Photo._] - -A fine Friday morning found us at a quarter to seven on the rope, and -making hard work of it amongst the crevasses of the Tasman Glacier. - -I remember well how we resorted to all sorts of dodges to get over -the difficulties, taking the snow slopes of the mountain sides here, -cutting a few steps there, even going to the length of climbing down -into crevasses and crawling under ice blocks. But eventually we passed -the worst of the crevasses, and made good time over the smooth, -snow-covered surface of the glacier. - -The distance from our De la Bêche camp to the saddle must be about six -or seven miles, but in the soft and treacherous snow it seemed more -like sixty or seventy. - -The glare was something dreadful, and soon our faces and hands were -of the peculiar chocolate colour which invariably comes under such -circumstances. We could not bear the goggles off for an instant. -Gradually we rose as we plodded away, now and then stepping over an -open crevasse or making a détour to find snow bridges. There are but -few crevasses, however, for several miles, only when in the proximity -of the saddle where the gradient increases they once more begin to -occur. - -On either hand fresh beauties opened out; De la Bêche on our left -presenting the most wonderful face of _sérac_ ice, streaked here and -there with avalanche slopes, whilst on the right Mount Malte Brun—the -Matterhorn of New Zealand—reared his great red precipices heavenwards, -and further on the Darwin Glacier and Mount Darwin showed in a glorious -light their magic splendour. - -Now on our left we passed Mount Green, a fine precipitous cone of rocks -and ice, and then we rose faster and faster as we edged on to the -slopes of the great Hochstetter Dome on our right, whilst opposite, -Mount Elie de Beaumont showered down his ice streams to join the Tasman. - -Taking turns at leading, at last we came to what looked like the final -rise. An exclamation broke from Johnson as he espied the new moon -appear over the saddle ahead. It was a small matter, but it seemed -to revive our failing energy and to call us on to victory to see -the silver crescent apparently awaiting us on the snow ridge. Then -a distant peak appeared—a wild cheer broke from us; another peak, -and yet one more, followed by groups of twos and threes, dozens, -hundreds—glaciers! forest! a river! the sea! the boundless ocean! -‘Hurrah!’ we shouted, ‘our tramp has not been in vain.’ - -Here we were in the heart of Nature’s solitudes, where only once before -the foot of man had trodden the eternal snows. - -We spent forty-five minutes refreshing the inner man and drinking in -the glorious view, consulting maps, and reading the aneroid. The saddle -was 8,600 feet high; the Dome was but 9,315 feet. Should we try it? -Yes, we would. - -At it we went, cutting many steps and crossing several awkward -_bergschrunds_, until we reached a level plateau. Crossing this field -we attacked the final slopes. It was terrific work, and the last pinch -required 280 steps, all cut with the spike of the axe and deeply -graven, as a slip in such a place would probably have meant the loss of -the entire party in one of the crevasses in the slope below. - -My hands were blistered with the axe work, but at 3 P.M. we were able -to walk on the fast rounding-off slopes without steps, and soon we -were on the summit, happy and flushed with victory. The mountain has a -double top and we were on the western and slightly lower one. - -What shall I say of the view from the Hochstetter Dome? It is -comprehensive and wonderful. The whole country lay like a map before -us. Westwards Elie de Beaumont and the western ocean, at our feet the -Whymper Glacier, from which flowed the Wataroa River, threading its -way through forest-and glacier-clad mountains to the sea, twenty miles -away. Northwards and eastwards extended in glorious and shining array -the magnificent chain of the Alps; glacier upon glacier, peak upon -peak, range upon range of splendid mountains. Eastwards a fine rocky -peak without a name and Mount Darwin, and looking south-westwards -down the Tasman Glacier, from whence we had toiled our laborious way, -the eye could follow the course of the great ice stream for twelve or -thirteen miles, flanked by the grand mountains which sent down their -tributary ice streams to join the mass in the valley below. - -We gave three hearty cheers for her Majesty, and three for our proud -little colony, and commenced the descent, going down backwards in the -steps, and taking firm hold with our axes at every movement. - -Time was precious, and on leaving the steps we ran down most of the -less crevassed slopes, and soon found ourselves at the foot of the -conquered mountain. Away we plodded down the glacier again—a hard, -monotonous grind—till we arrived in the failing light at the system -of crevasses on the outside of the turn of the glacier, close to our -camp of the previous night. - -This time we kept further out from the edge; but it was six of one and -half a dozen of the other, for soon we were completely entrapped in a -perfect maze of transverse and longitudinal crevasses, over which the -only mode of progression was continued jumping. - -This work in the dusk was anything but pleasant, yet had to be -accomplished, and thanks to the aid of the rope, after leaping hundreds -of them, we at length found our way off the side of the glacier to our -tent. - -How we watched the slowly warming ‘billy’ with eager eyes, and drank in -fancy over and over again the pannikin of hot Liebig. How we shut the -wind out and nursed the stinking kerosene stove! Alas for our hopes and -our hungry stomachs, the lamp went wrong somehow, and the oil flowing -over, the tent was on the verge of catching fire when Annan gave the -whole concern a kick which sent flaming lamp, ‘billy’ and all outside. -I hope the strong language and expressions of disgust have long since -been forgiven us; but I really think they were justified. - -Twelve hours’ hard going did the Dome require. Von Lendenfeld took -twenty-seven from the point of Malte Brun just opposite this camp. - -Three hours’ walking the next morning saw us back at our head-quarters, -the Ball Glacier camp, where we found Dixon in active preparation for -an assault on Aorangi, though not so strong as we could have wished. - -Now a great council of war was held, the main point of discussion being -as to whether we should attempt our long deferred ascent of Aorangi, -which was, as usual, the chief object of our visit to the glaciers. - -Here we were, with provisions for four or five days longer, the -mountain apparently in good order, the weather perfection, and we were -not pushed for time. The mountain had been inspected by various members -of the party from different coigns of vantage. We had seen from a -distance the _névé_ fields leading on to the Linda Glacier. - -Against this we had first to consider the state of Dixon’s health. He -was quite prepared, and anxious to try the ascent. We thought that it -would be too much for him. Then there was the accident to the lamp, -which was now useless, there was no firewood at the bivouac, 7,400 feet -up, and no sure means of procuring water. Annan, too, had to leave to -attend to his work down country, and I think, if the truth were told, -that Johnson and I felt as if we had had enough of mountaineering for a -time. - -Yet we were very loth to turn our faces away again from the grim giant -who had defied us so long, and it was only with much reluctance that we -decided to abandon the project. So for the third time I retired from -the ramparts of Aorangi unsuccessful, on this occasion without even so -much as an attempt. - -We came down to the Hermitage once more, and after a day or two’s quiet -rest yoked Dixon’s celebrated tandem up, crossed the Tasman River, thus -cutting off thirty miles of our homeward journey, and reached Fairlie -Creek in two days. Here I took the train, whilst Dixon and Johnson -drove home. The drive down and back—500 miles—was accomplished in -twelve days’ travelling with the same team of horses. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -FOURTH ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI - -_We reach the Great Plateau at last—Defeat again—The Crossing of the -Ball Pass_ - -‘Perge et perage.’ - - -Once again, on January 4, 1890, in company with Mr. Arthur Harper, a -gentleman who had then done two seasons’ climbing in Switzerland, I -left Christchurch to try conclusions afresh with the monarch of the -Southern Alps. - -On this occasion we reached the Hermitage in two days from -Christchurch, riding from Fairlie Creek, and crossing the Tasman River -opposite Burnett’s Mount Cook sheep station. Here we were joined by -Annan, who had already conveyed the bulk of our impedimenta to the Ball -Glacier camp. - -On arrival at this point I at once remarked that the ice of the -Ball Glacier had risen above its customary level, and seemed to be -encroaching in a lateral direction—a circumstance which undoubtedly -points to a cycle of advance in the great body of the ice, to be -registered at the terminal face in years to come. - -It will not be out of place here to give a description of our usual -Alpine outfit, which may enable others to glean some idea of what is -requisite and convenient for Alpine work in New Zealand. - -The most necessary gear for ice and rock work is suitable boots, -broad-soled and flat-heeled, shod well but not too thickly with heavy -hobs, wrought nails being preferable to cast. An ice-axe for each -man—not the light tourist’s axe, but a guide’s axe. Alpine rope -is quite indispensable, and Buckingham’s is the favourite make; we -usually take two or three 50-feet lengths. Two tents, 6 feet by 8 -feet and 6 feet by 7 feet, the former for use at the head camp, the -latter a tent built after the ‘Whymper’ pattern with the floor sewn -in, but capable of being pitched on inverted ice-axes lengthened by -two 18-inch supplementary poles (an ingenious contrivance of Dixon’s). -Sleeping bags, 7 feet by 3 feet, made of blanketing, and covered -with an outside bag of oiled calico, impervious to water. Aneroid, -thermometer, prismatic compass, pocket compass. Goggles (neutral tint) -are invaluable, and save the eyes from the awful glare which is always -experienced on new snow and from the blinding sleet which drives in a -storm. Folding lanterns (Austrian pattern) often enable one to find the -way to camp when benighted or to make very early starts. A sheath-knife -comes in very handy in camp, and a supply of fresh nails for our boots -is never omitted, whilst a small ‘Aurora’ lamp stove is invaluable -above the line of vegetation, and a shanghai, or common schoolboy’s -window-breaker, is often useful in procuring birds for the _cuisine_. - -[Illustration: THE TASMAN GLACIER FROM NEAR THE DE LA BÊCHE CAMP - -[_From a Photograph by A. P. Harper_] - -For clothing, woollen shirts and knickerbockers of warm tweed material -are the best, and great comfort is to be found in a loose-fitting -boating ‘sweater’ worn over the waistcoat. - -For provisions we generally rely on fresh mutton, to be fried in the -pan or boiled in the ‘billy,’ bread, biscuits, rice, oatmeal, Liebig’s -Extract, chocolate, tea, and so on. A pound or two of fresh butter is -always a boon, and a few tins of marmalade, whilst to some men onions -supply the oft-felt want of a vegetable diet. - -There is another indispensable, which here, as in the Caucasus, is very -necessary. I refer to the late Mr. Donkin’s naïve requisite at the end -of his Caucasus list—‘infinite patience’; and to this may be added -fixedness of purpose, determination, and perseverance. - - * * * * * - -Mount Cook, or Aorangi, from a climber’s point of view, is a very -difficult peak to climb, even to a height of 9,000 feet, which our -party attained on this occasion, chiefly on account of the length -and tiresomeness of its approach. It is simply part of a great ridge -which branches off in a southerly direction from the main divide of -the Southern Alps. From its three peaks, all situated on this ridge, -diverge four main spurs (or _arêtes_, as Alpine men call them). From -the lowest and southernmost peak (11,787 feet) descends to the Ball -Pass the southern _arête_; from the middle peak (12,173 feet) the -eastern _arête_, descending on to an enormous buttress which separates -the Ball and Hochstetter Glaciers; from the northernmost and highest -peak (12,349 feet) two _arêtes_ diverge, the north-eastern, separating -the Hochstetter and Linda Glaciers and terminating in the ice of the -Great Plateau; and, lastly, the northern ridge, connecting with the -main divide between Mount Tasman and St. David’s Dome. A comparatively -low rock saddle in this ridge occurs between the highest peak of -Aorangi and the junction with the main divide, leading on one hand into -the Linda Glacier, and on the other to the head of the Hooker Glacier. -Aorangi is thus quite cut off from the west coast, and has, in fact, no -‘western flanks,’ as is generally supposed. - -It was an intensely hot day, and scarcely a breath stirred as Harper, -Annan, and I struck out on the now well-known route across the Ball and -Hochstetter Glaciers for the Haast Ridge, but the clear mountain air -seemed to rush into our lungs, putting health and strength into every -fibre. - -The mountains were glorious in the noonday glare, and the foliage on -their lower slopes was in its gayest height of blossom. Now and then an -avalanche would thunder down in the ice-fall or from the higher slopes -above, or the whistle of a kaka down the valley could be detected. -These and the merry tinkling of the surface streams were the only -sounds to break the spell of silence and benignant peace which seemed -to reign over all. These are the scenes which go straight to the heart -of the true nature-loving mountaineer. - -To reach the foot of the _couloir_ by which three years previously -Dixon, Inglis, and I had descended involved the usual amount of hot -scrambling up _tali_ or fans of detritus from the rocks above. Once -in the _couloir_ (which was snow-filled in places) we were not long -in reaching our old bivouac, where we deposited our first batch of -provisions, &c., our plan being to descend again that day and bring up -more supplies on the morrow. - -Coming down, Harper had an almost miraculous escape from swift and -certain destruction. We were glissading on a snow slope when a mass -of rocks broke suddenly away from above and whizzed down the slope at -a terrific rate, passing within a few inches of Harper, who did not -observe them coming, though both Annan and myself had seen the rocks -start a hundred feet or so above him, and had shouted to warn him of -their descent. - -This was a warning to us to be careful how we trusted snow _couloirs_ -during the afternoon, after the sun’s rays had done their daily -work on the crust of the snow. It is by such lessons that we in New -Zealand have learnt without the aid of Swiss guides to understand, to -appreciate, and circumvent those dangers to which the Alpine climber is -always more or less exposed. - -Another fine morning saw us off again with sleeping-bags, tent, &c., -and by noon we were up at the bivouac with three days’ supplies. Only -resting for an hour or two we pushed on upwards, intending to cross the -Great Plateau—that ice-field of which we knew, but which we seemed -fated never to reach—and find some sheltering rocks under Aorangi’s -uppermost slopes where we might spend the night. - -In a few minutes we reached Mr. Green’s sleeping-place, across which -now lay a rock weighing some tons (another warning), illustrating -forcibly the rotten state of the rocks. - -We now roped and took to the snow, which led first on to a small dip -or saddle in the ridge (sloping off on the right to the Freshfield -Glacier and on the left to the Hochstetter ice-fall), and then on to -steep snow slopes leading up to the crest of the ridge overlooking the -plateau, now about 1,000 feet above us. - -We proceeded cautiously over many half-covered crevasses, and crossing -the small dip or saddle took to the slopes beyond, now and then -taking to the rocks on our left. The climbing was somewhat dangerous, -mainly owing to the bad state of the snow, which would start away in -avalanches, or give way on the edge of a crevasse just at the moment -one put one’s weight on to spring. - -At length we gained the highest rocks, which proved very bad going and -seemed likely to bring us to a stand; but the leading man going up the -last fifty feet alone, sent down a spare rope, making one end fast -above, by whose assistance the second man followed in safety, the last -man making the swags fast to the rope below to be hauled up. In the -act of hoisting them, however, one broke away, and commenced a furious -flight down the slopes up which we had so laboriously toiled. To the -swag was attached a pannikin and the tin cistern of our lamp stove, and -at every bound we could hear the rattling of the tin as we watched the -truant bundle leaping down, and we thought of what might be our fate, -were it not for our trusty rope and axes, should we start unexpectedly -down the steep slopes. - -Still down went the swag, turning over on its ends and bounding over -crevasses in a manner which made us quite envious. At last it hovered -on a saddle. In breathless anxiety we wondered if it would stop, or -whether it would take the slope to the Hochstetter ice-fall on the -one hand, or the Freshfield on the other. One little effort more it -appeared to make, and then away it went, careering down again towards -the Freshfield ice-fall below. - -Our hopes were shattered, and we were fast giving vent to expressions -of despair when the career of the swag was suddenly cut short in a -partially filled _bergschrund_, where it was brought up in some soft -snow. - -We dared not risk staying out for the night where we were without -the lost swag, for no rocks affording any shelter were available, so -determined, after making a little further progress to get a view of the -plateau, to return to our bivouac at 7,400 feet—about 1,200 or 1,400 -feet below our present altitude—and make a fresh attempt on the next -day, weather permitting. The last man came up the rope, and we made our -way up the final slopes of snow on to that great dome of glacier which -we had so often gazed on from below. - -Ah, what a sight burst upon our astonished eyes as we gained its summit! - -It seemed the very acme of mountain glory in all the glories around us. -A few hundred feet below lay that _terra incognita_, the Great Plateau, -rounding off southwards to the Hochstetter ice-fall, bounded on the -west by the giant form of Aorangi, on the north by Mount Tasman, and -on the east by Mount Haast and the ridge of that mountain on which we -now stood. The Linda Glacier could just be observed coming round the -north-eastern _arête_ of Aorangi, and on either side of it towered up -to the heavens the two grandest mountains in New Zealand—Aorangi and -Mount Tasman; the former a lowering fortress of black rock and hanging -glaciers, avalanche-streaked throughout, the latter an ice-clad mass -with three summits, covered thickly with hanging glaciers overlapping -one another as do shingles on a housetop, looking utterly unclimbable. -Only two masses of rock are visible, over which avalanches constantly -swept. - -The sight is certainly the grandest of its kind I have seen in the -Southern Alps, and Harper tried in vain to recall its equal in -Switzerland. - -After working our way upwards along the ridge to the nearest rocks we -deposited a note of our visit in a pannikin, and building a small cairn -over it, beat a retreat. - -We experienced some difficulty in getting down the top rocks, but -eventually gained our footsteps in the snow, and following down the -route of the truant swag, recovered it from its snowy bed some 600 feet -below the point where it commenced its downward journey. - -We arrived at the bivouac just before dark, and had scarcely finished -brewing a warm drink when down came a nor’-wester upon us. - -Pitching the tent was out of the question, so piling stones upon it we -spent a miserably cold night, and by the time morning came all thoughts -of tackling Aorangi had flown, and soon we were speeding down to our -refuge at the Ball Glacier camp again. - -Thus ignominiously ended my fourth attempt to climb Mount Cook. - -In the afternoon Annan went down the valley with directions to join -us two days afterwards at the Hermitage, Harper and myself being -determined to cross the southern spur of Aorangi at the head of the -Ball Glacier, and work our way down the Hooker Glacier to the Hermitage. - - -THE FIRST CROSSING OF THE BALL PASS - -Starting on a misty morning, we climbed what we call the Ball Glacier -spur—a ridge which diverges from the main ridge of the Mount Cook -Range at a point immediately south of the Ball Pass. It was by this -ridge that Mr. Green’s first and unsuccessful attempt was made, and up -this same route I had climbed the previous season with the photographer. - -The major part of the climb is easy, good foothold being obtained on -the red sandstone rocks. In the upper part snow-fields alternate with -the rocks. The Ball Glacier lies couched in the valley on the right, -vast precipices going sheer down to it from the crest of the ridge, -whilst the slopes on the left descend to the Tasman Valley. - -After four hours of climbing we reached the main southern _arête_, -and paused on the snow saddle for lunch and rest, and to admire the -splendid prospect of the eastern faces of the mountain, and the -ever-fresh, marvellous panorama of the Tasman Glacier. - -Erecting a cairn on the rocks close by, and christening the saddle -after that father of mountaineering—John Ball—we commenced the -descent on a good snow slope towards the Hooker Glacier. All the -mountains on the western side were enveloped in mist, which, however, -fortunately hung high enough to enable us to discern the whole extent -of the Mueller Glacier and most of that of the Hooker. - -Bearing away southwards to avoid the crevassed parts of the slope -below, we were soon enjoying a merry glissade—sometimes sitting, -sometimes standing, whizzing down in a cloud of snow which curled up -from our feet and showered down upon us. - -Ah, the exhilaration of a good glissade! How you seem to fly through -the air and cleave the fast-speeding surface! How the snow hisses and -the axe grinds! How the excitement thrills you as you look out for -danger ahead, or rushing avalanches behind! There is nothing to touch -it—switchback railway, going downhill on a bicycle, skating—all are -far behind. - -In a quarter of an hour we entered a rocky gorge, and still down we -sped on the snow, winding about in and out between magnificent rock -precipices, until before another fifteen minutes had elapsed we emerged -into the Hooker Valley, having come down 4,000 feet under half an hour. - -Turning down the valley we kept to the old lateral moraine of the -Hooker Glacier (which stands 235 feet above the present level of the -glacier), and found it good walking. - -Once more, however, fortune forsook us, and an enemy in the shape of -a south-west gale, accompanied with heavy rain, met us, against which -at times we could scarcely make any headway. But struggling on we -crossed the Hooker River on the ice of the Mueller Glacier, which at -that time spanned it, and reached the Hermitage drenched to the skin at -4.30—eight hours from the Ball Glacier. - -This was the first, and up to the time of writing is the only crossing -of the Ball Pass, an excursion which ere long must become a favourite -one, for a track is just completed to the Ball Glacier, where a -two-roomed hut has been erected by the Government for the use of -tourists and mountaineers. - -A finer point of observation than the Ball Pass would be hard to find, -as it commands the most comprehensive views of the Tasman, Hooker, and -Mueller Glacier systems. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE FIRST EXPLORATION OF THE MURCHISON GLACIER - -_Hard Swagging—Erroneous Maps—The Struggle for Starvation -Saddle—Exhaustion and Hunger—Return_ - -‘Fresh fields and pastures new.’ - - -I had often cast a longing eye in the direction of the Murchison -Valley, and desired to explore those unvisited scenes which were as -yet unknown and unseen by man. We had frequently during this visit to -the district spoken of making an excursion in that direction should -Mount Cook prove too heavy metal for us. Now was our chance, and we -determined to take it. - -Leaving the Hermitage with an addition to our party in the shape of -Messrs. Wells, Timson, and Hamilton—the former two only intending to -visit the Tasman Glacier, and the latter anxious to accompany us on the -Murchison trip—we made the Ball Glacier camp, after the usual hard, -hot grind over the moraine, by evening. - -The next morning breaking fine, Wells and Timson went for an hour’s -excursion on to the glacier opposite, returning enchanted with -the grand view of the Hochstetter ice-fall and the surrounding -peaks, whilst the rest of us—viz. Harper, Hamilton, Annan, and -myself—prepared swags for a two days’ excursion up the Murchison -Valley, whose mouth could be discerned some two miles distant across -the Tasman Glacier. - -It is a fact worthy of notice that with the exception of mountaineering -parties equipped for climbing—and the numbers of these could be -counted on the fingers of both hands—Messrs. Wells and Timson were -the first two tourists to venture so far up the Tasman as our camp, -and since that time only one other has succeeded in reaching the same -point, that gentleman being his Excellency the Earl of Onslow, Governor -of the colony, whose practical penetration regarding all matters -connected with New Zealand entitles him to the respect and gratitude of -those subjects over whom he exercises vice-regal control. - -Since the visit of Lord Onslow a track which had then been formed -within two or three miles of the Ball Glacier has been completed, -making the task of reaching the spot one of comparative ease and -pleasure. Further conveniences for tourists and mountaineers in the -shape of tracks and huts are now in course of construction by a -far-seeing Government, who recognise the fact that New Zealand is fast -becoming the playground of Australasia and the Switzerland of the South. - -From careful inquiries made at the Survey Office, from Mr. Sealy—a -gentleman whose early work of exploration amongst the New Zealand -glaciers is too readily forgotten—and from the run-holders and -station hands in the district, we had every reason to believe that the -valley had only once been entered (by Mr. Burnett of Mount Cook sheep -station), and that the face of the glacier had never been reached; only -in one case could we hear of the clear ice having been seen—viz., by -a shepherd of Mr. Burnett’s from a peak of the Liebig range. - -There was therefore little or no doubt that we had a virgin field -before us, and it was with feelings of intense eagerness that we -pressed forward across the moraine-covered part of the Tasman Glacier, -and up the shingle flats of the river-bed beyond, towards that massive, -moraine-covered terminal face which fills the valley from side to side, -five miles from the eastern lateral face of the Tasman Glacier. - -The valley appeared to be a little over one mile in width. On either -hand rose up most beautifully grassed slopes thickly covered with every -variety of sub-Alpine foliage decked in the gayest height of blossom. - -What a place for an artist’s holiday! Flowers innumerable dotted -amongst the richest shades of green—lilies, celmisias in great -variety, Spaniards of many kinds with their golden and spiky heads of -various shapes and sizes, from the orange-coloured dwarf to the great -blue Spaniard with stalks occasionally ten feet in height; snow-grass -with its graceful seed-stalks gently waving in the morning zephyr, -which seemed to fan all Nature into a soft and dreamy repose—such -wealth of colour, such variety of form, such grandeur of outline in the -looming peaks above! - -Yes; here the artist might fairly lose himself in delight amongst the -subjects for his brush whilst drinking in the pure sympathy with Nature -which seems to float in the very air. - -It is no dream, this lovely valley, though it seems as one. But its -flowers go with the warm geniality of summer, and when the cold winter -comes round it dons its white garment of snow, hiding its beauties -until the hand of gentle spring once more wakens them to burst forth -anew in all their resplendent glory. - -Proceeding up the valley between these magnificent mountains we kept -moving onward in a north-easterly direction under the flanks of the -Malte Brun Range, on to whose slopes we were now and then forced by -encroaching streams from the meandering river, and we arrived early in -the afternoon at a large boulder-fan issuing from a rocky gorge above, -whence a magnificent waterfall descended. Here we boiled the ‘billy’ -and lunched, making an inspection of the scene, which is one of the -grandest beauty. - -Far up in the heavens stands out a noble peak of the Malte Brun Range, -rising out of a glacier which nestles in a basin of rock and bristles -with _séracs_ and pinnacles of blue ice pouring into the gorge below, -from whence issues an imposing waterfall of seventy or eighty feet, -sending up clouds of spray and drenching all within its immediate -vicinity. From long action of the water an almost semicircular cylinder -about ten feet in circumference has been worn into the solid rock, and -the force of water descending this strange funnel seems to drive out in -one direction a current of air which carries the spray with it. - -All around this fall the vegetation is most luxuriant, and the rocks -are covered with flowering plants in great profusion, and, in parts -where the spray falls, plants, rare elsewhere, notably the myosotis, -flourish in the abundant moisture. - -Taking a more northerly direction we came to the terminal face of the -glacier, which by aneroid measurement we made 3,640 feet—much the -same altitude as our Ball Glacier camp. The survey of the glacier has, -however, since been effected, and this point determined as 3,305 feet. - -The moraine is composed of unusually large polyhedral masses of rock, -and is 200 feet in height at the main exit of the river, which is -situated about the middle of the terminal face. - -A backward view down the valley revealed but one distant peak—Mount -Sealy—the northernmost of the Ben Ohau Range. This peak was evidently -the only one from which the clear ice of the Murchison can be seen, if -we except those of the Liebig and Malte Brun Ranges, and as none of -these peaks have been ascended, this fact probably accounts for the -Murchison Glacier, which is the second largest in New Zealand, having -lain so long unexplored. - -Proceeding up on the western side of the moraine, a new branch glacier -descending from the Malte Brun Range opened out on our left, its lower -ice forming a fine frozen cascade, whilst a waterfall of some 200 feet -descends over a rocky face from its southern and hanging portion. To -this glacier and fall we have given the name of ‘Onslow,’ in honour of -his Excellency the Earl of Onslow. - -As it was now getting dark we decided to bivouac for the night, and -selecting a bed of small gravel amongst the larger stones of the -moraine, we dined scantily on cold mutton and tea, and wriggling into -our waterproof blanket-bags were soon ready for sleep. At first all our -attempts at slumber were rendered futile by a congregation of keas, who -hopped around within a few feet of us, jabbering and swearing in their -own peculiar language at such a party of intruders on their domain. - -The night was spent in comparative comfort, for we were beginning to -feel the effects of our desperate swagging, and could go to sleep -almost anywhere. It is simply astonishing what a man can put up with, -when he has to; I have slept soundly in all sorts of queer positions, -even upon a mixture of ice and sharp stones, without a tent and with -only one thickness of blanket, when the thermometer has been several -degrees below freezing point. - -We were early aroused in the morning by the persistent attentions of -the keas; they even went the length of pecking at our sleeping-bags, -so tame and unaccustomed to man are they in these parts. We all -wanted more rest, but it was not to be thought of if we adhered to -our original plan of crossing a supposed saddle at the head of the -Murchison to the Tasman Glacier by Mount Darwin, and returning to our -head-quarters after accomplishing the circuit of the Malte Brun Range. - -We were soon off, and toiled up the small valley formed by the lateral -moraine of the glacier and the slopes of the Malte Brun Range. About -a mile or so up we observed another glacier lying in a comparatively -low saddle above us on our left, beyond this a rocky spur, and then -another and larger branch glacier which for a time we took to be the -main body of the Murchison, as indicated by the maps. We made for it -and climbed its enormous face of ice, and then we discovered our error, -for there, a mile away across the moraine, lay the clear ice of the -Murchison, and far, far away northwards, the valley extended completely -filled with a magnificent _mer de glace_ of pure white ice. We stood -transfixed, for none of us had imagined that such a grand glacier lay -beyond. - -Now we saw what was before us, and for a long time debated as to our -ability to face the work ahead. - -Hamilton was shockingly out of condition, and a sinew in my leg was -becoming painful, Nature at last rebelling against the strain to which -she was being subjected. We had a very scanty supply of provisions, and -evidently it meant spending another night out if we proceeded. - -The temptation was too much for us. We could not let this prize slip -through our fingers, so we decided to go on and put ourselves on -starvation rations rather than turn. Away we struck over the moraine, -and in an hour’s time reached the clear ice, here much crevassed. -Crossing with some difficulty we lunched on the eastern side. Casting -our eyes backward we could see splendidly all the fine peaks we had -been passing under, and could observe the continuation of the range -north-eastwards with five or six more branch glaciers, the final one -northward leading to a snow-field with a saddle at its head. This, -then, must be our saddle, we thought. But it seemed hopeless to cross -it in our tired condition and with our heavy swags. - -We set our teeth, however, and went doggedly forward, striking out on -to the clear ice again and making a north-easterly course, at each step -realising more and more the grandeur of the immense ice-field now -gradually opening out and unfolding the wealth of mountain glory which -encloses it. - -We tried in vain to identify Mount Darwin or the most northerly peaks -of the Malte Brun Range, which we knew were amongst those on our -left, and, according to our reckoning by the maps—framed from Von -Haast’s—which seems to have been compiled from guesswork as far as -this locality is concerned—we should at this time have been on the -Classen Glacier, which lies at the southern head of the Godley River, -and, in reality, was some miles north over the Liebig Range. - -Passing several branch glaciers on our left, and observing that those -on our right were assuming larger proportions, we sidled obliquely -across and made for the snow-field leading to the saddle which we had -every reason to believe led into the Tasman. Altering our course to -due north, and crossing the lower and sloppy part of the snow-field, -which was flat and quite undrained by crevasses, we were soon on snow -in miserable order, and putting on the rope we wound our way gently -upwards amongst the crevasses now beginning to appear. - -We had just six hours of daylight, and considered we could reach the -saddle in four if all went well, which would leave us two hours to find -a bivouac on the other side, provided the descent were feasible. - -We found it necessary to change leaders again and again to distribute -the arduous task of breaking steps in treacherous snow, just in the -condition to let us through knee-deep as we put our weight on it, and -we had to observe the greatest caution in crossing the crevasses, -which were very deep and almost invariably half covered, or had edges -fringed with cornices of soft snow, which at times had to be removed or -trodden down to enable us to obtain a sound footing on the hard edges -concealed beneath it. - -The grade steepened, and we all felt the hard work, more especially -Hamilton, who was sadly out of form, but stuck to his work like a -Trojan, despite the cruel punishing his swags were giving him. - -Now we had to make our way across a slope where an avalanche had -recently come, and, worse than all, a thick mist accompanied by a keen -wind began to come over our saddle. - -Still we pushed slowly upwards, resting every few minutes. Thoughts of -turning began to arise in our doubting minds. But this would not do -with the col so nearly within our grasp, and the cry was almost one -of ‘Death or victory!’ as we plodded laboriously upwards. Sometimes -we could not see fifty feet ahead, and were compelled to steer by the -compass, taking bearings of crevasses and ice blocks as we proceeded. -Now and then the mist would lift for a moment and we could catch a -glimpse of the longed-for saddle, and at last, when within a couple of -hundred feet, Annan and I cast off on a separate rope, made a rush—as -much of a rush as we could muster up—for the goal, hoping at least to -get a glimpse of the other side ere the mist became too dense. - -Hurrah! the saddle was conquered! But what lay beneath? Mist! Mist! -Nothing but a thick impenetrable mist. - -The other men arrived, and simultaneously, as if by some providential -magic, the fog began to dissipate. - -As it cleared we looked in vain for the familiar points at the head -of the Tasman, which Annan and I knew full well. ‘Where’s Darwin? -Where’s Elie de Beaumont? Where’s the Dome?’ No point in sight could be -associated with the prominent features of the Tasman. As the low-lying -portions of the mist disappeared, we observed that the glacier below -flowed to the right! The Tasman should have flowed in the opposite -direction. - -The truth flashed upon us, and a great cry of surprise went up, ‘The -Murchison! The Murchison!’ The very glacier whose middle parts we had -left three hours previously. - -Then, leaving Hamilton exhausted on the saddle, the rest of us struck -up to some rocks 300 feet higher on the right, and once more a great -shout arose as Annan and I saw coming into view the unmistakable double -top of the great Hochstetter Dome, whose proud summit we had trodden -the previous season. - -From these rocks we observed that the course of the glacier commenced -under a peak on our left (which must be Mount Darwin itself), and -running in a northerly direction for some four or five miles, turning -round the end of the spur upon which our saddle was situated, assumed a -south-westerly course. - -The true saddle between the Murchison and Tasman lay across the glacier -below, north-west. Straight ahead of us, north by west, visible over -a rocky and unnamed peak on the opposite side of the valley, lay the -Dome, then to the north another snow saddle, evidently leading into -the Whymper Glacier, and so on to the Wataroa River of the west coast. -Following round the range to the right a very fine mountain stands -boldly up; to the right of this, again, is situated yet another snow -saddle, which we concluded must lead into the Classen Glacier. - -The result of the Government survey of the Murchison Glacier, just -completed (1891), confirms our surmises regarding the topography of -this interesting district. - -We were astonished at the great length which the Liebig Range assumes, -for it bounds the glacier throughout the whole of its eastern side, -diverging from the main chain of the Southern Alps some distance north -of the Hochstetter Dome. - -Any attempt at a description of the panorama from our saddle would be -useless to convey an adequate idea of the view. Harper classed it as -similar in character to the views obtained at high altitudes in the -Bernese Oberland. An aneroid reading gave our height as about 7,900 -feet, but this was much out, as by the recent survey the height of -the saddle has been trigonometrically determined as 7,194 feet. Our -estimate of the length of the glacier at the time was twelve miles, and -the survey has now fixed it at eleven and a half, whilst the average -width is as nearly as possible one mile. - -[Illustration: MOUNTAIN LILIES (_Ranunculus Lyallii_) - -[_Wheeler & Son, Photo._] - -Reaching the saddle into the Tasman was now quite out of the question, -for it would involve a descent to the valley below, the crossing of the -upper parts of the glacier, and the scaling of more snow slopes, which -appeared to us to be impracticable owing to the numerous crevasses. -In addition to this, one man was lying _hors de combat_ on the snow -suffering from exhaustion and vomiting. Evidently the only course we -could pursue was to retrace our upward route, and that as quickly as -possible, for there were but three hours of daylight left to reach a -bivouac in the rocks lower down. - -After erecting a small cairn, depositing a record of our ascent, and -giving three cheers for nobody quite knew what, we roped up and began -the descent. - -It is astonishing how one’s spirits revive when a fresh set of muscles -is brought into action, aided by the force of gravitation, and though -we had been defeated in our attempt to reach the Tasman, what did that -matter? Though we were half-dead with starvation—‘Starvation Saddle’ -is now the name of our _col_—and though a real weariness of the flesh -had taken hold of us, what matter? We had explored (I might almost say -discovered) the great glacier we had come out to see, and would be able -to settle all sorts of topographical errors in the maps, and could -speak with authority about many square miles of Alpine country hitherto -entirely unknown. - -Our spirits rose as we descended, despite our hungry and tired state, -and we once more wound our way down among the crevasses, and reaching -the glacier again made for the lowest point we could before night -closed in. But we had an hour’s cruel moraine work in the dark ere we -found a sleeping-place on a bed of lilies, where we boiled our last -drop of Liebig and divided our remaining crust of bread. - -It rained a little during the night, but we did not care for that with -our oilskin bags, and sleep visited our weary eyelids as it had never -done before. - -Hamilton’s condition had improved, but his feet were sore and he was -very weak when at 4.30 A.M. we once more set off for our home on the -glaciers—the Ball Glacier camp. The prospect of boiled rice and fresh -chops lured us on as we made our way down the valley, and putting forth -our last remaining energy we made the ever-welcome refuge in eight -hours, Harper, who had most left in him, going on ahead and preparing a -substantial feed for the stragglers behind. - -Oh, that tin plate of rice, _and_ those chops, _and_ that tea! - -How came an exhibition of pluck rarely seen. After two hours’ rest -Hamilton said he must reach the Hermitage that night; despite our -dissuasions he determined to go on, and Annan generously volunteered -to accompany him. These two men actually reached the Hermitage that -evening at 8.30. It was the pluckiest day’s work I have ever seen done -in the mountains. - -Harper and I came down next day in a snow storm, with fifty-pound swags. - -Many people seem to think that a visit to the Alpine regions -necessarily entails contact with very cold weather, even in the summer -time. This is quite an erroneous idea, for on this occasion the -thermometer readings at the lower camp varied from 42° Fahr. in the -morning to 72° in the evening, and I should think that even during -the coldest night the instrument did not register much lower than the -first-named figure. We frequently went about in shirt and knickers -only, and the usual complaint is of the heat, not of the cold. Some -men suffer a good deal of discomfort from sunburn. I myself am a victim -in this respect. It is the upper and freshly fallen snow which is so -ruinous to the epidermis, the reflection from the new and unmelted -crystals being so great as to cause the skin to assume a dark chocolate -colour even during one-day’s work amongst it. - -Sometimes blisters form, after which the skin puckers up and eventually -peels off in patches. The noses of persons possessed of aquiline -features are usually a study in themselves after a day or two’s -exposure on new snow. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -FIFTH ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI - - _Avalanches_—_The bivouac again_—_First attempt repulsed_—_Second - attempt_—_The Great Plateau_—_The Linda Glacier_—_Hard work - step-cutting_—_The terrible couloirs_—_Victory at last_—_Descent by - lantern-light_—_Back to civilisation_ - - Are not the mountains, waves, and skies a part - Of me and of my soul, as I of them? - Is not the love of these deep in my heart - With a pure passion? - - -Whymper was eight seasons climbing the Matterhorn. Dent made -innumerable attempts ere he conquered the Aiguille du Dru—why should -we despair about Aorangi? - -We certainly were at a great disadvantage as compared with Swiss -mountaineers; we had to begin at the very bottom rung of the ladder, -having no trained guides. But I am confident that if we had been as -many years climbing with guides as we have been without them we should -be far less proficient mountaineers. - -[Illustration: LOOKING ACROSS THE MURCHISON GLACIER - -[_Wheeler & Son, Photo._] - -Probably our case is a unique one, and I doubt if there exists another -instance where two or three novices—at any rate at ice work—have -banded themselves together and gone systematically into heavy Alpine -work ‘right away’ (as the Americans say), doing all their own -porterage and guide work from the start. We learned fast from that best -of masters—‘hard experience.’ - -[Illustration: AORANGI FROM THE TASMAN GLACIER - -[_Wheeler & Son, Photo._] - -Had we been consistently following in the footsteps of trained guides -we should not have concerned ourselves about this, that, and the other, -but would have left everything to the men of experience, simply being -towed about in their wake; whereas we have been obliged to train and -exercise all those qualities which a guide possesses, perforce. - -Naturally, too, a colonial life is more calculated to teach -self-reliance and independence, and from our earliest schoolboy days we -have been accustomed to rough work on the hills, pig-hunting, &c., and -in camp life on all sorts of hare-brained expeditions. I have, indeed, -been in many an awkward place amongst rocks when out on the foot-hills, -and must have—perhaps unconsciously—acquired many of those qualities -which denote the cragsman. - -Want of fixedness of purpose had often lured us away from the peak, and -temptations in glacier expeditions had thwarted our determination. I -felt confident, however, if Dixon and I got together again we should -make a good fight of it with the mountain, for we had learnt to place -confidence in each other in many rough trips, and Dixon was a man after -my own heart for determination. - -On December 1, 1890, then, for the last time Dixon and I found -ourselves on the way to the Mount Cook district; we reached Burke’s -Pass that evening in an express waggon which contained besides -ourselves two small Rob Roy canoes, it being our intention to navigate -the Waitaki River from Aorangi to the sea—should we not previously -leave our lifeless bodies at the foot of some precipice or frozen in a -crevasse, as many of our friends prophesied. - -December 2 saw us crossing the Tasman River in our canoes ten miles -below its exit from the glacier, and as it was in flood and running -full ten knots, with waves four or five feet high in the rapids, we -had an exciting time of it, yet managed to reach the Hermitage side in -safety, but not without shipping a good deal of water. This was the -first case of a boat of any kind being on these rushing waters, and our -good friends in all directions prophesied dire disaster to what they -were pleased to term our ‘rash venture.’ We are getting quite used to -these consolations of our friends, who seem quite disappointed that we -do not afford them some sensational obituary matter in the daily papers. - -Again the faithful Annan was at hand, and greeted us at the Hooker wire -rope with the pleasing intelligence that our camp at the Ball Glacier -was fixed and our swags conveyed there. The Government surveyor (Mr. -Brodrick) and his party were at hand too, and working their way to the -Murchison Glacier to make a survey in continuation of their work on the -Tasman; we spent the following night in comfort at their lower camp, -one mile above the terminal face of the Tasman Glacier, to which point -a horse track had already been formed through the scrub. - -[Illustration: THE MURCHISON GLACIER - -[_Wheeler & Son, Photo._] - -Again we carried our swags up that cruel piece of walking to the -Ball Glacier camp, stopping half-way for lunch at our customary -resting-place—‘The Cove’—a snug little nook in a rock-face where a -rill from the mountain side offers cool refreshment to the weary -swagger. - -Friday morning, December 5, found us early astir, and making up swags -of blanket-bags, tent, tinned meats, biscuits, chocolate, raisins, -prunes, rice, oatmeal, Liebig’s Extract, and all such necessaries -as might ensure sustenance and a certain degree of comfort at a -high bivouac. Seeing that our boots were well nailed, our ice-axes -and snow-goggles in good order, we struck out across the Ball and -Hochstetter Glaciers and reached the foot of our climb—the southern -termination of the ridge of Mount Haast. Here we deposited a small -supply of provisions as a standby, in case we should be driven back by -bad weather or by some unforeseen cause. - -The day was very warm, and as we toiled slowly up under the weight of -our heavy swags (we were carrying enough provisions to last us for some -days) the perspiration streamed from every pore, and the sun’s rays -seemed to penetrate with singular fierceness. - -Soon we came to the lower termination of the new and unmelted winter -snow in the _couloirs_ or ditches between the rock ridges, and as -the day advanced the hissing avalanches came down these slopes with -increasing frequency, and falling stones and rocks now and again passed -close by us. The snow being in such a loose and slushy condition it was -imperative that we should avoid it as much as possible, but climb as we -would we could not help occasionally crossing a snow-filled _couloir_, -and this had to be accomplished with much celerity and caution. - -Annan was particularly anxious concerning the ‘shocking state of -repair’ of these lower slopes, and seemed to lose his nerve entirely, -though he is accustomed to work on the higher beats in mustering, &c., -and he declared his intention of going no farther than the bivouac at -7,400 feet, which we reached in the afternoon. We at once saw that it -would be useless and dangerous to persuade him to join us in the final -assault, for if his self-reliance failed on these lower slopes, what -would the state of his nerve be on the upper ice work where so much -step-cutting would be necessary? Dixon and I knew that we ought not -to try to ascend the peak alone, that such work as we—two guideless -amateurs—were about to attempt, would not be looked upon with favour -by such a body as the English Alpine Club; but we were so tired of -knuckling under to Aorangi that we were becoming desperate, and we -decided to try conclusions without a third man. - -Two hours of excavation work removed two feet of snow and eighteen -inches of ice from our bivouac, revealing the faithful ‘Aurora’ stove -and sundry potted meats left twelve months before by Harper and myself, -and soon we had the tent pitched and were snug for the night. - -At three o’clock on the Saturday morning Dixon and I crawled out of our -sleeping-bags, and by 4 A.M. we were on the snow slopes, determined to -make a vigorous attack upon the peak which had so long defied us. - -Two hours on fairly good snow slopes and a scramble over a nasty -slab-like face of rock, and once again the plateau, and that glorious -scene of Aorangi and Tasman, were before us. - -But the wind had risen quickly and was blowing a gale from the -south-west—the cold quarter. To face such a wind for any length of -time, or to attempt to climb Aorangi against it, would be simple -madness, so we turned and ignominiously fled to the refuge of our -bivouac, 1,200 feet below, which we reached at seven o’clock, having -been but three hours absent. - -We then sent Annan down, as we were keeping him from his work in the -lower country, telling him to leave word with the survey party that if -we did not arrive back at the Ball Glacier by Monday night something -would probably have gone amiss with us. - -During the day the gale blew itself out, and next morning at 3.45 we -were in our steps of the day before, reaching the plateau in an hour -and a half. The morning sun lit up the peaks with a rosy glow, soon -his piercing beams forced us to put on the goggles, while the crust of -the snow began to soften under the great power of penetration which -the rays possess in the rarefied air. This forced us to plod onward in -slushy snow as we headed right for the Linda Glacier, which we could -see rounding the point of the north-eastern _arête_ of our mountain. - -On our right rose Mount Tasman clothed in ice, from which during -the night an immense avalanche had descended. We walked close to -its furthest point of motion as it lay stretched out on the level -snow-field like a gigantic breakwater, and found it to be 300 paces in -width; Dixon estimated that it covered from forty to fifty acres. - -We now put on the rope, as crevasses began to appear in the gently -rising slopes to the Linda Glacier. On our left we thought that the -north-eastern ridge looked practicable, but deemed it better to rely on -a route chosen by so able a mountaineer as Ulrich Kaufmann, and kept on -our course for the Linda Glacier, taking ten-minute spells at leading -and breaking steps in the soft and slushy snow, and winding our way -amongst ever-increasing crevasses in search of snow bridges over which -we would cautiously crawl. - -Now we would have a stretch of gently rising snow, then a crevasse or -perhaps a _bergschrund_, followed by a steep ascent for 100 or 200 -feet, then a divergence to one side or the other to avoid a chaos of -_séracs_ or blocks of tumbled and broken ice; and so on, hour after -hour. About noon we had gained a considerable elevation above the -plateau and were well round the corner on the Linda Glacier. Into this -elevated valley the sun poured down through a rarefied atmosphere on -to slopes on either hand which reflected all the light and heat. The -glare was something dreadful, and before midday our faces and hands -had assumed the customary chocolate colour, and the skin was literally -broiled off me; Dixon did not suffer to such an extent. The heat was -most intense, though not of the enervating kind which one feels at -lower altitudes. - -Viewed from this quarter Aorangi presents a totally different form than -from any other, and we began to be sanguine about accomplishing our -task. I was in possession of notes and sketches of the route kindly -sent me by Mr. Green, and these were of material assistance to us. - -Before us lay the final peak with its capping of ice. From the summit, -now in full view, descended in a north-westerly direction to the right -a steep rocky _arête_ connecting with the ridge leading on to Mount -Tasman. From the lower parts of these rocks steep ice slopes streaked -with marks from falling rocks descend to the upper portions of the -Linda Glacier, bounded all along their lower termination by an immense -_bergschrund_ which severs them from immediate contact with the glacier -itself. - -On the left of the summit slopes the north-eastern _arête_, consisting -of a ridge of alternate knife-edges of ice and _gensdarmes_ or towers -of rock. The northern side or face of this ridge descending to the -Linda Glacier is composed of very steep slopes of ice set with three -immense masses of red sandstone rocks, with two ice-filled _couloirs_ -or ditches between them. Up these two _couloirs_ lay our route. We -thought, however, that by leaving the glacier and taking to the crest -of the ridge we could improve on the route, but soon found that the -change was a mistake, and so struck back on to our old course up the -middle of the glacier, the final slopes of which were very steep and -exposed to the chance of avalanches from either hand. - -It seemed a hopeless task this plunging through soft snow hour after -hour, and it was nearly one o’clock ere we gained the edge of the -big _bergschrund_ and with difficulty discovered a sound enough snow -bridge. Shortly before this an incident occurred in crossing one of -these snow bridges which brought forcibly before our minds the serious -nature of the work in which we were engaged. I—the lighter man by two -stone—had crawled over in safety, and planting myself well in the soft -snow above, was taking in the slack of the rope as Dixon followed, -when suddenly he went through up to his armpits and was dangling in -space, held up by a thin crust of snow and by the rope from above. -I pulled with the strength of despair, and Dixon struggled till he -secured a hold somehow on the other lip of the crevasse and got out. - -That sort of thing is all very well to look back upon and talk over -afterwards, but I am not likely to forget for many a long day the -sensation of holding up a thirteen-stone man under such circumstances, -and I must say that I should have been much easier in my mind if we had -had such a man as Emil Boss or Ulrich Kaufmann on one end of the rope. - -Immediately after crossing the big _bergschrund_ step-cutting -commenced; and from this point upwards every step, other than those on -rocks, had to be cut in hard ice. - -It is no easy task after climbing steadily for nine hours in soft snow -to set to work and cut steps, especially when one knows that a slip -must on no account be made, for with two men only on the rope it would -mean a sudden descent to the crevasses or precipices (as the case may -be) below, and our certain destruction. - -An hour’s steady work and we gained the foot of the lowest rocks, -which were found to be quite unscalable. We then sidled round the base -of these rocks to the left and commenced cutting steps up the first -_couloir_, keeping close into the rocks on our right, on which we -could get an occasional hand-grip. Ice blocks were continually coming -down from the broken masses overhanging the top of the _couloir_, but -luckily none struck us. The descent of an ice block in such steep -ice slopes is something to remember. First a rattle above, and then -‘swish, swish’ as the first leaps begin, followed by a ‘whir-r-r-r’ -and a ‘hum-m-m-m’ as, like a flash of light, a spinning and -ricochetting object goes by and is lost to sight over the brink of -the precipice below, or perchance is detected spending its momentum -on the soft snow slopes 1,000 feet down. - -These falls of ice on the upper slopes are not like the hissing -avalanches, which sometimes even _crawl_ down the lower snow slopes, -but come down with the speed of light, and are calculated to strike -terror into the heart of the stoutest-nerved climber. - -We crossed the _couloir_ near its head, partly on ice and partly on -rocks, amid the gravest peril from showers of ice, and took to the -rocks on our left, which were both dangerous and difficult, mainly -owing to their being here and there coated with ice. Soon they became -quite inaccessible, and we were again forced towards our left on to -the ice slopes in the second _couloir_, and here we found the ice even -harder, and we could only make an impression on it with the spike end -of our axes. To add to the difficulty, the angle of ascent became -steeper, inclining in places to about 60° from the horizontal. - -We negotiated this _couloir_ in a similar manner to that below, but -water trickling from the overhanging rocks formed awkward hummocks of -ice on the slope close to the rocks, over which we thought it almost -impossible to climb, and to go out into the middle of the _couloir_ was -impossible, owing to falling ice. - -Time was quickly passing, and we had a terrible fight to reach the -head of the _couloir_. The rocks now shaded us from the sun’s rays, -and soon our hats, coats, and the rope were frozen as stiff as boards, -while the cold was so intense as to cause the skin of our hands to -adhere to the steel of the ice-axes. - -It seemed now more than ever a hopeless task to reach the final -ice-cap, which we knew could not be far above us; but we silently and -doggedly cut away, and at length were rewarded by finding the rocks -on our right practicable; taking to them we were soon on their crest, -and the ice-cap of the mountain lay straight before us. An easy bit of -rock-climbing led up to the slopes, which we found to be covered with a -peculiar form of lumpy and frozen drifted snow. At the top of the rocks -we looked around in vain for Mr. Green’s cairn, with his handkerchief -and Kaufmann’s matchbox, left on the occasion of their ascent in March -1882. Doubtless they have either been long since swept away by falling -ice or were buried in the terminal of the ice slope, which in December -would encroach farther down upon the rocks than in March. - -Dixon now counselled a retreat, arguing that we had virtually overcome -all the difficulties and had only the final and easy slope to cut up; -but I persuaded him to stay a little longer and make a push for it, or -at least as much of a push as we were capable of making. - -[Illustration: AORANGI: THE HIGHEST PEAK - -[_From a Water-colour Sketch_] - -It was half-past five. Four hours and a half we had been toiling from -the head of the Linda Glacier, thirteen hours and a half from our -bivouac, without any halt to speak of. A wind began to blow from the -north-west, adding fresh cause for anxiety about the descent. One thing -was certain—if we wanted to get down alive we should have to reach -the Linda Glacier again before dark. - -We worked as hard as we were able at step-cutting for another fifteen -minutes, but only made slow progress; yet there was the cornice, just -away to the right, the crest of the ridge to the left, and the top -scarcely a stone’s throw above, with no difficulty in the way. What -would we not have given for another hour of daylight? How could we turn -away when so near to a complete victory over our old foe? - -Dixon again suggested turning, and I could not do otherwise than -defer to his advice, for already we were caught in a trap, and -should bad weather come upon us—and the wind and cold were fast -increasing—before we reached the Linda Glacier again the probabilities -were that we never should have returned from the giddy heights of the -great Aorangi, the ‘Sky-piercer.’ - -The height of the mountain is 12,349 feet; our aneroid read at our -turning-point 12,300, and we reckoned the summit to be 140 feet -above us. The slight error in the reading of the instrument would be -accounted for by the impending change of weather. - -The view is magnificently comprehensive. Looking northwards we could -see clear over the top of our giant neighbour, Mount Tasman (11,475 -feet). On the western side, the ocean, but twenty miles distant, was -covered by a mantle of low-lying clouds creeping into the bays and -inlets of the coast, studded here and there with islanded hill-tops, -and stretching away to what seemed a limitless horizon on the west. A -streak of blue ocean showed through the cloud mantle near Hokitika, -seventy miles northwards. - -North-eastwards the glorious array of the Southern Alps extended, -presenting a panorama of such magnificence and comprehensiveness -that it defies any attempt at description. It is one of those vast -pictures which are indelibly impressed upon the memory—one of those -overpowering examples of Nature’s sublimity which seem to move a man’s -very soul and call him to a sense of his own littleness. - -Close under us lay the scenes of all our joys and sorrows of the past -five years: the Tasman Glacier, encircled by those splendid peaks -and snow-fields whose forms we had learned to know and love so well; -further afield lay the Liebig Range, and, showing over this, Mount -Jukes and his attendant satellites of rocky peaks. Beyond this again, -far, far away in the blue and indefinite east, we could distinguish the -hills of Banks Peninsula, close to our homes near Christchurch, whilst -we could imagine that the blue haze distinguishable there was indeed -the eastern ocean, 120 miles distant. - -It will, of course, be said that we did not make the complete ascent -of the mountain. Be that so; neither does Mr. Green claim that honour, -though for all practical purposes to be on the ice-cap of Aorangi means -the same thing as being on the top. Mr. Green’s highest point must, -according to his sketches, have been as nearly as possible 100 feet -above ours. - -But we could not spare time to moralise and rest as we should like to -have done, for it was imperative that the terrible ice slopes should be -descended before the light failed, and at a few minutes to six we began -to go down backwards in our steps, taking a firm hold with our axes at -every step. - -This going down is a fearful strain on the nerves, and requires the -greatest steadiness and caution. In hurrying down the easy rocks we -missed a mark on a snow patch which Dixon had made to denote the right -route, and this mistake at the outset caused us nearly half an hour’s -delay before we found the right spot from which to leave the crest of -the rocks. Dixon led down the rocks and I followed, every now and then -taking a turn round any prominent projection with the rope and easing -him down, whilst he in turn secured a good hold and took in the slack -as I came down. - -Bad as it had been coming up the top _couloir_, it was infinitely worse -going down, for what was trickling water on the upward journey was now -solid ice, and many of the steps were filled with re-frozen chips of -ice from the steps we had cut above, and these had to be cleaned out -before we could get a secure foothold. - -Cutting steps _up_ is one thing, and cutting them _down_ another, for -on a steep slope one cannot turn round face downwards to get at one’s -work, which in the case of going up-hill lies convenient to the hand. - -How we did get down without the fatal slip which I was momentarily -expecting would be made by one or the other of us I never could quite -understand. - -The rocks below the topmost _couloir_ were negotiated and the lower -_couloir_ reached. This was not so difficult to descend, and the effect -of the frost was such as to prevent such a continual shower of ice -blocks from above, thus minimising one prominent danger. - -The lower parts of the _couloir_ were reached, and here are situated -the rocks which form the ledge upon which with Boss and Kaufmann Mr. -Green stood out for the night. There are several ledges accessible, -but Mr. Green’s party must have been upon one of the higher, for on -some of the lower ledges there is room for a dozen men to stand or -even lie down, though scarcely space enough for a circus or Wild West -show, as Dixon humorously suggested. The light was now fast failing, -and we strained every nerve to reach the big _bergschrund_ below before -darkness was upon us. - -We were just in time and that was all, and the frail snow bridge was -passed by our sliding over on our backs; I, the lighter man, led, and -Dixon followed as steady as a rock—not a Mount Cook Rock, but the -proverbial one. - -We had now been seventeen hours with every nerve and muscle constantly -in action, and yet, as the darkness set in and the awful glare of -the sun had left us, we began to freshen up, and lighting one of our -Austrian climbing-lanterns we retraced our footsteps of the morning, -being most careful never to deviate from them. Soon it became very -dark, for there was no moon, and we could but dimly distinguish the -ghostly forms of the white-robed peaks which shut us in on all hands. - -Hour after hour we plodded on. On one occasion we were brought up by -the crevasse into which Dixon had nearly fallen in the morning; it had -opened wider during the day, and only after walking along its line of -fracture in both directions for half an hour did we discover a bridge -which seemed sufficiently strong. We crossed in our usual way, sliding -over at full length, and putting some weight on to our axe-handles -laid lengthways on the snow to distribute the weight as much as -possible. - -As the night wore on, the crust of the snow became harder, and after -passing through that most unpleasant crusted stage when it will bear -until all the weight is put on one foot, became quite pleasant to walk -upon, and over the lower part of the Linda Glacier and across the -plateau we made a fair pace. As we reached the rise off the plateau on -to the Haast Ridge the wind increased in violence, and we had great -difficulty in keeping our lanterns (two of which we now kept going) -alight. - -The crest of the ridge was gained, and the descent of the dangerous -snow slopes to the bivouac, 1,200 or 1,400 feet below, commenced. We -were soon in trouble again amongst _bergschrunds_ and crevasses, and on -two occasions, in going down and feeling for the next step behind, I -found on showing a light that my _hind_ leg was dangling in a crevasse! - -I must not weary you, dear reader, with further monotonous descriptions -of crossing these deadly enemies of the mountaineer, suffice it to say -that after an exasperating hunt on the steep slopes and in the dark for -our bivouac—the candles being just finished—we finally discovered it -at 2.45 A.M., an hour before daylight, having been twenty-three hours -constantly hard at work without any halt worthy the name. - -Sleeping soundly till 9 A.M. we made up our swags, and by 11 A.M. were -on the downward route again for the Ball Glacier camp. - -It was quite a wrench to leave our friendly rock, which had become -a haven of rest and refuge to us on this upper beat. Five nights -have I spent under its protection at different times, and as often -have I arisen with the early morn to gaze upon those vast and sublime -solitudes of Nature so grandly unfolded to view. From this little -home—out of which if one stepped one had to be careful not to lose -one’s footing and make a rapid descent to the Hochstetter Glacier on -one hand or to the Freshfield on the other—I have seen the rosy tints -of the newly-born day creep downwards from the hoary snow-caps of the -mountains, and when evening drew on have watched the afterglow envelop -all in its warm embrace, even black rocks turning to a deep crimson -which seemed to pervade the higher peaks ere the black and cold night -once again grasps them in his icy hold. - -Here had tired limbs been laid to rest whilst wearied minds dreamed -dreams of success and hope, gaining renewed vigour with the morning -light to go forth afresh into new struggles and enjoyments. Here -in the heart of great Nature’s solitudes the thoughts flew back to -homes of comfort and of love. What wonder that we should have formed -associations with such a spot? - -The Ball Glacier camp was reached at 4.30 P.M., where we found Mr. -Sladden of the Survey party anxiously awaiting our arrival, with that -forethought which shows the kindly feeling and consideration for others -that characterises men of worth in these outlandish parts. - -That evening Dixon went across with Sladden to the Survey camp in -the Murchison Valley, leaving me to wait for an expected friend from -Christchurch. - -Here I was quite alone amongst the mountains, with plenty of time -to muse over the events of the past few days and to let my wandering -thoughts fly back even further, to the struggles of the past five years -whilst attempting to conquer Aorangi. - -What is the climber’s reward for all his trouble? Why does he climb? -Who can tell? - -Is it renown he struggles for? No; I am convinced that is a very -infinitesimal motive. For mercenary ends? No; there is no financial -harvest to reap. - -I have often tried to think why men undergo such labour and hardship, -but cannot come to any definite conclusion. To overcome set tasks -(‘pure cussedness’ the Americans would say) is one reason (after -once putting one’s hand to the plough). To gain physical and mental -strength, to raise and purify the mind in Nature’s great school, are -both potent reasons. But, above all, there is some mysterious influence -pervading all true mountaineers—a mountain fever, a close kinship with -Nature (call it what you will), a hidden impulse that grows on a man -who has once felt what it is to taste the sweets of climbing and to -enjoy the fascinations of the world above the snow-line. - -My friend did not arrive, so I made my way over to Mr. Brodrick’s -Survey camp on the Murchison, walking through a thick mist, and -steering across the Tasman by the aid of a compass—a distance of seven -miles, or three hours’ walking from camp to camp. - -Here I found Cooper—Messrs. Wheeler & Son’s photographic operator—who -was down securing views of the district for a lecture which I was to -deliver before the Australasian Association for the Advancement of -Science. - -It was our intention to make a two days’ excursion up the Murchison -Glacier with Cooper, but showery weather put a veto on our plans, -and we were fain to be content with a short excursion to the Onslow -Glacier, where some exposures were effected. - -Leaving Mr. Brodrick’s hospitable quarters on December 10, by the 12th -we were again at the Hermitage. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -ON SOME OF THE PHENOMENA OF GLACIERS, WITH SPECIAL REGARD TO THOSE OF -NEW ZEALAND - - _The cause of glaciers_—_Formation and - structure_—_Motion_—_Moraines_: _Lateral_, _medial_, _and - terminal_—_‘Surface’ moraines_—_Crevasses_—_Moulins_—_Glacier - cones_—_Glacier tables_—_Surface torrents_—_Avalanches_—_Cornices_ - - -In a work of this nature it may not be out of place to briefly describe -some of those interesting features and phenomena which accompany the -world above the snow-line. - -Here is a quotation from a recent review of Professor Heim’s work[2] by -a prominent member of the English Alpine Club:— - -‘Some thirty years ago a systematic _résumé_ of all that was known up -to that date about existing glaciers appeared in the work of Professor -Albert Mousson, “Die Gletscher der Jetztzeit,” since which, with -perhaps the exception of Major Hüber’s “Les Glaciers,” no attempt -has been made to collect into a focus the light which numerous able -observers and theorists have subsequently thrown upon the question. The -intricacy of the problem has, indeed, increased almost in proportion to -our enlarged knowledge of its conditions; and in spite of the labours -of a large and very distinguished body of investigators, not only do -many important points remain matters of dispute, but the very materials -for a complete solution are still wanting.’ - -[Footnote 2: _Handbuch der Gletscherkunde_, von Dr. Albert Heim, Zürich -(Stuttgart: Verlag von J. Engelhorn, 1885, 18 francs.)] - - -CAUSE OF GLACIERS - -The joint cause of glaciers is precipitation and cold. A low -temperature alone can do nothing without moisture, and this fact -quickly disposes of the popular notion that glaciers invariably exist -in cold countries. Thibet, for instance, and also some parts of Arctic -North America are destitute of ice streams, though eternal cold may be -said to reign supreme in these parts. - -Imagine for a moment the higher mountains clear of snow and ice, and -then watch for the formation of a glacier. Snow falls and fills up all -the valleys and gullies, avalanches descend from the higher parts, and -a great accumulation gathers in all hollows. By constant repetition -of snow-falls (always provided a greater quantity is deposited than -can be melted by the sun’s rays and by the natural warmth of the -earth’s crust) great pressure is put upon the lower portions by the -superincumbent accumulation, and aided by the infiltration of water and -refreezing (or ‘regelation’ as the correct term is), a large body of -ice is formed which at once begins to move down the valleys containing -it. - - -GLACIER ICE - -Glacier ice is not like the solid blue ice on the surface of water, -but consists of granules joined together by an intricate network of -capillary water-filled fissures. - -In exposed sections and upon the surface of the ice can be observed -a ‘veined’ or ‘banded’ structure—veins of a denser blue colour -alternating with those of a lighter shade containing air bubbles. - -The cause of this peculiar structure has been the subject of much -theorising amongst investigators, but hitherto I believe the greatest -authorities consider that the explanation of the phenomenon is yet -wanting. - - -GLACIER MOTION - -The motion of glaciers is yet another bone of contention, but it -is generally admitted that the cause of it is to be found mainly -in gravitation, and is also partially accounted for by the strange -property of ‘viscosity’ in what appears to the casual observer to be -nothing more or less than a rigid solid. - -Recently observations for ascertaining the rate of progress of the -Tasman, Murchison, Hooker, and Mueller Glaciers have been made by the -New Zealand Government Survey Department. Some of the results were -embodied in a paper by Mr. J. H. Baker, the Chief Surveyor of the -Provincial District of Canterbury, and will appear in the ‘Transactions -of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science’ for -1891. At the late meeting of that body a committee was appointed to -further these investigations, and a sum of 25_l._ voted for the aid of -the same. - -Before long, therefore, there will be put before the scientific public -reliable measurements of the motion of several of the largest and -least-known glaciers in temperate regions. - - -MORAINES - -There is a remarkable feature of the glaciers of this country which -stamps them as unique in one respect—I refer to the very extensive -moraines. I write feelingly of this, for my acquaintance with them has -been a very close one, and they have impressed me very deeply—in more -ways than one. - -The large glaciers of which I have written in this work are completely -moraine-covered over their lower parts. - - -‘SURFACE’ MORAINES - -Moraines may be divided into four sections: ‘Lateral’ moraines, -fringing the sides of the glaciers, their outlying portions often being -‘dead’—that is, at present unmoved by the action of the ice, and -forming banks, as it were, for the ice stream to flow between; ‘medial’ -moraines, which begin at the junction of two streams of ice and often -continue for many miles to the terminal face; ‘terminal’ moraines, -formed by the depositing of detritus at the melting point or end of the -glacier; and, lastly, ‘surface’ moraines (so called by Professor Hutton -of Christchurch, N.Z.), which are the combined accumulations of the -first two divisions in the lower parts of the glacier. - -It is these ‘surface’ moraines that are such a characteristic feature -of the glaciers situate on the eastern side of the chain in New -Zealand. Of those on the western side I am not able to speak with -authority, never having visited them myself; but I understand that -they do not carry such a large quantity of detritus as those of the -eastern slopes. - -This disparity remains to be accounted for and awaits an explanation. -I have a theory of my own upon the subject, which, however, as yet I -would not like to put too strongly forward. - -On both sides of Mount Cook, on Mount De la Bêche (ten miles further -along the chain), and on a peak just north of the Hochstetter Dome (ten -miles still further north) I have observed enormous exposed sections of -the rock strata, which in each case dip at a steep angle _from east to -west_, presenting slab faces, not easily disturbed by the action of the -frost, to the westward, but broken and fast denuding faces (‘basset’ -faces, as they are geologically termed) to the eastward. I am hoping at -some future time to further investigate this interesting subject. - -As the western glaciers, however, must descend steeper valleys than the -eastern, I make no doubt that their rate of progress will be eventually -ascertained to be greater than that of the latter, and this would -militate largely against an accumulation of moraine _upon the ice_. - - -THE SURFACE OF A GLACIER - -All sorts of queer notions as to what the surface of a glacier is like -exist. Indeed I have often heard people inquire if it would be possible -_to skate upon it_! - -Let us for a moment imagine ourselves at the head of the great Tasman -Glacier, 8,600 feet above sea-level. All around us is snow, either -freshly fallen or merging into _névé_. We begin to walk down, and -at first, upon the steeper slopes, cross a few large crevasses and -_bergschrunds_ by means of snow bridges; then, as the incline becomes -less steep, we walk for six miles or so upon a smooth surface of -_névé_, or perchance knee-deep in fresh snow, and scarcely a crevasse -exists. At the beginning of the great turn we gradually leave the -_névé_ and find ourselves upon hard, white ice, and soon transverse -crevasses appear; these are a little further on cut by longitudinal -crevasses forming the surface into huge squares, not flat on the top, -but hummocky. A perfect network of crevasses cuts up the whole of the -surface, but those parts on the outside of the curve are infinitely -more disturbed than those on the inside, owing to the tension put upon -them by the faster rate at which they have to move. After rounding the -turn the glacier again consolidates and few crevasses appear, only the -surface is covered with old wounds—if I may coin such a term—from the -rents which have occurred at the turn, and presents a very undulating -appearance. The little gullies are formed into watercourses and -intersect the glacier in all directions. On our right, now, is the -medial moraine formed by detritus from Mount De la Bêche, brought down -partly by the Tasman and partly by the Rudolf Glaciers, and it stands -up 100 feet or so above the surface of the clear ice on either side of -it, owing to the protection from the sun’s rays afforded by it to the -ice beneath, so preventing ‘ablation’ or waste going on so quickly. We -follow down for another four or five miles, and then cross this moraine -(which has in the meantime joined that on the northern side of the -Hochstetter Glacier) on to the Hochstetter on our right. - - -SURFACE TORRENTS AND MOULINS - -We are now immediately below the great ice-fall, and the surface -of the glacier presents an appearance not unlike the back of some -enormous caterpillar wrinkled transversely by crevasses, which close -up as we proceed downwards, and furrowed longitudinally by two large -or main watercourses whose icy banks are in places 100 feet above -their respective torrents. These two small rivers are fed from -every direction by minor watercourses, and a mile or two further -down discharge all their contents into crevasses and _moulins_, or -water-shafts in the ice. - - -GLACIER TABLES AND CONES—THE ACTION OF WARMTH - -The locality of the glacier on which we now are is very interesting, -for Nature’s mills are here seen at work day by day. Glacier -tables—blocks of rock perched upon pedestals of ice formed by the -protection from the action of the sun’s warmth—are of frequent -occurrence. Glacier cones—heaps of sand and small fragments of rock -raised by a similar agency (after having been washed to one spot by -water)—are in places all around us. Then, strange and contradictory -as it may seem, we see thousands of holes, each with a stone at the -bottom and filled with the bluest of blue water, formed also in the -first place by the rays of the sun warming the stone and causing it to -sink in the ice. It is well-known in physics that water at 39° Fahr. -is at its heaviest, and as soon as the warm stone—the dark colour of -the stone having absorbed more heat than the surrounding ice—begins -to sink the warmer water follows it, whilst that in the neighbouring -temperature of 32° Fahr. rises to the surface and becomes in its turn -re-warmed, and so on. This peculiar current often bores the holes in -the ice to a depth of many feet, and is only checked by a preponderance -of cold. It is the larger stones, therefore, which rise upon the ice, -and the smaller ones which sink. - - -‘SURFACE’ AND ‘TERMINAL’ MORAINES - -We walk on down the ice stream, and soon the moraines on either hand -close in upon us and we find ourselves on a mere wedge of ice, at the -point of which we step on to the ‘surface’ moraine. Here the swearing -begins, and it lasts right on to the terminal face four or five miles -below, for it is one continual repetition of walking on loose and -tumbling rocks, up one hillock, along a ridge, jumping from - - Rock to rock with many a shock, - -down another hillock, now and then starting a whole avalanche of -many-sided and sharp-edged stones down a treacherous slope of ice, -which we take for a surface deeply covered and sound of footing. - -Skate on the surface of a glacier? - -‘Not much!’ (as the Colonials say). - - -AVALANCHES - -Very strange notions also exist amongst the uninitiated as to the -nature of avalanches. The popular idea of an avalanche is derived from -heartrending accounts of great sweepings away and annihilation of whole -villages, and few of the general run of people seem to realise that in -Alpine work almost any little descending mass of rock, snow, or ice is -dignified by the name of avalanche. Snow avalanches are most frequent -after fresh falls of snow followed immediately by warm weather, and -after a little experience amongst the mountains one soon learns to -detect their customary tracks. Ice avalanches are mainly caused -through the overhanging portion of ice at the terminals of secondary -glaciers—that is, glaciers which break off before descending to the -valley or to the parent glacier below. The tracks of ice avalanches -are almost invariably unmistakable and are swept night and day without -cessation, and very frequently at regular intervals. - -Rock avalanches are more treacherous, and one never knows when to -expect them from above; generally in the early morning the frost -holds the stones above in an icy grip, but as the sun melts the ice -in the chinks the hold is released and a stone will descend into the -_couloirs_ or ditches which scarp the mountain side. If one happens -to be below then it is a case of _sauve qui peut_ and a rush for the -nearest protection, for there is no saying how many tons, or indeed how -many hundreds of tons, of loose rocks or stone may start in a wild and -dusty rattle down the hillside. - -But some snow avalanches almost crawl down the _couloirs_, and make a -strange and ever-continued hissing as they move. These are composed of -heavy and sodden snow, and begin after the sun has been up for some -hours, continuing until nightfall. These are not so dangerous on a -gentle slope, and one can often waddle or half glissade down in the -midst of one with perfect safety, though they make one uncomfortably -wet. - - -CORNICES - -Cornices are a frequent source of danger to the mountaineer. They are -formed by the snow drifting over one edge of a ridge and forming a -hanging mass. It is needless to say that one soon learns to walk some -feet away from the outer edge of a cornice, for after poking one’s -axe-handle through three feet of snow, and peeping through a blue hole -down a precipice of perhaps 1,000 feet or so, it is not difficult to -fancy what the result would be should the cornice break. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -CANOEING ON THE NEW ZEALAND RIVERS - - _The Waimakariri_—_The enormous rainfall_—_Descent of the Waitaki - River_—_The Tasman branch_—_Lake Pukaki_—_Leaky canoes_—_The - Pukaki Rapids_—_The Waitaki Gorge_—_Out on the plains again_—_Sixty - miles’ paddle to catch the train_—_Home once more_ - - -Canoeing on the New Zealand rivers is desperately exciting work. -On the west coast of the South Island there is a canoe club, whose -members build boats in watertight compartments specially suited for -the rough journeys which they undertake. Some of these men are adepts -at canoe-sailing, and think little of going out to sea in their -cockle-shells and even making long coastal journeys. The brothers Park -have established quite a reputation by their adventurous journeyings. -On one occasion they crossed the South Island with their canoes, -towing up the Teramakau River, crossing a saddle of 1,700 feet at its -head, descending the Hurunui and then coasting fifty miles down to -Christchurch. On another occasion the crossing of Cook Straits was -effected by them. - -On the eastern side of the island not much canoeing has been done, -with the exception of the navigation of two of the largest rivers (the -Waimakariri and Waitaki) from their sources to the sea by Mr. Dixon and -myself. - -I well remember how universal was the outcry against our attempting to -descend the Waimakariri in 1889, upon which occasion we conveyed the -canoes up to the head waters in the Southern Alps, and came down ninety -miles of rapids at a tremendous rate, going through the celebrated -gorge fourteen miles in length. Dixon reached Christchurch in one -day—a wonderful feat—but I was not able to accomplish more than half -the distance, and took two days over it. This involved a descent of -2,550 feet in altitude from the starting point. - -In the following year the Waimakariri was again navigated by myself -and three other kindred adventurous spirits, when a number of line -photographic views of the scenery in the gorge were secured. - -The descent of the Waitaki River, however, promised some exciting work, -in addition to giving a grand insight into the story of the ancient -glacier formation—a subject of great geological interest. - -The rainfall in the New Zealand mountain districts is enormously -heavy, as much or more than 150 inches per annum being registered in -some parts. The rivers consequently carry a phenomenal amount of water -for their length, and the calculations as to their discharge give -wonderful results. The Clutha River in Otago—the largest river of the -South Island—discharges as much water per annum as the Nile! It seems -a strange statement to make; but such is the fact, the calculations -having been made by competent men. - -[Illustration: IN THE ICE-FALL OF THE ONSLOW GLACIER - -[_Wheeler & Son, Photo._] - -The day following our return from Aorangi we left the Hermitage at 9 -A.M., and by 1 P.M. had begun our exciting journey of 140 miles to the -sea. - -The Tasman River takes its rise from the Tasman and Murchison Glaciers, -and is soon joined by the Hooker, which drains the Hooker and Mueller -Glaciers. Its course from Mount Cook to its delta at the head of Lake -Pukaki is thirty miles in length, and the fall is considerable, the -terminal face of the Tasman Glacier being 2,456 feet above sea-level, -whilst the altitude of Lake Pukaki is 1,717 feet. The first mile or two -of the journey was marked by several strong rapids, and we could not -avoid shipping much water; and, added to this, we soon found that some -old cracks in the canoes had opened out through exposure to the sun, -although they had been carefully covered over with sacking during our -absence in the mountains. This gave us some cause for anxiety, and the -discomfort of paddling in boats which were half full of water soon made -itself painfully apparent. Indeed, there is nothing more calculated -to put a man out of temper with all the world and his surroundings, -to goad him to strong language, and to give him an uncomfortable and -miserable time generally, than to have to sit for hours in a boat that -floats like an unmanageable log, to say nothing of the increase of -danger to which he is consequently exposed in some parts of a river -such as the Tasman, running, as it does, something approaching ten -knots in many places. - -I don’t think Dixon and myself are likely to forget the tortures of -the four hours which we passed through on reaching the lake. Here the -cracks in my boat, which was decidedly the worse of the two, had to -be jammed up with handkerchiefs, &c., before we dared to venture on a -journey of eight or nine miles to the ferry at the other end of the -lake, where is situated the exit of the Pukaki River. - -As we scraped over the sandy shallows and pushed off into deep-green -water, my heart sank within me at the idea of having to cross the lake -in its present rough state (for a strong nor’-wester was blowing) in -our frail canoes, which were not built in watertight compartments, and -were quite unsuited for the work. Every ten minutes or so I would have -to stop paddling and bale for dear life with the lid of the ‘billy,’ -and the craft would immediately swing round broadside on to the seas, -which seemed to do their best to upset her. - -At first we kept edging away for the southern shore, and about half-way -down the lake succeeded in getting within reasonable swimming distance, -which, to a certain extent, we retained for a short time. - -In the distance we could make out the island close to the ferry, with -some trees on it, and from our direction there appeared to be but -three. My thoughts at once flew back to the island on the Lake of -Geneva, which Byron has immortalised in his ‘Prisoner of Chillon,’ -and on which poor Bonnivard would gaze with sadness and yearning for -freedom and life. - - And then there was a little isle, - Which in my very face did smile, - The only one in view. - A small green isle, it seemed no more, - Scarce broader than my dungeon floor; - But in it there were three tall trees, - And o’er it blew the mountain breeze. - And by it there were waters flowing, - And on it there were young flowers growing - Of gentle breath and hue. - -I made sure my hair would be grey, like poor Bonnivard’s, before this -lake was crossed; but soon the wind dropped, and we paddled ashore at 9 -P.M. close to the hotel and called for brandy and water hot, and seldom -was the indulgence more justified. - -At Pukaki Ferry we enjoyed a well-earned night’s rest, and on Sunday -morning we effected repairs to the leaky canoes, in which operation -we received much valuable advice and assistance from Mr. John Gibb, -artist, who was spending a few days in sketching at this point. By 1 -P.M. we were on board again and looking forward to reaching Rugged -Ridges—Mr. W. G. Rutherfurd’s station on the southern bank of the -Waitaki—before nightfall. But we little knew what was ahead of us. - -A survey of the river from an eminence of the old moraine through which -it has formed a channel, revealed, as far as the bends of the stream -could be followed, a rushing, seething mass of foam-covered water, with -numberless blocks of rock barring the clear passage of the current, and -though we shot the first two rapids below the exit from the lake it -took us until seven o’clock in the evening to navigate six miles of the -river’s course. - -It is not easy to describe the wild course of the river in its descent -through the enormous ancient moraine deposits, some of which might -almost be classed as mountains, and must rear their tops to a height -of 1,000 feet above the level of the river. Such an immense body of -rushing water, receiving, as it does, the whole of the drainage of the -Southern Alps, from the head of the Mueller Glacier to that of the -Murchison, necessarily creates great havoc amongst the glacial and -fluviatile deposits through which it descends, and, as a matter of -course, all the smaller stones are hurried and rolled along to form -shingle on the river-beds further down, leaving the larger ones, which -alone can stand against the force of the flood. The natural consequence -is a stream of the most broken and impetuous character, a stream whose -rushing, roaring, and foaming drowns all sounds contiguous to it; -rapid after rapid of seemingly tempest-tossed and crested billows, -of whirlpools and eddies, of back-waters and heavings into surface -currents, and never a still pool to be found anywhere. - -Imagine, then, the troubles of two canoeists in navigating this stretch -of water. No canoe or boat in the world would have the slightest chance -of going through, out in the current, without being smashed into -match-wood and its occupants infallibly drowned, for swimming would -avail a man nothing in such a place. - -All we could do, then, was to keep close to the bank and let our frail -boats down by the tow-lines amongst the rocks in the comparatively -shallow water. Now shoving them off into a fair stretch and hauling -them up short in time to avoid contact with some ugly rock in front, -then scrambling along ourselves and coiling our lines as we advanced, -clambering over water-worn and slippery rocks, tearing our way -through the Wild Irishman scrub, or wading a few steps middle-deep in -the turbid water to the points where we had brought our respective -canoes up. Then repeating the same performance over again and again, -bruising our legs against rocks, slipping down amid the slimy stones, -scratching the skin off and receiving numerous thorns from the -scrub, wishing we had never been born, lamenting the hardships of our -lot, anathematising canoes, ropes, paddles, river, rocks, scrub, and -everything in creation. - -No, that seven miles journey was _not_ all that could be desired; but -having put our hands to the plough, we both made up our minds that we -would go through with the undertaking, even if we had to repeat the -same performance down to the sea every day for a week, and the worse -the river got the more pig-headed we became. We had beaten Mount Cook, -and we meant also to gain a victory over the Pukaki and Waitaki, if it -cost us our life-blood. At some places where a number of large rocks -were congregated close to the river’s bank we would be compelled to -take the boats out, and shouldering them, climb round the rocks on -shore, and launch them afresh in better water below. - -At one time, Dixon, who was leading, accidentally dropped his paddle, -which was whisked away by the current in a trice. He made a great -effort to recover it, and plunged in up to his armpits in the turbulent -water, but failed to reach the truant paddle. Seeing his difficulty I -pushed my boat out to him, and he seized my paddle and, jumping into -the canoe, gave chase to the one he had lost. I ran along the bank, -but could not keep near him; and in fear and trembling I watched him -nearing a horrible fall amongst some sharp teeth-like rocks. I thought -his last moment had come, but just before reaching the danger he -overtook the lost paddle, which he grasped with one hand, and, jumping -out of my canoe, held the tow-rope and brought the boat up within a few -feet of the fall. The whole affair was the work of a few moments, and -was a wonderful exhibition of smartness and presence of mind. - -By 7 o’clock we began to think that we had had about enough for the -day, and, putting the boats ashore, we walked back, over the old -moraine and along the rabbit fence (which, by the way, I hear is doing -its work splendidly), to the Pukaki Ferry for the night. - -By 7 A.M. next morning we were again with the canoes, and once more -performing gymnastic feats along the rocky bank. But our reward was now -near at hand, for after an hour or so we got on board and sneaked down -the quieter sides of one or two pools. The moraine deposits gave way to -those of fluviatile origin, and the size of the stones in the river-bed -decreased rapidly; consequently we soon began shooting the rapids again -and were making grand headway. The country on either hand opened out; -from our left came in the Tekapo River, and soon after, as we sped on -under Ben More, on our right the Ohau. Now we were in the Waitaki, -which is formed by the junction of these three rivers. ‘Waitaki,’ or -‘Waitangi,’ means ‘Crying water.’ - -The hydrographic area of the Waitaki Basin is 4,914 square miles, more -than three times as great as that of the Rakaia or Waimakariri, and it -drains most of the principal eastern slopes of the Southern Alps. - -The eastern source of the river drains the Godley and Classen Glaciers -with their numerous tributaries, forms the Godley River, and flows -into Lake Tekapo (some fifteen miles in length); it issues from the -southern end of the Lake and curves a channel for itself through the -ancient moraine, when it becomes known by the name of the Tekapo River, -which, flowing for a distance of about twenty-five miles, joins the -Pukaki; all these, with the addition of the Ohau, the junction of which -is a few miles further down, form the Waitaki River. The Hopkins and -Dobson Rivers drain that part of the Alps immediately south-west of -Mount Sefton, and flow into Lake Ohau. The stream issuing from thence, -under the name of the Ohau River, runs for a course of thirteen miles, -and joins the Pukaki and Tekapo as before mentioned. - -After the union of these three systems of drainage the course of the -river runs through a wider bed for about five or six miles before -entering a gorge some ten miles in length. Down this fine stretch of -water we now enjoyed a delightful paddle, and soon we sighted Black -Forest sheep station, with its rows of green willow trees, on our left. - -Here various kinds of river birds lent an aspect of life and gaiety to -the scene—gulls, terns, paradise and grey duck, teal, dotterel, stilt, -and red-bill soared over us, or rose in startled dismay as we shot by. - -We had left the snows behind us and were fast being closed in by the -foot-hills. We neared the gorge at 11 A.M. and paddled ashore on the -Otago side and boiled the ‘billy’ for lunch. - -It seemed a delightfully quiet hour after all we had been through; we -sat and smoked in happiness and watching the rabbits skipping about -amongst the bracken. We were certain, if only by that, that we were in -Otago, where rabbits are the monarchs of all they survey. - -The Mackenzie country hands had told us that we should find the gorge -_a little rough_, so we knew we were in for it presently; yet for a -couple of miles we found the river good going, though some ominous -spurs of bed rock now and then entering the current—the first bed rock -we had met with since leaving Mount Cook—foretold what we were coming -to. - -After going round a few ugly corners the white water became more -frequent, until suddenly we were brought up by an awkward rapid into -which we dared not venture. - -[Illustration: THE SURFACE OF A GLACIER - -[_Wheeler & Son, Photo._] - -A survey from the cliffs, sixty feet above the stream, disclosed a -tongue or groyn of rocks running out into the stream in an oblique -direction from the Otago side, and shooting the main body of the -current on to the rocks opposite. A long stretch of straight water -followed, but the whole stream was confined in rocky banks so close -together that one might throw a biscuit across, and the pace of the -current was something terrific. For half an hour we considered the -situation, finally determining to shoot the rapid. There was really -only about eight or ten feet of safe water close to the point of -the groyn of rocks, and this was right in the body of the current. -On either hand were eddies and whirlpools of the most formidable -character, which, in the event of our making a bad shot, might swirl us -among the rocks on one side or the other, and had such been the case -we trembled to think what would have been our fate. However, at it we -went, Dixon as usual leading, with a head as cool as a cucumber, -and I following, like a spaniel after his master. One wild rush, a -few strokes of the paddle, a mad tossing about in a sheet of crested -foam, half-a-dozen bucketfuls of water on board, and we were through, -breathing again as we tore down the hurrying, but straight and safe, -current below. - -Though we met with no greater obstacles to canoeing than this rapid in -the gorge, such performances were several times repeated, and we had to -land now and again to survey the course ahead. - -To describe the mad plunging of the river through the gorge is not an -easy matter. Here and there, perhaps, a long even stretch is met with, -but for the most part the river makes a succession of bends bounded -by rocky cliffs on either hand, now and then masses of rock crop up -through the water, against which the stream is banked up by the force -of its mad career to a height of ten or twelve feet; immediately under -the sides of the rock there are vicious-looking heavings, eddies, and -whirlpools, which, if one chances to get into them, twist the boat -about like a feather when blown upon the water’s surface. A black swan -and three cygnets kept ahead of us for the last six miles of the gorge, -but as we entered with relieved feelings upon the more open country, -they eluded our further pursuit in a backwater. Another few miles -and we reached our destination for the night—Mr. W. G. Rutherfurd’s -station, Rugged Ridges—where a warm and hospitable welcome made us -feel that once more we were in the regions of civilisation. - -Leaving next morning at 4.30, we gave ourselves eleven hours to -catch the train for Christchurch, at Waitaki, a distance by water -of sixty miles. Four hours saw us in Duntroon (thirty miles), where -we astonished the natives in disgracefully tattered boating attire, -and indulged in that from which we had long been estranged—‘a long -shandy’—and by 9.15 we were off again at eight miles an hour, shooting -down the most beautifully safe and rippling rapids, scaring ducks, -plover, gull, stilt, swan, and all manner of wild fowl; now and then -startling a mob of horses or cattle from their peaceful browsing, -or astonishing some slow-going shepherd or cowboy as they stared -open-mouthed at such an uncommon sight as two madmen in cockle-shells -of canoes rushing down their boatless river, until we put the final -touch to the whole enterprise by carrying our boats up to the station -at Waitaki South (to the amazement of four railway navvies), at 1 P.M., -having averaged eight miles an hour for sixty miles, allowing for one -hour stoppages. - -The distances by water, allowing for sinuosities in the course of -the rivers from Aorangi to the sea, may be roughly summarised as -follows:—From the end of the Mount Cook Range to Pukaki Ferry, -thirty-four miles; from the Ferry to Rugged Ridges, thirty-eight miles; -and from thence to the railway bridge near the sea at Waitaki, sixty -miles; a total distance of 132 miles. - -If it were not for the Pukaki Rapids the trip might be comfortably -accomplished in three days, and at a stretch could be done in two; -but the way to enjoy it would be to travel in a good staunch canoe, -with watertight compartments and such accessories as the west coast -canoeists are in the habit of using, and spend a week over the journey. - - - - -L’ENVOI - - -This little book has but told the story of the ramblings and adventures -of a lover of Nature. I fear that I have signally failed to do -justice to her features, or to convey any adequate idea of her mystic -influence. Would that I could impart that which I can feel. - -Should it fall into the hands of Swiss climbers it may serve to show -that the brotherhood of the mountains extends even to out-of-the-way -New Zealand, and that in that country, as well as in the Old World, the -ineffable glories of the mountains have power to charm and to captivate -the hearts of men. - - - - -APPENDIX - - -It has been suggested to me that this work would be more complete if -it contained at least a short record of Alpine expeditions undertaken -by parties (other than those organised by the writer) to the glacier -regions which have been under notice. The suggestion is one which the -writer accepts with much pleasure. - -The first recorded expedition to the Mount Cook district, as far as I -am able to gather, is that of the late Sir Julius von Haast (then Dr. -von Haast), the narrative of which may be found in his interesting and -learned work ‘The Geology of Canterbury and Westland,’ published by the -‘Times’ office of Christchurch, now unfortunately out of print, and -difficult of access to the majority. - -His work was necessarily more that of exploration than of climbing, -and although later surveys have corrected and modified many of his -estimates of the sizes of glaciers and heights of mountains, it must -be remembered that in the days when he visited the locality (in 1862 -and 1870) the difficulties of travelling and of securing supplies were -much greater than at the present time, and the work of exploration -consequently much more difficult. - -Of Alpine work (carried on in the sense of the word as understood by -Alpine climbers) he did not effect much, his energies being chiefly -confined to geological, botanical, and zoological observations whilst -he was engaged in a geological survey of the province of Canterbury. - -His excursions on the glaciers appear to have been confined to a short -trip up the Tasman, probably to some six miles or so from the terminal -face, and a short exploration of the lower portions of the Mueller and -Hooker Glaciers. - -His literary contributions are of greater value to science than to -the domain of Alpine record; but naturally they are of the deepest -interest to the latter class of literature, inasmuch as they tell the -tale of the opening out of fresh Alpine fields which are destined -to become—indeed they are now fast becoming—areas of great -mountaineering importance. - -Though Von Haast was perhaps the first man of science or literature to -visit these great glaciers, yet their existence was well known to a few -run-holders and early settlers who had penetrated even thus far into -the mountains in the ‘early days’ of New Zealand. - -It is to Mr. Edward Percy Sealy of Timaru, however, that we owe the -first close acquaintance of the Mueller, Hooker, and Tasman Glaciers. -Mr. Sealy was a surveyor by profession and a photographer of no mean -ability, and to his energy and perseverance we are indebted for results -which furnished Dr. von Haast with material for constructing his map of -this part of our Alps. - -Upon visiting the glaciers at the present time, and being impressed -with the difficulties of transit, one cannot but be filled with -admiration for the man who achieved such splendid results in -photography, burdened as he was with all the necessary and cumbersome -paraphernalia pertaining to the old wet-plate system then in vogue. - -Mr. Sealy traversed nearly the whole length of the Mueller Glacier in -1867, and in 1869 pushed his way up the Hooker as far as the tributary -Empress Glacier, and up the Tasman as far as the great turn at Mount De -la Bêche. - -To Mrs. Leonard Harper, of Ilam, belongs the honour of being the first -lady to cross to the Aorangi side of the Tasman River. - -On this occasion (in March 1873) the party consisted of Mr. and Mrs. -Leonard Harper, of Christchurch, Messrs. G. Dennistoun, G. Parker, -Melville Gray, Wright, C. Smith, and Flint. They camped at Governor’s -Bush, close to where the Hermitage now stands, and went on to the -Mueller Glacier and to the terminal face of the Tasman. Mr. and Mrs. -Harper returned across the Tasman River, leaving the rest of the -party to attempt the passage to the west coast by the Hooker Saddle, -at the head of the glacier of the same name. In this, as may be easily -conceived—considering that the members of the party were inexperienced -and not properly equipped for such an expedition—the party was -unsuccessful, only reaching a point just above where the clear ice -merges into the moraine, and where the crevasses began to appear -formidable. - -For many years after this the glaciers were not traversed to any extent -save by camping-out parties, who contented themselves with short -excursions about the terminal faces, until, in 1882, a fresh interest -was awakened in their existence by the visit of the Rev. W. S. Green -with Herr Emil Boss, of Grindelwald, and Ulrich Kaufmann as guide. -His advent was indeed an awakening, and the apathy of the Colonials -regarding the scenic marvels of their own country was somewhat aroused. -The sensation caused by his memorable ascent of Aorangi, after repeated -struggles with flooded rivers and all those hindrances which seem to -fall inevitably to the lot of men who first open out a new district, -has become quite an event of history in the annals of the colony. - -Full particulars of Mr. Green’s doings will be found in his admirable -book, ‘The High Alps of New Zealand,’ published by Macmillan & Co. - -To Mr. Green undoubtedly belongs the honour of having first introduced -into New Zealand the proper system of Alpine climbing, and he will ever -be looked back to as the father of the noble sport in the colony. - -Then, in 1883, followed the visit of Dr. R. von Lendenfeld, a -mountaineer and scientific man of great attainments. He was accompanied -by his plucky wife, and, aided by porters procured in the colony, -during a stay of nineteen days on the Tasman Glacier completed a survey -of the same, and finished up his work by ascending the Hochstetter -Dome, whose higher and easternmost summit he attained in an expedition -extending over a period of twenty-seven hours from his last camp under -the Malte Brun range, accompanied by his wife and one porter. - -Full particulars of his work were made public in Petermann’s -‘Mitteilungen,’[3] and a short English notice of the same may be found -in the ‘Alpine Journal,’ vol. xii. page 163. - -[Footnote 3: _Ergänzungsheft_, No. 75. Dr. R. von Lendenfeld, _Der -Tasman-Gletscher und seine Umgebung_.] - -Shortly after this the Hermitage Company, Limited, was formed, and -the Hermitage Hotel erected near the terminal face of the Mueller -Glacier. This first Alpine hotel of New Zealand was not built without -many serious difficulties, and the ultimate success of the undertaking -speaks volumes for the perseverance of the enthusiastic manager, Mr. -F. F. C. Huddleston. This gentleman has made various excursions on -the Mueller and Hooker Glaciers since the building of the Hermitage, -and possesses an intimate knowledge of the Alpine district around the -hotel. He has, with a party of two others, penetrated, I understand, as -far as the junction of the Empress Glacier on the Hooker, and has since -effected the passage of the Ball Pass from the Tasman to the Hooker -Glaciers. - -In 1886 the author began his visits to the districts with properly -equipped Alpine parties, the results of which expeditions have been -given in the foregoing pages. - -In 1889 the Government surveys were extended to the Mueller and -Hooker Glaciers, under Mr. Brodrick, a gentleman whose capability and -never-failing pluck in carrying out his work in such rough country is -only equalled by his modesty concerning his Alpine achievements, which -are necessarily incidental to his profession in the district. - -Those of my readers who are acquainted with survey and topographical -work amongst the Alps will appreciate the results of but two seasons’ -work in the map of the four great glaciers appended to this book. -Climbers will be interested to know that amongst difficult points -attained by Mr. Brodrick are the saddles at the head of the Mueller -Glacier, that connecting the Murchison and Classen Glaciers, the lower -summit of the Hochstetter Dome, and a peak of 8,015 feet on the Liebig -Range. - -In 1890, Mr. Malcolm Ross, of Dunedin, a gentleman who has done much -travelling and some exploring in the Southern Lakes district, and -had tried his ’prentice hand upon Mount Earnslaw, visited the Tasman -Glacier in company with his wife. Bad weather frustrated his attempts -at mountaineering, with the exception of an ascent of a peak of about -7,000 feet on the Mount Cook Range, and a partial ascent of Mount -Sealy. He traversed the Tasman Glacier to a point some miles beyond the -junction of the Hochstetter Glacier. - -In December 1890 Messrs. A. P. Harper, R. Blakiston, and Beadel made an -excursion to the Tasman Glacier, but bad weather kept them prisoners at -camp nearly all the time of their stay. Messrs. Harper and Blakiston, -after retreating from the Tasman, succeeded in reaching for the first -time the saddle at the head of the Hooker Glacier (8,580 feet), after -a trying expedition. This had been attempted several times before, but -owing to numberless crevasses was found to be unattainable. Being early -in the season and after a considerable snow-fall, however, the party -in question found the crevasses mostly covered, and they were aided, -moreover, by Mr. Harper’s skill and knowledge of Alpine work. - -Again, in January 1891, Messrs. Harper and Johnson visited the Tasman -Glacier, and besides attaining a high saddle (about 7,500 feet) in the -Malte Brun Range and making a nearly complete ascent of Mount Sealy, -secured a fine collection of photographs. - - * * * * * - -Such, in brief, is a history of what Alpine work has been accomplished -amongst the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Other glacier excursions, it -is true, there have been, but they are few, and with the exception of -the expeditions of Mr. Sealy and the Government Survey to the Godley -and Classen Glaciers farther north, and of a few attempts to climb -Mount Earnslaw in the Southern Lake district, are not worthy of much -note as Alpine expeditions, undertaken in the orthodox manner with axe -and rope. - -As these lines are being penned the New Zealand Alpine Club is in -process of formation, and the writer hears with pleasure of the -probabilities of success which are likely to attend the efforts of the -promoters of the club. - -Letters of advice and encouragement from prominent members of the -English Alpine Club have at various times come to hand, and the -friendly interest of mountain explorers of the early days of the -colony gives promise of an auspicious birth to one of those bodies of -enthusiasts whose aims may not be mercenary and self-seeking, but whose -operations may contribute their little unit to the art, literature, and -scientific observation of the times. - -Who can say what the future may bring forth in the matter of Alpine -climbing in New Zealand? There is an immense field—magnificent -glaciers and noble peaks without number, as yet practically untouched. - -One can already see visions of parties of enthusiasts threading their -way amongst intricate ice-falls, cutting steps up hard ice slopes, -conquering by persistent effort splendid rock peaks, drinking in the -glories of a new and fascinating world. Not climbing from a gymnast’s -point of view, but climbing because—why? They cannot tell you why; but -because they feel and know the physical and spiritual benefits of a -closer contact with Nature, with an Omnipotent and Ever-guiding Hand, -which rules all things and creates a heaven even upon earth. - - - - -_A SHORT GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL ALPINE TERMS._ - - -_Arête._—A ridge either of rock, ice, or snow, or combinations of all -three. - -_Bergschrund._—The crevasse or deep moat almost invariably found -between the sides and upper portions of a glacier or ice slope and the -rocks above, or the permanent clinging ice above, as the case may be. -Of late the meaning of the term has become extended, and almost any -crevasse in the upper parts of a glacier with one lip higher than the -other comes under the designation. - -_Col._—Saddle, or dip in a ridge. - -_Cornice._—The overhanging edge of an _arête_ caused by drifting snow. - -_Couloir._—A ditch or deep gully in the mountain side; in the upper -regions being usually floored with ice and swept by avalanches. - -_Crevasse._—The rent caused by fracture of the ice under tension. - -_Gendarme_, or _rock tower_.—A mass of rock on the crest of an _arête_. - -_Moraine._—The accumulation of detritus which has fallen from the -mountains on to the ice and is carried down upon it. - -_Névé_, or _firn_.—Snow in a transition stage between snow and ice. -The large fields of this feeding a glacier are spoken of as the _névés_ -of the glacier. - -_Séracs._—Blocks of ice broken into polyhedral masses (mostly cubic) -by the body of the ice being crevassed in various lines of fracture. So -called from the resemblance the blocks bear to a certain kind of cheese. - -_Shale slips_ and _shingle and boulder fans_ are of very common -occurrence in the New Zealand mountains and are caused by the discharge -of detritus down _couloirs_, from which when emerging it spreads out -into fan-shaped slopes. - - - PRINTED BY - SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE - LONDON - - -[Illustration: _Longmans, Green & Co., London & New York._ - -_F. S. Weiler._] - - - - - * * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber’s note: - -Footnote numbers have been changed to 1, 2 and 3, to avoid confusion. - -The spelling of Ranunculus lyalii in the Table of Illustrations and -on Page 86 have been corrected to lyallii. (The species was discovered -by David Lyall, a noted Scottish botanist and doctor.) -Ranunculus lyallii is spelt correctly on Page 9. - -Obvious punctuation errors were corrected. - -The changes are as follows: - - In the CONTENTS, Chapter III—river-crossing changed to river crossing. - Page 10—northeastern changed to north-eastern. - Page 12—ice-streams changed to ice streams. - Page 30—river bed changed to river-bed. - Page 30—downstream changed to down-stream. - Page 35—breakwind changed to break-wind. - Page 54—look-out changed to look out. - Page 55—life-time changed to lifetime. - Page 66—shangai changed to shanghai. - Page 84—ice-blocks changed to ice blocks. - Page 89—one day changed to one-day. - Page 93 and Page 139—mountain-side changed to mountain side. - Page 97—red-sandstone changed to red sandstone. - Page 101—step cutting changed to step-cutting. - Page 103—foot-hold changed to foothold. - Page 114—water-courses changed to watercourses. - Page 119—cockleshells changed to cockle-shells. - Page 120—starting-point changed to starting point. - Page 126—rabbit-fence changed to rabbit fence. - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WITH AXE AND ROPE IN THE NEW ZEALAND -ALPS*** - - -******* This file should be named 60919-0.txt or 60919-0.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/6/0/9/1/60919 - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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- text-align: center; - margin-top: 2.0em; - margin-bottom: 2.0em; -} - -img {max-width: 100%; height: auto;} - -p.attr-photo { - text-align: right; - font-size: 0.9em; - margin-bottom: 0.1em; -} - -@media handheld { - .cover {display: none;} -} - -/* Footnotes */ - -div.footnote { - margin-top: 1em; - margin-bottom: 1em; - border: solid 0.2em; - border-color: #cccccc; - } - -.footnote {margin-left: 8%; margin-right: 8%; font-size: 0.9em;} - -.fnanchor { - vertical-align: super; - font-size: .8em; - text-decoration: - none; -} - -/* Poetry */ - -.poetry-container { - text-align: center; -} - -.poetry { - display: inline-block; - text-align: left; -} - -.poetry .stanza { - margin: 1em auto; -} - -.poetry .verse { - text-indent: -3em; - padding-left: 3em; -} - -.poetry .indent2 { - text-indent: -3em; - padding-left: 4em; -} - -.poetry .indent4 { - text-indent:-3em; - padding-left: 6em; -} - -@media handheld -{ - .poetry - { - display: block; - margin-left: 1.5em; - } -} - -/* Transcriber's notes */ - -.nopagebreak { - page-break-before: avoid; - } - - .noindent { - text-indent: 0em; - } - -.transnote {background-color: #E6E6FA; - color: black; - font-size:smaller; - padding:0.5em; - margin-bottom:5em; - font-family:sans-serif, serif;} - - - h2.pg { text-align: center; - line-height: 1em; - clear: both; } - hr.full { width: 100%; - margin-top: 3em; - margin-bottom: 0em; - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; - height: 4px; - border-width: 4px 0 0 0; /* remove all borders except the top one */ - border-style: solid; - border-color: #000000; - clear: both; } - </style> -</head> -<body> -<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, With Axe and Rope in the New Zealand Alps, by -George Edward Mannering</h1> -<p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States -and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no -restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at <a -href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you are not -located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this ebook.</p> -<p>Title: With Axe and Rope in the New Zealand Alps</p> -<p>Author: George Edward Mannering</p> -<p>Release Date: December 14, 2019 [eBook #60919]</p> -<p>Language: English</p> -<p>Character set encoding: UTF-8</p> -<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WITH AXE AND ROPE IN THE NEW ZEALAND ALPS***</p> -<p> </p> -<h4>E-text prepared by F E H, MWS,<br /> - and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> - (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br /> - from page images generously made available by<br /> - Internet Archive<br /> - (<a href="https://archive.org">https://archive.org</a>)</h4> -<p> </p> -<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10"> - <tr> - <td valign="top"> - Note: - </td> - <td> - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - <a href="https://archive.org/details/withaxeropeinnew00mann"> - https://archive.org/details/withaxeropeinnew00mann</a> - </td> - </tr> -</table> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<div class="transnote"> -<h2 class="nopagebreak" title="">Transcriber’s Note</h2> -<p>Changes made are noted at the <a href="#end_note" title="Go to the End Note"> - end of the book.</a></p> -</div> -<hr class="full" /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_cover.jpg" id="i_cover.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_cover.jpg" alt="" width="514" height="800" /> -</div> - -<hr class="large" /> -<p class="maintitle">THE<br /> - NEW ZEALAND ALPS</p> - -<p class="center space-above"><span class="smaller">PRINTED BY<br /> - SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE<br /> - LONDON</span></p> - -<hr class="large" /> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Frontispiece" id="Frontispiece"></a></span> -</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="image_frontis" id="image_frontis"></a><img src="images/i_frontis.jpg" alt="" width="365" height="600" /> -<div class="caption"> - <p class="attr-photo">[<i>Wheeler & Son, Photo.</i></p> - <p class="center"><span class="smaller">G. E. Mannering Mr. J. Dixon P. H. Johnson</span></p> - <p class="center"><span class="smaller">CLIMBING PARTY ON THE TASMAN GLACIER</span></p> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<h1>With Axe and Rope<br /> -<span class="smaller">IN</span><br /> -THE NEW ZEALAND ALPS</h1> - -<p class="center space-above"><span class="smaller">BY</span><br /> - GEORGE EDWARD MANNERING</p> - -<p class="center space-above"><span class="small">MEMBER OF THE NEW ZEALAND ALPINE CLUB<br /> - MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY OF AUSTRALASIA<br /> - MEMBER OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE OF CANTERBURY, N.Z.</span></p> - -<p class="center space-above"><span class="smaller"><i>WITH ILLUSTRATIONS</i></span></p> - -<p class="center space-above"> LONDON<br /> - LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.<br /> - AND NEW YORK: 15 EAST 16<sup>th</sup> STREET</p> - -<p class="center"> 1891</p> - -<p class="center"> <i>All rights reserved</i></p> - -<hr class="large" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p class="center"><span class="smaller">THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED</span><br /> -TO ALL LOVERS OF NATURE</p> - -<hr class="large" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> -<h2>PREFACE</h2> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_dec_rule.jpg" id="i_dec_rule.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_dec_rule.jpg" alt="" width="143" height="18" /> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">This short work contains the story of five seasons’ -climbing and exploring in the New Zealand Alps. -Most of the material embodied in it has already appeared -from time to time, in rather a different form, -in the Christchurch (N.Z.) ‘Weekly Press.’</p> - -<p>The author trusts that the publication of the same -in book form, together with a map of the locality and -a few photographic reproductions, will supply a want -in the shape of a guide-book to the Alpine mountain -district which is already beginning to be felt by -tourists in New Zealand; and he hopes that the contents -may not prove uninteresting to the general public, -more especially to Swiss and Caucasian climbers, few -of whom are perhaps aware of the extent and nature of -the New Zealand Alpine chain.</p> - -<p>The map is compiled by the New Zealand Government -Survey Office from the work of Mr. T. N. Brodrick, -Government Surveyor, and that of Dr. R. von -Lendenfeld. The illustrations are from photographs -by Messrs. Wheeler and Son. Their operator has in -several mountain expeditions accompanied the author, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[viii]</a></span>who takes this opportunity of expressing his thanks to -the New Zealand Government Survey Department, and -to Messrs. Wheeler, for their kind assistance.</p> - -<p>It will doubtless be said that the summit of Aorangi -has not yet been attained: quite true. Like Mr. Green, -the author and his friend were ‘wise in time.’ Yet it -is only a quibble to dispute the ascent of the mountain, -for being on the ice-cap of Aorangi is like being on the -topmost rung of a ladder, and yet not upon the projections -above that step.</p> - -<p class="inabit"> -<span class="smcap">Christchurch, New Zealand</span>:<br /> -<i>April 13, 1891</i>.</p> - -<p class="center space-above"></p> -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<h2>CONTENTS</h2> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_dec_rulea.jpg" id="i_dec_rulea.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_dec_rulea.jpg" alt="" width="143" height="18" /> -</div> - -<table summary="contents" class="toc"> -<tr> - <td colspan="2" class="content-heading"> - Chapter <abbr title="1">I</abbr><br /> - <span class="s8">INTRODUCTORY</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> </td> - <td class="tdr"><small>PAGE</small></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="contents">The New Zealand Alps and their glaciers</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_1" title="Page 1">1</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td colspan="2" class="content-heading"> - Chapter <abbr title="2">II</abbr><br /> - <span class="s8">THE ROUTE TO THE MOUNT COOK DISTRICT</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="contents">A short description of the route to the Mount Cook district, and of - the topographical features of the Mueller, Hooker, and Tasman - Valleys</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_5" title="Page 5">5</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td colspan="2" class="content-heading"> - Chapter <abbr title="3">III</abbr><br /> - <span class="s8">FIRST ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="contents">First impressions—Swagging—The Hochstetter Glacier—Defeat—The - perils of river crossing</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_14" title="Page 14">14</a></td> -</tr><tr> - <td colspan="2" class="content-heading"> - Chapter <abbr title="4">IV</abbr><br /> - <span class="s8">SECOND ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="contents"> A flooded camp in the Tasman Valley—Hard struggles—We reach - Green’s bivouac</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_32" title="Page 32">32</a></td> -</tr><tr> - <td colspan="2" class="content-heading"> - Chapter <abbr title="5">V</abbr><br /> - <span class="s8">THIRD ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="contents">Photography on the Tasman Glacier—Attempt to scale Mount De la - Bêche </td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_42" title="Page 42">42</a></td> -</tr><tr> - <td colspan="2" class="content-heading"> - Chapter <abbr title="6">VI</abbr><br /> - <span class="s8">ASCENT OF THE HOCHSTETTER DOME</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="contents">Camp under De la Bêche—Twelve hours on snow and ice—The - pangs of hunger </td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_58" title="Page 58">58</a></td> -</tr><tr> - <td colspan="2" class="content-heading"> - Chapter <abbr title="7">VII</abbr><br /> - <span class="s8">FOURTH ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="contents">We reach the Great Plateau at last—Defeat again—The crossing of - the Ball Pass</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_65" title="Page 65">65</a></td> -</tr><tr> - <td colspan="2" class="content-heading"> - Chapter <abbr title="8">VIII</abbr><br /> - <span class="s8">FIRST EXPLORATION OF THE MURCHISON GLACIER</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="contents">Hard swagging—Erroneous maps—The struggle for Starvation - Saddle—Exhaustion and hunger—Return</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_76" title="Page 76">76</a></td> -</tr><tr> - <td colspan="2" class="content-heading"> - Chapter <abbr title="9">IX</abbr><br /> - <span class="s8">FIFTH ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="contents">Avalanches—The bivouac again—First attempt repulsed—Second - attempt—The Great Plateau—The Linda Glacier—Hard work - step-cutting—The terrible <i>couloirs</i>—Victory at last—Descent - by lantern-light—Back to civilisation</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_90" title="Page 90">90</a></td> -</tr><tr> - <td colspan="2" class="content-heading"> - Chapter <abbr title="10">X</abbr><br /> - <span class="s8">ON SOME OF THE PHENOMENA OF GLACIERS</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="contents">The cause of glaciers—Formation and structure—Motion—Moraines: - Lateral, medial, and terminal—‘Surface’ moraines—Crevasses—Moulins—Glacier - tables—Glacier cones—Surface torrents—Avalanches—Cornices</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_109" title="Page 109">109</a></td> -</tr><tr> - <td colspan="2" class="content-heading"> - Chapter <abbr title="11">XI</abbr><br /> - <span class="s8">CANOEING ON THE NEW ZEALAND RIVERS</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="contents">The Waimakariri—The enormous rainfall—Descent of the Waitaki - River—The Tasman branch—Lake Pukaki—Leaky canoes—The - Pukaki Rapids—The Waitaki Gorge—Out on the plains again—Sixty - miles paddle to catch the train—Home once more</td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_119" title="Page 119">119</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td><p><span class="smcap">L’Envoi</span></p></td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_131" title="Page 131">131</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td><p><span class="smcap">Appendix</span></p></td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_133" title="Page 133">133</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td><p><span class="smcap">A Short Glossary of Technical Alpine Terms</span></p></td> -<td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_139" title="Page 139">139</a></td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<h2>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_dec_ruleb.jpg" id="i_dec_ruleb.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_dec_ruleb.jpg" alt="" width="143" height="18" /> -</div> - -<div class="center"> -<table summary="Illustrations" class="toi"> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">CLIMBING PARTY ON THE TASMAN GLACIER</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#image_frontis" title=""><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td></tr> - <tr><td class="tdl"> HOOKER VALLEY AND MOUNT SEFTON FROM GOVERNOR’S CAMP</td> - <td class="tdc"><i>To face page</i></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_8" title="Page 8">8</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class="tdl">AORANGI: MOUNT COOK AND THE HOOKER GLACIER</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_10" title="Page 10">10</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class="tdl">MOUNT TASMAN (11,475 FEET) AND HOCHSTETTER ICE-FALL</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_28" title="Page 28">28</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class="tdl">MOUNT COOK AND THE HERMITAGE</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_46" title="Page 46">46</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class="tdl">CROSSING THE HOOKER RIVER</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_48" title="Page 48">48</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class="tdl"> AORANGI FROM THE BALL GLACIER</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_50" title="Page 50">50</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class="tdl">ICE CAVE, TASMAN GLACIER</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_52" title="Page 52">52</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class="tdl"> MOUNT DE LA BÊCHE (10,021 FEET) FROM THE TASMAN GLACIER</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_54" title="Page 54">54</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class="tdl">PEAKS ON MALTE BRUN</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_58" title="Page 58">58</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class="tdl">THE TASMAN GLACIER</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_66" title="Page 66">66</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class="tdl">MOUNTAIN LILIES (<i>Ranunculus Lyallii</i>)</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_86" title="Page 86">86</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class="tdl">LOOKING ACROSS THE MURCHISON GLACIER</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_90" title="Page 90">90</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class="tdl">AORANGI FROM THE TASMAN GLACIER</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_90" title="Page 90">90</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class="tdl">THE MURCHISON GLACIER</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_92" title="Page 92">92</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class="tdl">AORANGI: THE HIGHEST PEAK</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_100" title="Page 100">100</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class="tdl">IN THE ICE-FALL OF THE ONSLOW GLACIER</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_120" title="Page 120">120</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class="tdl">THE SURFACE OF A GLACIER</td> - <td class="tdc">”</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_128" title="Page 128">128</a></td></tr> - <tr><td class="tdl">MAP</td> - <td></td> - <td class="tdr"><i>At end</i></td></tr> -</table></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p> -<h2>CHAPTER <abbr title="1">I</abbr><br /> -<small>INTRODUCTORY</small></h2> - -<p class="center1"><i>The New Zealand Alps and their glaciers</i></p> - - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">It</span> is unnecessary for me in these days of universal -education and enlightenment to describe the geographical -position of New Zealand, the ‘Britain of -the South,’ and the future playground of Australasia.</p> - -<p>Everyone knows that New Zealand consists of three -islands, situate between the 34th and 47th degrees of -south latitude, off the south-east coast of Australia. -Reference to almost any handbook of the colony will -furnish every information regarding settlement, population, -government, climate, and so on, and I do not -propose to dwell longer than is necessary on any -general matters of this nature.</p> - -<p>It is advisable, however, to describe in as brief and -concise a manner as possible the general physical -features of a country containing such varieties of -scenery and climate, more especially those of the South -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span>Island (or Middle Island as it is sometimes called), -where the High Alps and their wonderful glaciers are -situated.</p> - -<p>Speaking generally, the highest mountains of New -Zealand may be said to run in a north-easterly direction -from the southernmost point of the South Island -through the whole country, like a vast backbone, to -the north-eastern point of the North Island.</p> - -<p>The main formation of the mountains dates back to -Jurassic times, so that the geological structure may be -said to be one of great antiquity.</p> - -<p>Volcanic action has long since ceased throughout -the South Island; but there are many active volcanoes -in the North, where a perfect wonderland of hot-springs, -solfataras, and silica terraces exists.</p> - -<p>As a whole, the country is heavily timbered—more -thickly on the western parts, where the greater rainfall -occurs. This is notably the case in the South Island, -where the hot and moisture laden winds from tropical -regions are deprived by the Alpine chain of their -aqueous vapour.</p> - -<p>The Southern Alps proper may be said to extend -over a distance of about one hundred miles of the -middle part of the South Island, the chain being -situated closer to the western than the eastern ocean. -The slopes on the western side are the more precipitous, -and are clothed with heavy timber and intersected by -innumerable mountain torrents, fed in most cases by -glaciers, some of which descend to within 600 feet of -sea-level.</p> - -<p>Ranges of outlying foot-hills occur on the eastern -side, snow-covered in winter, amongst which many -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span>large glacier-fed rivers have cut their way, and meander -over the plains (probably of entirely fluviatile formation) -which slope gradually from the outer bases of -the foot-hills to the eastern ocean.</p> - -<p>The peaks of the Alps range in height from 7,000 -to 12,350 feet above sea-level, the majority of those -over 10,000 feet being contiguous to the culminating -point in altitude—Aorangi—more popularly known as -Mount Cook. Here also are found the largest glaciers.</p> - -<p>The snow-line is a low one when compared with -that of Alpine countries in the northern hemisphere -and in relative latitudes. It would be difficult to -compute its average altitude, but in parts where large -glaciers and snow-fields exist it is even as low as 5,000 -feet above sea-level.</p> - -<p>By comparison with Switzerland, for instance, it -may safely be said that the snow-line in New Zealand -is from 2,000 to 3,000 feet lower; consequently we -have the same Alpine conditions at a much lower -level. Owing to this interesting fact, we find that the -New Zealand glaciers attain far greater dimensions -than those of Switzerland, although the peaks do not -rise to such a height above sea-level.</p> - -<p>In themselves, I believe the mountains compare -favourably as to size or actual height above the valleys -below them; Aorangi, for instance, rising for nearly -10,000 feet from the Hooker Glacier, and Mount -Sefton 8,500 feet from the Mueller Glacier, whilst the -western precipices of Mount Tasman (11,475 feet) are -stupendous.</p> - -<p>The enormous length attained in remote times by -the New Zealand glaciers is evident on all hands at -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span>the lower parts of the valleys, the heads of which they -now occupy; whilst the formation of nearly all the -lakes in the South Island can be traced to the action of -ice and the deposition of terminal moraines, prior to a -period of retreat of the ice.</p> - -<p>There is an interesting feature in the glaciers of -this country peculiar to them; I refer to the deposition -of singularly extensive moraines. The lower parts -of the large glaciers on the eastern slopes are, in nearly -every instance, completely covered with accumulated -<em>débris</em> derived from the moraines. This is variously -accounted for by the antiquity of the mountain chain, -the slow rate of motion in the ice, and great denudation -from rocks which are much jointed and offer but -little resistance to the splitting powers of freezing infiltrated -water.</p> - -<p>The western glaciers I am not personally acquainted -with, but I understand that they do not carry anything -like the amount of moraine, and I imagine the cause of -the disparity will be found in a faster motion of the -ice, and (a yet more potent factor) in the dip of -the strata of the rocks, which is from east to west, -the broken faces being eastward and the slab-like -faces westward.</p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<h2>CHAPTER <abbr title="2">II</abbr><br /> -<small>THE ROUTE TO THE MOUNT COOK DISTRICT</small></h2> - -<p class="hang50center"><i>A short description of the route to the Mount Cook district, and of -the topographical features of the Mueller, Hooker, and Tasman -Valleys</i></p> - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">From</span> Timaru on the east coast the traveller may comfortably -reach the glaciers of Aorangi in a two days’ -journey.</p> - -<p>Leaving Timaru by an evening train, Fairlie Creek -(the present terminus of the railway line) is reached, -where the night is spent. Two days’ coaching then are -required to cross over Burke’s Pass into the great Mackenzie -plains, across this great ancient glacier bed, past -Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki, over the rivers of the same -names, and up the valley of the Tasman River to a comfortable -hostelry called ‘The Hermitage,’ nestling right -under the shadow of that wonderful pile of ice-clad -mountain glory, Mount Sefton.</p> - -<p>Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki may both be aptly compared -in one way to the Lake of Geneva, in that they -are of glacier origin, and purify the rivers which now -flow from the present glaciers, parting with their waters -again through channels cut in the ancient terminal -moraines which dam their respective southern shores.</p> - -<p>They are both beautiful, each in its own way—<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span> -Tekapo sunny, peaceful, and calm; Pukaki awe-inspiring -and grand—but they lack the charm of chalet and pine -tree, of vine and meadow, which so adorn the shores -of the Swiss lakes.</p> - -<p>The immediate vicinity of the road is uninteresting, -except from a geological point of view, for it winds -about amongst old moraines, whose vegetation consists -almost entirely of the brown tussock grass so general -in the South Island.</p> - -<p>Yet the geologist or student of glacier phenomena can read on -the surface the history of the formation; <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">roches moutonnées</i> -abound, and, in places, old moraines are spread over the bed rock -for miles together, whilst erratic blocks are dotted about in -various directions, evidencing how extensive has been the action -of the ice in ages gone by.</p> - -<p>Though the scenes contiguous to the road may fail to charm the -eye, the distant panoramas of the glorious Southern Alps cannot fail -to draw forth expressions of wonder from the most callous observer. -As the Hermitage is approached, and the great peaks and glaciers draw -closer and closer, the marvellous grandeur of the chain is gradually -realised.</p> - -<p>The sight of the reflection of Aorangi in Lake Tekapo, on a calm -morning, is something to remember for a lifetime. The subject has long -been a favourite one for brush and pen, but no one yet has done it -justice.</p> - -<p>A substantial bridge spans the exit of the Tekapo River, but only a -ferry stage exists at the Pukaki River where it leaves the lake. A wire -rope, 450 feet long, is thrown across the stream, to which the ferry -stage<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> floating on two punts is attached by runners. The coach and four -is driven bodily on to the stage, and by the aid of a rudder the punts -are slued so as to point across the stream diagonally. The force of the -water rushing obliquely on to the sides of the punts drives the whole -affair across in a space of about three or four minutes. This ingenious -plan is commonly adopted in the New Zealand rivers.</p> - -<p>During the months of winter it is possible to reach the Hermitage -direct from Tekapo, and thus avoid striking south to go round Lake -Pukaki, by crossing the Tasman River. During summer, however, as a -rule, this river is impassable, for it rises so fast during warm and -nor’-west weather from rain and melting snow that sometimes the whole -bed of the river—two miles wide—is a network of rushing yellow -torrents quite unfordable by man or beast.</p> - -<p>Readers of the Rev. W. S. Green’s ‘<cite>High Alps of New -Zealand</cite>’ will recollect that his conveyance found a last -resting-place in the quicksands of the Tasman. Von Lendenfeld also, -the year after Mr. Green, experienced an unhappy week’s delay on the -eastern bank of the river. I have myself narrowly escaped drowning -at the same point, and in years gone by the Tasman River has been -accountable for more than one life.</p> - -<p>The river in full flood is a sight to see; the water in places runs -fifteen knots an hour, or even more. In the rapids it is piled up in -the middle from sudden contraction of the banks, and forms crested -billows four or five feet in height, whilst now and then a block of ice -from the glacier may be seen bowling along.</p> - -<p>The ancient glacier-formed terraces of the Tasman<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span> Valley are -instructive and interesting. The highest of them are distinctly marked -all down the valley for a distance of forty miles from Sebastopol—a -large face of ice-worn rock near the Hermitage—on the eastern slopes -of the Ben Ohau Range. The story of the ancient glacier can be read as -the eye follows these strange terraces from their starting point 2,000 -feet above the valley bed, down a gentle declination to the terminus of -the Ben Ohau Range.</p> - -<p>Before going into the narrative of my five seasons’ climbing amongst -the peaks and glaciers around Aorangi, it would be as well for me to -describe, as concisely as possible, the general topography of the -Mueller, Hooker, and Tasman Glaciers.</p> - -<p>We will suppose ourselves in the main Tasman Valley, into which -all these glaciers drain, close to the point where the valley first -branches. As we look northward, Aorangi and the range running southward -for twelve miles from the main body of the mountain bound the view, -and divide the valley into two branches. Let us take the one to the -north-west first. Proceeding up this valley of the Hooker for a few -miles, we arrive at a branch valley from the left or west—the Mueller -Valley—completely occupied by the glacier of the same name. Close to -the Mueller Glacier is situated the Hermitage, presided over by Mr. F. -F. C. Huddleston, a true haven of refuge and comfort for the wearied -tourist or mountaineer.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> <a name="i_008fp.jpg" id="i_008fp.jpg"></a><img -src="images/i_008fp.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="424" /> <div -class="caption"> <p class="center"><span class="smaller">HOOKER -VALLEY AND MOUNT SEFTON FROM GOVERNOR’S CAMP</span></p> <p -class="attr-photo">[<i>Wheeler & Son, Photo.</i></p> </div> </div> - -<p>We step on to the Mueller Glacier, here completely covered by -moraine, and, turning westwards, strike up its course. On our right, -8,500 feet above us, clad in ice and snow and glittering in the -sunlight, rises the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> glorious mass of Mount Sefton, showering down -avalanches upon the glacier. On our left the shingle slips from the -rotten and crumbling crags of the Sealy Range. It is possible for -tourists who are good walkers to reach the head of this glacier, which -is seven and a half miles long and about one mile broad, in one day. -The moraine gives way to the clear ice some three miles or so from -the terminal face. Now we return and make a fresh start up the Hooker -Valley due northwards from the Hermitage.</p> - -<p>Crossing the Mueller Glacier we walk through a perfect garden of -lilies (_ranunculus Lyallii_), celmisias, ‘Spaniards,’ and an endless -variety of sub-alpine plants, for a distance of about one mile from -the northern side of the Mueller Glacier, when we come to the terminal -moraine-covered face of the Hooker Glacier.</p> - -<p>On our right rises up the bold and verdure clad snow-topped Mount -Cook Range, Mount Wakefield (6,561 feet), Mount Mabel (6,868 feet), -Mount Rosa (6,987 feet), and a nameless peak (7,540 feet) being the -principal points of interest. On our left is the northern continuation -of the ridge of Mount Sefton, known as the Moorhouse Range, part of the -main chain of the Southern Alps. Several secondary glaciers descend -from the slopes, but do not reach the bed of the valley below, which is -filled from side to side with the Hooker Glacier.</p> - -<p>Proceeding up the surface of the glacier we get on to the clear ice, -and now on either bank the mountains rise to a great height. On the -right Aorangi suddenly rears itself, from a point known as the Ball -Saddle (7,500 feet), to 12,349 feet in one stupendous rocky<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> ridge, upon -which the ice hangs wherever it can get any hold. This ridge is known -to climbers as the Great Southern _arête_, and has been found, first -by Mr. Green and secondly by myself, to be inaccessible. Right ahead -of us pour down from the highest crags the Mona, Noeline, and Empress -Glaciers, to join the Hooker, alternating with very precipitous rocky -ridges which present every appearance of being quite unscalable.</p> - -<p>Several attempts have been made by surveyors and others to reach the -saddle at the head of the Hooker, but it was only in December 1890 that -the efforts of two climbers (Mr. A. P. Harper and Mr. R. Blakiston) -were rewarded. The expedition can only be attempted with any chance of -success in the early part of the season, when the numberless crevasses -are yet covered with the winter snow.</p> - -<p>From the Hooker Glacier we turn our faces downwards to the south -again, and pay a visit to the north-eastern branch of the main Tasman -Valley.</p> - -<p>Crossing the Hooker River at the terminal point of the Mount Cook -Range, where a cage swung on a wire rope over the river now facilitates -the traveller’s passage, we strike north-eastwards up the valley.</p> - -<p>For a distance of four miles our way leads over the shingle and -boulder flats of the Tasman river-bed, here some two miles wide. -Patches of good sheep-feed consisting of tussock and cocksfoot grass -(the latter sown by an early settler) occur on the western side of the -valley, but the river as a rule washes the opposite slopes.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> <a name="i_010fp.jpg" id="i_010fp.jpg"></a><img -src="images/i_010fp.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="470" /><div -class="caption"> <p class="center"><span class="smaller">AORANGI: MOUNT -COOK AND THE HOOKER GLACIER.</span></p> <p class="attr-photo">[<i>Wheeler -& Son, Photo.</i></p> </div> </div> - -<p>Arriving at the terminal face of the glacier we strike<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> up a small -valley between the western lateral slopes of the moraine of the glacier -and the Mount Cook Range on our left, and for a distance of about seven -or eight miles force our way through dense scrub and loose boulders -from the moraine and mountain slopes, to the junction of the Ball -Glacier with the Tasman. This Ball Glacier comes from the Great -Southern _arête_ of Aorangi, and is fed almost entirely -by avalanches, there being no snow-fields—or <em>névés</em> as -they are called in Alpine parlance—of any great extent -at its head.</p> - -<p>From this point upwards we strike out on to the ice -on our right, and another seven miles or so brings us to -a further division of the valley, Mount de la Bêche -being the dividing peak. The glacier of the left-hand -or northern branch is known as the Rudolf Glacier, -whilst the main body of the Tasman stretches some -six miles further north-eastwards to the Hochstetter -Dome, where it again divides. The saddle at the head -of the left-hand branch, again, has been reached by Dr. -von Lendenfeld and by myself in our respective ascents -of the Hochstetter Dome, and commands a superb view -of the Whymper Glacier and valley, and of the Wataroa -River on the west coast. The head of the branch to -the right of the Hochstetter Dome has not yet been -reached by man.</p> - -<p>Taking a retrospective glance again at the peaks on -either hand, and commencing at the lower end of the -glacier, we have first on our right the Liebig Range till -opposite the Ball Glacier, when the <em>embouchure</em> of the -Murchison Valley occurs, followed by the Malte Brun -Range, with the main peak—the Matterhorn of New -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span>Zealand—opposite to Mount de la Bêche, then the -Darwin Glacier followed by the mountain of the same -name, and then the saddle between Mount Darwin and -the Hochstetter Dome.</p> - -<p>Now, again, on the left or western side of the great -glacier we have the Mount Cook Range for ten miles, -the Ball Glacier, Aorangi, the Hochstetter Glacier, -Mounts Tasman, Haast, Haidinger, Glacier Peak, -Mounts Spencer, Kant, Rudolf (at the head of the -Rudolf Glacier), De la Bêche, Green, and Elie de -Beaumont, the last followed by the Lendenfeld Saddle, -to which I have already referred.</p> - -<p>From Mount Tasman northwards to this saddle -all these mountains are situated in the main chain. -Aorangi itself, though popularly believed to belong to -the main divide, is in reality separated from it by a -rocky ridge and a saddle of about 10,500 feet, which -leads to the Hooker Glacier on the one hand and the -Linda on the other, both being east of the main divide. -Aorangi itself, therefore, consists of a divergent ridge, -the whole of whose drainage goes eastward.</p> - -<p>Though for some years I have believed this to be -the case, it is only quite recently that I have been able -to substantiate the belief by ocular demonstration, -when the ascent of the mountain was accomplished -by Mr. Dixon and myself. To this expedition I shall -refer later on.</p> - -<p>The reader must picture to himself the great Tasman -Glacier, nearly two miles in width and eighteen to -twenty in length, occupying the whole of the bed of -the valley, and fed on both sides by numerous tributary -ice streams from the mountains.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span></p> -<p>Of the Murchison Valley it is not necessary for me -to speak just now, as the topographical features will be -described when I come to tell the story of its exploration. -Neither is it needful to refer in further detail to -the Tasman for the same reason.</p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<h2>CHAPTER <abbr title="3">III</abbr><br /> -<small>FIRST ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI</small></h2> - -<p class="center1"><i>First impressions—Swagging—The Hochstetter Glacier—Defeat—The -perils of river crossing</i></p> - -<p class="center space-above">‘To climb steep hills requires slow pace at first.’</p> - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">It</span> was on March 24, 1886, that I left Christchurch, in -company with my cousin, Mr. C. D. Fox, on my first -visit to the great Tasman Glacier and Mount Cook, or -Aorangi.<a name="fnanchor_1_1" id="fnanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a></p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#fnanchor_1_1">[1]</a> The Maori name of Mount Cook is ‘Aorangi,’ or, more properly, -‘Ao-Rangi.’ The commonly accepted meaning of the term is ‘Sky-piercer’ -but as the Maori language admits of many varieties of translation, -each version hovering about the region of true meaning, it is only -natural that authorities should differ as to the correct construing of the -word. -</p> -<p> -One good Maori scholar, whose reputation as such is almost pre-eminent, -gives the poetical translation of ‘Light of Day’—a singularly -beautiful one, for it is the first peak to catch the morning light and the -last to show the glow of evening. -</p> -<p> -Another very well-known Maori scholar, the Rev. J. W. Stack, assures -me that the most reasonable interpretation that can be put upon the word -‘Ao-Rangi’ is ‘Scud Peak’; and this is a singularly apt one, for the prevailing -nor’-west winds always cause condensation and the gathering of -cloud-banners about the higher parts of the mountain. ‘Heaven-piercer’ -and ‘Cloud-piercer’ are also often used, but are to a certain extent -fancy names.</p></div> - -<p>I often look back now with feelings of amusement -at the audacity with which we determined to make our -first attempt to scale the great monarch of the Southern -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span>Alps, and wonder how we could have been so self-satisfied -with our own powers and confident of our -ability in undertaking such a gigantic task. I can only -suppose that it was ignorance of what lay before us, -and a clear case of ‘fools rush in where angels fear -to tread’; for when my thoughts run back over the -toils, hardships, and bitter lessons of experience undergone -during the past six years, and when I think of the -position of two completely inexperienced men (as far -as <i>true</i> Alpine work is concerned) launching straight -out into such an undertaking, my heart seems to quail -at the idea. It is true that we both had heard and -read of much Alpine work, and had been for some time -in touch with climbing-men, also we were both practised -in hill-walking and accustomed to such work as -mustering sheep, pig-hunting, and shooting over what -in England would be termed rough mountains, so that -as cragsmen we could scarcely be classed as novices. -As to any knowledge other than theoretical of the conditions -of snow and ice, however, we might be termed -tyros, though Fox had done a little scrambling on the -Swiss glaciers. Nevertheless, we had sufficient ‘cheek’ -to consider ourselves wise and strong enough to go -straight into a really difficult piece of Alpine work, -and, laughing at all discouragement, we set off for the -mountains.</p> - -<p>I have already described the customary route to -the glaciers of Mount Cook, so will not weary my -readers with a long narrative of the journey.</p> - -<p>At Timaru (four hours by rail from Christchurch) -we completed our stock of provisions, consisting of -biscuits, tinned meats, &c., and took the evening train -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span>on to Fairlie Creek (forty miles further inland), where -on arrival we hired a horse and buggy and drove to -Ashwick Station, seven miles distant on the road to the -mountains.</p> - -<p>The next day’s journey took us over Burke’s Pass -and into the Mackenzie country, past the beautiful -Lake Tekapo, and on to the ferry situate at the -southern end of Lake Pukaki.</p> - -<p>The road itself winds through bleak tussock plains, -interesting only from a geological point of view; but -all monotony of the immediate surroundings is completely -lost when one looks further afield and gazes on -the marvellous beauty of such scenes as the Southern -Alps from Lake Tekapo, or the Ben Ohau Range from -the plains. Even the most fastidious globe-trotter could -not fail to be deeply impressed with such a picture as -Aorangi from Lake Pukaki.</p> - -<p>To look at Aorangi from this approach is enough to -damp the spirit of the stoutest Alpine climber that ever -breathed, and is quite sufficient to account for the disbelief -and incredulity cherished in the mind of many -a shepherd in the Mackenzie country regarding the -possibility of ascending the peak.</p> - -<p>History repeats itself, and just as we hear of the -native mountaineers of the Himalayas, Andes, and -Caucasus discrediting ascents of glacier peaks around -whose very bases they and their ancestors have lived -and died, so we find that our own countrymen, whose -calling needs their constant presence amongst their -flocks on the lower ranges, refuse to believe that mountains -presenting such an appearance as Aorangi are in -any manner of way to be scaled.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span></p> -<p>The following day brought us to the Hermitage. -A low mist had hidden the higher peaks throughout -the day, and led to a surprise on the following morning -which I little dreamt of.</p> - -<p>I wonder if all Alpine climbers, in first ‘tasting the -sweets of climbing,’ are similarly impressed with their -initial Alpine view!</p> - -<p>No words of mine can describe the ecstasy which -seemed to pervade my whole being as on the early, -cloudless morning the wonderful picture of Mount -Sefton reared itself in indescribable sunlit grandeur -above the old bush-clad moraine close by the Hermitage. -Here, indeed, was a new and a fairy-like -world to live in. As we sat in the verandah of the -Hermitage the ice-seamed crags appeared to rise up -and up until they culminated in a long serrated and -corniced ridge, seeming almost to overhang the very -spot where we rested.</p> - -<p>A scene of mountain glory never to be forgotten, a -memory to last a lifetime!</p> - -<p>More than 8,000 feet above us were built up -those ice-clad precipices, their glaciers glinting in the -bright morning light, their avalanches tearing down the -mountain sides and waking the echoes of a hundred -ravines and valleys with their thunder.</p> - -<p>Where is the man who can describe these</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="indent4">palaces of Nature, whose vast walls</div> - <div class="verse">Have pinnacled in clouds their snowy scalps?</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>Where is the mountaineer—not the mere gymnast, but -the Nature-loving mountaineer—who can tell the -feelings of such a first impression?</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span></p> -<p>And yet even this scene seems to fade in the -memory and suffer by contrast with those of other -pictures in the New Zealand Alps, for up the Tasman -Valley, where later on in the day we wended our -way, fresh vistas of Alpine glory were unfolded to -view.</p> - -<p>Aorangi from the Hermitage is also a grand sight. -The mountain seems to possess a startling individuality -and a majestic grandeur somewhat different in -character from its worthy neighbour Mount Sefton. -The view is more distant, but the bold outline of the -peak stands out in relief against the blue of the heavens, -and rears a face of glacier-clad precipices to a height of -10,000 feet above the Hooker Valley at the mountain -foot. Light clouds float about the peak and lend an -ethereal air to its beauty, imparting a fairy-like, floating -appearance to the peak itself. At other times the outlines -are apparently clear cut against the sky, giving an -air of lasting and monumental dignity, and conveying -the idea of stability from past ages to ages to come.</p> - -<p>After an early lunch, and accompanied by Mr. -Huddleston (the landlord of the Hermitage), and one of -his men, we started off for the Tasman Glacier. The -first part of the way leads down over stony flats to the -termination of the Mount Cook Range, and at this -point the Hooker River is crossed.</p> - -<p>On this occasion we double-banked over on horse-back -without much difficulty; but very often the Hooker -River is quite impassable with horses, the torrent being -confined in a narrow boulder bed of about 200 feet -in width, which in flood time, during the warmer months -of spring and summer, is quite filled with a roaring -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span>torrent, often bearing down with it blocks of ice from -the Mueller and Hooker Glaciers above.</p> - -<p>Turning in a north-easterly direction round the end -of the range we shaped our course up the Tasman -Valley, and in two hours’ time from the Hermitage -arrived at the terminal face of the great glacier, which -fills the whole of the valley from side to side, a width -of about two miles. Here, then, the hard work was -about to begin, for the horses could not proceed further, -and it was necessary to carry everything from this -point on our own backs.</p> - -<p>Ah! good reader, have you ever carried a swag, -a <i>real</i> swag—not a Swiss knapsack—but a real, -torturing, colonial swag? When you take it up and -sling it on your back in the orthodox fashion you -remark: ‘Yes; I think it <i>does</i> weigh fifty pounds.’ In -ten minutes your estimate of its weight has doubled. -In an hour you begin to wonder why Nature has -been so foolish as to make men who will carry swags; -bad language seems to slip out ‘quite in a casual -way,’ and you begin to bend forward and do the ‘lift.’ -But the ‘lift’ does not seem to fulfil quite all that is -said in its praise, for soon the torturing burden settles -down again and drags on to your shoulders more -heavily than ever. After a bit of nice balancing over -loose moraine the swag triumphs. Down you go, and -the wretched thing worries you, whilst you bark your -fingers and swear horribly, bruising your knees and -shins, and cursing the day on which you saw the light -of a hard and feelingless world. You recover and repeat -the performance as before, and by the time your day’s -work is done you find out to your own demonstrated -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span>satisfaction that the burden <i>weighs at least five hundred-weight</i>. -You sling it off and give it a malicious kick, -with the result that you break a thermometer or some -such delicate instrument. Then you try to walk, but -stagger about like a drunken man; there is no small to -your back, your back tendons are puffy and tired like -those of an old horse, your head swims, and your eye is -dim. Patience and rest, however, gradually bring you -round, and soon you regain strength and spirits in -feeling that at least you have conquered a day’s -difficulties and have brought your board and lodging -so far with you.</p> - -<p>Ah! think of it, you knapsack mountaineers, you -feather-bed Swiss mountaineers, with your tracks, your -hotels, your guides, your porters, and your huts. No; -this New Zealand work is not like yours.</p> - -<p>But then, you see, we are enjoying what you cannot -get. Exploring and opening out virgin fields, learning -to be our own guides—and porters—from that best of -masters—hard experience.</p> - -<p>We struck up the little valley which here exists -between the lateral moraine on our right and the hill -on our left, and toiled on amidst dense scrub so -gnarled and matted that we could at times walk on -it as on a spring bed, though now and then going -through, of course. The scrub alternated with slopes of -loose strips of moraine. By evening we reached a little -blue lake which feeds the creek issuing from the valley’s -mouth, and here we pitched our tent for the night.</p> - -<p>The sub-Alpine vegetation here is interesting and -varied. Wild Irishman (<i lang="mi" xml:lang="mi">te matakuru</i> of the natives or -<em>matagowrie</em> of the shepherds), Spaniards, with leaves -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span>like carving-knives and points like needles, having -stalks sometimes eight or ten feet high; stunted totara, -many varieties of veronica, celmisias with large marguerite -daisy-like flowers, the beautiful white ranunculus, -and a hundred bushes and creepers all mixed up in the -most glorious confusion amid rocks sometimes covered -with slippery moss, over and amongst which it is anything -but pleasant to force one’s way. The mountain -sides are clothed almost up to the snow-line with beech, -totara, ribbon-wood, veronica, and other trees, the -rich foliage being beautifully varied; but not having -sufficient time to cut bedding, we spent an uncomfortable -night. The first evening is always the worst in -camp. In the morning we continued our rough journey -up the valley and our struggle with the ‘worrying’ -swag.</p> - -<p>Soon we discovered traces of fires and old camps, -and we knew we were on the tracks of Green’s and Von -Lendenfeld’s parties. An hour for dinner under a -splendid waterfall, and more toiling onwards, till at last -we were over the last boulder-face from the mountain -on our left, with the Ball Glacier in full view. Fox, -bending down, picked up a portion of an old veil, -shortly after I found a goggle box, then came a tomahawk -lying on a rock, then the historical tent poles of -Mr. Green, and we knew we had reached ‘Green’s -fifth camp.’</p> - -<p>Off came the swags, and right glad we were to be -done with them. If a man were only built on the -same lines as a Mount Cook grasshopper he might ‘stand -some show’ in those parts, for these insects are the most -accomplished rock acrobats, jumping twenty or thirty -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span>times their own length at a spring, landing on their -heads or anyhow with a bang, and squaring up for the -next jump as coolly as cucumbers.</p> - -<p>We found many relics of Green’s and of Von Lendenfeld’s -parties, amongst them a surveyor’s chain, -which, with Green’s tent poles, we have for the last five -seasons used to pitch our tents.</p> - -<p>Scarcely were we made snug for the night when -down came a terrific nor’-wester, blowing with fearful -violence, making the tent boom and shake till we -expected it to blow to ribbons. Rain poured down, -thunder, lightning, and avalanches all lent their aid, -and the elements seemed to be having a generally rowdy -time of it. All this, of course, meant snow on the -higher peaks; our spirits fell to zero very quickly, and -we gave up all hope of tackling Aorangi for at least -a day or two.</p> - -<p>The nor’-wester is the <em>Föhn</em> wind of New Zealand, -similar in character to the <em>Föhn</em> winds of Switzerland -or the <em>Pampiero</em> of the Andes. Warm air laden with -moisture travels from the equatorial and Australian -waters, till, striking the range of the Southern Alps, -precipitation ensues, the wind descending on to the -eastern plains dry and hot.</p> - -<p>Having studied Von Lendenfeld’s map of the Tasman -Glacier and its surrounding peaks made in 1883 we -knew our whereabouts; but as yet we had not seen the -peak of Mount Cook, having been toiling up close under -the eastern flank of the range, which continues from the -peak proper for a distance of ten or twelve miles in a -south-easterly direction.</p> - -<p>The morning broke beautifully clear, and we were -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span>early aroused by some inquisitive keas, or mountain -parrots, which perched on the tent and set up an unearthly -screeching. These birds are ridiculously amusing -and tame, and we frequently replenished our larder with -them by the aid of a shanghai, or common schoolboy’s -catapult, with which instrument of warfare I have the -rather questionable credit of being somewhat of an adept. -When I think of the savoury fries and stews which the -shanghai has brought to our camp table—the table -being usually a rock or a large lily leaf—I begin to be -reconciled to the haunting regrets for apple-destroying -and window-smashing which so often beguiled the -tedium of a scholastic career.</p> - -<p>We determined not to attempt any climbing so -soon after the storm, but set out to reconnoitre the -route taken by Mr. Green.</p> - -<p>Mounting the steep lateral moraine of the Ball -Glacier we were soon across it and on to the clear -ice of the Hochstetter stream beyond, and felt the -joyful crunching of our well-nailed boots as we tramped -along over the uneven surface.</p> - -<p>There is something exhilarating in this setting foot -on the clear ice after days of clambering over cruel -rocks, something that seems to thrill one as the nails -go ‘crunch, crunch’ and give such grand foothold, -a cheerful ring in the clink of the ice-axes, a peculiar -charm in the tinkle of the little surface streams, a sense -of peace and loveliness in all around, an inspiration of -awe and grandeur in the glorious masses of mountains -which rear their hoary heads for thousands of feet -above, whilst over all there seems to hang an invisible -and imperious over-ruling and omnipotent Power -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span>directing the marvellous workings of Nature. Here -man may feel his littleness and his unworthiness, and -yet with Byron he feels what is so beautifully expressed -in ‘Childe Harold’—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse">I live not in myself, but I become</div> - <div class="verse">Portion of that around me; and to me</div> - <div class="verse">High mountains are a feeling.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>The Hochstetter Glacier is one of the most impressive -and beautiful sights in the Southern Alps. -Its supplies come even from the very summits of -Aorangi and Mount Tasman, the two noblest mountains -in Australasia. Avalanches from the eastern and -northern slopes of Aorangi descend to a large ice -plateau situate at an altitude of 8,000 feet. From -between the great north-eastern spur of Aorangi and -the southern slopes of Mount Tasman the Linda Glacier -issues also into this plateau; it was discovered and -named by Mr. Green. From the eastern slopes of -Mount Tasman and the southern flanks of Mount -Haast avalanches also descend to the plateau, which -must be some ten or twelve square miles in area. -This plateau has but one outlet—the fall of the Hochstetter -Glacier. Viewed from below, the frozen cascade -tumbles in the wildest confusion over a precipice of -4,000 feet to join the Tasman Glacier at an altitude -of 4,000 feet (roughly speaking), and presents a most -wonderful appearance. The fall at the top is probably -about a mile and a half in width, narrowing to one -mile at its foot, and the ice is broken up into <em>séracs</em>, -cubes, pinnacles, and towers of all shapes and sizes, -intersected by crevasses of the divinest bluish-green -colour, and each pinnacle crested with a white cap of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span>unconsolidated snow. One enormous rock protrudes -through the ice in its southern and lower portion, -crowned with toppling <em>séracs</em> 200 or 300 feet in -height, which at regular intervals fall over the face -of the rock and descend in magnificent avalanches. -First comes a report like a pistol shot, then follows -an almighty crash accompanied by clouds of snow and -ice dust, succeeded by a low rumbling thunder as the -blocks expend their impetus on the gentler slope below, -and finally settle down again into solid ice, to continue -their journey of centuries towards the terminal face of -the glacier nine miles down the valley. Above the fall -stand out, in bold relief against the clear sky, the giant -forms of Aorangi and Tasman.</p> - -<p>To stand before this wonderful piece of Nature’s -work and gaze on the weird and fascinating forms of -the attendant peaks is an experience not to be forgotten.</p> - -<p>The awful and solemn silence of the mountains, -broken only now and again by the crash and thunder -of an ice avalanche or the screech of a solitary kea, -the complete desolation, the loneliness and remoteness -from the haunts of men, all tend to inspire one with -deep thoughts and feelings. One line in Walter C. -Smith’s ‘Hilda’ expresses more than pages of mine -would do—</p> - -<p class="center">The silence of the mountains spoke unutterable things.</p> - -<p>In two hours’ time we were across the glacier and -on the point of the ridge descending from Mount Haast, -which bounds the northern side of the ice-fall. We -began the ascent of the ridge amongst snow-grass and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span>lilies, but soon the vegetation gave way to rockwork, -and when a height of about 5,000 feet was attained we -made sure that this was our correct route, and, mist -coming on, we descended again, and reached our Ball -Glacier camp in the evening.</p> - -<p>We resolved to make our attempt on the peak -early the following morning, and accordingly, at 5 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> -packed our swags, containing ‘tucker’ for three days, -spirit lamp, blanket, opossum rug, mackintoshes, instruments, -a change of warm clothing, &c., intending -that night to find a bivouac at 8,000 feet if -possible.</p> - -<p>Starting at 5.20 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> we crossed the Ball Glacier in -the very dim light of a waning moon, and were on the -Hochstetter ice at peep of day, and making good time -across, reached the point of the Haast spur in an hour -and three-quarters. A thick mist hung over us, and -we waited for an hour for it to lift, amusing ourselves -by smoking and botanising, and watching the antics of -some queer little wrens. These birds are absurd-looking -little creatures with long legs and longer toes, -plump buff-coloured breasts, no tails, staring little -eyes, and look for all the world like boiled potatoes -with their jackets on, set up on hairpins and let loose -on the rocks.</p> - -<p>As the mist cleared we tackled the ascent, and -found it pretty stiff work, although we had snow-grass -to assist us for some way up; but the rocks above this -began to show signs of rottenness, and much care was -required to avoid dislodging them. We made good -progress to about 5,000 feet, when we were quite -baffled for a time, and were forced to leave the main -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span><em>arête</em> and look for a more promising route on our right. -Here we proceeded cautiously, crawling through a -narrow niche in some overhanging rocks with a -precipice of some hundreds of feet below. Then the -climbing improved till our view upwards was bounded -by an indefinite saddle in the rocks, which might -have led to anywhere, but which did lead, as we -subsequently found out, to the easy snow slopes -above.</p> - -<p>As the day advanced small falls of stone occurred, -which caused some annoyance and danger, but we -managed to avoid being struck by any. Then followed -another stretch of rotten rock which Fox absolutely -declined to tackle, and as it could not be turned by a -détour we were brought up on this route.</p> - -<p>Fox suggested descending again to cross a large -glacier coming down from the ridge on our right, and -trying the rocks on its opposite side. This plan we -eventually carried out, but it was a fatal mistake as -far as climbing Aorangi was concerned. Descending -for about 1,000 feet we stepped on to the ice of what -we then thought was the lower part of the Linda -Glacier—owing to a strange error in Von Lendenfeld’s -map—but which in reality was the Freshfield -Glacier. We put on the rope and our goggles, both -indispensable in crossing such a snow-covered ice -stream.</p> - -<p>On taking to the rocks on the other side we soon -gained the lowest ice slopes, covered with six or eight -inches of snow in splendid order, and adhering well to -the ice; now and then we took to the rocks, but -climbed mostly by the snow slopes till we reached the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span>crest of the ridge and looked over a precipice to -Mount Haidinger and the Haast Glacier below.</p> - -<p>It was now 11 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span>, and after a short rest, upon my -suggesting a move upwards, Fox said that he did not -fancy the rocks above—which certainly did look bad—and -counselled a retreat. Of course I was disappointed, -and reluctant to give up the attempt so soon, yet there -did seem to be no end to the difficulties above, and -experience has since taught me that Fox was wise in -his counsel, for it was indeed simple madness for two -greenhorns to tackle such work.</p> - -<p>I soon forgot my troubles in gazing on the scene -which burst upon us as we gained the ridge. Below -lay the major part of the Haast Glacier, descending in -a similar manner to the Hochstetter ice-fall from the -corniced <em>arête</em> of Mount Haidinger, a marvellous mass -of <em>sérac</em> ice. A long rest here, and a resolve to revisit -the locality during the next season with a stronger -party, and we began the descent.</p> - -<p>My first experience of glissading on the snow slopes -below was decidedly amusing; but the art is easily -acquired, and after the inevitable spill or two one soon -gets into the way of putting one’s axe directly behind -and not at the side, as is the first impulse. Many -and many a good slide have I enjoyed during the -last six years, and I know no more exhilarating sensation.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_028fp.jpg" id="i_028fp.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_028fp.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="476" /> -<div class="caption"> - <p class="center"><span class="smaller">MOUNT TASMAN (11,475 FEET) AND THE HOCHSTETTER ICE-FALL</span></p> - <p class="attr-photo">[<i>Wheeler & Son, Photo.</i></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p>In winter time, on the front ranges, we have sometimes -made glissades of 2,000 to 3,000 feet without a -stop, and on one occasion, in crossing the Mount Cook -Range, Mr. Arthur Harper and I glissaded close on to -4,000 feet with only occasional stoppages for crevasses.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span></p> -<p>Reaching the bottom of the slopes we made an -examination of the Haast Glacier at its junction with -the Tasman, which disclosed a terribly crevassed stream, -the ice appearing like the leaves of a half-opened book, -the alternating crevasses occupying by far the greater -space. There ensued an aggravating scramble over the -moraine, followed by a weary trudge across the ice of -the Hochstetter, and we reached our camp at the Ball -Glacier by nightfall.</p> - -<p>Sleep visited our wearied eyelids that night and had -never seemed so sweet, but the morning broke raining -and stormy, and as it was from the nor’-west and looked -like continuing, we determined to make homewards for -the Hermitage at once.</p> - -<p>Then ensued the awful scramble down between the -moraine and the mountain side with those terrible -swags, but, being by this time in good trim, we arrived -at the terminal face of the glacier in four hours and a -quarter, a distance which occupied Mr. Green with -Emil Boss and Ulrich Kaufmann thirteen hours in -coming down in their final retreat.</p> - -<p>On reaching the Hooker, we found the river running -strongly and rising fast with the nor’-west rain, but -after some looking about discovered a possible ford -where the river anastomosed into four branches, and -steadying ourselves with our ice-axes, waded through -the torrent. Cold! Cold was no word for it, and the -force of the current was terrible as it rushed over an -uneven and treacherous bed of boulders.</p> - -<p>But we got through safely, and soon the Hermitage, -our haven of refuge, was in sight, and we struck up the -shingle flats at a merry pace, reaching our destination -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span>in seven hours and a quarter from the Ball Glacier -camp.</p> - -<p>On returning from the Hermitage we thought, by -crossing the Tasman River and driving down the opposite -bank, to avoid driving round Lake Pukaki, and so -to save thirty miles of travelling. As a rule the river -is not crossable in the summer months, but on this -occasion we were assured of the practicability of getting -over; and leaving the track at Birch Hill Station, we -drove out into the great expanse of shingle which forms -the river-bed.</p> - -<p>We had crossed all the streams but the last, and -were within a few yards of the further bank of that, -when our horse, poor old Nipper, sank in a quicksand, -and as soon as the current caught his body we saw it -was all up. The horse and buggy got broadside on to -the current, and quick as thought we jumped for it, -just as the conveyance was turning over for the first -time, Fox down-stream and I up.</p> - -<p>The first thing I knew was that I was being washed -into the bottom parts of the buggy, then sideways up, -but struggling out and gaining a footing, the first -impulse was to whip out my pocket-knife and cut the -horse free, and, in my haste, both blades were broken -before a stitch of the harness was cut. Fox, in the -meanwhile, recovered his feet, and was holding Nipper’s -head above water as we all moved gradually down-stream -with the force of the current, the horse and -buggy rolling over and over. With Fox’s knife I was -more successful, and cut the horse free. Fortunately we -were being washed into shallower water on a spit of -shingle, and we were able to wade out with the horse, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span>after which we returned to extricate the buggy, which -had come to a standstill on its side, and was fast being -silted up with moving shingle. It required all our -strength to free it, and in doing so one of the wheels -‘buckled.’</p> - -<p>I have no doubt that we presented an amusing and -half-drowned appearance as we stood on the bank and -called the roll. All that was missing was my mackintosh, -a mat, and whip.</p> - -<p>Then we jumped on our buckled wheel till it sprang -back into its normal shape, and splicing up the harness, -wended our way back across the minor streams to the -track at Birch Hill, wetter, sadder, and wiser men.</p> - -<p>We reached Pukaki Ferry an hour after dark and -Fairlie Creek the next evening, where we found the -township in a state of jollification over the annual race-meeting. -Most of the New Zealand country townships -boast of their annual race-meeting, the racing lasting -one day, and the whisky part of the proceedings generally -running into three.</p> - -<p>Then we took the train for Christchurch.</p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<h2>CHAPTER <abbr title="4">IV</abbr><br /> -<small>SECOND ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI</small></h2> - -<p class="center1"><i>A Flooded Camp in the Tasman Valley—Hard Struggles with<br /> -Bad Fortune—We reach Green’s Bivouac</i></p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse">If at first you don’t succeed,</div> - <div class="verse">Try, try, try again.—<i>Nursery Rhyme.</i></div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">During</span> the winter following my first essay at Alpine -climbing I was not idle, but made several pig-hunting -excursions amongst the foot-hills in North Canterbury, -in addition to which, with a companion in the shape of -an old friend and schoolfellow, Mr. M. J. Dixon, I made -the ascent of Mounts Torlesse (6,434 feet) and Puketeraki -(5,780 feet) at a time when these mountains were -snow-covered to within 2,000 feet of their respective -bases.</p> - -<p>The former ascent was accomplished in the face of -a nor’-west gale, and well I remember how we had -sometimes to lie down on the snow and hold on to our -sticks to avoid being blown clean away. We have -twice since climbed this peak under similar conditions, -and I never remember the wind blowing with such force -as it does on Mount Torlesse.</p> - -<p>It was on February 1, 1887, that Messrs. M. J. -Dixon, C. H. Inglis, and myself left Christchurch for a -second try at Aorangi.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span></p> -<p>We were now well equipped for the attack, having -obtained 160 feet of Alpine rope, three good ice-axes -from M. Fritz Boss of Grindelwald, and suitable nails -for our boots. Inglis had his camera and two dozen -plates.</p> - -<p>On arriving at the Hermitage we found that the -Hooker River was up and quite impassable for horses, -consequently we were forced to cross the Mueller -Glacier by the Hermitage, walk up the Hooker Valley, -and cross the terminal face of that glacier on to the -western slopes of the Mount Cook Range, after which -we worked our way down the river till opposite the -Hermitage again, where a length of fencing wire was -thrown across the torrent by which we were able to -take our swags over.</p> - -<p>The roar of the torrent was deafening, and oral -communication across was quite impossible. The wire -on our side was made fast eight or ten feet above the -water, and on the other about twenty feet. Three -cheers were given us by the party of tourists on the -other bank, to which we replied, and then we were cut -off from the haunts of men for a week, and thrown -quite on our own resources for clothing, food, and -shelter—board and lodging, in fact.</p> - -<p>Then came the arranging of swags, adjustment of -carriers, &c., and we soon discovered that we had all -we could carry—over 50 lbs. each. Then followed the -toiling down the steep bank of the river to reach the -end of the range, in the piping heat and glaring sun, -now and then having to ascend the slopes to avoid the -river, which rushed along close to the rocks.</p> - -<p>At one place in particular we experienced some -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span>difficulty, having to resort to the use of the rope to -climb a ditch or <em>couloir</em> in the rock-face where the -river boiled past at a terrific pace. Here the camera -was accidentally dropped, and falling down fifty feet or -so, lodged on a ledge which overhung the water. -Strange to say, when recovered it was found to be quite -uninjured!</p> - -<p>By dint of continued exertion and considerable -expenditure of adipose tissue we at last turned the end -of the range, and upon reaching the first water as we -struck up the Tasman Valley, boiled the ‘billy’ and -made a good lunch.</p> - -<p>The wind now began to rise from the nor’-west, and -clouds of dust were sweeping down the valley, so we -lost no time in pressing on to a patch of Irishman -scrub a mile or so below the terminal face of the -glacier. We hurriedly cut some bedding and pitched -the tent before the rain came on, in rather close -proximity to an old creek-bed, which had apparently -been dry for some time.</p> - -<p>That creek made up for lost time during the -night, and soon the rain came down in bucketsful as -we lay our wearied limbs to rest in our oiled calico -blanket-bags. The thunder crashed and the lightning -flashed, and the Tasman River began to roar, and by -one o’clock such a quantity of rain had fallen as to -convert the dry creek-bed into a roaring torrent, whose -waters threw up a bank of shingle, and, turning its -course (horror of all horrors!), came right into our -tent. In less than a minute from the time that we felt -the first trickle there was a foot of water in the tent, -and all our impedimenta of every description were -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span>sopping or floating about in the dark, and in imminent -danger of being washed away.</p> - -<p>Hurriedly we collected all we could into our -blanket-bags, got into our boots somehow, and made -for higher ground. We could not see a rise in the -ground, but after wading about found a small portion -out of water, and, with much strong language and -trouble, succeeded in repitching the tent—after a -fashion.</p> - -<p>Ah! well do we remember the miseries and discomforts -of the scene. Wind blowing in fitful gusts, -rain coming down in sheets, while thunder and lightning -and the incessant roar of the Tasman all tended to -make the scene one of terror and discomfort. Matches -nearly all destroyed; bread reduced to a state of pulp; -blankets and clothes wet; instruments, boots, ropes, -ice-axes muddled up anywhere, some in the tent, some -being silted up or washed away from the spot where -the tent was first pitched; the floor of the tent now -hard, wet stones, in lieu of comfortable, dry tussock. -Oh, the misery of it!</p> - -<p>We lay in our wet clothes the rest of that night, all -the following day, and the next night. Inglis and I -scarcely stirred but to eat some disgusting, soppy -mixture or to light our pipes; but Dixon pluckily -rigged up a break-wind with an old tent left by the -Birch Hill shepherds, and after three hours’ persistent -labour kindled a fire, improvising a chimney out of -a pair of white flannel trousers and sundry other -garments!</p> - -<p>We were quite hemmed in by water, and were in a -constant state of anxiety lest the river should make -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span>depredations in our direction, as it was quite close to -us, whilst in the creek on the other side we could hear -the rocks being rolled down by the force of water.</p> - -<p>Nine inches of rain had fallen during the forty-eight -hours, but on the Sunday it cleared, and once -again the warm sun shone out, the clouds drifted away -from the mountains, the birds began to sing, and the -waters subsided as quickly as they had risen, and our -spirits rose again as we spread out our wet belongings -on the scrub and donned a shirt, hat, and a pair of -boots apiece, and set out for a visit to the scene of -devastation at the face of the glacier whence the river -issues. The costume was airy but convenient, as we -had to cross several streams before reaching our destination.</p> - -<p>We were well rewarded for our walk, for a wonderful -sight was presented where the river flows out from -the glacier. For a distance of half a mile from the face -the banks of the main stream were strewn with blocks of -ice of all sizes up to twelve or fifteen feet in thickness. -At one spot the river rushed in mad violence from a -great cavern of ice; in another it rose as from a geyser -from under the ice, sending up a large column of water -to a height of six or eight feet.</p> - -<p>It was quite a new sensation to be dry again, but -that night rheumatism screwed my joints, and some -venomous insect bit my shoulder, causing intense pain -for a short time.</p> - -<p>While the rain continued we had all thought of -falling back on the Hermitage as soon as we were -able, but a bright sunny morning caused us to change -our plans and forge ahead for the Ball Glacier -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span>camp, weakened though we were in strength and -supplies.</p> - -<p>Already we felt that our chance of ascending -Aorangi was gone, for the snow lay thick on the upper -peaks and avalanches were of common occurrence; yet -we doggedly pushed on, determined not to turn without -a struggle.</p> - -<p>Leaping from rock to rock, avoiding the scrub and -Spaniards by sticking to the moraine slopes, and scrambling -over great <em>tali</em> of boulders which came from the -mountain sides, by evening we reached our destination -(the Ball Glacier), and finding the surveyor’s chain, -tent poles, and hatchet—left by Fox and myself the -previous season—in good order, we quickly had a -comfortable camp pitched. A small army of mountain -parrots or keas soon assembled, and the unerring -shanghai procured grilled kea for supper.</p> - -<p>Next morning broke gloriously fine, and by 7 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> -we were away with blanket-bags, three days’ ‘tucker,’ -and a change of warm clothing, intending to reach -Green’s bivouac on the Haast Ridge that evening, -and to make a final dash at Aorangi on the day -following.</p> - -<p>Once again we plunged into all those pleasures and -joys of mountaineering. Again we felt the clear ice of -the beautiful Hochstetter Glacier crunch under our iron-shod -feet. Now we were away from all the hum-drum -cares of life, from the misery of flooded camps, in the -free mountain air, with the stupendous ice-falls and the -majestic peaks all around. We seemed to breathe a -heavenly atmosphere, to live a new life in another and -a better world. Where is the man who can come into -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span>contact with these surroundings and not be better in -body and soul?</p> - -<p>We reached the foot of the Haast Ridge by 9.30, -and here we debated as to whether we should tackle -Aorangi after all, or try De la Bêche, further up the -glacier (which peak would be an easier ascent and -command a magnificent view of both eastern and -western glacier systems). Aorangi it was, however, -we had come to tackle, and so, again shouldering our -swags, we went at the ridge.</p> - -<p>We kept to the crest of the spur and found the -climbing very simple, for a thousand feet amongst lilies -and snow-grass; but after that the real business -amongst rotten and precipitous rock ridges and faces -commenced, and we had to put on the rope. At this -time none of us were very proficient in the use of the -rope, but we soon began to value the assistance it -affords and to appreciate the assurance it inspires.</p> - -<p>It was not until 5 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span> that we reached the top of -the ridge, where we soon discovered Green’s bivouac, -not far from which spot we determined to spend the -night.</p> - -<p>All the way up we had been climbing with the -Hochstetter ice-fall on our left, and had been favoured -with the grandest views of Aorangi, which looked -absolutely impregnable; but as our view of the Linda -Glacier and the Great Plateau was shut off by the -upper part of the Haast Ridge, we could not see the -route which we were bent on following.</p> - -<p>Here I may remark that the route by which -Mr. Green, and subsequently Dixon and myself -climbed the mountain cannot be seen from any distant -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span>point. I refer, of course, to the upper part of the -route above the Haast Ridge. Even the plateau is so -shut in as to be invisible from any distant point, except -from the peaks of the Malte Brun Range on the opposite -side of the valley.</p> - -<p>Scraping away all the larger stones from under an -overhanging rock and building a semicircular break-wind, -we dug holes for our hips (one gets very sore -in hard beds of this nature if such a precaution -be neglected), wriggled into our blanket-bags, boiled -a pannikin of Liebig, and slept like tops till the -morning.</p> - -<p>The rosy fingers of the morn had just opened the -gates of day as our heads emerged from the apertures -of our bags, and showed one of the most magnificent -panoramas of Alpine wonder which it has been my lot -to view.</p> - -<p>Three thousand feet below us lay the Tasman Glacier -with its marvellous stream of pure ice, on our right the -Hochstetter ice-fall, on which we could look down and -view with wonder its chaos of <em>séracs</em> and crevasses, the -ice-clad precipices of Aorangi rising heavenwards from -it in bold ruggedness. Down the valley to the south-west -the grey moraine, with the meandering river still -further afield. Across the valley the rocky peaks of -the Liebig and Malte Brun Ranges with their hanging -glaciers, and right opposite to us Malte Brun himself, a -pyramid of red rock, flanked by ice and snow slopes, -standing out clearly against the morning sky like a -great grim castle, and looking quite safe from any -assault of man—on this side at all events. Following -round the panorama to the northwards, Mount Darwin -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span>sends its one great glacier sweeping down into the main -stream; then the Hochstetter Dome stands at the head -of the Tasman Glacier itself, and westward rise the -noble summits of Mounts Elie de Beaumont, Green, and -De la Bêche—the last a most beautiful triple peak, -queen of the whole group, and over 10,000 feet in -height. Still following round, the eye falls on the -Rudolf Glacier descending from the peak of the same -name, then Mounts Jervois, Spencer, Glacier Peak, and -lastly Mount Haidinger, a fine flat-topped mountain -clothed from base to summit in broken ice.</p> - -<p>Behind us lay Mount Tasman (11,475 feet), invisible -over the higher parts of the spur on which we were -now situated. From our coign of vantage we counted -twenty-five tributary glaciers of the Tasman, some with -ice-falls, others joining with graceful curve.</p> - -<p>We congratulated ourselves that all our weary toil -and hard swagging had not been fruitless, and felt quite -compensated for the miseries we had gone through at -the lower camp, though the main object of our visit, we -feared, was about to be defeated in a very short time. -We pulled ourselves together, put on the rope, and -resolved to make some pretence of a fight for it.</p> - -<p>After an hour’s work we reached the highest rocks, -then there came a dip on to a snow saddle, beyond -which, again, snow slopes lead on to the final summit of -the spur which hid the Great Plateau.</p> - -<p>But it was not to be; for whenever we went on to -snow we sank waist-deep, and struggled in vain to make -any headway. Here, then, we were beaten, and planting -our Christ’s College flag in the highest rocks, gave it -three cheers for the old school days, and depositing a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span>bottle with the record of our ascent, turned our backs -on the grim giant Aorangi, and began to go down.</p> - -<p>We struck a better route down by going into some -<em>couloirs</em> north of the <em>arête</em> of the spur, and reached the -Ball Glacier camp again, going down the following day -to the Hermitage, after crossing the Hooker by the kind -assistance of a shepherd from Birch Hill. The Hooker -River had risen to such an extent during the rain storm -as to carry away the wire on which we had slung our -swags across. The camera was warped with the wet -at the lower camp, whilst the plates were anything -but ‘dry’ after the storm, so photography was altogether -a failure in this excursion.</p> - -<p>In the winter time we amused ourselves with -another ascent of Mount Torlesse.</p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<h2>CHAPTER <abbr title="5">V</abbr><br /> -<small>THIRD ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI</small></h2> - -<p class="center1"><i>Photography on the Tasman Glacier—Attempt to scale Mount<br /> -De la Bêche</i></p> - - -<p class="center">Where rose the mountains, there to him were friends.—<em>Childe Harold.</em></p> - - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">It</span> is a thousand pities that the ennobling pursuit of -mountaineering is so neglected in this wonderland of -peaks and glaciers. Such advantages as we enjoy -surely cannot exist much longer without calling out the -spirit which lies dormant in hundreds of the lovers of -adventure and worshippers of the beautiful in Nature, -who live on in our midst from day to day in a conventional -and monotonous round.</p> - -<p>There are pleasures in the pursuit of adventure -amongst the great snow-fields and glaciers which only -those who are initiated can thoroughly enjoy.</p> - -<p>Ask the man who goes climbing what these pleasures -are, and he cannot tell you, he cannot define them—yet -he feels them, and they are ever luring him on. They -are indefinite, inexpressible; but there is a sort of -‘mountain fever’ which comes when one has once ‘lost -one’s heart to the great mountains.’ In the work all a -man’s best physical, and many of his mental, powers are -brought out and strengthened. There is the energy, -perseverance, and patience to last through a long day’s -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span>swagging, the pluck to face all sorts of dangers amongst -the snow, ice, and rocks, combined with the prudence -to know when, for the safety of oneself and the party, -to give in and restrain enthusiasm. There are the -qualities of organisation and system, for which plenty of -exercise is found; indeed, one cannot overrate the -benefits which accrue.</p> - -<p>Let any who have indulged in different branches of -athletics put their swags on their backs and go for a -mountain climb, and I venture to say that there are -greater opportunities for bringing their frames into good -going order and testing their muscular abilities than -can be met with in any school of athletics.</p> - -<p>I have known men in England who have revelled in -all our great national games, but who invariably put -mountaineering at the head of the list after once having -tasted the sweets of climbing and been captivated by -the charms of the world above the snow-line.</p> - -<p>To the artistic what do not the mountains offer? To -the botanist, the geologist, the naturalist, the athlete, -and even to the invalid? The strange new world one -enters in sub-Alpine regions, the ‘foretaste of heaven’ -one seems to get above the snow-line.</p> - -<p>In out-of-the-way New Zealand we have all these -benefits at hand, and yet we leave the opening out and -exploration of our great glacier systems to foreigners -and to visitors from distant lands.</p> - -<p>But this is digressive, and I must tell the story of -our third visit to the Tasman Glacier.</p> - -<p>On the evening of March 23, 1889, the visitors at -the Hermitage were suddenly moved to compassion, -mingled with no small amount of amusement, in behold<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span>ing -through the fast-falling snow-flakes the arrival of a -dog-cart and tandem.</p> - -<p>The leader of the team, a big chestnut draught-mare, -seemed to be doing all the work, and pulling along -wheeler, cart and all. The travel-worn and weary -occupants of the vehicle were Mr. M. J. Dixon and -myself, and we had taken French leave for Mr. -Huddleston’s chestnut at Birch Hill, six miles down -the road from the Hermitage, our leader having almost -given in after a 250-mile journey from Christchurch.</p> - -<p>Another bold, would-be mountaineer, Mr. P. H. -Johnson, accompanied us with the knocked-up leader, -and following in the coach was Mr. F. Cooper, a photographic -operator from Messrs. Wheeler and Son of -Christchurch, who was to join our party for a week’s -work amongst the scenes of the Tasman Glacier.</p> - -<p>The morning of the 24th revealed the flats around -the Hermitage all snow-covered, and the day was -devoted to completing preparations for a fortnight’s -camp on the glacier.</p> - -<p>On the 25th, the weather improving, our party left -the Hermitage, being joined by James Annan and -William Low, the former a boundary keeper on the -rabbit fence, the latter engaged to help us with the -swagging. Two better men over rough ground never -put swag on back, and both entered into the spirit of -the expedition and worked like Trojans to make it a -success.</p> - -<p>We drove our dog-cart down to the Hooker River at -the usual crossing-place—the point of the Mount Cook -Range—over two or three miles of boulders which -tested the merits of the coachbuilder’s art to the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span>utmost, as also the driver’s ability to stay in the cart. -Here we found that a wire rope, some 200 feet in -length, had been thrown across the river to facilitate -the work of the rabbiters, who were engaged in keeping -back the hordes of ‘silver-greys’ which were making -their way northwards and ruining run-holders right and -left. On this wire rope is slung, on runners, a rude -box, travellers entering the same pull themselves across, -and almost invariably take the skin off their knuckles -with the runners. Crossing by this rope we piled our -swags on to Annan’s packhorse and walked three miles -up the valley to a patch of Wild Irishman scrub, where -since our last visit a small galvanised iron hut had -been built. A day’s delay here with bad weather, -and then we shouldered our swags, and on the evening -of the 27th reached our well-known Ball Glacier -camp.</p> - -<p>Our plans were as follows: To do a few days’ work -with the photographer, so as to settle his business first, -and then be free to tackle Aorangi during the following -week. We wished to give the photographer every -assistance in our power, as such scenery does not often -come within reach of the photographic artist, however -energetic he may be, and can only be approached -by a properly equipped Alpine party, strong enough -to carry a good supply of provisions and all the -necessaries for preserving life in such out-of-the-way -parts.</p> - -<p>Our first excursion, then, was to cross the Tasman -Glacier and make for the point of the Malte Brun Range -at the turn in the glacier just opposite the point of De -la Bêche. Here it was that Dr. von Lendenfeld had -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span>made his bivouac for his remarkable ascent of the -Hochstetter Dome in 1883, when he was accompanied -by his wife and one porter—an ascent that took twenty-seven -hours of constant ice and snow work. This excursion -would effect the double purpose of giving us -some practice in ice work, and of securing a fine set of -views.</p> - -<p>The day was gloriously fine, and we felt our spirits -rise as we scrambled over the massive lateral moraine -of the Ball Glacier, across the glacier itself—which, -by-the-by, shows very dirty ice at this point, being -laden with rocks brought down many years since in -the avalanches from the great ice-seamed crags of -Aorangi, which towered in lofty grandeur above us—then -over the medial moraine between the Ball and -Hochstetter Glaciers, where a halt was made, and -views of Aorangi and the Hochstetter ice-fall were -secured.</p> - -<p>Once more we stood before this marvellous piece of -Nature’s handiwork, again we heard the thunder of -the avalanches, again we saw the glinting, bristling -<em>séracs</em>, and gazed in silence and admiration on the ice-fall -of the Hochstetter.</p> - -<p>Crossing the Hochstetter we struck up the medial -moraine between that and the Tasman, straight for the -point of De la Bêche.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_046fp.jpg" id="i_046fp.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_046fp.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="494" /> -<div class="caption"> - <p class="center"><span class="smaller">MOUNT COOK AND THE HERMITAGE</span></p> - <p class="attr-photo">[<i>Wheeler & Son, Photo.</i></p> - </div> -</div> - -<p>The best walking on the New Zealand glaciers is -almost invariably found upon the margin of the medial -moraine close to where it joins the clear ice, so that -one is travelling over a mixture of ice and rocks. The -clear ice is too hummocky and entails much undulating -progression, if I may use such an expression, and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span>the moraine itself—well, the walking on the moraine -itself cannot be fitly described in parliamentary language.</p> - -<p>We secured many good views as we proceeded -with a 10 × 8 camera. Mount Haidinger on our left -was particularly fine, its eastern face being almost -entirely clothed with the Haast Glacier, which struck -us as being one of the finest cascades of ice we had yet -seen, larger in extent than the ice-fall of the Hochstetter, -though not so picturesque.</p> - -<p>Time was fast going, and we found that to get off -the glacier before dark it would be requisite to strike -away to our right, over a mile of much crevassed ice, -to the gully next in the Malte Brun Range, which we -had originally set out to reach. Jumping crevasses -and cutting a few occasional steps, we at last arrived -at the eastern side, finding a very suitable place to -pitch our Whymper tent, and discovering to our joy a -small supply of firewood.</p> - -<p>The gully in which we camped had its origin far -away up in the red-sandstone precipices of Malte Brun, -and in its bed rushed down a foaming mountain torrent -fed everlastingly by the many small hanging glaciers -above. This stream rushed headlong into a large -tunnel of ice in the side of the Tasman Glacier, over -which was formed a tremendous cave, above which, -again, were sheer walls of ice capped with morainic -accumulations, the height from tunnel mouth to moraine -summits being about 500 feet.</p> - -<p>A view of this cave was secured by the photographer.</p> - -<p>Friday the 29th was a morning to be remembered. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span>Thick mists covered the peaks and seemed to hang -over us like a pall. Here and there a shaft of sunlight -penetrated to the ice-field at our feet. Only now -and then would the rude screech of a kea remind us -that we were not really dreaming in some enchanted -land.</p> - -<p>We had often talked of attempting the ascent of -Mount De la Bêche when we should have polished off -Aorangi; but as Aorangi seemed to require so much -‘polishing off,’ and we were now camped so close to -De la Bêche, we thought we might as well try our hand -at the mountain and see what we could do in a one-day’s -trip from this point, while we left the artist to his -own devices for the time being.</p> - -<p>De la Bêche, then, it was to be. So off we started -after a breakfast of sheep’s tongues and Liebig, putting -our oilskins on our backs and taking our axes, and -striking due north for the foot of the long <em>arête</em> which -descends from the mountain and separates the Rudolf -from the Tasman Glacier. Halfway to our ridge we -had to put on the rope, for legs began to go through -the now snow-covered crevasses in a promiscuous and -unpleasant fashion.</p> - -<p>It was indeed like an enchanted land, for the atmospheric -effects were extraordinary. High up, shadowed -in the mist, were reproduced the forms of the highest -peaks of Mounts Malte Brun and Darwin. There was -no mistaking their familiar outline, which was thrown -out in the mist thousands of feet above, like the spectre -on the Brocken.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_048fp.jpg" id="i_048fp.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_048fp.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="443" /> -<div class="caption"> - <p class="center"><span class="smaller">CROSSING THE HOOKER RIVER</span></p> - <p class="attr-photo">[<i>Wheeler & Son, Photo.</i></p> - </div> -</div> - -<p>Then the atmospheric effect of the mist hanging -over the Rudolf Glacier was most wonderful. Looking -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span>up the glacier, we seemed to gaze into an enormous -blue grotto, the sides being the slopes of the main chain -with all its broken glaciers, and the western slopes of -De la Bêche, whilst the overhanging mist furnished -the roof or ceiling. A soft, warm, blue colour pervaded -the whole, beautiful beyond expression.</p> - -<p>Arriving at the foot of our mountain we commenced -the ascent, finding the snow of the ice slopes in a loose -and powdery condition, and having to exercise much -judgment to avoid precipitating avalanches in the -steeper pinches.</p> - -<p>We climbed without the rope, rapidly, and alternately -in snow and rocks, finding the latter very good—mostly -of a red sandstone on which the nails of our -boots took good hold. Looking now and then at the -aneroid, we began to feel confident of making the -ascent and returning to our camp by nightfall. But -it was not to be, for, at an altitude of 8,100 feet, we -were brought up by a very bad <em>bergschrund</em> and ridge -of rocks succeeding it.</p> - -<p>To the unlearned in Alpine parlance perhaps an -explanation of the nature of a <em>bergschrund</em> is necessary. -At the upper termination of nearly all highly situated -ice slopes there almost invariably occurs between -the rocks above, or between the ice slope and -the permanent clinging ice above, a large gap or -crevasse, partially filled or bridged with new snow -during the winter months, but more open as the warmth -of spring and summer causes the snow to melt and the -ice to shrink away.</p> - -<p>This crevasse or gap is called a <em>bergschrund</em>, and -occasionally one may find in it places where the ice -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span>nearly or quite touches the rocks or ice of the upper -side, or sometimes a sound snow bridge may be discovered. -These bridges afford the only means of -crossing wide <em>bergschrunds</em>. At the place in question -a sharp ridge of ice, the lower lip of the <em>bergschrund</em>, -led on to a frail snow bridge with a dip of some six -feet or so in the centre, over a bottomless abyss some -fifteen feet wide.</p> - -<p>Dixon cut steps along the ice ridge, having first to -remove a foot of fresh snow from the surface, and then -we walked this novel tight rope, the <em>bergschrund</em> on our -left and steep ice slopes on our right, and crossed the -bridge in safety to a small ledge of ice where there -was only just room for three to stand. Could we proceed? -The rocks above were very bad and ice-coated. -I went at them, clearing the inch or so of ice to get my -fingers into chinks in the rock, and ‘squirming’ up on -my stomach, clinging with toes and fingers, and feeling -disposed to hang on by my teeth or even by the proverbial -eyelids, reached, fifty feet above, the crest of the ridge.</p> - -<p>I had been in some queer places in the mountains, -but, pardon the use of a colonial expression, this one -decidedly ‘took the cake,’ and I shall never forget the -start I received when I found myself looking over a -sheer upright face of rock on to an unnamed tributary -glacier of the Rudolf, 1,000, perhaps 2,000, feet below. -I dared not stand up and could scarcely crawl, but lay -full length on the steep eastern slope looking over the -sharp ridge down the western precipice. On the right, -the razor-like <em>arête</em> of rock continued upwards, and -seemed almost, if not quite, inaccessible.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_050fp.jpg" id="i_050fp.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_050fp.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="484" /> -<div class="caption"> - <p class="center"><span class="smaller">AORANGI FROM THE BALL GLACIER</span></p> - <p class="attr-photo">[<i>Wheeler & Son, Photo.</i></p> - </div> -</div> - -<p>Then there was a long-range discussion between -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span>Dixon and Johnson on the ledge below and myself on -the ridge, ending in a decision to descend.</p> - -<p>I never to this day can imagine how I came down -that fifty feet of rocks without slipping into the crevasse -below, but, by the aid of Dixon’s directions, I managed -to find chinks in the rock-face for the toes of my boots, -and reached the ledge to breathe the air of relief once -more.</p> - -<p>Here we held a council of war. We might, by a -traverse of the ice ridge below, gain the rocks again -above this bad place; but the summit was yet 2,000 feet -above us, the cold so intense that the steel of one’s axe -would adhere to the hand, the time was fast going, and -the photographer and our men would be much concerned -if we stayed out another night, besides which -we were short of provisions, our original intention -having been to stay out but one night. We decided -to acknowledge ourselves beaten for the time being and -to return to camp.</p> - -<p>It goes against the grain with Dixon and me to -turn back beaten from a peak. Indeed De la Bêche -and Aorangi are the only ones to which we have -lowered the colours of our grand old school—Christ’s -College Grammar School, of Christchurch, New Zealand—and -the latter we have since revenged ourselves upon. -The former will not run away, and we are nursing -a vindictive feeling against this noble triple-topped -summit.</p> - -<p>Descending very rapidly, glissading now and then -in safe places, we reached the foot and struck over the -Tasman Glacier again for our camp on the Malte Brun.</p> - -<p>Well for us that we had turned from De la Bêche, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span>for an hour from camp, Dixon, who had been complaining -of not feeling up to the mark for some days and had -been lagging—an unusual thing for him—was suddenly -seized with violent cramp in the stomach and thighs. -We thought at the time it was only temporary, consequent -upon great physical exertion and drinking too -much snow-water; but unfortunately he did not seem -able to shake it off, and we had some difficulty in -reaching camp over the maze of crevasses which occur -in the glacier just where our Malte Brun Creek enters.</p> - -<p>Here was a nice state of affairs. One of our best -men gone wrong. How about Aorangi next week?</p> - -<p>Saturday morning found us ‘tuckerless’ and hungry, -and Dixon worse rather than better.</p> - -<p>At 9 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> we struck camp and started for the Ball -Glacier—really only four hours distant. Whilst taking -some views an hour from camp we suddenly heard -shouts down the glacier, and found that it was our -trusty men, Annan and Low, who, being concerned -about our lengthened absence from the lower camp, -had come out to look for us.</p> - -<p>Johnson, Low, and Annan took the bulk of the -swags and started independently for the Ball Glacier, -whilst I stayed to follow at a more leisurely pace with -Dixon and the photographer. Dixon could only walk -for a few minutes at a time and required to rest very -frequently, so I sent Cooper on alone, not dreaming -for a moment that he could go wrong in such simple -ground, where no crevasses to speak of occurred.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_052fp.jpg" id="i_052fp.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_052fp.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="483" /> -<div class="caption"> - <p class="center"><span class="smaller">ICE CAVE, TASMAN GLACIER</span></p> - <p class="attr-photo">[<i>Wheeler & Son, Photo.</i></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p>It was 5 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span> ere we arrived at the head-quarters -after a gallant struggle on Dixon’s part. These are the -times which test a man’s capabilities, these are the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span>trials of endurance to which the unfortunate who -chances to be taken ill in these Alpine regions is subjected, -and it was a great relief to all to see the afflicted -one struggle bravely into camp.</p> - -<p>But a new trouble arose. There was no photographer, -and he ought to have turned up long ago. -Johnson set out to look for him, and after an absence -of an hour I was just putting up a swag of mackintoshes, -provisions, &c., prepared to spend the night photographer-hunting -on the glacier, when Johnson’s figure -appeared against the sky on the crest of the lateral -moraine, shortly followed by that of the missing man, -who had wandered down past the camp instead of -turning off at the right place. Low and Annan had -gone down the valley, and were to come up next day -with more provisions.</p> - -<p>The next day being Sunday, we decided to have a -day’s well-earned rest. Messrs. Brodrick and Sladden, -of the Survey Department, came up with Annan and -Low to dinner, bearing with them medical comforts for -the use of our invalid.</p> - -<p>As there were still some dry plates left unexposed, -Cooper and I went out about 10 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> and climbed to -a height of 1,000 feet above the camp, on the Ball -Glacier spur, from whence we secured a panoramic -view on four plates of the glacier and the mountains -opposite.</p> - -<p>From this point, seeing Aorangi looking so grand, -we pushed on up the ridge, intending to secure an -exposure from a high altitude. Upwards we climbed, -and the further we went the more I was lured on -towards the main southern ridge of the mountain. I -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span>even conceived the idea of making a pass over to the -Hermitage <em>viâ</em> the Hooker Glacier. But the work -became more difficult, and we got into patches of snow -and were unfortunately without our ice-axes. This -made our progress more slow and cautious. Still we -pushed forward, the scene becoming grander at every -step.</p> - -<p>At length the light began to fade, and I saw that to -get an exposure of the peak from the main ridge was -hopeless, so Cooper unlimbered his instrument and I -pushed on alone, determined to reach the saddle, at -least, and see over to the other side. Reaching the -final snow—that covering the actual head of the Ball -Glacier, which had been below us on our right all the -day—I sped across it as fast as I could go, and keeping -a sharp look out for indentations indicating covered -crevasses, reached the rocks of a peak situate a little -south of the saddle of the Ball Glacier. Crawling over -a snow bridge spanning the <em>bergschrund</em>, which crumbled -uncomfortably under me as I laid hold of the rocks on -the upper side, after a short scramble I attained the -summit.</p> - -<p>How shall I tell of the view southwards which met -my astonished gaze? How describe the glorious sunset -effects? Life is not long enough to attempt it.</p> - -<p>I was on the nameless peak south of the Ball Glacier -saddle at an altitude of 7,540 feet—the highest peak -south of the great majestic mass of Aorangi himself, -who towered up for another 5,000 feet above me.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_054fp.jpg" id="i_054fp.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_054fp.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="460" /> -<div class="caption"> - <p class="center"><span class="smaller">MOUNT DE LA BÊCHE (10,021 FEET) FROM THE TASMAN GLACIER</span></p> - <p class="attr-photo">[<i>Wheeler & Son, Photo.</i></p> - </div> -</div> - -<p>I quote from Mr. Green to give some idea of what -he thought of our mountains from this point:—</p> - -<p>‘Deep down below us lay the Hooker Glacier, reminding -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span>us of the downward view from the <em>arête</em> of the -Finsteraarhorn, while beyond, the glacier-seamed crags -of Mount Sefton towered skywards.</p> - -<p>‘Further off lay the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">mer de glace</i> of the Mueller -Glacier, a splendid field of white ice, its lower moraine-covered -termination lost in the blue depths of the -valley at our feet. The high ridge connecting Mount -Sefton with Mount Stokes alone prevented us from -seeing the western sea. It was a glorious day, scarcely -a breath of air stirring; no cloud visible in the whole -vault of blue; ranges upon ranges of peaks in all -directions and of every form, from the iced-capped -dome to the splintered <em>aiguille</em>. It was a wonderful -sight, those lovely peaks standing up out of the purple -haze; and then to think that not one had been climbed! -Here was work, not for a short holiday ramble merely, -not to be accomplished even in a lifetime, but work -for a whole company of climbers, which would occupy -them for half a century of summers, and still there -would remain many a new route to be tried. Here, -then, we stood upon the shoulder of the monarch of -the whole mountain world around us, within less than -5,000 feet of his icy crown, but a long, jagged, ice-seamed -ridge lay in our path. Was it accessible? -Let us see!’</p> - -<p>It was not accessible, as anyone who has read Mr. -Green’s interesting book will know, and I could see -from my standpoint very plainly that Mr. Green, with -Emil Boss and Ulrich Kaufmann—two of the finest -mountaineers in the world—could not do otherwise -than accept a defeat.</p> - -<p>Just such a scene as Mr. Green describes I saw, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span>only that its mystic beauty was intensified by the soft -glow of evening as the sun sank lower and lower, at -last dipping behind a bank of crimson clouds hanging -over a saddle to the westward.</p> - -<p>I seemed spellbound and almost riveted to the -spot, and could only tear myself away when I realised -the awkward position of the photographer and myself, -trapped, as it were, by the fast-closing darkness, 4,000 -feet above our camp, with all sorts of climbing difficulties -below. Clambering down the rocks and jumping -the <em>bergschrund</em>, away I sped over the névé slopes, -and reaching Cooper after an hour’s absence, found -him just packing up his camera.</p> - -<p>It is too long a story to tell of all our troubles -and adventures in getting down the mountain in the -dark; letting ourselves down on to the rocks, scraping -our hands on sharp edges, plunging knee-deep in soft -snow, following false ridges terminating in precipices -down to the Ball Glacier below, retracing our -erring steps, and at last coming to vegetation again; -then going down off the ridge towards the Tasman, -trying to hit the head of a long shingle slip I was -acquainted with, hearing 2,000 feet above the camp -the first ‘cooee’ from our anxious mates below, and -getting down eventually at half-past ten, ravenous, and -almost torn to pieces by the sharp rocks, Spaniards, -and scrub.</p> - -<p>Johnson—always self-denying and considerate for -others—was out photographer-hunting again, having -gone on to the Ball Glacier and shouted himself hoarse; -he arrived back in camp at 1 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> (having been -guided home by a fire which I had kept going on the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span>moraine since our return), after having experienced -a fruitless hunt of eight hours over rough rocks and -ice. This finished the photography, and on the following -day Cooper and Low went down to the Hermitage. -A finer week for securing negatives could not have -been wished for, and the thirty exposures resulted in -the best set of mountain views yet obtained in New -Zealand.</p> - -<p>Now ensued a few days’ rest, Dixon, Johnson, and I -being left in camp with a week’s provisions and designs -on Aorangi, when Dixon should have recovered his -strength.</p> - -<p>Only one short excursion did Johnson and I make, -to see if it were possible to reach the Great Plateau -from the eastern buttress of the mountain, and so -save crossing the Hochstetter Glacier and climbing the -Haast Ridge beyond. Our endeavours were fruitless, -for at a height of some 6,300 feet we were brought up -by a high wall of rock. I still think, nevertheless, -that the plateau could be reached in this manner when -a good deal of snow fills the rocky <em>couloirs</em> or ditches -which in places descend in this wall of rock. Should -this be so, it will no doubt prove to be the route of the -future for reaching the Linda Glacier and Aorangi.</p> - -<p>The rock-climbing here, however, is very dangerous, -as the frost has split the rocks up in all directions. -One small stone thrown down from above sufficed to -start many tons of loose matter in the <em>couloirs</em>, which -rattled down to the glacier below, sending up clouds -of dust in its descent.</p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<h2>CHAPTER <abbr title="6">VI</abbr><br /> -<small>THE ASCENT OF THE HOCHSTETTER DOME</small></h2> - -<p class="center1"><i>Camp under De la Bêche—Twelve Hours on Snow and Ice—The -Pangs of Hunger</i></p> - - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Thursday</span>, April 4, was a memorable day, for Annan -coming up from the Hermitage with a further supply -of the ever-welcome ‘tucker,’ we started on one of the -finest mountain expeditions I have seen in our New -Zealand mountains.</p> - -<p>It was not part of our original plan to ascend the -Dome; we merely intended to reach the Lendenfeld Saddle -and get a glimpse of the opposite coast and the western -ocean, and it was with this object in view that Johnson, -Annan, and I shouldered our swags and tramped -off to the foot of De la Bêche, which was made in three -hours’ hard walking.</p> - -<p>Here we camped in a snug hollow between the -lateral moraines of the Tasman and Rudolf Glaciers. -Small shingle composed our bed, and a snow patch -close by provided us with water, which we boiled in -our ‘Aurora’ stove, as no firewood was to be found so -far up the glacier.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_058fp.jpg" id="i_058fp.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_058fp.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="466" /> -<div class="caption"> - <p class="center"><span class="smaller">PEAKS ON MALTE BRUN</span></p> - <p class="attr-photo">[<i>Wheeler & Son, Photo.</i></p> - </div> -</div> - -<p>A fine Friday morning found us at a quarter to -seven on the rope, and making hard work of it amongst -the crevasses of the Tasman Glacier.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span></p> -<p>I remember well how we resorted to all sorts of -dodges to get over the difficulties, taking the snow -slopes of the mountain sides here, cutting a few steps -there, even going to the length of climbing down into -crevasses and crawling under ice blocks. But eventually -we passed the worst of the crevasses, and made -good time over the smooth, snow-covered surface of the -glacier.</p> - -<p>The distance from our De la Bêche camp to the -saddle must be about six or seven miles, but in the -soft and treacherous snow it seemed more like sixty -or seventy.</p> - -<p>The glare was something dreadful, and soon our -faces and hands were of the peculiar chocolate colour -which invariably comes under such circumstances. We -could not bear the goggles off for an instant. Gradually -we rose as we plodded away, now and then stepping -over an open crevasse or making a détour to find -snow bridges. There are but few crevasses, however, -for several miles, only when in the proximity of the -saddle where the gradient increases they once more -begin to occur.</p> - -<p>On either hand fresh beauties opened out; De la -Bêche on our left presenting the most wonderful face -of <em>sérac</em> ice, streaked here and there with avalanche -slopes, whilst on the right Mount Malte Brun—the -Matterhorn of New Zealand—reared his great red -precipices heavenwards, and further on the Darwin -Glacier and Mount Darwin showed in a glorious light -their magic splendour.</p> - -<p>Now on our left we passed Mount Green, a fine -precipitous cone of rocks and ice, and then we rose -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span>faster and faster as we edged on to the slopes of the -great Hochstetter Dome on our right, whilst opposite, -Mount Elie de Beaumont showered down his ice streams -to join the Tasman.</p> - -<p>Taking turns at leading, at last we came to what -looked like the final rise. An exclamation broke from -Johnson as he espied the new moon appear over the -saddle ahead. It was a small matter, but it seemed to -revive our failing energy and to call us on to victory to -see the silver crescent apparently awaiting us on the -snow ridge. Then a distant peak appeared—a wild -cheer broke from us; another peak, and yet one more, -followed by groups of twos and threes, dozens, hundreds—glaciers! -forest! a river! the sea! the boundless -ocean! ‘Hurrah!’ we shouted, ‘our tramp has not -been in vain.’</p> - -<p>Here we were in the heart of Nature’s solitudes, -where only once before the foot of man had trodden the -eternal snows.</p> - -<p>We spent forty-five minutes refreshing the inner -man and drinking in the glorious view, consulting -maps, and reading the aneroid. The saddle was 8,600 -feet high; the Dome was but 9,315 feet. Should we -try it? Yes, we would.</p> - -<p>At it we went, cutting many steps and crossing -several awkward <em>bergschrunds</em>, until we reached a level -plateau. Crossing this field we attacked the final slopes. -It was terrific work, and the last pinch required 280 -steps, all cut with the spike of the axe and deeply -graven, as a slip in such a place would probably have -meant the loss of the entire party in one of the crevasses -in the slope below.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span></p> -<p>My hands were blistered with the axe work, but at -3 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span> we were able to walk on the fast rounding-off -slopes without steps, and soon we were on the summit, -happy and flushed with victory. The mountain has a -double top and we were on the western and slightly -lower one.</p> - -<p>What shall I say of the view from the Hochstetter -Dome? It is comprehensive and wonderful. The -whole country lay like a map before us. Westwards -Elie de Beaumont and the western ocean, at our feet the -Whymper Glacier, from which flowed the Wataroa River, -threading its way through forest-and glacier-clad mountains -to the sea, twenty miles away. Northwards and -eastwards extended in glorious and shining array the -magnificent chain of the Alps; glacier upon glacier, -peak upon peak, range upon range of splendid mountains. -Eastwards a fine rocky peak without a name -and Mount Darwin, and looking south-westwards down -the Tasman Glacier, from whence we had toiled our -laborious way, the eye could follow the course of -the great ice stream for twelve or thirteen miles, -flanked by the grand mountains which sent down -their tributary ice streams to join the mass in the valley -below.</p> - -<p>We gave three hearty cheers for her Majesty, and -three for our proud little colony, and commenced the -descent, going down backwards in the steps, and taking -firm hold with our axes at every movement.</p> - -<p>Time was precious, and on leaving the steps we ran -down most of the less crevassed slopes, and soon found -ourselves at the foot of the conquered mountain. Away -we plodded down the glacier again—a hard, monotonous -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span>grind—till we arrived in the failing light at the system -of crevasses on the outside of the turn of the glacier, -close to our camp of the previous night.</p> - -<p>This time we kept further out from the edge; but it -was six of one and half a dozen of the other, for soon -we were completely entrapped in a perfect maze of -transverse and longitudinal crevasses, over which the -only mode of progression was continued jumping.</p> - -<p>This work in the dusk was anything but pleasant, -yet had to be accomplished, and thanks to the aid -of the rope, after leaping hundreds of them, we -at length found our way off the side of the glacier to -our tent.</p> - -<p>How we watched the slowly warming ‘billy’ with -eager eyes, and drank in fancy over and over again the -pannikin of hot Liebig. How we shut the wind out and -nursed the stinking kerosene stove! Alas for our -hopes and our hungry stomachs, the lamp went wrong -somehow, and the oil flowing over, the tent was on the -verge of catching fire when Annan gave the whole -concern a kick which sent flaming lamp, ‘billy’ and all -outside. I hope the strong language and expressions -of disgust have long since been forgiven us; but -I really think they were justified.</p> - -<p>Twelve hours’ hard going did the Dome require. -Von Lendenfeld took twenty-seven from the point of -Malte Brun just opposite this camp.</p> - -<p>Three hours’ walking the next morning saw us back -at our head-quarters, the Ball Glacier camp, where we -found Dixon in active preparation for an assault -on Aorangi, though not so strong as we could have -wished.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span></p> -<p>Now a great council of war was held, the main -point of discussion being as to whether we should -attempt our long deferred ascent of Aorangi, which -was, as usual, the chief object of our visit to the -glaciers.</p> - -<p>Here we were, with provisions for four or five days -longer, the mountain apparently in good order, the -weather perfection, and we were not pushed for time. -The mountain had been inspected by various members -of the party from different coigns of vantage. We had -seen from a distance the <em>névé</em> fields leading on to the -Linda Glacier.</p> - -<p>Against this we had first to consider the state of -Dixon’s health. He was quite prepared, and anxious -to try the ascent. We thought that it would be too -much for him. Then there was the accident to the -lamp, which was now useless, there was no firewood -at the bivouac, 7,400 feet up, and no sure means -of procuring water. Annan, too, had to leave to -attend to his work down country, and I think, -if the truth were told, that Johnson and I felt -as if we had had enough of mountaineering for a -time.</p> - -<p>Yet we were very loth to turn our faces away again -from the grim giant who had defied us so long, and it -was only with much reluctance that we decided to -abandon the project. So for the third time I retired -from the ramparts of Aorangi unsuccessful, on this -occasion without even so much as an attempt.</p> - -<p>We came down to the Hermitage once more, and -after a day or two’s quiet rest yoked Dixon’s celebrated -tandem up, crossed the Tasman River, thus cutting -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span>off thirty miles of our homeward journey, and reached -Fairlie Creek in two days. Here I took the train, -whilst Dixon and Johnson drove home. The drive -down and back—500 miles—was accomplished in -twelve days’ travelling with the same team of horses.</p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<h2>CHAPTER <abbr title="7">VII</abbr><br /> -<small>FOURTH ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI</small></h2> - -<p class="center1"><i>We reach the Great Plateau at last—Defeat again—The Crossing -of the Ball Pass</i></p> - -<p class="center">‘Perge et perage.’</p> - - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Once</span> again, on January 4, 1890, in company with -Mr. Arthur Harper, a gentleman who had then done -two seasons’ climbing in Switzerland, I left Christchurch -to try conclusions afresh with the monarch of -the Southern Alps.</p> - -<p>On this occasion we reached the Hermitage in two -days from Christchurch, riding from Fairlie Creek, and -crossing the Tasman River opposite Burnett’s Mount -Cook sheep station. Here we were joined by Annan, -who had already conveyed the bulk of our impedimenta -to the Ball Glacier camp.</p> - -<p>On arrival at this point I at once remarked that the -ice of the Ball Glacier had risen above its customary -level, and seemed to be encroaching in a lateral direction—a -circumstance which undoubtedly points to a -cycle of advance in the great body of the ice, to be -registered at the terminal face in years to come.</p> - -<p>It will not be out of place here to give a description -of our usual Alpine outfit, which may enable -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span>others to glean some idea of what is requisite and convenient -for Alpine work in New Zealand.</p> - -<p>The most necessary gear for ice and rock work is -suitable boots, broad-soled and flat-heeled, shod well -but not too thickly with heavy hobs, wrought nails -being preferable to cast. An ice-axe for each man—not -the light tourist’s axe, but a guide’s axe. Alpine -rope is quite indispensable, and Buckingham’s is the -favourite make; we usually take two or three 50-feet -lengths. Two tents, 6 feet by 8 feet and 6 feet -by 7 feet, the former for use at the head camp, the -latter a tent built after the ‘Whymper’ pattern with -the floor sewn in, but capable of being pitched on -inverted ice-axes lengthened by two 18-inch supplementary -poles (an ingenious contrivance of Dixon’s). -Sleeping bags, 7 feet by 3 feet, made of blanketing, and -covered with an outside bag of oiled calico, impervious -to water. Aneroid, thermometer, prismatic compass, -pocket compass. Goggles (neutral tint) are invaluable, -and save the eyes from the awful glare which is always -experienced on new snow and from the blinding sleet -which drives in a storm. Folding lanterns (Austrian -pattern) often enable one to find the way to camp when -benighted or to make very early starts. A sheath-knife -comes in very handy in camp, and a supply of -fresh nails for our boots is never omitted, whilst a small -‘Aurora’ lamp stove is invaluable above the line of -vegetation, and a shanghai, or common schoolboy’s -window-breaker, is often useful in procuring birds for -the <em>cuisine</em>.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_066fp.jpg" id="i_066fp.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_066fp.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="451" /> -<div class="caption"> - <p class="center"><span class="smaller">THE TASMAN GLACIER FROM NEAR THE DE LA BÊCHE CAMP</span></p> - <p class="attr-photo">[<i>From a Photograph by A. P. Harper</i></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p>For clothing, woollen shirts and knickerbockers of -warm tweed material are the best, and great comfort is -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span>to be found in a loose-fitting boating ‘sweater’ worn -over the waistcoat.</p> - -<p>For provisions we generally rely on fresh mutton, -to be fried in the pan or boiled in the ‘billy,’ bread, -biscuits, rice, oatmeal, Liebig’s Extract, chocolate, tea, -and so on. A pound or two of fresh butter is always a -boon, and a few tins of marmalade, whilst to some men -onions supply the oft-felt want of a vegetable diet.</p> - -<p>There is another indispensable, which here, as in -the Caucasus, is very necessary. I refer to the late -Mr. Donkin’s naïve requisite at the end of his Caucasus -list—‘infinite patience’; and to this may be -added fixedness of purpose, determination, and perseverance.</p> - -<hr class="larger" /> - -<p>Mount Cook, or Aorangi, from a climber’s point of -view, is a very difficult peak to climb, even to a height -of 9,000 feet, which our party attained on this occasion, -chiefly on account of the length and tiresomeness of -its approach. It is simply part of a great ridge which -branches off in a southerly direction from the main -divide of the Southern Alps. From its three peaks, -all situated on this ridge, diverge four main spurs (or -<em>arêtes</em>, as Alpine men call them). From the lowest -and southernmost peak (11,787 feet) descends to -the Ball Pass the southern <em>arête</em>; from the middle -peak (12,173 feet) the eastern <em>arête</em>, descending on -to an enormous buttress which separates the Ball and -Hochstetter Glaciers; from the northernmost and -highest peak (12,349 feet) two <em>arêtes</em> diverge, the -north-eastern, separating the Hochstetter and Linda -Glaciers and terminating in the ice of the Great -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span>Plateau; and, lastly, the northern ridge, connecting -with the main divide between Mount Tasman and -St. David’s Dome. A comparatively low rock saddle -in this ridge occurs between the highest peak of -Aorangi and the junction with the main divide, leading -on one hand into the Linda Glacier, and on the other -to the head of the Hooker Glacier. Aorangi is thus -quite cut off from the west coast, and has, in fact, no -‘western flanks,’ as is generally supposed.</p> - -<p>It was an intensely hot day, and scarcely a breath -stirred as Harper, Annan, and I struck out on the now -well-known route across the Ball and Hochstetter -Glaciers for the Haast Ridge, but the clear mountain -air seemed to rush into our lungs, putting health and -strength into every fibre.</p> - -<p>The mountains were glorious in the noonday glare, -and the foliage on their lower slopes was in its gayest -height of blossom. Now and then an avalanche would -thunder down in the ice-fall or from the higher slopes -above, or the whistle of a kaka down the valley could -be detected. These and the merry tinkling of the -surface streams were the only sounds to break the spell -of silence and benignant peace which seemed to reign -over all. These are the scenes which go straight to -the heart of the true nature-loving mountaineer.</p> - -<p>To reach the foot of the <em>couloir</em> by which three -years previously Dixon, Inglis, and I had descended -involved the usual amount of hot scrambling up <em>tali</em> -or fans of detritus from the rocks above. Once in -the <em>couloir</em> (which was snow-filled in places) we were -not long in reaching our old bivouac, where we deposited -our first batch of provisions, &c., our plan being -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span>to descend again that day and bring up more supplies -on the morrow.</p> - -<p>Coming down, Harper had an almost miraculous -escape from swift and certain destruction. We were -glissading on a snow slope when a mass of rocks broke -suddenly away from above and whizzed down the slope -at a terrific rate, passing within a few inches of Harper, -who did not observe them coming, though both Annan -and myself had seen the rocks start a hundred feet or -so above him, and had shouted to warn him of their -descent.</p> - -<p>This was a warning to us to be careful how we -trusted snow <em>couloirs</em> during the afternoon, after the -sun’s rays had done their daily work on the crust of the -snow. It is by such lessons that we in New Zealand -have learnt without the aid of Swiss guides to understand, -to appreciate, and circumvent those dangers to -which the Alpine climber is always more or less -exposed.</p> - -<p>Another fine morning saw us off again with sleeping-bags, -tent, &c., and by noon we were up at the -bivouac with three days’ supplies. Only resting for an -hour or two we pushed on upwards, intending to cross -the Great Plateau—that ice-field of which we knew, but -which we seemed fated never to reach—and find some -sheltering rocks under Aorangi’s uppermost slopes -where we might spend the night.</p> - -<p>In a few minutes we reached Mr. Green’s sleeping-place, -across which now lay a rock weighing some tons -(another warning), illustrating forcibly the rotten state -of the rocks.</p> - -<p>We now roped and took to the snow, which led -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span>first on to a small dip or saddle in the ridge (sloping off -on the right to the Freshfield Glacier and on the left -to the Hochstetter ice-fall), and then on to steep snow -slopes leading up to the crest of the ridge overlooking -the plateau, now about 1,000 feet above us.</p> - -<p>We proceeded cautiously over many half-covered -crevasses, and crossing the small dip or saddle took to -the slopes beyond, now and then taking to the rocks on -our left. The climbing was somewhat dangerous, -mainly owing to the bad state of the snow, which -would start away in avalanches, or give way on the -edge of a crevasse just at the moment one put one’s -weight on to spring.</p> - -<p>At length we gained the highest rocks, which -proved very bad going and seemed likely to bring us -to a stand; but the leading man going up the last fifty -feet alone, sent down a spare rope, making one end fast -above, by whose assistance the second man followed in -safety, the last man making the swags fast to the rope -below to be hauled up. In the act of hoisting them, -however, one broke away, and commenced a furious -flight down the slopes up which we had so laboriously -toiled. To the swag was attached a pannikin and the -tin cistern of our lamp stove, and at every bound we -could hear the rattling of the tin as we watched the -truant bundle leaping down, and we thought of what -might be our fate, were it not for our trusty rope and -axes, should we start unexpectedly down the steep -slopes.</p> - -<p>Still down went the swag, turning over on its ends -and bounding over crevasses in a manner which made -us quite envious. At last it hovered on a saddle. In -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span>breathless anxiety we wondered if it would stop, or -whether it would take the slope to the Hochstetter ice-fall -on the one hand, or the Freshfield on the other. -One little effort more it appeared to make, and then -away it went, careering down again towards the Freshfield -ice-fall below.</p> - -<p>Our hopes were shattered, and we were fast giving -vent to expressions of despair when the career of the -swag was suddenly cut short in a partially filled <em>bergschrund</em>, -where it was brought up in some soft snow.</p> - -<p>We dared not risk staying out for the night where -we were without the lost swag, for no rocks affording -any shelter were available, so determined, after making -a little further progress to get a view of the plateau, -to return to our bivouac at 7,400 feet—about 1,200 or -1,400 feet below our present altitude—and make a -fresh attempt on the next day, weather permitting. -The last man came up the rope, and we made our -way up the final slopes of snow on to that great dome -of glacier which we had so often gazed on from below.</p> - -<p>Ah, what a sight burst upon our astonished eyes -as we gained its summit!</p> - -<p>It seemed the very acme of mountain glory in all -the glories around us. A few hundred feet below lay -that <em>terra incognita</em>, the Great Plateau, rounding off -southwards to the Hochstetter ice-fall, bounded on the -west by the giant form of Aorangi, on the north by -Mount Tasman, and on the east by Mount Haast and -the ridge of that mountain on which we now stood. -The Linda Glacier could just be observed coming round -the north-eastern <em>arête</em> of Aorangi, and on either side -of it towered up to the heavens the two grandest -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span>mountains in New Zealand—Aorangi and Mount Tasman; -the former a lowering fortress of black rock and -hanging glaciers, avalanche-streaked throughout, the -latter an ice-clad mass with three summits, covered -thickly with hanging glaciers overlapping one another -as do shingles on a housetop, looking utterly unclimbable. -Only two masses of rock are visible, over -which avalanches constantly swept.</p> - -<p>The sight is certainly the grandest of its kind I have -seen in the Southern Alps, and Harper tried in vain to -recall its equal in Switzerland.</p> - -<p>After working our way upwards along the ridge to -the nearest rocks we deposited a note of our visit in a -pannikin, and building a small cairn over it, beat a -retreat.</p> - -<p>We experienced some difficulty in getting down the -top rocks, but eventually gained our footsteps in the -snow, and following down the route of the truant swag, -recovered it from its snowy bed some 600 feet below -the point where it commenced its downward journey.</p> - -<p>We arrived at the bivouac just before dark, and -had scarcely finished brewing a warm drink when -down came a nor’-wester upon us.</p> - -<p>Pitching the tent was out of the question, so piling -stones upon it we spent a miserably cold night, and by -the time morning came all thoughts of tackling Aorangi -had flown, and soon we were speeding down to our -refuge at the Ball Glacier camp again.</p> - -<p>Thus ignominiously ended my fourth attempt to -climb Mount Cook.</p> - -<p>In the afternoon Annan went down the valley with -directions to join us two days afterwards at the Hermit<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span>age, -Harper and myself being determined to cross the -southern spur of Aorangi at the head of the Ball -Glacier, and work our way down the Hooker Glacier to -the Hermitage.</p> - - -<p class="center">THE FIRST CROSSING OF THE BALL PASS</p> - -<p>Starting on a misty morning, we climbed what we -call the Ball Glacier spur—a ridge which diverges -from the main ridge of the Mount Cook Range at a -point immediately south of the Ball Pass. It was by -this ridge that Mr. Green’s first and unsuccessful -attempt was made, and up this same route I had climbed -the previous season with the photographer.</p> - -<p>The major part of the climb is easy, good foothold -being obtained on the red sandstone rocks. In the -upper part snow-fields alternate with the rocks. The -Ball Glacier lies couched in the valley on the right, vast -precipices going sheer down to it from the crest of the -ridge, whilst the slopes on the left descend to the -Tasman Valley.</p> - -<p>After four hours of climbing we reached the main -southern <em>arête</em>, and paused on the snow saddle for lunch -and rest, and to admire the splendid prospect of the -eastern faces of the mountain, and the ever-fresh, marvellous -panorama of the Tasman Glacier.</p> - -<p>Erecting a cairn on the rocks close by, and christening -the saddle after that father of mountaineering—John -Ball—we commenced the descent on a good snow -slope towards the Hooker Glacier. All the mountains -on the western side were enveloped in mist, which, -however, fortunately hung high enough to enable us to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span>discern the whole extent of the Mueller Glacier and -most of that of the Hooker.</p> - -<p>Bearing away southwards to avoid the crevassed -parts of the slope below, we were soon enjoying a merry -glissade—sometimes sitting, sometimes standing, whizzing -down in a cloud of snow which curled up from our -feet and showered down upon us.</p> - -<p>Ah, the exhilaration of a good glissade! How you -seem to fly through the air and cleave the fast-speeding -surface! How the snow hisses and the axe grinds! -How the excitement thrills you as you look out for -danger ahead, or rushing avalanches behind! There -is nothing to touch it—switchback railway, going downhill -on a bicycle, skating—all are far behind.</p> - -<p>In a quarter of an hour we entered a rocky gorge, -and still down we sped on the snow, winding about in -and out between magnificent rock precipices, until -before another fifteen minutes had elapsed we emerged -into the Hooker Valley, having come down 4,000 feet -under half an hour.</p> - -<p>Turning down the valley we kept to the old lateral -moraine of the Hooker Glacier (which stands 235 feet -above the present level of the glacier), and found it -good walking.</p> - -<p>Once more, however, fortune forsook us, and an -enemy in the shape of a south-west gale, accompanied -with heavy rain, met us, against which at times we -could scarcely make any headway. But struggling -on we crossed the Hooker River on the ice of the -Mueller Glacier, which at that time spanned it, and -reached the Hermitage drenched to the skin at 4.30—eight -hours from the Ball Glacier.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span></p> -<p>This was the first, and up to the time of writing is -the only crossing of the Ball Pass, an excursion which -ere long must become a favourite one, for a track is -just completed to the Ball Glacier, where a two-roomed -hut has been erected by the Government for the use of -tourists and mountaineers.</p> - -<p>A finer point of observation than the Ball Pass -would be hard to find, as it commands the most comprehensive -views of the Tasman, Hooker, and Mueller -Glacier systems.</p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<h2>CHAPTER <abbr title="8">VIII</abbr><br /> -<small>THE FIRST EXPLORATION OF THE MURCHISON GLACIER</small></h2> - -<p class="center1"><i>Hard Swagging—Erroneous Maps—The Struggle for Starvation -Saddle—Exhaustion and Hunger—Return</i></p> - -<p class="center">‘Fresh fields and pastures new.’</p> - - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">I had</span> often cast a longing eye in the direction of the -Murchison Valley, and desired to explore those unvisited -scenes which were as yet unknown and unseen -by man. We had frequently during this visit to the -district spoken of making an excursion in that direction -should Mount Cook prove too heavy metal for us. -Now was our chance, and we determined to take it.</p> - -<p>Leaving the Hermitage with an addition to our -party in the shape of Messrs. Wells, Timson, and -Hamilton—the former two only intending to visit the -Tasman Glacier, and the latter anxious to accompany -us on the Murchison trip—we made the Ball Glacier -camp, after the usual hard, hot grind over the moraine, -by evening.</p> - -<p>The next morning breaking fine, Wells and Timson -went for an hour’s excursion on to the glacier opposite, -returning enchanted with the grand view of the Hochstetter -ice-fall and the surrounding peaks, whilst the -rest of us—viz. Harper, Hamilton, Annan, and myself—prepared -swags for a two days’ excursion up the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span>Murchison Valley, whose mouth could be discerned -some two miles distant across the Tasman Glacier.</p> - -<p>It is a fact worthy of notice that with the exception -of mountaineering parties equipped for climbing—and -the numbers of these could be counted on the fingers -of both hands—Messrs. Wells and Timson were the -first two tourists to venture so far up the Tasman as -our camp, and since that time only one other has succeeded -in reaching the same point, that gentleman being -his Excellency the Earl of Onslow, Governor of the -colony, whose practical penetration regarding all -matters connected with New Zealand entitles him to -the respect and gratitude of those subjects over whom -he exercises vice-regal control.</p> - -<p>Since the visit of Lord Onslow a track which had -then been formed within two or three miles of the Ball -Glacier has been completed, making the task of reaching -the spot one of comparative ease and pleasure. -Further conveniences for tourists and mountaineers -in the shape of tracks and huts are now in course of -construction by a far-seeing Government, who recognise -the fact that New Zealand is fast becoming the playground -of Australasia and the Switzerland of the South.</p> - -<p>From careful inquiries made at the Survey Office, -from Mr. Sealy—a gentleman whose early work of exploration -amongst the New Zealand glaciers is too -readily forgotten—and from the run-holders and station -hands in the district, we had every reason to believe -that the valley had only once been entered (by Mr. -Burnett of Mount Cook sheep station), and that the -face of the glacier had never been reached; only in one -case could we hear of the clear ice having been seen—<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span>viz., -by a shepherd of Mr. Burnett’s from a peak of the -Liebig range.</p> - -<p>There was therefore little or no doubt that we had -a virgin field before us, and it was with feelings of intense -eagerness that we pressed forward across the -moraine-covered part of the Tasman Glacier, and up -the shingle flats of the river-bed beyond, towards that -massive, moraine-covered terminal face which fills the -valley from side to side, five miles from the eastern -lateral face of the Tasman Glacier.</p> - -<p>The valley appeared to be a little over one mile in -width. On either hand rose up most beautifully grassed -slopes thickly covered with every variety of sub-Alpine -foliage decked in the gayest height of blossom.</p> - -<p>What a place for an artist’s holiday! Flowers innumerable -dotted amongst the richest shades of green—lilies, -celmisias in great variety, Spaniards of many -kinds with their golden and spiky heads of various -shapes and sizes, from the orange-coloured dwarf to -the great blue Spaniard with stalks occasionally ten -feet in height; snow-grass with its graceful seed-stalks -gently waving in the morning zephyr, which seemed to -fan all Nature into a soft and dreamy repose—such -wealth of colour, such variety of form, such grandeur -of outline in the looming peaks above!</p> - -<p>Yes; here the artist might fairly lose himself in -delight amongst the subjects for his brush whilst -drinking in the pure sympathy with Nature which -seems to float in the very air.</p> - -<p>It is no dream, this lovely valley, though it seems -as one. But its flowers go with the warm geniality of -summer, and when the cold winter comes round it dons -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span>its white garment of snow, hiding its beauties until the -hand of gentle spring once more wakens them to burst -forth anew in all their resplendent glory.</p> - -<p>Proceeding up the valley between these magnificent -mountains we kept moving onward in a north-easterly -direction under the flanks of the Malte Brun -Range, on to whose slopes we were now and then forced -by encroaching streams from the meandering river, and -we arrived early in the afternoon at a large boulder-fan -issuing from a rocky gorge above, whence a magnificent -waterfall descended. Here we boiled the ‘billy’ and -lunched, making an inspection of the scene, which is -one of the grandest beauty.</p> - -<p>Far up in the heavens stands out a noble peak of -the Malte Brun Range, rising out of a glacier which -nestles in a basin of rock and bristles with <em>séracs</em> and -pinnacles of blue ice pouring into the gorge below, -from whence issues an imposing waterfall of seventy or -eighty feet, sending up clouds of spray and drenching -all within its immediate vicinity. From long action of -the water an almost semicircular cylinder about ten -feet in circumference has been worn into the solid rock, -and the force of water descending this strange funnel -seems to drive out in one direction a current of air -which carries the spray with it.</p> - -<p>All around this fall the vegetation is most luxuriant, -and the rocks are covered with flowering plants in great -profusion, and, in parts where the spray falls, plants, -rare elsewhere, notably the myosotis, flourish in the -abundant moisture.</p> - -<p>Taking a more northerly direction we came to the -terminal face of the glacier, which by aneroid measure<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span>ment -we made 3,640 feet—much the same altitude as -our Ball Glacier camp. The survey of the glacier has, -however, since been effected, and this point determined -as 3,305 feet.</p> - -<p>The moraine is composed of unusually large polyhedral -masses of rock, and is 200 feet in height at the -main exit of the river, which is situated about the -middle of the terminal face.</p> - -<p>A backward view down the valley revealed but one -distant peak—Mount Sealy—the northernmost of the -Ben Ohau Range. This peak was evidently the only -one from which the clear ice of the Murchison can be -seen, if we except those of the Liebig and Malte Brun -Ranges, and as none of these peaks have been ascended, -this fact probably accounts for the Murchison Glacier, -which is the second largest in New Zealand, having lain -so long unexplored.</p> - -<p>Proceeding up on the western side of the moraine, -a new branch glacier descending from the Malte Brun -Range opened out on our left, its lower ice forming a -fine frozen cascade, whilst a waterfall of some 200 feet -descends over a rocky face from its southern and -hanging portion. To this glacier and fall we have -given the name of ‘Onslow,’ in honour of his -Excellency the Earl of Onslow.</p> - -<p>As it was now getting dark we decided to bivouac -for the night, and selecting a bed of small gravel -amongst the larger stones of the moraine, we dined -scantily on cold mutton and tea, and wriggling into -our waterproof blanket-bags were soon ready for sleep. -At first all our attempts at slumber were rendered -futile by a congregation of keas, who hopped around -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span>within a few feet of us, jabbering and swearing in -their own peculiar language at such a party of intruders -on their domain.</p> - -<p>The night was spent in comparative comfort, for -we were beginning to feel the effects of our desperate -swagging, and could go to sleep almost anywhere. -It is simply astonishing what a man can put up with, -when he has to; I have slept soundly in all sorts of -queer positions, even upon a mixture of ice and sharp -stones, without a tent and with only one thickness of -blanket, when the thermometer has been several degrees -below freezing point.</p> - -<p>We were early aroused in the morning by the -persistent attentions of the keas; they even went the -length of pecking at our sleeping-bags, so tame and -unaccustomed to man are they in these parts. We all -wanted more rest, but it was not to be thought of -if we adhered to our original plan of crossing a supposed -saddle at the head of the Murchison to the -Tasman Glacier by Mount Darwin, and returning to our -head-quarters after accomplishing the circuit of the -Malte Brun Range.</p> - -<p>We were soon off, and toiled up the small valley -formed by the lateral moraine of the glacier and the -slopes of the Malte Brun Range. About a mile or so -up we observed another glacier lying in a comparatively -low saddle above us on our left, beyond this a -rocky spur, and then another and larger branch glacier -which for a time we took to be the main body of the -Murchison, as indicated by the maps. We made for it -and climbed its enormous face of ice, and then we -discovered our error, for there, a mile away across -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span>the moraine, lay the clear ice of the Murchison, and -far, far away northwards, the valley extended completely -filled with a magnificent <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">mer de glace</i> of pure -white ice. We stood transfixed, for none of us had -imagined that such a grand glacier lay beyond.</p> - -<p>Now we saw what was before us, and for a long -time debated as to our ability to face the work -ahead.</p> - -<p>Hamilton was shockingly out of condition, and a -sinew in my leg was becoming painful, Nature at last -rebelling against the strain to which she was being -subjected. We had a very scanty supply of provisions, -and evidently it meant spending another night out if -we proceeded.</p> - -<p>The temptation was too much for us. We could -not let this prize slip through our fingers, so we decided -to go on and put ourselves on starvation rations rather -than turn. Away we struck over the moraine, and in -an hour’s time reached the clear ice, here much -crevassed. Crossing with some difficulty we lunched -on the eastern side. Casting our eyes backward we -could see splendidly all the fine peaks we had been -passing under, and could observe the continuation of -the range north-eastwards with five or six more branch -glaciers, the final one northward leading to a snow-field -with a saddle at its head. This, then, must be -our saddle, we thought. But it seemed hopeless to -cross it in our tired condition and with our heavy -swags.</p> - -<p>We set our teeth, however, and went doggedly -forward, striking out on to the clear ice again and -making a north-easterly course, at each step realising -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span>more and more the grandeur of the immense ice-field -now gradually opening out and unfolding the wealth of -mountain glory which encloses it.</p> - -<p>We tried in vain to identify Mount Darwin or the -most northerly peaks of the Malte Brun Range, which -we knew were amongst those on our left, and, according -to our reckoning by the maps—framed from Von -Haast’s—which seems to have been compiled from -guesswork as far as this locality is concerned—we -should at this time have been on the Classen Glacier, -which lies at the southern head of the Godley River, -and, in reality, was some miles north over the Liebig -Range.</p> - -<p>Passing several branch glaciers on our left, and -observing that those on our right were assuming larger -proportions, we sidled obliquely across and made for -the snow-field leading to the saddle which we had every -reason to believe led into the Tasman. Altering our -course to due north, and crossing the lower and sloppy -part of the snow-field, which was flat and quite undrained -by crevasses, we were soon on snow in miserable -order, and putting on the rope we wound our way -gently upwards amongst the crevasses now beginning -to appear.</p> - -<p>We had just six hours of daylight, and considered -we could reach the saddle in four if all went well, -which would leave us two hours to find a bivouac on -the other side, provided the descent were feasible.</p> - -<p>We found it necessary to change leaders again and -again to distribute the arduous task of breaking steps -in treacherous snow, just in the condition to let us -through knee-deep as we put our weight on it, and we -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span>had to observe the greatest caution in crossing the -crevasses, which were very deep and almost invariably -half covered, or had edges fringed with cornices of soft -snow, which at times had to be removed or trodden -down to enable us to obtain a sound footing on the -hard edges concealed beneath it.</p> - -<p>The grade steepened, and we all felt the hard work, -more especially Hamilton, who was sadly out of form, -but stuck to his work like a Trojan, despite the cruel -punishing his swags were giving him.</p> - -<p>Now we had to make our way across a slope where -an avalanche had recently come, and, worse than all, a -thick mist accompanied by a keen wind began to come -over our saddle.</p> - -<p>Still we pushed slowly upwards, resting every few -minutes. Thoughts of turning began to arise in -our doubting minds. But this would not do with the -col so nearly within our grasp, and the cry was almost -one of ‘Death or victory!’ as we plodded laboriously upwards. -Sometimes we could not see fifty feet ahead, -and were compelled to steer by the compass, taking -bearings of crevasses and ice blocks as we proceeded. -Now and then the mist would lift for a moment and we -could catch a glimpse of the longed-for saddle, and at -last, when within a couple of hundred feet, Annan and -I cast off on a separate rope, made a rush—as much of a -rush as we could muster up—for the goal, hoping at -least to get a glimpse of the other side ere the mist -became too dense.</p> - -<p>Hurrah! the saddle was conquered! But what lay -beneath? Mist! Mist! Nothing but a thick impenetrable -mist.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span></p> -<p>The other men arrived, and simultaneously, as if by -some providential magic, the fog began to dissipate.</p> - -<p>As it cleared we looked in vain for the familiar -points at the head of the Tasman, which Annan and I -knew full well. ‘Where’s Darwin? Where’s Elie de -Beaumont? Where’s the Dome?’ No point in sight -could be associated with the prominent features of the -Tasman. As the low-lying portions of the mist disappeared, -we observed that the glacier below flowed -to the right! The Tasman should have flowed in the -opposite direction.</p> - -<p>The truth flashed upon us, and a great cry of -surprise went up, ‘The Murchison! The Murchison!’ -The very glacier whose middle parts we had left three -hours previously.</p> - -<p>Then, leaving Hamilton exhausted on the saddle, the -rest of us struck up to some rocks 300 feet higher on -the right, and once more a great shout arose as Annan -and I saw coming into view the unmistakable double -top of the great Hochstetter Dome, whose proud summit -we had trodden the previous season.</p> - -<p>From these rocks we observed that the course of the -glacier commenced under a peak on our left (which -must be Mount Darwin itself), and running in a northerly -direction for some four or five miles, turning round the -end of the spur upon which our saddle was situated, -assumed a south-westerly course.</p> - -<p>The true saddle between the Murchison and Tasman -lay across the glacier below, north-west. Straight -ahead of us, north by west, visible over a rocky and -unnamed peak on the opposite side of the valley, lay -the Dome, then to the north another snow saddle, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span>evidently leading into the Whymper Glacier, and so on -to the Wataroa River of the west coast. Following -round the range to the right a very fine mountain -stands boldly up; to the right of this, again, is situated -yet another snow saddle, which we concluded must -lead into the Classen Glacier.</p> - -<p>The result of the Government survey of the -Murchison Glacier, just completed (1891), confirms our -surmises regarding the topography of this interesting -district.</p> - -<p>We were astonished at the great length which the -Liebig Range assumes, for it bounds the glacier -throughout the whole of its eastern side, diverging from -the main chain of the Southern Alps some distance -north of the Hochstetter Dome.</p> - -<p>Any attempt at a description of the panorama from -our saddle would be useless to convey an adequate idea -of the view. Harper classed it as similar in character -to the views obtained at high altitudes in the Bernese -Oberland. An aneroid reading gave our height as -about 7,900 feet, but this was much out, as by the -recent survey the height of the saddle has been trigonometrically -determined as 7,194 feet. Our estimate of -the length of the glacier at the time was twelve miles, -and the survey has now fixed it at eleven and a half, -whilst the average width is as nearly as possible one -mile.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_086fp.jpg" id="i_086fp.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_086fp.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="434" /> -<div class="caption"> - <p class="center"><span class="smaller">MOUNTAIN LILIES (<i>Ranunculus Lyallii</i>)</span></p> - <p class="attr-photo">[<i>Wheeler & Son, Photo.</i></p> - </div> -</div> - -<p>Reaching the saddle into the Tasman was now quite -out of the question, for it would involve a descent to -the valley below, the crossing of the upper parts of the -glacier, and the scaling of more snow slopes, which -appeared to us to be impracticable owing to the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span>numerous crevasses. In addition to this, one man was -lying <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">hors de combat</i> on the snow suffering from exhaustion -and vomiting. Evidently the only course we could -pursue was to retrace our upward route, and that as -quickly as possible, for there were but three hours of -daylight left to reach a bivouac in the rocks lower -down.</p> - -<p>After erecting a small cairn, depositing a record of -our ascent, and giving three cheers for nobody quite -knew what, we roped up and began the descent.</p> - -<p>It is astonishing how one’s spirits revive when a fresh -set of muscles is brought into action, aided by the force -of gravitation, and though we had been defeated in our -attempt to reach the Tasman, what did that matter? -Though we were half-dead with starvation—‘Starvation -Saddle’ is now the name of our <em>col</em>—and though a real -weariness of the flesh had taken hold of us, what -matter? We had explored (I might almost say discovered) -the great glacier we had come out to see, and -would be able to settle all sorts of topographical errors -in the maps, and could speak with authority about -many square miles of Alpine country hitherto entirely -unknown.</p> - -<p>Our spirits rose as we descended, despite our hungry -and tired state, and we once more wound our way -down among the crevasses, and reaching the glacier -again made for the lowest point we could before night -closed in. But we had an hour’s cruel moraine work -in the dark ere we found a sleeping-place on a bed of -lilies, where we boiled our last drop of Liebig and -divided our remaining crust of bread.</p> - -<p>It rained a little during the night, but we did not -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span>care for that with our oilskin bags, and sleep visited -our weary eyelids as it had never done before.</p> - -<p>Hamilton’s condition had improved, but his feet -were sore and he was very weak when at 4.30 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> we -once more set off for our home on the glaciers—the -Ball Glacier camp. The prospect of boiled rice and -fresh chops lured us on as we made our way down the -valley, and putting forth our last remaining energy we -made the ever-welcome refuge in eight hours, Harper, -who had most left in him, going on ahead and preparing -a substantial feed for the stragglers behind.</p> - -<p>Oh, that tin plate of rice, <i>and</i> those chops, <i>and</i> that -tea!</p> - -<p>How came an exhibition of pluck rarely seen. After -two hours’ rest Hamilton said he must reach the -Hermitage that night; despite our dissuasions he determined -to go on, and Annan generously volunteered -to accompany him. These two men actually reached -the Hermitage that evening at 8.30. It was the -pluckiest day’s work I have ever seen done in the -mountains.</p> - -<p>Harper and I came down next day in a snow storm, -with fifty-pound swags.</p> - -<p>Many people seem to think that a visit to the -Alpine regions necessarily entails contact with very -cold weather, even in the summer time. This is quite -an erroneous idea, for on this occasion the thermometer -readings at the lower camp varied from 42° <abbr title="Fahrenheit">Fahr.</abbr> in -the morning to 72° in the evening, and I should think -that even during the coldest night the instrument did -not register much lower than the first-named figure. -We frequently went about in shirt and knickers only, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span>and the usual complaint is of the heat, not of the cold. -Some men suffer a good deal of discomfort from sunburn. -I myself am a victim in this respect. It is the -upper and freshly fallen snow which is so ruinous to -the epidermis, the reflection from the new and unmelted -crystals being so great as to cause the skin to -assume a dark chocolate colour even during one-day’s -work amongst it.</p> - -<p>Sometimes blisters form, after which the skin puckers -up and eventually peels off in patches. The noses of -persons possessed of aquiline features are usually a -study in themselves after a day or two’s exposure on -new snow.</p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<h2>CHAPTER <abbr title="9">IX</abbr><br /> -<small>FIFTH ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI</small></h2> - -<p class="hang50center"><i>Avalanches</i>—<i>The bivouac again</i>—<i>First attempt repulsed</i>—<i>Second -attempt</i>—<i>The Great Plateau</i>—<i>The Linda Glacier</i>—<i>Hard work -step-cutting</i>—<i>The terrible couloirs</i>—<i>Victory at last</i>—<i>Descent -by lantern-light</i>—<i>Back to civilisation</i></p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse">Are not the mountains, waves, and skies a part</div> - <div class="verse">Of me and of my soul, as I of them?</div> - <div class="verse">Is not the love of these deep in my heart</div> - <div class="verse">With a pure passion?</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Whymper</span> was eight seasons climbing the Matterhorn. -Dent made innumerable attempts ere he conquered -the Aiguille du Dru—why should we despair about -Aorangi?</p> - -<p>We certainly were at a great disadvantage as compared -with Swiss mountaineers; we had to begin at the -very bottom rung of the ladder, having no trained -guides. But I am confident that if we had been as -many years climbing with guides as we have been -without them we should be far less proficient mountaineers.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_090fpa.jpg" id="i_090fpa.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_090fpa.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="478" /> -<div class="caption"> - <p class="center"><span class="smaller">LOOKING ACROSS THE MURCHISON GLACIER</span></p> - <p class="attr-photo">[<i>Wheeler & Son, Photo.</i></p> - </div> -</div> - -<p>Probably our case is a unique one, and I doubt if -there exists another instance where two or three novices—at -any rate at ice work—have banded themselves -together and gone systematically into heavy Alpine -work ‘right away’ (as the Americans say), doing all -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span>their own porterage and guide work from the start. -We learned fast from that best of masters—‘hard -experience.’</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_090fpb.jpg" id="i_090fpb.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_090fpb.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="490" /> -<div class="caption"> - <p class="center"><span class="smaller">AORANGI FROM THE TASMAN GLACIER</span></p> - <p class="attr-photo">[<i>Wheeler & Son, Photo.</i></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Had we been consistently following in the footsteps -of trained guides we should not have concerned ourselves -about this, that, and the other, but would have -left everything to the men of experience, simply being -towed about in their wake; whereas we have been -obliged to train and exercise all those qualities which -a guide possesses, perforce.</p> - -<p>Naturally, too, a colonial life is more calculated to -teach self-reliance and independence, and from our -earliest schoolboy days we have been accustomed to -rough work on the hills, pig-hunting, &c., and in camp -life on all sorts of hare-brained expeditions. I have, -indeed, been in many an awkward place amongst rocks -when out on the foot-hills, and must have—perhaps -unconsciously—acquired many of those qualities which -denote the cragsman.</p> - -<p>Want of fixedness of purpose had often lured us -away from the peak, and temptations in glacier expeditions -had thwarted our determination. I felt confident, -however, if Dixon and I got together again we -should make a good fight of it with the mountain, -for we had learnt to place confidence in each other in -many rough trips, and Dixon was a man after my own -heart for determination.</p> - -<p>On December 1, 1890, then, for the last time Dixon -and I found ourselves on the way to the Mount Cook -district; we reached Burke’s Pass that evening in an -express waggon which contained besides ourselves two -small Rob Roy canoes, it being our intention to navigate -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span>the Waitaki River from Aorangi to the sea—should we -not previously leave our lifeless bodies at the foot of -some precipice or frozen in a crevasse, as many of our -friends prophesied.</p> - -<p>December 2 saw us crossing the Tasman River in -our canoes ten miles below its exit from the glacier, and -as it was in flood and running full ten knots, with waves -four or five feet high in the rapids, we had an exciting -time of it, yet managed to reach the Hermitage side in -safety, but not without shipping a good deal of water. -This was the first case of a boat of any kind being on -these rushing waters, and our good friends in all directions -prophesied dire disaster to what they were pleased -to term our ‘rash venture.’ We are getting quite -used to these consolations of our friends, who seem -quite disappointed that we do not afford them some -sensational obituary matter in the daily papers.</p> - -<p>Again the faithful Annan was at hand, and greeted -us at the Hooker wire rope with the pleasing intelligence -that our camp at the Ball Glacier was fixed and our -swags conveyed there. The Government surveyor -(Mr. Brodrick) and his party were at hand too, and -working their way to the Murchison Glacier to make -a survey in continuation of their work on the Tasman; -we spent the following night in comfort at their lower -camp, one mile above the terminal face of the Tasman -Glacier, to which point a horse track had already been -formed through the scrub.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_092fp.jpg" id="i_092fp.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_092fp.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="464" /> -<div class="caption"> - <p class="center"><span class="smaller">THE MURCHISON GLACIER</span></p> - <p class="attr-photo">[<i>Wheeler & Son, Photo.</i></p> - </div> -</div> - -<p>Again we carried our swags up that cruel piece of -walking to the Ball Glacier camp, stopping half-way -for lunch at our customary resting-place—‘The Cove’—a -snug little nook in a rock-face where a rill from -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span>the mountain side offers cool refreshment to the weary -swagger.</p> - -<p>Friday morning, December 5, found us early astir, -and making up swags of blanket-bags, tent, tinned -meats, biscuits, chocolate, raisins, prunes, rice, oatmeal, -Liebig’s Extract, and all such necessaries as might -ensure sustenance and a certain degree of comfort at a -high bivouac. Seeing that our boots were well nailed, -our ice-axes and snow-goggles in good order, we -struck out across the Ball and Hochstetter Glaciers and -reached the foot of our climb—the southern termination -of the ridge of Mount Haast. Here we deposited -a small supply of provisions as a standby, in case we -should be driven back by bad weather or by some -unforeseen cause.</p> - -<p>The day was very warm, and as we toiled slowly -up under the weight of our heavy swags (we were -carrying enough provisions to last us for some days) -the perspiration streamed from every pore, and the -sun’s rays seemed to penetrate with singular fierceness.</p> - -<p>Soon we came to the lower termination of the new -and unmelted winter snow in the <em>couloirs</em> or ditches -between the rock ridges, and as the day advanced the -hissing avalanches came down these slopes with increasing -frequency, and falling stones and rocks now -and again passed close by us. The snow being in such -a loose and slushy condition it was imperative that we -should avoid it as much as possible, but climb as -we would we could not help occasionally crossing a -snow-filled <em>couloir</em>, and this had to be accomplished -with much celerity and caution.</p> - -<p>Annan was particularly anxious concerning the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span>‘shocking state of repair’ of these lower slopes, and -seemed to lose his nerve entirely, though he is accustomed -to work on the higher beats in mustering, &c., -and he declared his intention of going no farther than -the bivouac at 7,400 feet, which we reached in the -afternoon. We at once saw that it would be useless -and dangerous to persuade him to join us in the final -assault, for if his self-reliance failed on these lower -slopes, what would the state of his nerve be on the -upper ice work where so much step-cutting would be -necessary? Dixon and I knew that we ought not to -try to ascend the peak alone, that such work as we—two -guideless amateurs—were about to attempt, would not -be looked upon with favour by such a body as the -English Alpine Club; but we were so tired of knuckling -under to Aorangi that we were becoming desperate, -and we decided to try conclusions without a third man.</p> - -<p>Two hours of excavation work removed two feet of -snow and eighteen inches of ice from our bivouac, -revealing the faithful ‘Aurora’ stove and sundry potted -meats left twelve months before by Harper and myself, -and soon we had the tent pitched and were snug for the -night.</p> - -<p>At three o’clock on the Saturday morning Dixon -and I crawled out of our sleeping-bags, and by 4 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> -we were on the snow slopes, determined to make a -vigorous attack upon the peak which had so long -defied us.</p> - -<p>Two hours on fairly good snow slopes and a -scramble over a nasty slab-like face of rock, and -once again the plateau, and that glorious scene of -Aorangi and Tasman, were before us.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span></p> -<p>But the wind had risen quickly and was blowing a -gale from the south-west—the cold quarter. To face -such a wind for any length of time, or to attempt to -climb Aorangi against it, would be simple madness, so -we turned and ignominiously fled to the refuge of our -bivouac, 1,200 feet below, which we reached at seven -o’clock, having been but three hours absent.</p> - -<p>We then sent Annan down, as we were keeping him -from his work in the lower country, telling him to leave -word with the survey party that if we did not arrive -back at the Ball Glacier by Monday night something -would probably have gone amiss with us.</p> - -<p>During the day the gale blew itself out, and next -morning at 3.45 we were in our steps of the day before, -reaching the plateau in an hour and a half. The morning -sun lit up the peaks with a rosy glow, soon his -piercing beams forced us to put on the goggles, while -the crust of the snow began to soften under the great -power of penetration which the rays possess in the -rarefied air. This forced us to plod onward in slushy -snow as we headed right for the Linda Glacier, which -we could see rounding the point of the north-eastern -<em>arête</em> of our mountain.</p> - -<p>On our right rose Mount Tasman clothed in ice, -from which during the night an immense avalanche -had descended. We walked close to its furthest point -of motion as it lay stretched out on the level snow-field -like a gigantic breakwater, and found it to be 300 -paces in width; Dixon estimated that it covered from -forty to fifty acres.</p> - -<p>We now put on the rope, as crevasses began to -appear in the gently rising slopes to the Linda Glacier. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span>On our left we thought that the north-eastern ridge -looked practicable, but deemed it better to rely on a -route chosen by so able a mountaineer as Ulrich Kaufmann, -and kept on our course for the Linda Glacier, -taking ten-minute spells at leading and breaking steps -in the soft and slushy snow, and winding our way -amongst ever-increasing crevasses in search of snow -bridges over which we would cautiously crawl.</p> - -<p>Now we would have a stretch of gently rising snow, -then a crevasse or perhaps a <em>bergschrund</em>, followed by -a steep ascent for 100 or 200 feet, then a divergence to -one side or the other to avoid a chaos of <em>séracs</em> or -blocks of tumbled and broken ice; and so on, hour -after hour. About noon we had gained a considerable -elevation above the plateau and were well round the -corner on the Linda Glacier. Into this elevated valley -the sun poured down through a rarefied atmosphere on -to slopes on either hand which reflected all the light -and heat. The glare was something dreadful, and -before midday our faces and hands had assumed the -customary chocolate colour, and the skin was literally -broiled off me; Dixon did not suffer to such an extent. -The heat was most intense, though not of the enervating -kind which one feels at lower altitudes.</p> - -<p>Viewed from this quarter Aorangi presents a totally -different form than from any other, and we began to be -sanguine about accomplishing our task. I was in -possession of notes and sketches of the route kindly -sent me by Mr. Green, and these were of material -assistance to us.</p> - -<p>Before us lay the final peak with its capping of ice. -From the summit, now in full view, descended in a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span>north-westerly direction to the right a steep rocky <em>arête</em> -connecting with the ridge leading on to Mount Tasman. -From the lower parts of these rocks steep ice slopes -streaked with marks from falling rocks descend to the -upper portions of the Linda Glacier, bounded all along -their lower termination by an immense <em>bergschrund</em> -which severs them from immediate contact with the -glacier itself.</p> - -<p>On the left of the summit slopes the north-eastern -<em>arête</em>, consisting of a ridge of alternate knife-edges of -ice and <em>gensdarmes</em> or towers of rock. The northern -side or face of this ridge descending to the Linda -Glacier is composed of very steep slopes of ice set with -three immense masses of red sandstone rocks, with two -ice-filled <em>couloirs</em> or ditches between them. Up these -two <em>couloirs</em> lay our route. We thought, however, -that by leaving the glacier and taking to the crest of -the ridge we could improve on the route, but soon -found that the change was a mistake, and so struck -back on to our old course up the middle of the -glacier, the final slopes of which were very steep and -exposed to the chance of avalanches from either hand.</p> - -<p>It seemed a hopeless task this plunging through -soft snow hour after hour, and it was nearly one o’clock -ere we gained the edge of the big <em>bergschrund</em> and with -difficulty discovered a sound enough snow bridge. -Shortly before this an incident occurred in crossing -one of these snow bridges which brought forcibly -before our minds the serious nature of the work in -which we were engaged. I—the lighter man by two -stone—had crawled over in safety, and planting myself -well in the soft snow above, was taking in the slack of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span>the rope as Dixon followed, when suddenly he went -through up to his armpits and was dangling in space, -held up by a thin crust of snow and by the rope from -above. I pulled with the strength of despair, and -Dixon struggled till he secured a hold somehow on -the other lip of the crevasse and got out.</p> - -<p>That sort of thing is all very well to look back -upon and talk over afterwards, but I am not likely to -forget for many a long day the sensation of holding up -a thirteen-stone man under such circumstances, and I -must say that I should have been much easier in my -mind if we had had such a man as Emil Boss or Ulrich -Kaufmann on one end of the rope.</p> - -<p>Immediately after crossing the big <em>bergschrund</em> step-cutting -commenced; and from this point upwards -every step, other than those on rocks, had to be cut -in hard ice.</p> - -<p>It is no easy task after climbing steadily for nine -hours in soft snow to set to work and cut steps, especially -when one knows that a slip must on no account -be made, for with two men only on the rope it would -mean a sudden descent to the crevasses or precipices -(as the case may be) below, and our certain destruction.</p> - -<p>An hour’s steady work and we gained the foot -of the lowest rocks, which were found to be quite -unscalable. We then sidled round the base of these -rocks to the left and commenced cutting steps up the -first <em>couloir</em>, keeping close into the rocks on our right, -on which we could get an occasional hand-grip. -Ice blocks were continually coming down from the -broken masses overhanging the top of the <em>couloir</em>, but -luckily none struck us. The descent of an ice block in -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span>such steep ice slopes is something to remember. First -a rattle above, and then ‘swish, swish’ as the first -leaps begin, followed by a ‘whir-r-r-r’ and a -‘hum-m-m-m’ as, like a flash of light, a spinning -and ricochetting object goes by and is lost to sight -over the brink of the precipice below, or perchance is -detected spending its momentum on the soft snow -slopes 1,000 feet down.</p> - -<p>These falls of ice on the upper slopes are not like -the hissing avalanches, which sometimes even <i>crawl</i> -down the lower snow slopes, but come down with the -speed of light, and are calculated to strike terror into -the heart of the stoutest-nerved climber.</p> - -<p>We crossed the <em>couloir</em> near its head, partly on ice -and partly on rocks, amid the gravest peril from -showers of ice, and took to the rocks on our left, which -were both dangerous and difficult, mainly owing to -their being here and there coated with ice. Soon they -became quite inaccessible, and we were again forced -towards our left on to the ice slopes in the second -<em>couloir</em>, and here we found the ice even harder, and we -could only make an impression on it with the spike -end of our axes. To add to the difficulty, the angle of -ascent became steeper, inclining in places to about 60° -from the horizontal.</p> - -<p>We negotiated this <em>couloir</em> in a similar manner to -that below, but water trickling from the overhanging -rocks formed awkward hummocks of ice on the slope -close to the rocks, over which we thought it almost -impossible to climb, and to go out into the middle of -the <em>couloir</em> was impossible, owing to falling ice.</p> - -<p>Time was quickly passing, and we had a terrible -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span>fight to reach the head of the <em>couloir</em>. The rocks now -shaded us from the sun’s rays, and soon our hats, coats, -and the rope were frozen as stiff as boards, while the -cold was so intense as to cause the skin of our hands -to adhere to the steel of the ice-axes.</p> - -<p>It seemed now more than ever a hopeless task to -reach the final ice-cap, which we knew could not be -far above us; but we silently and doggedly cut away, -and at length were rewarded by finding the rocks on -our right practicable; taking to them we were soon on -their crest, and the ice-cap of the mountain lay straight -before us. An easy bit of rock-climbing led up to the -slopes, which we found to be covered with a peculiar -form of lumpy and frozen drifted snow. At the top of -the rocks we looked around in vain for Mr. Green’s -cairn, with his handkerchief and Kaufmann’s matchbox, -left on the occasion of their ascent in March 1882. -Doubtless they have either been long since swept away -by falling ice or were buried in the terminal of the -ice slope, which in December would encroach farther -down upon the rocks than in March.</p> - -<p>Dixon now counselled a retreat, arguing that we -had virtually overcome all the difficulties and had only -the final and easy slope to cut up; but I persuaded -him to stay a little longer and make a push for it, or at -least as much of a push as we were capable of making.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_100fp.jpg" id="i_100fp.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_100fp.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="473" /> -<div class="caption"> - <p class="center"><span class="smaller">AORANGI: THE HIGHEST PEAK</span></p> - <p class="attr-photo">[<i>From a Water-colour Sketch</i></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p>It was half-past five. Four hours and a half we -had been toiling from the head of the Linda Glacier, -thirteen hours and a half from our bivouac, without -any halt to speak of. A wind began to blow from the -north-west, adding fresh cause for anxiety about the -descent. One thing was certain—if we wanted to get -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span>down alive we should have to reach the Linda Glacier -again before dark.</p> - -<p>We worked as hard as we were able at step-cutting -for another fifteen minutes, but only made slow progress; -yet there was the cornice, just away to the -right, the crest of the ridge to the left, and the top -scarcely a stone’s throw above, with no difficulty in -the way. What would we not have given for another -hour of daylight? How could we turn away when so -near to a complete victory over our old foe?</p> - -<p>Dixon again suggested turning, and I could not do -otherwise than defer to his advice, for already we were -caught in a trap, and should bad weather come upon -us—and the wind and cold were fast increasing—before -we reached the Linda Glacier again the probabilities -were that we never should have returned from the -giddy heights of the great Aorangi, the ‘Sky-piercer.’</p> - -<p>The height of the mountain is 12,349 feet; our -aneroid read at our turning-point 12,300, and we -reckoned the summit to be 140 feet above us. The -slight error in the reading of the instrument would be -accounted for by the impending change of weather.</p> - -<p>The view is magnificently comprehensive. Looking -northwards we could see clear over the top of our -giant neighbour, Mount Tasman (11,475 feet). On the -western side, the ocean, but twenty miles distant, was -covered by a mantle of low-lying clouds creeping into -the bays and inlets of the coast, studded here and -there with islanded hill-tops, and stretching away to -what seemed a limitless horizon on the west. A streak -of blue ocean showed through the cloud mantle near -Hokitika, seventy miles northwards.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span></p> -<p>North-eastwards the glorious array of the Southern -Alps extended, presenting a panorama of such magnificence -and comprehensiveness that it defies any attempt -at description. It is one of those vast pictures which -are indelibly impressed upon the memory—one of those -overpowering examples of Nature’s sublimity which -seem to move a man’s very soul and call him to a sense -of his own littleness.</p> - -<p>Close under us lay the scenes of all our joys and -sorrows of the past five years: the Tasman Glacier, -encircled by those splendid peaks and snow-fields -whose forms we had learned to know and love so well; -further afield lay the Liebig Range, and, showing over -this, Mount Jukes and his attendant satellites of rocky -peaks. Beyond this again, far, far away in the blue and -indefinite east, we could distinguish the hills of Banks -Peninsula, close to our homes near Christchurch, whilst -we could imagine that the blue haze distinguishable -there was indeed the eastern ocean, 120 miles distant.</p> - -<p>It will, of course, be said that we did not make the -complete ascent of the mountain. Be that so; neither -does Mr. Green claim that honour, though for all practical -purposes to be on the ice-cap of Aorangi means -the same thing as being on the top. Mr. Green’s -highest point must, according to his sketches, have -been as nearly as possible 100 feet above ours.</p> - -<p>But we could not spare time to moralise and rest as -we should like to have done, for it was imperative that -the terrible ice slopes should be descended before the -light failed, and at a few minutes to six we began to go -down backwards in our steps, taking a firm hold with -our axes at every step.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span></p> -<p>This going down is a fearful strain on the nerves, -and requires the greatest steadiness and caution. In -hurrying down the easy rocks we missed a mark on a -snow patch which Dixon had made to denote the right -route, and this mistake at the outset caused us nearly -half an hour’s delay before we found the right spot from -which to leave the crest of the rocks. Dixon led down -the rocks and I followed, every now and then taking -a turn round any prominent projection with the rope -and easing him down, whilst he in turn secured a good -hold and took in the slack as I came down.</p> - -<p>Bad as it had been coming up the top <em>couloir</em>, it -was infinitely worse going down, for what was trickling -water on the upward journey was now solid ice, and -many of the steps were filled with re-frozen chips of -ice from the steps we had cut above, and these had -to be cleaned out before we could get a secure foothold.</p> - -<p>Cutting steps <i>up</i> is one thing, and cutting them -<i>down</i> another, for on a steep slope one cannot turn -round face downwards to get at one’s work, which in -the case of going up-hill lies convenient to the hand.</p> - -<p>How we did get down without the fatal slip which -I was momentarily expecting would be made by one or -the other of us I never could quite understand.</p> - -<p>The rocks below the topmost <em>couloir</em> were negotiated -and the lower <em>couloir</em> reached. This was not so -difficult to descend, and the effect of the frost was such -as to prevent such a continual shower of ice blocks -from above, thus minimising one prominent danger.</p> - -<p>The lower parts of the <em>couloir</em> were reached, and -here are situated the rocks which form the ledge upon -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span>which with Boss and Kaufmann Mr. Green stood out -for the night. There are several ledges accessible, but -Mr. Green’s party must have been upon one of the -higher, for on some of the lower ledges there is room -for a dozen men to stand or even lie down, though -scarcely space enough for a circus or Wild West show, -as Dixon humorously suggested. The light was now -fast failing, and we strained every nerve to reach the -big <em>bergschrund</em> below before darkness was upon us.</p> - -<p>We were just in time and that was all, and the frail -snow bridge was passed by our sliding over on our -backs; I, the lighter man, led, and Dixon followed -as steady as a rock—not a Mount Cook Rock, but the -proverbial one.</p> - -<p>We had now been seventeen hours with every nerve -and muscle constantly in action, and yet, as the darkness -set in and the awful glare of the sun had left us, -we began to freshen up, and lighting one of our -Austrian climbing-lanterns we retraced our footsteps of -the morning, being most careful never to deviate from -them. Soon it became very dark, for there was no -moon, and we could but dimly distinguish the ghostly -forms of the white-robed peaks which shut us in on all -hands.</p> - -<p>Hour after hour we plodded on. On one occasion -we were brought up by the crevasse into which Dixon -had nearly fallen in the morning; it had opened wider -during the day, and only after walking along its line -of fracture in both directions for half an hour did we -discover a bridge which seemed sufficiently strong. -We crossed in our usual way, sliding over at full -length, and putting some weight on to our axe-handles -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span>laid lengthways on the snow to distribute the weight -as much as possible.</p> - -<p>As the night wore on, the crust of the snow became -harder, and after passing through that most unpleasant -crusted stage when it will bear until all the weight is -put on one foot, became quite pleasant to walk upon, -and over the lower part of the Linda Glacier and across -the plateau we made a fair pace. As we reached the -rise off the plateau on to the Haast Ridge the wind -increased in violence, and we had great difficulty in -keeping our lanterns (two of which we now kept going) -alight.</p> - -<p>The crest of the ridge was gained, and the descent -of the dangerous snow slopes to the bivouac, 1,200 -or 1,400 feet below, commenced. We were soon in -trouble again amongst <em>bergschrunds</em> and crevasses, and -on two occasions, in going down and feeling for the -next step behind, I found on showing a light that my -<i>hind</i> leg was dangling in a crevasse!</p> - -<p>I must not weary you, dear reader, with further -monotonous descriptions of crossing these deadly -enemies of the mountaineer, suffice it to say that after -an exasperating hunt on the steep slopes and in the -dark for our bivouac—the candles being just finished—we -finally discovered it at 2.45 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span>, an hour before -daylight, having been twenty-three hours constantly -hard at work without any halt worthy the name.</p> - -<p>Sleeping soundly till 9 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> we made up our swags, -and by 11 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> were on the downward route again for -the Ball Glacier camp.</p> - -<p>It was quite a wrench to leave our friendly rock, -which had become a haven of rest and refuge to us on -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span>this upper beat. Five nights have I spent under its -protection at different times, and as often have I arisen -with the early morn to gaze upon those vast and sublime -solitudes of Nature so grandly unfolded to view. -From this little home—out of which if one stepped one -had to be careful not to lose one’s footing and make a -rapid descent to the Hochstetter Glacier on one hand -or to the Freshfield on the other—I have seen the rosy -tints of the newly-born day creep downwards from the -hoary snow-caps of the mountains, and when evening -drew on have watched the afterglow envelop all in -its warm embrace, even black rocks turning to a deep -crimson which seemed to pervade the higher peaks ere -the black and cold night once again grasps them in his -icy hold.</p> - -<p>Here had tired limbs been laid to rest whilst wearied -minds dreamed dreams of success and hope, gaining -renewed vigour with the morning light to go forth -afresh into new struggles and enjoyments. Here in the -heart of great Nature’s solitudes the thoughts flew back -to homes of comfort and of love. What wonder that -we should have formed associations with such a spot?</p> - -<p>The Ball Glacier camp was reached at 4.30 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span>, -where we found Mr. Sladden of the Survey party -anxiously awaiting our arrival, with that forethought -which shows the kindly feeling and consideration for -others that characterises men of worth in these outlandish -parts.</p> - -<p>That evening Dixon went across with Sladden to -the Survey camp in the Murchison Valley, leaving me -to wait for an expected friend from Christchurch.</p> - -<p>Here I was quite alone amongst the mountains, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span>with plenty of time to muse over the events of the past -few days and to let my wandering thoughts fly back -even further, to the struggles of the past five years -whilst attempting to conquer Aorangi.</p> - -<p>What is the climber’s reward for all his trouble? -Why does he climb? Who can tell?</p> - -<p>Is it renown he struggles for? No; I am convinced -that is a very infinitesimal motive. For mercenary -ends? No; there is no financial harvest to reap.</p> - -<p>I have often tried to think why men undergo such -labour and hardship, but cannot come to any definite -conclusion. To overcome set tasks (‘pure cussedness’ -the Americans would say) is one reason (after once -putting one’s hand to the plough). To gain physical -and mental strength, to raise and purify the mind in -Nature’s great school, are both potent reasons. But, -above all, there is some mysterious influence pervading -all true mountaineers—a mountain fever, a close kinship -with Nature (call it what you will), a hidden -impulse that grows on a man who has once felt what it -is to taste the sweets of climbing and to enjoy the -fascinations of the world above the snow-line.</p> - -<p>My friend did not arrive, so I made my way over -to Mr. Brodrick’s Survey camp on the Murchison, -walking through a thick mist, and steering across the -Tasman by the aid of a compass—a distance of seven -miles, or three hours’ walking from camp to camp.</p> - -<p>Here I found Cooper—Messrs. Wheeler & Son’s -photographic operator—who was down securing views -of the district for a lecture which I was to deliver -before the Australasian Association for the Advancement -of Science.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span></p> -<p>It was our intention to make a two days’ excursion -up the Murchison Glacier with Cooper, but showery -weather put a veto on our plans, and we were fain to -be content with a short excursion to the Onslow Glacier, -where some exposures were effected.</p> - -<p>Leaving Mr. Brodrick’s hospitable quarters on -December 10, by the 12th we were again at the -Hermitage.</p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<h2>CHAPTER <abbr title="10">X</abbr><br /> -<small>ON SOME OF THE PHENOMENA OF GLACIERS, WITH SPECIAL -REGARD TO THOSE OF NEW ZEALAND</small></h2> - -<p class="hang50center"><i>The cause of glaciers</i>—<i>Formation and structure</i>—<i>Motion</i>—<i>Moraines</i>: -<i>Lateral</i>, <i>medial</i>, <i>and terminal</i>—<i>‘Surface’ moraines</i>—<i>Crevasses</i>—<i>Moulins</i>—<i>Glacier -cones</i>—<i>Glacier tables</i>—<i>Surface torrents</i>—<i>Avalanches</i>—<i>Cornices</i></p> - - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">In</span> a work of this nature it may not be out of place to -briefly describe some of those interesting features and -phenomena which accompany the world above the snow-line.</p> - -<p>Here is a quotation from a recent review of Professor -Heim’s work<a name="fnanchor_2_2" id="fnanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> by a prominent member of the -English Alpine Club:—</p> - -<p>‘Some thirty years ago a systematic <em>résumé</em> of all -that was known up to that date about existing glaciers -appeared in the work of Professor Albert Mousson, -“<cite>Die Gletscher der Jetztzeit</cite>,” since which, with perhaps -the exception of Major Hüber’s “Les Glaciers,” no -attempt has been made to collect into a focus the light -which numerous able observers and theorists have -subsequently thrown upon the question. The intricacy -of the problem has, indeed, increased almost in proportion -to our enlarged knowledge of its conditions; and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span>in spite of the labours of a large and very distinguished -body of investigators, not only do many important -points remain matters of dispute, but the very materials -for a complete solution are still wanting.’</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#fnanchor_2_2">[2]</a> <i>Handbuch der Gletscherkunde</i>, von Dr. Albert Heim, Zürich (Stuttgart: -Verlag von J. Engelhorn, 1885, 18 francs.)</p></div> - -<p class="center space-above">CAUSE OF GLACIERS</p> - -<p>The joint cause of glaciers is precipitation and cold. -A low temperature alone can do nothing without -moisture, and this fact quickly disposes of the popular -notion that glaciers invariably exist in cold countries. -Thibet, for instance, and also some parts of Arctic -North America are destitute of ice streams, though -eternal cold may be said to reign supreme in these parts.</p> - -<p>Imagine for a moment the higher mountains clear -of snow and ice, and then watch for the formation of a -glacier. Snow falls and fills up all the valleys and -gullies, avalanches descend from the higher parts, -and a great accumulation gathers in all hollows. By -constant repetition of snow-falls (always provided a -greater quantity is deposited than can be melted by the -sun’s rays and by the natural warmth of the earth’s crust) -great pressure is put upon the lower portions by the -superincumbent accumulation, and aided by the infiltration -of water and refreezing (or ‘regelation’ as the -correct term is), a large body of ice is formed which at -once begins to move down the valleys containing it.</p> - -<p class="center space-above">GLACIER ICE</p> - -<p>Glacier ice is not like the solid blue ice on the surface -of water, but consists of granules joined together -by an intricate network of capillary water-filled fissures.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span></p> -<p>In exposed sections and upon the surface of the ice -can be observed a ‘veined’ or ‘banded’ structure—veins -of a denser blue colour alternating with those of -a lighter shade containing air bubbles.</p> - -<p>The cause of this peculiar structure has been the -subject of much theorising amongst investigators, but -hitherto I believe the greatest authorities consider that -the explanation of the phenomenon is yet wanting.</p> - -<p class="center space-above">GLACIER MOTION</p> - -<p>The motion of glaciers is yet another bone of contention, -but it is generally admitted that the cause of -it is to be found mainly in gravitation, and is also -partially accounted for by the strange property of -‘viscosity’ in what appears to the casual observer to -be nothing more or less than a rigid solid.</p> - -<p>Recently observations for ascertaining the rate of -progress of the Tasman, Murchison, Hooker, and Mueller -Glaciers have been made by the New Zealand Government -Survey Department. Some of the results were -embodied in a paper by Mr. J. H. Baker, the Chief -Surveyor of the Provincial District of Canterbury, and -will appear in the ‘Transactions of the Australasian -Association for the Advancement of Science’ for 1891. -At the late meeting of that body a committee was appointed -to further these investigations, and a sum of -25<abbr title="litres">l.</abbr> voted for the aid of the same.</p> - -<p>Before long, therefore, there will be put before the -scientific public reliable measurements of the motion of -several of the largest and least-known glaciers in -temperate regions.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span></p> - -<p class="center space-above">MORAINES</p> - -<p>There is a remarkable feature of the glaciers of this -country which stamps them as unique in one respect—I -refer to the very extensive moraines. I write feelingly -of this, for my acquaintance with them has been a very -close one, and they have impressed me very deeply—in -more ways than one.</p> - -<p>The large glaciers of which I have written in this -work are completely moraine-covered over their lower -parts.</p> - -<p class="center space-above">‘SURFACE’ MORAINES</p> - -<p>Moraines may be divided into four sections: -‘Lateral’ moraines, fringing the sides of the glaciers, -their outlying portions often being ‘dead’—that is, at -present unmoved by the action of the ice, and forming -banks, as it were, for the ice stream to flow between; -‘medial’ moraines, which begin at the junction of two -streams of ice and often continue for many miles to -the terminal face; ‘terminal’ moraines, formed by -the depositing of detritus at the melting point or end -of the glacier; and, lastly, ‘surface’ moraines (so called -by Professor Hutton of Christchurch, N.Z.), which are -the combined accumulations of the first two divisions -in the lower parts of the glacier.</p> - -<p>It is these ‘surface’ moraines that are such a characteristic -feature of the glaciers situate on the eastern -side of the chain in New Zealand. Of those on the -western side I am not able to speak with authority, -never having visited them myself; but I understand -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span>that they do not carry such a large quantity of detritus -as those of the eastern slopes.</p> - -<p>This disparity remains to be accounted for and -awaits an explanation. I have a theory of my own -upon the subject, which, however, as yet I would not -like to put too strongly forward.</p> - -<p>On both sides of Mount Cook, on Mount De la Bêche (ten miles further -along the chain), and on a peak just north of the Hochstetter Dome (ten -miles still further north) I have observed enormous exposed sections of -the rock strata, which in each case dip at a steep angle <em>from east -to west</em>, presenting slab faces, not easily disturbed by the action -of the frost, to the westward, but broken and fast denuding faces -(‘basset’ faces, as they are geologically termed) to the eastward. I -am hoping at some future time to further investigate this interesting -subject.</p> - -<p>As the western glaciers, however, must descend steeper valleys than the -eastern, I make no doubt that their rate of progress will be eventually -ascertained to be greater than that of the latter, and this would -militate largely against an accumulation of moraine <em>upon the ice</em>.</p> - -<p class="center space-above">THE SURFACE OF A GLACIER</p> - -<p>All sorts of queer notions as to what the surface of -a glacier is like exist. Indeed I have often heard -people inquire if it would be possible <i>to skate upon it</i>!</p> - -<p>Let us for a moment imagine ourselves at the head -of the great Tasman Glacier, 8,600 feet above sea-level. -All around us is snow, either freshly fallen or merging -into <em>névé</em>. We begin to walk down, and at first, upon -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span>the steeper slopes, cross a few large crevasses and -<em>bergschrunds</em> by means of snow bridges; then, as the -incline becomes less steep, we walk for six miles or so -upon a smooth surface of <em>névé</em>, or perchance knee-deep -in fresh snow, and scarcely a crevasse exists. At -the beginning of the great turn we gradually leave -the <em>névé</em> and find ourselves upon hard, white ice, and -soon transverse crevasses appear; these are a little -further on cut by longitudinal crevasses forming the -surface into huge squares, not flat on the top, but hummocky. -A perfect network of crevasses cuts up the -whole of the surface, but those parts on the outside of -the curve are infinitely more disturbed than those on the -inside, owing to the tension put upon them by the faster -rate at which they have to move. After rounding the -turn the glacier again consolidates and few crevasses -appear, only the surface is covered with old wounds—if -I may coin such a term—from the rents which have -occurred at the turn, and presents a very undulating -appearance. The little gullies are formed into watercourses -and intersect the glacier in all directions. On -our right, now, is the medial moraine formed by detritus -from Mount De la Bêche, brought down partly by the -Tasman and partly by the Rudolf Glaciers, and it -stands up 100 feet or so above the surface of the clear -ice on either side of it, owing to the protection from -the sun’s rays afforded by it to the ice beneath, so preventing -‘ablation’ or waste going on so quickly. We -follow down for another four or five miles, and then -cross this moraine (which has in the meantime joined -that on the northern side of the Hochstetter Glacier) -on to the Hochstetter on our right.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span></p> -<p class="center space-above">SURFACE TORRENTS AND MOULINS</p> - -<p>We are now immediately below the great ice-fall, -and the surface of the glacier presents an appearance -not unlike the back of some enormous caterpillar -wrinkled transversely by crevasses, which close up as -we proceed downwards, and furrowed longitudinally -by two large or main watercourses whose icy banks -are in places 100 feet above their respective torrents. -These two small rivers are fed from every direction by -minor watercourses, and a mile or two further down -discharge all their contents into crevasses and <em>moulins</em>, -or water-shafts in the ice.</p> - -<p class="center space-above">GLACIER TABLES AND CONES—THE ACTION OF WARMTH</p> - -<p>The locality of the glacier on which we now are is -very interesting, for Nature’s mills are here seen at work -day by day. Glacier tables—blocks of rock perched -upon pedestals of ice formed by the protection from the -action of the sun’s warmth—are of frequent occurrence. -Glacier cones—heaps of sand and small fragments of -rock raised by a similar agency (after having been -washed to one spot by water)—are in places all around -us. Then, strange and contradictory as it may seem, -we see thousands of holes, each with a stone at the -bottom and filled with the bluest of blue water, formed -also in the first place by the rays of the sun warming -the stone and causing it to sink in the ice. It is well-known -in physics that water at 39° <abbr title="Fahrenheit">Fahr.</abbr> is at its heaviest, -and as soon as the warm stone—the dark colour of the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span>stone having absorbed more heat than the surrounding -ice—begins to sink the warmer water follows it, whilst -that in the neighbouring temperature of 32° <abbr title="Fahrenheit">Fahr.</abbr> rises -to the surface and becomes in its turn re-warmed, and -so on. This peculiar current often bores the holes in -the ice to a depth of many feet, and is only checked -by a preponderance of cold. It is the larger stones, -therefore, which rise upon the ice, and the smaller ones -which sink.</p> - -<p class="center space-above">‘SURFACE’ AND ‘TERMINAL’ MORAINES</p> - -<p>We walk on down the ice stream, and soon the -moraines on either hand close in upon us and we find -ourselves on a mere wedge of ice, at the point of which -we step on to the ‘surface’ moraine. Here the swearing -begins, and it lasts right on to the terminal face -four or five miles below, for it is one continual repetition -of walking on loose and tumbling rocks, up one hillock, -along a ridge, jumping from</p> - -<p class="center">Rock to rock with many a shock,</p> - -<p class="noindent">down another hillock, now and then starting a whole -avalanche of many-sided and sharp-edged stones down -a treacherous slope of ice, which we take for a surface -deeply covered and sound of footing.</p> - -<p>Skate on the surface of a glacier?</p> - -<p>‘Not much!’ (as the Colonials say).</p> - -<p class="center space-above">AVALANCHES</p> - -<p>Very strange notions also exist amongst the uninitiated -as to the nature of avalanches. The popular -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span>idea of an avalanche is derived from heartrending -accounts of great sweepings away and annihilation of -whole villages, and few of the general run of people -seem to realise that in Alpine work almost any little -descending mass of rock, snow, or ice is dignified by -the name of avalanche. Snow avalanches are most frequent -after fresh falls of snow followed immediately by -warm weather, and after a little experience amongst the -mountains one soon learns to detect their customary -tracks. Ice avalanches are mainly caused through the -overhanging portion of ice at the terminals of secondary -glaciers—that is, glaciers which break off before descending -to the valley or to the parent glacier below. The -tracks of ice avalanches are almost invariably unmistakable -and are swept night and day without cessation, -and very frequently at regular intervals.</p> - -<p>Rock avalanches are more treacherous, and one -never knows when to expect them from above; generally -in the early morning the frost holds the stones above -in an icy grip, but as the sun melts the ice in the -chinks the hold is released and a stone will descend -into the <em>couloirs</em> or ditches which scarp the mountain -side. If one happens to be below then it is a case of -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">sauve qui peut</i> and a rush for the nearest protection, for -there is no saying how many tons, or indeed how many -hundreds of tons, of loose rocks or stone may start in a -wild and dusty rattle down the hillside.</p> - -<p>But some snow avalanches almost crawl down the -<em>couloirs</em>, and make a strange and ever-continued hissing -as they move. These are composed of heavy and -sodden snow, and begin after the sun has been up for -some hours, continuing until nightfall. These are not -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span>so dangerous on a gentle slope, and one can often -waddle or half glissade down in the midst of one with -perfect safety, though they make one uncomfortably -wet.</p> - -<p class="center space-above">CORNICES</p> - -<p>Cornices are a frequent source of danger to the -mountaineer. They are formed by the snow drifting -over one edge of a ridge and forming a hanging mass. -It is needless to say that one soon learns to walk some -feet away from the outer edge of a cornice, for after -poking one’s axe-handle through three feet of snow, -and peeping through a blue hole down a precipice of -perhaps 1,000 feet or so, it is not difficult to fancy -what the result would be should the cornice break.</p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<h2>CHAPTER <abbr title="11">XI</abbr><br /> -<small>CANOEING ON THE NEW ZEALAND RIVERS</small></h2> - -<p class="hang50center"><i>The Waimakariri</i>—<i>The enormous rainfall</i>—<i>Descent of the Waitaki -River</i>—<i>The Tasman branch</i>—<i>Lake Pukaki</i>—<i>Leaky canoes</i>—<i>The -Pukaki Rapids</i>—<i>The Waitaki Gorge</i>—<i>Out on the plains again</i>—<i>Sixty -miles’ paddle to catch the train</i>—<i>Home once more</i></p> - - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Canoeing</span> on the New Zealand rivers is desperately -exciting work. On the west coast of the South Island -there is a canoe club, whose members build boats in -watertight compartments specially suited for the rough -journeys which they undertake. Some of these men -are adepts at canoe-sailing, and think little of going out -to sea in their cockle-shells and even making long coastal -journeys. The brothers Park have established quite a -reputation by their adventurous journeyings. On one -occasion they crossed the South Island with their canoes, -towing up the Teramakau River, crossing a saddle of -1,700 feet at its head, descending the Hurunui and -then coasting fifty miles down to Christchurch. On -another occasion the crossing of Cook Straits was -effected by them.</p> - -<p>On the eastern side of the island not much canoeing -has been done, with the exception of the navigation of -two of the largest rivers (the Waimakariri and Waitaki) -from their sources to the sea by Mr. Dixon and myself.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span></p> -<p>I well remember how universal was the outcry -against our attempting to descend the Waimakariri in -1889, upon which occasion we conveyed the canoes -up to the head waters in the Southern Alps, and came -down ninety miles of rapids at a tremendous rate, -going through the celebrated gorge fourteen miles in -length. Dixon reached Christchurch in one day—a -wonderful feat—but I was not able to accomplish more -than half the distance, and took two days over it. This -involved a descent of 2,550 feet in altitude from the -starting point.</p> - -<p>In the following year the Waimakariri was again -navigated by myself and three other kindred adventurous -spirits, when a number of line photographic views -of the scenery in the gorge were secured.</p> - -<p>The descent of the Waitaki River, however, promised -some exciting work, in addition to giving a grand insight -into the story of the ancient glacier formation—a -subject of great geological interest.</p> - -<p>The rainfall in the New Zealand mountain districts -is enormously heavy, as much or more than 150 inches -per annum being registered in some parts. The rivers -consequently carry a phenomenal amount of water for -their length, and the calculations as to their discharge -give wonderful results. The Clutha River in Otago—the -largest river of the South Island—discharges as -much water per annum as the Nile! It seems a strange -statement to make; but such is the fact, the calculations -having been made by competent men.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_120fp.jpg" id="i_120fp.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_120fp.jpg" alt="" width="430" height="700" /> -<div class="caption"> - <p class="center"><span class="smaller">IN THE ICE-FALL OF THE ONSLOW GLACIER</span></p> - <p class="attr-photo">[<i>Wheeler & Son, Photo.</i></p> - </div> -</div> - -<p>The day following our return from Aorangi we left -the Hermitage at 9 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span>, and by 1 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span> had begun our -exciting journey of 140 miles to the sea.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span></p> -<p>The Tasman River takes its rise from the Tasman -and Murchison Glaciers, and is soon joined by the -Hooker, which drains the Hooker and Mueller Glaciers. -Its course from Mount Cook to its delta at the head of -Lake Pukaki is thirty miles in length, and the fall is -considerable, the terminal face of the Tasman Glacier -being 2,456 feet above sea-level, whilst the altitude of -Lake Pukaki is 1,717 feet. The first mile or two of -the journey was marked by several strong rapids, and -we could not avoid shipping much water; and, added -to this, we soon found that some old cracks in the -canoes had opened out through exposure to the sun, -although they had been carefully covered over with -sacking during our absence in the mountains. This -gave us some cause for anxiety, and the discomfort -of paddling in boats which were half full of water -soon made itself painfully apparent. Indeed, there is -nothing more calculated to put a man out of temper -with all the world and his surroundings, to goad him -to strong language, and to give him an uncomfortable -and miserable time generally, than to have to sit for -hours in a boat that floats like an unmanageable log, to -say nothing of the increase of danger to which he is -consequently exposed in some parts of a river such as -the Tasman, running, as it does, something approaching -ten knots in many places.</p> - -<p>I don’t think Dixon and myself are likely to forget -the tortures of the four hours which we passed through -on reaching the lake. Here the cracks in my boat, -which was decidedly the worse of the two, had to be -jammed up with handkerchiefs, &c., before we dared -to venture on a journey of eight or nine miles to the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span>ferry at the other end of the lake, where is situated -the exit of the Pukaki River.</p> - -<p>As we scraped over the sandy shallows and pushed -off into deep-green water, my heart sank within me at -the idea of having to cross the lake in its present -rough state (for a strong nor’-wester was blowing) in -our frail canoes, which were not built in watertight -compartments, and were quite unsuited for the work. -Every ten minutes or so I would have to stop paddling -and bale for dear life with the lid of the ‘billy,’ and the -craft would immediately swing round broadside on to -the seas, which seemed to do their best to upset her.</p> - -<p>At first we kept edging away for the southern -shore, and about half-way down the lake succeeded in -getting within reasonable swimming distance, which, to -a certain extent, we retained for a short time.</p> - -<p>In the distance we could make out the island close -to the ferry, with some trees on it, and from our direction -there appeared to be but three. My thoughts at -once flew back to the island on the Lake of Geneva, -which Byron has immortalised in his ‘Prisoner of -Chillon,’ and on which poor Bonnivard would gaze -with sadness and yearning for freedom and life.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse">And then there was a little isle,</div> - <div class="verse">Which in my very face did smile,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">The only one in view.</div> - <div class="verse">A small green isle, it seemed no more,</div> - <div class="verse">Scarce broader than my dungeon floor;</div> - <div class="verse">But in it there were three tall trees,</div> - <div class="verse">And o’er it blew the mountain breeze.</div> - <div class="verse">And by it there were waters flowing,</div> - <div class="verse">And on it there were young flowers growing</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Of gentle breath and hue.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span></p> -<p>I made sure my hair would be grey, like poor -Bonnivard’s, before this lake was crossed; but soon the -wind dropped, and we paddled ashore at 9 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span> close -to the hotel and called for brandy and water hot, and -seldom was the indulgence more justified.</p> - -<p>At Pukaki Ferry we enjoyed a well-earned night’s -rest, and on Sunday morning we effected repairs to the -leaky canoes, in which operation we received much -valuable advice and assistance from Mr. John Gibb, -artist, who was spending a few days in sketching at -this point. By 1 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span> we were on board again and -looking forward to reaching Rugged Ridges—Mr. W. -G. Rutherfurd’s station on the southern bank of the -Waitaki—before nightfall. But we little knew what -was ahead of us.</p> - -<p>A survey of the river from an eminence of the old -moraine through which it has formed a channel, revealed, -as far as the bends of the stream could be -followed, a rushing, seething mass of foam-covered -water, with numberless blocks of rock barring the -clear passage of the current, and though we shot the -first two rapids below the exit from the lake it took -us until seven o’clock in the evening to navigate six -miles of the river’s course.</p> - -<p>It is not easy to describe the wild course of the -river in its descent through the enormous ancient -moraine deposits, some of which might almost be -classed as mountains, and must rear their tops to a -height of 1,000 feet above the level of the river. Such -an immense body of rushing water, receiving, as it does, -the whole of the drainage of the Southern Alps, from -the head of the Mueller Glacier to that of the Murchi<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span>son, -necessarily creates great havoc amongst the -glacial and fluviatile deposits through which it descends, -and, as a matter of course, all the smaller -stones are hurried and rolled along to form shingle on -the river-beds further down, leaving the larger ones, -which alone can stand against the force of the flood. -The natural consequence is a stream of the most -broken and impetuous character, a stream whose rushing, -roaring, and foaming drowns all sounds contiguous -to it; rapid after rapid of seemingly tempest-tossed -and crested billows, of whirlpools and eddies, of back-waters -and heavings into surface currents, and never a -still pool to be found anywhere.</p> - -<p>Imagine, then, the troubles of two canoeists in navigating -this stretch of water. No canoe or boat in the -world would have the slightest chance of going through, -out in the current, without being smashed into match-wood -and its occupants infallibly drowned, for swimming -would avail a man nothing in such a place.</p> - -<p>All we could do, then, was to keep close to the bank -and let our frail boats down by the tow-lines amongst -the rocks in the comparatively shallow water. Now -shoving them off into a fair stretch and hauling them -up short in time to avoid contact with some ugly rock -in front, then scrambling along ourselves and coiling -our lines as we advanced, clambering over water-worn -and slippery rocks, tearing our way through the Wild -Irishman scrub, or wading a few steps middle-deep in -the turbid water to the points where we had brought -our respective canoes up. Then repeating the same -performance over again and again, bruising our legs -against rocks, slipping down amid the slimy stones, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span>scratching the skin off and receiving numerous thorns -from the scrub, wishing we had never been born, -lamenting the hardships of our lot, anathematising -canoes, ropes, paddles, river, rocks, scrub, and everything -in creation.</p> - -<p>No, that seven miles journey was <i>not</i> all that could -be desired; but having put our hands to the plough, -we both made up our minds that we would go through -with the undertaking, even if we had to repeat the -same performance down to the sea every day for a -week, and the worse the river got the more pig-headed -we became. We had beaten Mount Cook, and we -meant also to gain a victory over the Pukaki and -Waitaki, if it cost us our life-blood. At some places -where a number of large rocks were congregated close -to the river’s bank we would be compelled to take the -boats out, and shouldering them, climb round the rocks -on shore, and launch them afresh in better water -below.</p> - -<p>At one time, Dixon, who was leading, accidentally -dropped his paddle, which was whisked away by the -current in a trice. He made a great effort to recover -it, and plunged in up to his armpits in the turbulent -water, but failed to reach the truant paddle. Seeing -his difficulty I pushed my boat out to him, and he -seized my paddle and, jumping into the canoe, gave -chase to the one he had lost. I ran along the bank, but -could not keep near him; and in fear and trembling I -watched him nearing a horrible fall amongst some -sharp teeth-like rocks. I thought his last moment had -come, but just before reaching the danger he overtook -the lost paddle, which he grasped with one hand, and, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span>jumping out of my canoe, held the tow-rope and -brought the boat up within a few feet of the fall. The -whole affair was the work of a few moments, and was a -wonderful exhibition of smartness and presence of mind.</p> - -<p>By 7 o’clock we began to think that we had had -about enough for the day, and, putting the boats -ashore, we walked back, over the old moraine and -along the rabbit fence (which, by the way, I hear is -doing its work splendidly), to the Pukaki Ferry for -the night.</p> - -<p>By 7 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> next morning we were again with the -canoes, and once more performing gymnastic feats -along the rocky bank. But our reward was now near -at hand, for after an hour or so we got on board and -sneaked down the quieter sides of one or two pools. -The moraine deposits gave way to those of fluviatile -origin, and the size of the stones in the river-bed decreased -rapidly; consequently we soon began shooting -the rapids again and were making grand headway. -The country on either hand opened out; from our left -came in the Tekapo River, and soon after, as we sped -on under Ben More, on our right the Ohau. Now we -were in the Waitaki, which is formed by the junction -of these three rivers. ‘Waitaki,’ or ‘Waitangi,’ means -‘Crying water.’</p> - -<p>The hydrographic area of the Waitaki Basin is -4,914 square miles, more than three times as great as -that of the Rakaia or Waimakariri, and it drains most -of the principal eastern slopes of the Southern Alps.</p> - -<p>The eastern source of the river drains the Godley -and Classen Glaciers with their numerous tributaries, -forms the Godley River, and flows into Lake Tekapo -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span>(some fifteen miles in length); it issues from the southern -end of the Lake and curves a channel for itself through -the ancient moraine, when it becomes known by the name -of the Tekapo River, which, flowing for a distance of -about twenty-five miles, joins the Pukaki; all these, -with the addition of the Ohau, the junction of which is -a few miles further down, form the Waitaki River. The -Hopkins and Dobson Rivers drain that part of the Alps -immediately south-west of Mount Sefton, and flow into -Lake Ohau. The stream issuing from thence, under the -name of the Ohau River, runs for a course of thirteen -miles, and joins the Pukaki and Tekapo as before -mentioned.</p> - -<p>After the union of these three systems of drainage -the course of the river runs through a wider bed for -about five or six miles before entering a gorge some -ten miles in length. Down this fine stretch of water -we now enjoyed a delightful paddle, and soon we sighted -Black Forest sheep station, with its rows of green -willow trees, on our left.</p> - -<p>Here various kinds of river birds lent an aspect of -life and gaiety to the scene—gulls, terns, paradise and -grey duck, teal, dotterel, stilt, and red-bill soared over -us, or rose in startled dismay as we shot by.</p> - -<p>We had left the snows behind us and were fast -being closed in by the foot-hills. We neared the gorge -at 11 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> and paddled ashore on the Otago side and -boiled the ‘billy’ for lunch.</p> - -<p>It seemed a delightfully quiet hour after all we had -been through; we sat and smoked in happiness and -watching the rabbits skipping about amongst the -bracken. We were certain, if only by that, that we -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span>were in Otago, where rabbits are the monarchs of all -they survey.</p> - -<p>The Mackenzie country hands had told us that we -should find the gorge <i>a little rough</i>, so we knew we -were in for it presently; yet for a couple of miles we -found the river good going, though some ominous spurs -of bed rock now and then entering the current—the -first bed rock we had met with since leaving Mount -Cook—foretold what we were coming to.</p> - -<p>After going round a few ugly corners the white -water became more frequent, until suddenly we were -brought up by an awkward rapid into which we dared -not venture.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_128fp.jpg" id="i_128fp.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_128fp.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="447" /> -<div class="caption"> - <p class="center"><span class="smaller">THE SURFACE OF A GLACIER</span></p> - <p class="attr-photo">[<i>Wheeler & Son, Photo.</i></p> - </div> -</div> - -<p>A survey from the cliffs, sixty feet above the stream, -disclosed a tongue or groyn of rocks running out into -the stream in an oblique direction from the Otago side, -and shooting the main body of the current on to the -rocks opposite. A long stretch of straight water -followed, but the whole stream was confined in rocky -banks so close together that one might throw a biscuit -across, and the pace of the current was something -terrific. For half an hour we considered the situation, -finally determining to shoot the rapid. There was -really only about eight or ten feet of safe water close -to the point of the groyn of rocks, and this was right -in the body of the current. On either hand were -eddies and whirlpools of the most formidable character, -which, in the event of our making a bad shot, might -swirl us among the rocks on one side or the other, and -had such been the case we trembled to think what -would have been our fate. However, at it we went, -Dixon as usual leading, with a head as cool as a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span>cucumber, and I following, like a spaniel after his -master. One wild rush, a few strokes of the paddle, a -mad tossing about in a sheet of crested foam, half-a-dozen -bucketfuls of water on board, and we were -through, breathing again as we tore down the hurrying, -but straight and safe, current below.</p> - -<p>Though we met with no greater obstacles to canoeing -than this rapid in the gorge, such performances -were several times repeated, and we had to land now -and again to survey the course ahead.</p> - -<p>To describe the mad plunging of the river through -the gorge is not an easy matter. Here and there, perhaps, -a long even stretch is met with, but for the most -part the river makes a succession of bends bounded by -rocky cliffs on either hand, now and then masses of rock -crop up through the water, against which the stream -is banked up by the force of its mad career to a height -of ten or twelve feet; immediately under the sides -of the rock there are vicious-looking heavings, eddies, -and whirlpools, which, if one chances to get into them, -twist the boat about like a feather when blown upon -the water’s surface. A black swan and three cygnets -kept ahead of us for the last six miles of the gorge, but -as we entered with relieved feelings upon the more open -country, they eluded our further pursuit in a backwater. -Another few miles and we reached our destination for -the night—Mr. W. G. Rutherfurd’s station, Rugged -Ridges—where a warm and hospitable welcome made us -feel that once more we were in the regions of civilisation.</p> - -<p>Leaving next morning at 4.30, we gave ourselves -eleven hours to catch the train for Christchurch, at -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span>Waitaki, a distance by water of sixty miles. Four -hours saw us in Duntroon (thirty miles), where we -astonished the natives in disgracefully tattered boating -attire, and indulged in that from which we had long -been estranged—‘a long shandy’—and by 9.15 we -were off again at eight miles an hour, shooting down -the most beautifully safe and rippling rapids, scaring -ducks, plover, gull, stilt, swan, and all manner of wild -fowl; now and then startling a mob of horses or cattle -from their peaceful browsing, or astonishing some slow-going -shepherd or cowboy as they stared open-mouthed -at such an uncommon sight as two madmen in cockle-shells -of canoes rushing down their boatless river, -until we put the final touch to the whole enterprise by -carrying our boats up to the station at Waitaki South -(to the amazement of four railway navvies), at 1 <span class="smcap">p.m.</span>, -having averaged eight miles an hour for sixty miles, -allowing for one hour stoppages.</p> - -<p>The distances by water, allowing for sinuosities in -the course of the rivers from Aorangi to the sea, may -be roughly summarised as follows:—From the end of -the Mount Cook Range to Pukaki Ferry, thirty-four -miles; from the Ferry to Rugged Ridges, thirty-eight -miles; and from thence to the railway bridge near the sea -at Waitaki, sixty miles; a total distance of 132 miles.</p> - -<p>If it were not for the Pukaki Rapids the trip -might be comfortably accomplished in three days, and -at a stretch could be done in two; but the way to -enjoy it would be to travel in a good staunch canoe, -with watertight compartments and such accessories as -the west coast canoeists are in the habit of using, and -spend a week over the journey.</p> - - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<h2><a name="LENVOI" id="LENVOI"></a>L’ENVOI</h2> - - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">This</span> little book has but told the story of the ramblings -and adventures of a lover of Nature. I fear that I -have signally failed to do justice to her features, or to -convey any adequate idea of her mystic influence. -Would that I could impart that which I can feel.</p> - -<p>Should it fall into the hands of Swiss climbers it -may serve to show that the brotherhood of the mountains -extends even to out-of-the-way New Zealand, and -that in that country, as well as in the Old World, the -ineffable glories of the mountains have power to charm -and to captivate the hearts of men.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<h2><a name="APPENDIX" id="APPENDIX"></a>APPENDIX</h2> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span></p> -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_dec_rulec.jpg" id="i_dec_rulec.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_dec_rulec.jpg" alt="" width="143" height="18" /> -</div> - -<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">It</span> has been suggested to me that this work would be more -complete if it contained at least a short record of Alpine expeditions -undertaken by parties (other than those organised by the -writer) to the glacier regions which have been under notice. -The suggestion is one which the writer accepts with much -pleasure.</p> - -<p>The first recorded expedition to the Mount Cook district, as -far as I am able to gather, is that of the late Sir Julius von -Haast (then Dr. von Haast), the narrative of which may be -found in his interesting and learned work ‘<cite>The Geology of -Canterbury and Westland</cite>,’ published by the ‘Times’ office of -Christchurch, now unfortunately out of print, and difficult of -access to the majority.</p> - -<p>His work was necessarily more that of exploration than of -climbing, and although later surveys have corrected and modified -many of his estimates of the sizes of glaciers and heights of -mountains, it must be remembered that in the days when he -visited the locality (in 1862 and 1870) the difficulties of -travelling and of securing supplies were much greater than at -the present time, and the work of exploration consequently -much more difficult.</p> - -<p>Of Alpine work (carried on in the sense of the word as -understood by Alpine climbers) he did not effect much, his -energies being chiefly confined to geological, botanical, and -zoological observations whilst he was engaged in a geological -survey of the province of Canterbury.</p> - -<p>His excursions on the glaciers appear to have been confined -to a short trip up the Tasman, probably to some six miles or -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span>so from the terminal face, and a short exploration of the lower -portions of the Mueller and Hooker Glaciers.</p> - -<p>His literary contributions are of greater value to science than -to the domain of Alpine record; but naturally they are of the -deepest interest to the latter class of literature, inasmuch as -they tell the tale of the opening out of fresh Alpine fields which -are destined to become—indeed they are now fast becoming—areas -of great mountaineering importance.</p> - -<p>Though Von Haast was perhaps the first man of science or -literature to visit these great glaciers, yet their existence was -well known to a few run-holders and early settlers who had -penetrated even thus far into the mountains in the ‘early days’ -of New Zealand.</p> - -<p>It is to Mr. Edward Percy Sealy of Timaru, however, that -we owe the first close acquaintance of the Mueller, Hooker, and -Tasman Glaciers. Mr. Sealy was a surveyor by profession and -a photographer of no mean ability, and to his energy and perseverance -we are indebted for results which furnished Dr. von -Haast with material for constructing his map of this part of our -Alps.</p> - -<p>Upon visiting the glaciers at the present time, and being -impressed with the difficulties of transit, one cannot but be -filled with admiration for the man who achieved such splendid -results in photography, burdened as he was with all the necessary -and cumbersome paraphernalia pertaining to the old wet-plate -system then in vogue.</p> - -<p>Mr. Sealy traversed nearly the whole length of the Mueller -Glacier in 1867, and in 1869 pushed his way up the Hooker as -far as the tributary Empress Glacier, and up the Tasman as far -as the great turn at Mount De la Bêche.</p> - -<p>To Mrs. Leonard Harper, of Ilam, belongs the honour of being -the first lady to cross to the Aorangi side of the Tasman River.</p> - -<p>On this occasion (in March 1873) the party consisted of -Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Harper, of Christchurch, Messrs. G. -Dennistoun, G. Parker, Melville Gray, Wright, C. Smith, and -Flint. They camped at Governor’s Bush, close to where the -Hermitage now stands, and went on to the Mueller Glacier and -to the terminal face of the Tasman. Mr. and Mrs. Harper re<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span>turned -across the Tasman River, leaving the rest of the party to -attempt the passage to the west coast by the Hooker Saddle, at -the head of the glacier of the same name. In this, as may -be easily conceived—considering that the members of the party -were inexperienced and not properly equipped for such an expedition—the -party was unsuccessful, only reaching a point just -above where the clear ice merges into the moraine, and where -the crevasses began to appear formidable.</p> - -<p>For many years after this the glaciers were not traversed -to any extent save by camping-out parties, who contented themselves -with short excursions about the terminal faces, until, in -1882, a fresh interest was awakened in their existence by the -visit of the Rev. W. S. Green with Herr Emil Boss, of Grindelwald, -and Ulrich Kaufmann as guide. His advent was indeed -an awakening, and the apathy of the Colonials regarding the -scenic marvels of their own country was somewhat aroused. -The sensation caused by his memorable ascent of Aorangi, after -repeated struggles with flooded rivers and all those hindrances -which seem to fall inevitably to the lot of men who first open -out a new district, has become quite an event of history in the -annals of the colony.</p> - -<p>Full particulars of Mr. Green’s doings will be found in his -admirable book, ‘<cite>The High Alps of New Zealand</cite>,’ published by -Macmillan & Co.</p> - -<p>To Mr. Green undoubtedly belongs the honour of having -first introduced into New Zealand the proper system of Alpine -climbing, and he will ever be looked back to as the father of -the noble sport in the colony.</p> - -<p>Then, in 1883, followed the visit of Dr. R. von Lendenfeld, a -mountaineer and scientific man of great attainments. He was -accompanied by his plucky wife, and, aided by porters procured -in the colony, during a stay of nineteen days on the Tasman -Glacier completed a survey of the same, and finished up his -work by ascending the Hochstetter Dome, whose higher and -easternmost summit he attained in an expedition extending -over a period of twenty-seven hours from his last camp under -the Malte Brun range, accompanied by his wife and one porter.</p> - -<p>Full particulars of his work were made public in Petermann’s -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span>‘Mitteilungen,’<a name="fnanchor_3_3" id="fnanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> and a short English notice of the same may -be found in the ‘Alpine Journal,’ vol. xii. page 163.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#fnanchor_3_3">[3]</a> <i>Ergänzungsheft</i>, No. 75. Dr. R. von Lendenfeld, <i>Der Tasman-Gletscher -und seine Umgebung</i>.</p></div> - -<p>Shortly after this the Hermitage Company, Limited, was -formed, and the Hermitage Hotel erected near the terminal -face of the Mueller Glacier. This first Alpine hotel of New -Zealand was not built without many serious difficulties, and -the ultimate success of the undertaking speaks volumes for the -perseverance of the enthusiastic manager, Mr. F. F. C. Huddleston. -This gentleman has made various excursions on the -Mueller and Hooker Glaciers since the building of the Hermitage, -and possesses an intimate knowledge of the Alpine district -around the hotel. He has, with a party of two others, penetrated, -I understand, as far as the junction of the Empress Glacier on -the Hooker, and has since effected the passage of the Ball Pass -from the Tasman to the Hooker Glaciers.</p> - -<p>In 1886 the author began his visits to the districts with -properly equipped Alpine parties, the results of which expeditions -have been given in the foregoing pages.</p> - -<p>In 1889 the Government surveys were extended to the -Mueller and Hooker Glaciers, under Mr. Brodrick, a gentleman -whose capability and never-failing pluck in carrying out his -work in such rough country is only equalled by his modesty -concerning his Alpine achievements, which are necessarily -incidental to his profession in the district.</p> - -<p>Those of my readers who are acquainted with survey and -topographical work amongst the Alps will appreciate the results -of but two seasons’ work in the map of the four great glaciers -appended to this book. Climbers will be interested to know -that amongst difficult points attained by Mr. Brodrick are the -saddles at the head of the Mueller Glacier, that connecting the -Murchison and Classen Glaciers, the lower summit of the Hochstetter -Dome, and a peak of 8,015 feet on the Liebig Range.</p> - -<p>In 1890, Mr. Malcolm Ross, of Dunedin, a gentleman -who has done much travelling and some exploring in the -Southern Lakes district, and had tried his ’prentice hand upon -Mount Earnslaw, visited the Tasman Glacier in company with -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span>his wife. Bad weather frustrated his attempts at mountaineering, -with the exception of an ascent of a peak of about 7,000 -feet on the Mount Cook Range, and a partial ascent of Mount -Sealy. He traversed the Tasman Glacier to a point some miles -beyond the junction of the Hochstetter Glacier.</p> - -<p>In December 1890 Messrs. A. P. Harper, R. Blakiston, and -Beadel made an excursion to the Tasman Glacier, but bad -weather kept them prisoners at camp nearly all the time of their -stay. Messrs. Harper and Blakiston, after retreating from the -Tasman, succeeded in reaching for the first time the saddle at -the head of the Hooker Glacier (8,580 feet), after a trying expedition. -This had been attempted several times before, but -owing to numberless crevasses was found to be unattainable. -Being early in the season and after a considerable snow-fall, -however, the party in question found the crevasses mostly -covered, and they were aided, moreover, by Mr. Harper’s skill -and knowledge of Alpine work.</p> - -<p>Again, in January 1891, Messrs. Harper and Johnson visited -the Tasman Glacier, and besides attaining a high saddle (about -7,500 feet) in the Malte Brun Range and making a nearly complete -ascent of Mount Sealy, secured a fine collection of photographs.</p> - -<hr class="large" /> - -<p>Such, in brief, is a history of what Alpine work has been accomplished -amongst the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Other -glacier excursions, it is true, there have been, but they are few, -and with the exception of the expeditions of Mr. Sealy and the -Government Survey to the Godley and Classen Glaciers farther -north, and of a few attempts to climb Mount Earnslaw in the -Southern Lake district, are not worthy of much note as Alpine -expeditions, undertaken in the orthodox manner with axe and -rope.</p> - -<p>As these lines are being penned the New Zealand Alpine -Club is in process of formation, and the writer hears with pleasure -of the probabilities of success which are likely to attend the -efforts of the promoters of the club.</p> - -<p>Letters of advice and encouragement from prominent members -of the English Alpine Club have at various times come to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span>hand, and the friendly interest of mountain explorers of the -early days of the colony gives promise of an auspicious birth -to one of those bodies of enthusiasts whose aims may not be mercenary -and self-seeking, but whose operations may contribute -their little unit to the art, literature, and scientific observation -of the times.</p> - -<p>Who can say what the future may bring forth in the matter -of Alpine climbing in New Zealand? There is an immense -field—magnificent glaciers and noble peaks without number, as -yet practically untouched.</p> - -<p>One can already see visions of parties of enthusiasts threading -their way amongst intricate ice-falls, cutting steps up hard -ice slopes, conquering by persistent effort splendid rock peaks, -drinking in the glories of a new and fascinating world. Not -climbing from a gymnast’s point of view, but climbing because—why? -They cannot tell you why; but because they feel -and know the physical and spiritual benefits of a closer contact -with Nature, with an Omnipotent and Ever-guiding Hand, -which rules all things and creates a heaven even upon earth.</p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"></div> - -<h3><i><a name="A_SHORT_GLOSSARY_OF_TECHNICAL" id="A_SHORT_GLOSSARY_OF_TECHNICAL"></a>A SHORT GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL -ALPINE TERMS.</i></h3> - - -<p><em>Arête.</em>—A ridge either of rock, ice, or snow, or combinations of -all three.</p> - -<p><em>Bergschrund.</em>—The crevasse or deep moat almost invariably -found between the sides and upper portions of a glacier or ice slope -and the rocks above, or the permanent clinging ice above, as the -case may be. Of late the meaning of the term has become extended, -and almost any crevasse in the upper parts of a glacier -with one lip higher than the other comes under the designation.</p> - -<p><em>Col.</em>—Saddle, or dip in a ridge.</p> - -<p><em>Cornice.</em>—The overhanging edge of an <em>arête</em> caused by drifting -snow.</p> - -<p><em>Couloir.</em>—A ditch or deep gully in the mountain side; in the -upper regions being usually floored with ice and swept by avalanches.</p> - -<p><em>Crevasse.</em>—The rent caused by fracture of the ice under tension.</p> - -<p><i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Gendarme</i>, or <em>rock tower</em>.—A mass of rock on the crest of an -<em>arête</em>.</p> - -<p><em>Moraine.</em>—The accumulation of detritus which has fallen from -the mountains on to the ice and is carried down upon it.</p> - -<p><em>Névé</em>, or <em>firn</em>.—Snow in a transition stage between snow and -ice. The large fields of this feeding a glacier are spoken of as the -<em>névés</em> of the glacier.</p> - -<p><em>Séracs.</em>—Blocks of ice broken into polyhedral masses (mostly -cubic) by the body of the ice being crevassed in various lines of -fracture. So called from the resemblance the blocks bear to a -certain kind of cheese.</p> - -<p><em>Shale slips</em> and <em>shingle and boulder fans</em> are of very common -occurrence in the New Zealand mountains and are caused by the -discharge of detritus down <em>couloirs</em>, from which when emerging -it spreads out into fan-shaped slopes.</p> - -<hr class="large" /> - -<p class="center space-above small">PRINTED BY<br /> -SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE<br /> -LONDON</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="i_map.jpg" id="i_map.jpg"></a><img src="images/i_map.jpg" alt="" width="760" height="700" /> -<div class="caption"> - <p class="center"><span class="smaller"><i>Longmans, Green & Co., London & New York.</i></span></p> - <p class="attr-photo"><i>F. S. Weiler.</i></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p class="center space-above"></p> - -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<hr /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<div class="transnote"> - <h2 id="end_note" class="nopagebreak" title="">Transcriber’s Note</h2> - - <p>Footnote numbers have been changed to 1, 2 and 3, to avoid confusion.</p> - - <p>The spelling of Ranunculus lyalii in the Table of Illustrations and - on Page 86 have been corrected to lyallii. (The species - was discovered by David Lyall, a noted Scottish botanist and doctor.) - Ranunculus lyallii is spelt correctly on Page 9.</p> - - <p>Obvious punctuation errors were corrected.</p> - - <p>The changes are as follows:</p> - - <p>In the CONTENTS, Chapter <abbr title="3">III</abbr>—river-crossing changed to river - crossing.</p> - <p><a href="#Page_10" title="">Page 10</a>—northeastern changed to north-eastern.</p> - <p><a href="#Page_12" title="">Page 12</a>—ice-streams changed to ice streams.</p> - <p><a href="#Page_30" title="">Page 30</a>—river bed changed to river-bed.</p> - <p><a href="#Page_30" title="">Page 30</a>—downstream changed to down-stream.</p> - <p><a href="#Page_35" title="">Page 35</a>—breakwind changed to break-wind.</p> - <p><a href="#Page_54" title="">Page 54</a>—look-out changed to look out.</p> - <p><a href="#Page_55" title="">Page 55</a>—life-time changed to lifetime.</p> - <p><a href="#Page_66" title="">Page 66</a>—shangai changed to shanghai.</p> - <p><a href="#Page_84" title="">Page 84</a>—ice-blocks changed to ice blocks.</p> - <p><a href="#Page_89" title="">Page 89</a>—one day changed to one-day.</p> - <p><a href="#Page_93" title="">Page 93</a> and <a href="#Page_139" title="">Page 139</a>—mountain-side changed to mountain side.</p> - <p><a href="#Page_97" title="">Page 97</a>—red-sandstone changed to red sandstone.</p> - <p><a href="#Page_101" title="">Page 101</a>—step cutting changed to step-cutting.</p> - <p><a href="#Page_103" title="">Page 103</a>—foot-hold changed to foothold.</p> - <p><a href="#Page_114" title="">Page 114</a>—water-courses changed to watercourses.</p> - <p><a href="#Page_119" title="">Page 119</a>—cockleshells changed to cockle-shells.</p> - <p><a href="#Page_120" title="">Page 120</a>—starting-point changed to starting point.</p> - <p><a href="#Page_126" title="">Page 126</a>—rabbit-fence changed to rabbit fence.</p> - </div> - -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WITH AXE AND ROPE IN THE NEW ZEALAND ALPS***</p> -<p>******* This file should be named 60919-h.htm or 60919-h.zip *******</p> -<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> -<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/6/0/9/1/60919">http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/9/1/60919</a></p> -<p> -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed.</p> - -<p>Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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