Godley 1951

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GODLEY 19310 Rod Milne (Leader), Graeme Hall, Bill Piceo Christmas again, and after a mad flurry of weighing out two ounces of this, half an ounce of that, checking gear, and trying to keep the weight of our packs down to something less than back-breakirg, we were away on the Hinemoa bound for the Godley and the Hermitage. Un the ship we had the company of a doubtful character who hau been observing the spirit of Christmas a little too diligently, and insisted on telling us of his latest exploits with the Wellington Gendarmery. We eventually crept away, leaving him slumped in a chair, sound asleepo As there was no Hermitage bus on Sunday, we spent the day in Christchurch, walking round in the rain, and in the evening pouring sixperces into our guest radio at the hotel. Monday vas fine and after rushing around looking mainly for white spirit, we left Oli the bus at 10.45 a.mo We did have some white spirit, but the mystery of its disappearane remains to be solvedo A hot, uninteresting journey, brought us to Tekapo at 4.45 Domo where we had afternoon tea and found the contractor who was to take us to Lilybank Station at the head of Lake Tekapoo

The weather was cold end windy especially on the back of the truck where Hori 2.1d I roda, with Rod occupying the pound seats in the cabo Going round the Lake, we were particularly struck by Mt. Conre (8,551) on the Hall Rangeo An impressive peak, not unlike Tasmano Mro Dick came over from the station to collect us in a vehicle rusembling a Ruapehu mountain goato He told us that when the river is up, they just drive in and float acrosso After tea, Mro Dick gave us the gen on the pack horse, which we vere to load and take up the valley and then leave to to find GS Ovn ay backo Next morning was fine and after breakfast we caddled the horse and were avay up the valley, oI 'ying a' loset 251b each. The "orse carried 1801b and we 20 ciced in the fact that at lost we had a real pack-horse. scon found that there is quite an art in loading a pack-horse and we had to do quite a lot - 2 juggling on the way before we had the load riding righto Everything went well after that we made rapid progress and the walk up the valley became just a nleasant strollo Of course it was too good to lasto We had been warned that we vould probably have trouble with the Kea Point bluffs. We were advised to try and cross the river before the bluffs and cross back past them, but this proved impossible after the heavy rain the night before. Our only alternative was to uryond get the horse round the bluffs. This can be done if the h se feels like ito He didn't feel like it, so we reluctantly unloaded him, sent him home and manhandled the three cases round the bluffs with the full force of the Godley rushing into the bank at our feeto Not a very healthy place to lose one's balance. Past the bluffs, we unpacked the cases and loaued up our packso Then we roped across a swift flowing portion of the river immediately in front of uso Half an hour later we reached Weka Stream Huto The thing I remember most vividly about this hut is the chimney. It smokes. Everyone is eventually driven out, while the poor unfortunate who is cooking dinner has to crawl in on all fours and give the dinner an occasional stiro Eventually we put the fire out and cooked on primuses. Next moining we left at 9.35 aomo with much complaining about packs and the weight thereof. The trip up che river is best forgotten, if that is possible. All the way we scanned the riverbed looking for pack-horse which we hoped might be coming down, but of course there wasn't one. Loads became heavier, shoulders and backs sorer, progress slower and mountaineering seemed just the sport for anyone not planning dying of old ageo We eventually reached the place where the

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llo pack-horses turn bacl ad saw the hut less than a mile away, on a bluff about 150 Leet above the river. At the hut, the three Auckland girls who were in residence, gave us a cup of cocoa. The most striking peak from the hut is Wolseley at the head of the Maud Glacier. I think we all had a secret desire to climb this peak from the first moment we saw ito Over on the left at the head of the Grey Glacier, the Grey Virgins looked steep and menacing, with mist swirling around and spilling over their summitso From our side they are unclimoed and are lil 17 to remain sofor some timeo Next day, the Auckland girls went over to look at the CL son Glacies, while we concentraved on doing as little as posste 30 sue hit was built in 1364 by a 1 ilder who erected the P 'ames aie urt Lutar, later a Hermitage guide, who stayed and fiish d the job. It S well built, zinc lined, well wired down, containing eigh : bunks and sieeping bags, and ample billies, cutlery and primu- Se Friday Wao + ine and at 3 aomo, we were away to climb something at the head of the Maudo The girls left first and we had to chase after the. to find the right way on to the Godleyo We caught them up jusc as they finished cutting us a nice line of steps up the terninal a cco Nice timingo We went up the Godley a short distance aund then turned left and sidled round a seree slope on to the Mauds up easy slopes at first and then up steeper crevassed slopes.near the heado The sun was just coming over Jacqueline Col as ve reached the head and sat down for a second breakfast. Over on the West Coast we could see a beautiful blue river, which we took to be the Wataroao After perueing the map, we decided on Mto Talton as our first objective, so off we went up easy slopes to the topo But the cold wind soon drove us down and it wasn't long before we found ourselves being drt un towards Wolseley, sidling round Kennedy ad past a long schrund on to the colo The slopes before us were somewhat steep and a slip invited a long, exciting ride down a few thousand feeto We looked at each other and though t, What the hell you can only die once and off we wento We eventually reached a spot where the steep, soft snow precluded the possibility of a catisfactory belay, so Rod, big brave leader, had to go out the full 100 feet before he could reach a comparatively sound stance on a comparatively sound rocko The last part was rather hairy with sheer drops on either sideo We arrived on top at 12.15 pome A beautiful day with Cook, Tasman, Malte and of course D'Archiac standing out wello

Going down was slow vork until we started climbing through and we were soon back on the Maud, feeding our faces and watchtt ing the avalanches coming off Sutton-T Turner The Maud by this time, was knee deep in snow, but a little mine leaping here and there served to create a diversion. Huge avalanches had come down on to the Maud during the day, and the safest way down, in the late afternoon, is down the true lefto Rod managed to get one leg down a slot and with an amazed look on his face, turned round and said, "Give me a belay, I think I'm down a slote 11 Late in the day, the terminal face of the Godley is swept by falliro stones almost continually, and gettin off invo ves Leering one y3 on the step you are cutting and the other on the stones which are about to knock you flying into CTE Gedley Rivers Back at the hut we found the four bods wh. hod brourht down one of thein clan with n injured leg muscl The ment * ack that nighto The following day they were back wit everything wet and a sorry tale to tell of sncs caveso The girls left about 10 aomo to go over the Classen Saddle. We were up and away at 3.00 aoMo next norning, with a cold wi ind blowing and cloud spilling over the tops from the coasto We decided on Malthus and mayhe a traverse to Denniston if the weather heldo The climb was stnsightforward to near the top where the occasional sutrund involved some groping around in the mist before E way ws foundo Cn top, we stayed just long enough to turn around and come down againo We tried to find a way along to Denniston, but the mist by this time was so thick, that we had to abandon the ideao Across the way, we caught an occasional glimpse of D'Archiac, the king ofthe Godley Peakso The beauty and majestic pooportions of this peak have to be seen to be believedo After lounging on the glacier for some time and contemplating this ridiculous sport, we ambled on down +o the hut, arriving at 12.40 pomo On Monday, the Auckland boys climbed Gordon and cane back to find us still in bed. Time 12.15 peio We eventually stirred ourselves and were half packed up when four Hutt Valley bods arrived bringing with them the three girls who had decided not to attempt the Classeno we left the hut for Classen Bivvy with the weether really breaking up, in fact Hori was carrying so little of the party gear thet the W ind blew him off his feet in one place. The Bivvy, ashelter of corrugated iron erected by the C.MeCo, was a welcome sighto We filled up all the billies, lay in our slumber suits and cooked tea and took stock of our auindling food supplyo Tuesday put saddle hopping out of the question, 80 we just lay in our sleeping bagse On Wednesday, the weather was still unchanged so we set of domn river in the middle of a first class South Islond stormo We spent eome time getting across the Classen River whica us deep and swift by this time. In fact it brought back memories of the Elchoo Somehow, I don't think Rod has much raith anymore in the hand-rail method of river-croseing. By 1.20 we coild see Lilybank on the other side of the river from where we had stopped for luncho After a fairly fast trip doun the river, we were feeling somewhat jaded, and as our map didn't go down as far as Godley Peaks, we only had : rough idea of UW far we had to goo Rod swore that if we didn't sight the station in an hour's tu 9 we WJUIG Camp where ve wereo Three hours later and after a uds e with a tigh deep swamp, we rech d another of the stati L huts h re We found the owner's son and two girls in occupuulor. They informed us that the station was eight miles awaye Too fart After mi b abuse from. hod, concerning the site, ve eventually erectes the tent, and three very weary bods crawled inside to eat a rather unsubstantial meal of bacon and Ryvita. Our sulvation came in the form of a large portion of gooseberry pie which the hut occupants sent overo Next morning's meal was xactly the same as the night before, but our flagging ririts were rejuvenated by the owner's son offering to take some of our gear on his packhorse which they vere using to carry their gear back tothe stationo We arrived there thinking our troubles were over, but after much telephoning, the sum total was no transport ond a twelve mile road walk to Tekapoo We were invited in for a cup of tea which turned into a meal of fresh meat, vegetables and apple pieo le found the road walking easier in sandshoes ad we walked 71 miles before getting a lifto By this time, a cold wind was blowing and our arrival at Tekapo House vas accompanied by heavy raino And so to the Hermitage and clean clothes and Mte Wakefield which we climbed to break the monotonous round of sleeping, eating, drinking and snooker. This was the end of our Christmas tripe As to the Godley, our comment is I too far, too high, too cold, too dangerous - but after all is it not the surmounting of these difficulties that gives to mountsineering its peculiar fascination anu calls us back again and again? Bill Rice.