Three-Pass Christmas Trip, 1961-62

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THREE-PASS CHRISTMAS TRIP, 1961-62 By Ann Walls It is a beautiful morning with only a valley, which leads into the Waimak. few clouds over the Southern Alps, and We had a bit of fun climbing round here we are, lazily lying under a crazily the bluffs and down shingle scree to pitched tent in Hokitika motor camp. the river, but an easier route is down We arrived at 10.30 p.m. the previous the waterfall. We arived back in camp night, Tuesday, January 9, with no tent- at 5 p.m. after our "morning stroll"; poles to hand, Hank rigged the tent Nick arrived in from the road the same using ice axes, and pitons for pegs. evening. We went up the White River Margaret Webb, Henk, Fraser and my- to climb Murchison and Harper, then self elected to stay here but the rest of back down to climb Armstrong and Carthe party, John Allen and Nick, are stay- rington before leaving the area. On the ing at the hotel. Tomorrow we will Friday, from the hut, I watched Nick's travel through Arthur's Pass to Christ- party of three, climb up the glacier and church, and on to Wellington. dissappear into the mist on their attempted Davie-Isobel traverse. It Sixteen days previously on Christmas rained all the next two days and Eve the railcar had let six of us off at trampers and climbers in the area con- Klondike Corner, near Bealey. The next gregated at Carrington Hut. Mounts four days were fine and on Christmas Carrington and Armstrong with the long Day we had slugged up the Waimaka- connecting ridge were climbed on the riri River, with its shingle-filled valley Wednesday after the New Year. On the and mountain beeches, giving way to Thursday John and Nick just made the tussock, glaciers and mountain peaks. summit of Rolleston; to race the mist Carrington Hut, at the confluence of the down the mountain. White and Waimakariri Rivers was made After a two-day rest, we travelled our base camp for the trip, and this was over the Harman and Whitehorn Passes, our first stop, Christmas Day, which we down the Cronin River to Park-Morpeth celebrated with de-hy. and Christmas Hut, where Henk provided the first pudding. Aspects from Carrington Hut meat on the trip by shooting a include a view of Carrington Peak (when chamois, and we celebrated by cooking it isn't raining). The White and Wai- and eating the back steaks on the spot. mak. in flood (when it was raining), Climbing over Browning Pass down the sandflies which ensured the camp's early Arahura River to the Styx Saddle, leadrising. The following Tuesday we left ing in the River Styx, where Henk again Carrington at 7.30 a.m. for a stroll up dropped a deer. Out to Lake Kaniere Mt. Campbell, traversing from Taipo-iti and civilisation, with the luxury of a across to Campbell Pass; a hanging ride on the back of a tractor. *