Kaikouras - Easter, '62

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KAIKOURAS -EASTER, '62 The party: Margaret Webb, Allan away for a considerable distance, in fact Higgins, Bob Montague, Billy and my- from the top of Alarm the ground drops self, Nils. away quite alarmingly. We then We ieft on the Thursday evening prior scrambled down and hurried back to the to Good Friday on the DC-3 for Blen- saddle where we unroped and continued heim, just after 9.00 p.m. back to camp. From the plane to Mr. D. Bright's taxi Next day we again rock climbed about Iremember his name and firm (Blenheim camp trying to climb using pitons, etc., taxis) because on both trips I led to the however, this is quite obviously an art Kaikouras he provided transport at which takes time to learn. reasonable cost and was extremely oblig- On Monday Alan, Bob and myself ing and helpful in meeting the plane and set off for Alarm, both girls remaining taking us to restaurants, etc. We reached behind. The sun found us into the the Hodder about midnight and slept couloir on Alarm and gradually just the snow out; the night was fine although there softened, again crampons were not used. was a fairly heavy dew. We made the mistake of thinking the The two main peaks in the range are summit was visible from the couloir and the highest in the country apart from when at last we reached a very sheer Cook and its surrounding massives and saddle and roped up, the true summit Aspiring. These are Tapuaenuku and could be seen to the south. I might add Alarm with Mitre much smaller but a that the couloir is fairly and better climb. steep in its sheltered position with the sun beating On Good Friday we duly arrived at down things became rather hot. We the upper camp site and went straight to duly settled down for a further rest some bed leaving the camp half erected. At feet up from the saddle and surveyed about 2 a.m. it started to rain so every- the position. Coming out of the saddle, body got up whilst the job of pitching Mitre to the left is like the letter M the tent was done to our satisfaction, bent in a right angle in the middle like this took time as it was cold and I doubt the letter L the down stroke of the L really whether anybody was properly pointing south. The second point of the awake. M was the peak and we had to sidle the At about 7 a.m. Alan and I awoke first and try again the ridge in the V and decided to have a go at Mitre. between the two peaks. This sidle was However, the rain and mist persisted and on the lee side and had collected large we returned. Later the weather cleared, amounts of powder snow on what seemed and we spent the rest of the day rock to be steep slabs and we were afraid of climbing near camp. an avalanche. I led off, and trying to keep to the join between rock and snow got Next morning with ice inside the tent, about half way when the cold forced me we set off for Alarm and duly arrived at to return, unfortunately on the small foot the saddle between it and Tape having and handholds. The powder snow soon passed up a huge valley of rock and scree compressed into ice and made it very with its frozen waterfalls a most impres- greasy. sive sight. Billy who was feeling crook I returned and had decided to wait in the saddle and four a look at the posset off. At first the ridge, although sibility of climbing over the ridge but fairly sheer, was gently angled but it loose rock made it unattractive. Alan gradually became steeper and plugging then made an attempt to sidle and using steps in the sun softened snow and carry- my previous route to where it ended made ing the pack became harder. Finally the a brilliant lead to the finish, I followed snow ridge ended at quite a steep angle over and joined him on the saddle beand the rock began. This was quite easy tween the peaks (the middle of the M). to climb but was made dangerous by the Regrettably Bob had to stay behind as possibility of the rope dislodging rocks a rope of three would have been a little on the No. 2 and second rope. At no clumsy in the rather exposed position. time did we use crampons and it was not Il led off and sidled out into the middle necessary to use the rope before reach- of the face under the peak along a coning the rock. After an enjoyable, if venient crack which almost became a short, rock climb we reached the top path, belayed and Alan passed, climbed a and admired the view especially to the crescent shaped ice field and belayed south where the face of Alarm dropped almost above me probably some 40 feet higher. I followed round the ice and negotiated without picks as they had been passed him, climbed a convenient groove left at the middle saddle. We descended, and belayed on the edge cf a smaller sidled without mishap, and returned to ice field. Alan came up, passed, and camp. Next day we clomped down the went belaying just above another Hodder to the taxi. Mr. Bright had crack, this was a little more difficult and generously donated three bottles of beer having passed him I went out on to the which went down well. We returned summit and brought Alan up. We sat, home by Friendship at about 10.30 ate chocolate and read the wrapper on a p.m. tin of grapefruit juice left by a previous T. and M. party. The climb, apart from The trip had been excellent and the the sidle, was not difficult and very en- party got along happily the whole time, joyable, the rock firm and good. How- apart from some class distinction by ever, the small ice fields had to be those wearing Napper boots. *