A White Christmas

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A WHITE CHRISTMAS. I left Wellington on 2lst December with Barbara Bartley and Bob Williams on a return trip to the headwaters of the White and Waimakariri Riverso We appreciated the generous nature of our fellow club members who came down to farewell Trev Walsh's party and ourselves at the wharf. The afternoon of the 22nd found us with 210 lb of food, fuel and guar, working our way above the bluffs to avoid a frosh in the Wainakeriri Rivero Much effort was spent and the ain aic noc improve matters. It was a relief to reach te Anti- 201 Hut after 31 houre huad goingo Here we were givon a buisiroas welcome by Palil Phillips and Dave Casswell who 1 are alc in rosidence. The rain was still pouring down as we carried on next morning to the Carrington Iuto We skirued the r.ver in preference Lo the B.Bo trail as the river was still carrying a great doal 01 water. ood and fuel was stored here and early next morning we loft for the head of the White River. The Noville Barrur Bivy was our destination and we found the going hard with tive any food, fuel and climbing gear. The stiff pull up the bloifs called for many spells, but we were compensatod by the sonuorful viewo Four feet of snow lay around -the hut and tho surrounding peaks were carrying heavy snowo 1 spell, a feed and away we went midday for Mto Harper with our eyes on the now deteriorating weather. We quickly gained the lower White Col and plugged up to the glacier, to be met by driving rain and sleets The top was in view, but rather than force the climb, we turned for home to conserve our strength for the rollowing dayo Christmas day broke with the occasional flurry of snow and sunshine. Four inches of snow had fallen in the night and the rocks which had been showing were not well plastered. As the woather gave romise of a break we left at 6.00 a.l mo for Mto Murchisone The new snow had body and the cool wind on the High White Col kept us on the move. High above the Col Bob decided to turn back so Barbara and I carried on, skirting the high Burnette faces - very steep but easier than the orthodox route on the White Glacier. We moved on to the White Neve and with the occasional schrund to be carefully crossed, T2 had no difficulty gaining the main areteo

This peak has a summit buttress of 300 feet of 650 rock which is incredibly loose. We found this a snow cap with only the odd rock sticking outo The snow was rotten and it took three quarters of an hour of packing and almost burrowing to gain the summit - a tremendous corniceo As we stodd on the highest summit of this part of the Alps, we could see Cook in the distance, well covered with new snowo We though of Snow Williams and party as we occasionally glimpsed D'Archiac and environs through snow squallso Leaving the top we traversed rorth to lessen the drop from the S mnit tO the arete. ho steep face of 200 feet tock oe hour to lescendo The Erow was detiorating as we start 1 the troverse of the upper White Neveo We lost our trach of the ascent as we wore enveloped by a heavy ground misto Suddenly I found myself in mid-air. My climbing pack and a quick belay by Barbara saved me from going further down a crevasseo I was tired and shaken and it took me some minutes to struggle outa Another crevasse we had crossed earlier in the day forced us to anchor one another and roll down the slope over the bridgeo We regained the.Burr stte ridge only to find a danger of wet snow avalanche. We ied the full 100 feet of nylon and were very cautious. Arri/0 at the bivy it started to snow heavily - a real White Christmas. We slept Tararua fashion with mattresses on the floor to keep warmo Boxing day was fine with a high cold windo Barbara was suffering from snow burn, so Bob and I left at 4.30 aomo for Mto Harper. We put crompons on shortly after leaving the hut and climbed the steep West face up a wide couloir to gain the glaciero We crossed the main ridge to gain the warmth from the sun on the Harper Glacier and took the face to the summit straighte The cold wind on top sent us seurrying back to the glacier to take'off our crampons for a glissade downo After a few attempts we smartly put them on again, as the snow was still glazedo As the frozen snow was a little loose for comfort, we roped for the steep descent to the White Colo The climb had taken a total of five hourso Sur.bathing occupied the rest of the dayo The next day brought high cloud and wind and we were away at 4.30 aomo for Wakeman, a peak on the Shaler Range. After a plug to the White Glacier, we cramponed up a steep face to make the ridge north of the summito Spectacular cornices along the ridge forced us to sidle, but the frozen snow made travelling a delight. We crept up a loose snow face to the summito Straggling clouds marred the view, though unable to shut out Evans and the Rakaia topso Everything was well covered with new snowo The wind dropped and the weather became warmo With that went all hope of a descent by our stecp ap proach. A good steep ridge led us down to the head of the Marmaduke Dixon Glacier. We hugged the shady faces to collect firm snow, but were out of lucko The Marmaduke Dixon Basin had not fruzen. The further we descended the scfter became the enowo rhe ridge off Wakeman f.a anking the Glacier offered au our ipe nd we sidled and climbed to find ourselves 900 fto up on ne riE avove even snows wiere stood the bivy, half a milu away, I threw a stone down on to the facco It sank and started to move with some snow. Gathering speed and ever increasing the volune of snow, it sped down till a small bluff forced it to spew out on to the flat below uso We threw more stones and soon had the whole face movingo The choice was to wait untill a freeze at night or hug a steep bluff on our right, using the apex of the schrunds and what rock was climable. Incrensing cloud gave no promise of a frost, so we chose the latter. It took four and a hall hours to descend that 900 feet, and every bit of snow or rock we moved precipitated an avalanche untill the whole face was lined and torn and hundreds of tons of snow lay piled high below uso Every hold and step had to be tested and we were glad when we reached the even slopes and could relaxo Looking back up the slope, it presented a terrific spectacle - the huge ridges of snow where the avalanches had missed and the tremendous piles of debris strewn wide. Light rain fell as we made our way back to the bivyo The climb had taken twelve hours, it is normally done in four. Our main objective in the White, the high unnamed peak before Mto Davie, was well out of condition so we left in fine weather for Carrington Hut next morning. Cass and Paul were still in residence. They had not finished eating the deer they shot a few days before. Here We found the Wellington Catholic Tramping Club camped on the flat below the Huto After a rest day we left for the Alpine Club bivy at the head of the Waimakariri River. The bivy is situated in a hanging valley below the col. It is 6 fto by 9 fto and you can stand up in ito A sleeping bench occupies nearly all the space inside and you can lie in bed to cook the foodo You almost have too Heavy corrugated iron wired to the ground gives a robust bivy to the alpinist, although most people would find it a little crampede We left early next morning for Mto Armstrong, across the divide in the West Coast areao As soon as we reached the snow we donned our cranpons and kept them on until our returno The firm slopes made for fast travel and we sidled high to avoid a descent to the Waimakariri Colo As oun poak came into view, it presented the perfect pyranided anow poako Apart from the odd rock outcrop the Surr undir sountry was just white. The climb was easy and a Es 2 clim) 0n to the summit rioge was interesting. From the - mit W. e Cucerved hogsbacks iil the sky and storm clouds banking on tne coasto We descended acrose the stecp north face to avoid a rising cold . ind, then made for the Col so as to drop Boh who wished to return to camp, leaving Barbara and myeelf to carry on to Mto Rollestone However, the weather showed signs of breaking and we all scurried back to the bivy to race the rain by thirty minuteso The barometer had dropped alarmingly. By three o'clock, we were stuffing toilet paper around the edge of the emall wir 20W and parkas around the door to keep out the driving raino The hut rocked and whole sheets of water were being dashed against the sides. It puzzled uso We looked out the window and saw that New ton's laws were being defiedo The Upper Waimakariri Falls below the hut were being driven uphill by the terrific squalls and it was part of the river that was hitting uso Next day the storm had become spasmodic and new snow gave promise of fordable rivers, so we left for Carrington Huto New faces greeted us, namely the Auckland University Tramping Clubo They were good company and taught us to play a card game called 'Oh Hell.' The weather was still north westerly so we occupied our return to Arthurs Pass in two days of leisure. Thusended our tripo Ge orge Thompson. -0-0-0-0-0-0-C-0-