The Three Passes Trip, 1958/59

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The Three Passes Trip, 1958/59 The South Island has once again On the fourth day we planned to been our host over the Christmas press on to Carrington Hut, but early period. The high Southern Alps al- in the day four M.T.C.'s dropped in ways call the tramper and mountain- with the news that a girl had been eer to their glistening peaks and beau- injured by a rolling boulder in the tiful valleys. White River bed. They picked up the This was the call that bought eight stretcher and started back to Car- T.&M.'s to Christchurch on the first rington. Overcrowded conditions at leg of their Three Pass Trip. Carrington would not help matters, The trip begins at the junction of and another day at Anti-Crow was the Bealey and Waimakariki Rivers, neither here nor there to us. about six miles from Arthur's Pass. The following day dawned bright However, prior arrangements with and clear, so with high spirits and the Railways can prevent a six-mile heavy packs we set off for Carringroad walk by stopping the train at ton. Forty minutes up river we met Klondike Corner. It certainly saved the stretcher party çoming down with us a weary footslog! the injured girl. A counsel was held The journey up the Waimakariri to in midstream and it was decided that Anti-Crow hut was a tiresome one our party should carry the stretcher over expansive sand and shingle beds. as far as the flats below Anti-Crow Two and a half hours over this Hut. What a mighty effort that was! brought us to a large beech-clad spit We arrived at Carrington with poking out across the river towards clear consciences and two legs of the mouth of the Crow River. The chamois. hut cannot be seen from down river, Our first day in Carrington-and and it was some time before we dis- our first in 1959-came as any other covered it at the base of the spit-up day. However, it was the day when a steep incline. Anywhere else higher New Year resolutions took affect, up river and this bright orange and especially for the climbing party. green hut could not be missed. Having been baulked at 4 a.m., three Next day, after a whole morning in mental T&M's and one "Vic." bod set the sack, four of the more energetic out at 11 a.m. to climb Campbell. types made a trek up the Anti-Crow 6005ft. Ridiculously easy shingle and River which opens Mt. Damfool, snow slopes were encountered. Mean- Mt. Gizeh and Easy Co1 At the Anti- while, "Hughie" was making omin- Crow Forks we located the Gizeh ous signs with his storm clouds and Bivouac. An excellent kick-off for consequently only two of the three climbing in that area. peaks of Campbell were climbed. Spurred on by the previous day's Fantastic speeds were attained on tramp three of us decided to explore snow slopes during the descent and the Crow River. On the way up we we arrived at the hut in time for late had a pleasant chat with a Manawatu afternoon tea. party coming down from Crow hut. On January 3, after spending the After tramping for three hours un- previous day about the hut, our party der sweltering conditions up the steep pressed on for Park-Morpeth Hut river bed, we levelled out on an open situated at the Cronin-Wilberforce valley floor. Crow Hut was easily confluence. The day was clear and found just out of the bush on the left warm and the climb up_ the Taipoiti bank. Mt. Rolleston appears very im- stream to Harman's Pass became pressive and tempting from the hut tedious. However, once on top and and the Rolleston icefall is a "must" the mysteries of lunch had been solvfor the photo album. ed at Ariel's Tarn, things brightened Heavy rain during our third night considerably. The 11-hour snow at Anti-Crow caused the rivers to plod up on to Whitehorne Pass proved flood and us to be hut-bound. How- more interesting and on the top of ever, we enjoyed the company of a the pass the peace was broken by real West Coaster and learned to the yells of hungry trampers. appreciate the 12 bunks and ample After a short spell on top we moving room of the hut. tramped down under the spectacular

Cronin icefall (well, not quite under), The next morning was our last in with its menacing tons of blue ice the bush and as we plodded into poised above us. Two hours boulder- Kaniere township we let our thoughts hopping down the Cronin Stream wander back over the Three Passes saw us at the door of Park-Morpeth to Klondike Corner and knew that in Hut. a couple of days we would speed past Next day was spent lying in the our starting place in a railcar en sun recovering from the effects of route for Christchurch and home. tramping. During thercourse of the DICK EVANS day food was eaten, books were fin- * * * ished and a few indulged in the good