Mount Cook

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MOUNT COOK KEN McNATTY While sitting on the warm summit rocks of Malte climbing on the Anzacs - two 8,000-footers, forming Brun in December, 1965, with the sun beginning to the southern wall of the Plateau. The weather was make its presence felt, Dave Drake (C.M.C.), who perfect and looked to be settled. On return to the had joined Steve Moynihan and I for this climb, hut we met Tom Choate, a bearded American who suggested an attempt on Mt. Cook. My initial reaction had just come up Haast Ridge. We dined early and was one of surprise because I felt we were not in retired to our pits, the alarm set for midnight. sufficient training for such a major climb. Malte was The knowledge of an early start makes sleeping for the first climb of the season and we were fortunate in me very difficult and by 11 o'clock I gave up the striking it free of snow. Finding the rock of such good pretence and wandered outside. The weather was perquality that roping-up is made unnecessary hardly fect, but it was warm, too warm. I woke John Watson prepares one for a climb of Mt. Cook. and he agreed we were not going up. the Linda in Dave, however, was very persuasive and on the those conditions. I still felt uneasy. This might prove descent we held many discussions. Finally Steve and to be the last day of fine weather and John Lawrence Iagreed to meet Dave at Gardiner Hut the following and Tom Choate had decided to go. After hurriedly weekend. discussing the matter with John, If frantically packed. The weather proved us wrong in our choice of accidentally leaving my spare clothes, water bottle and time and no serious attempt was made. However, the food behind, and joined them. idea remained and throughout 1966 I planned for the I still felt unsettled as we crossed the Plateau by climb, SO that when Kevin Moynihan, John Watson torchlight. The wind had become violent and was and I travelled south to the Hermitage our plans making it difficult to stand and plug steps in the soft were geared towards Cook. December 1966 was very snow. As we entered the Linda and gained height, the bad climbing-wise. High winds, incessant rain and Silberhorn Ridge protected us from the wind and the snow persuaded us after waiting a full fortnight to snow conditions improved. The icefall gave us no leave for the mountains of Otago. Late December and problem and we made rapid progress. almost all of January the weather was good. enabling No one spoke, in fact no one had spoken since us to climb almost daily and I returned to Wellington leaving the hut. We under without paused briefly Malaspina still having made an attempt on Mt. Cook. and watched some other climbers starting on the John Watson and Dave Fowler were at home, none Silberhorn Ridge. They were moving very slowly, no of us were working SO it was only natural that we doubt hampered the strong wind. Suddenly, withtravelled south again. Destination Mt. Cook! out warning, a huge by avalanche crashed off the Silber- On arrival at the Hermitage we met Graham horn face and bombed into the Linda on to the spot Hancox and John Lawrence, about to leave the area where we had been only thirty minutes before. Obviafter a week's bad weather. John was due to leave ously this was no place to dither and we climbed New Zealand in March and was very disappointed in rapidly on to the upper Linda shelf. On approaching striking bad weather. It proved to be a simple matter the summit rocks we struck some very hard ice, conto persuade John to join me. sequently forcing us to belay. We were amazed to find The following day we left Ball Hut and toiled up the rocks iced up, chandeliers of the stuff decorating Haast Ridge under the oppressive heat of "current them in chaotic fashion. We decided to leave our bun". Haast Hut proved a welcome sight and thirsts crampons on. John suggested that we should leave were quenched with many brews. A lazy start the the rocks and try the ice on the east face. Being the following morning prevented us arriving at Plateau only Kiwiin the party, Iled off. (Apparently someone Hut before midday. We were welcomed on arrival by has informed John that Kiwis are good on ice!) Tom Peacock and guide Peter Schlunegger, who were The ice was very hard and the slope steepened and having a rest day after an abortive attempt on the gave fantastic exposure. The front points were only snowed up rocks of Dixon. just gripping. This was tremendously exciting stuff During the afternoon we loosened our limbs by but Tom and John decided that the rocks would be easier. John led back on to the rocks. The rocks As if that wasn't enough he seemed to find himself proved "time consuming" as graceful chandeliers disappearing up to his armpits with monotonous were hacked off and toppled on to the crash-hatted regularity into hidden crevasses. Tom and I gave him victims standing underneath. It was exciting to be no sympathy and cursed him onwards. We eventually leading as one's time was fully occupied inserting arrived at Plateau Hut at 10.15 p.m. after a 21-hour belays, hacking out steps and chipping handholds in day. the iced-up rock. Belaying, however, becomes boring, We were very grateful to Dave who had placed a standing on toe holds, balancing at times by an ice lantern in the window and was awake to greet us screw, feeding out the rope very slowly whilst trying with hot steaming brews. to duck the large chunks of ice threatening to knock Two days later John Watson climbed Cook with you off your stance. John Jordan, a very good climber from Taranaki. However, our labours were rewarded and after four They experienced similar conditions to us and they long hours we had vanquished the rocks and were were away for 18 hours, returning to the hut looking standing at the foot of the ice-cap: the Royal Road to disgustingly fit and burnt. the Summit. After two days of rest, John Lawrence had recov- "Only fifteen hundred feet to go", muttered John. ered from his bad dose of sunburn and suggested I tried to straighten out my front points as they had a climb of Dixon via a buttress on the south ridge buckled on the very hard ice. We observed the Silbertraversing down the Haast Ridge. Tasman was ruled horn party returning very slowly across the Plateau. out due to the buckled state of our crampons and We were puzzled because the wind had apparently Dave and I readily agreed to this. died down. However, we must have been protected slow start, which would have because they informed us later that it was difficult to A pathetically brought in stand up on their ridge. tears to the purist's eyes, took place as we dined style on steak which had been air-dropped in the The ice cap proved straightforward. Climbing beprevious day. This was followed by untangling a came methodical, ice screw belays were still necessary fantastically entangled rope, returning to the hut for but crampons gripped satisfactorily and no step cutnew crampons, followed by. After a six-hour ting was needed. Gradually the surrounding summits start we reached the foot of our buttress (twenty diminished and at 12.30 p.m. we were standing on minutes away from the hut) at 7 a.m. The sky was the highest point in the land. a glorious red with hogs' backs appearing over Cook. A summit hour was necessary, but now the strong I enquiringly asked John if he noticed the conditons wind made things unpleasant. The views were fanoverhead, and he replied bluntly informing me tastic. The Tasman Sea looked nice and I was thirsty that we would finish the before the weather Cimbl enough to drink it. What a wonderful profile Mt. packed up. Tasman has from here. This is the most vivid memory We commenced the climb by surmounting a bot- Ihave retained. That magnificent, airy ice ridge would tomless schrund via a wobbly, diagonal snow bridge. prove: a very exciting climb. I was also surprised that John led off up the steep rock. I was secretly happy I couldn't see the Hermitage because the view is (no ice up here and John's the rock man). Good rock blocked by the Middle Peak. belays enabled us to climb with confidence, if a little After the usual summit chores, which consisted slowly. I was impressed with John's leads. It is easy mainly of taking photographs, eating, standing or to do out-of-balance rock moves with a top rope on, sitting and staring, we cautiously descended the icebut John led very confidently with crampons on as cap, belaying all the way and taking care not to trip well! A little to the left of us huge ice cliffs formed on the sastrugi. Moving one at a time and with three a barrier to any East Face ice route, together with on the rope the summit rocks were as difficult and presenting an avalanche hazard. The occasional rock time-consuming on the descent. We abseiled off the fall forced us to hug the rock, but generally our route rocks on to the upper Linda shelf which we reached was free from this hazard. at 6.00 p.m. A jump of some ten feet enabled us to Two pitons were left behind. One John had inserted gain the Linda proper which was now disfigured with under an overhang. I positively sweated blood trying fresh avalanche debris. to remove it whilst jamming my head into a crack We were treated to a very beautiful sunset on and balancing by a little toe hold. John was adamant Tasman. Fortunately I managed to photograph it and that it must come out. It was his favourite peg and this enables me to retain a wonderful memory of this had travelled with him all over the world. Dave peak. Darkness overtook us when we were on the relayed my abuse to John till finally he relented and Linda icefall and torches were necessary to negotiate I hastened up to join him, minus the piton. Finally thel huge crevasses with confidence. the buttress ended with a steep snow slope. Six The plod across the Plateau proved to be a nighthundred feet of it remained before we reached the mare for John, who kept on breaking through the south ridge. John suggested that it was about time wind-crusted snow and chafing his badly burnt legs. that I did some leading, SO I commenced up the sixty- degree slope. The slope proved never ending and distinguish the snow from the mist. The circumstances knees were a nuisance in such a steep environment. were extremely trying. Moving slowly, concentrating The weather was now deteriorating rapidly and on hard, whilst being buffeted by winds and squally rain. gaining the ridge we were buffeted by a very strong Numerous abseils were made and these turned the wind. A long glorious snow arete led to the summit. descent into a route, until finally we were standing We had a long way yet to go. The mist enveloped us on the upper lipofa a schrund which separated us from and between wind we made stuttering progress the Plateau. I suggested jumping as Peter Schlunegger to the summit, IehEeNt we gained at 12 noon. John informed me that the upper lip was only twelve feet insisted on a summit photograph, whilst I abused him higher than the lower lip. John refused, insisting that and tried to induce a sense of urgency in him. we should abseil. It was very difficult to ascertain how We moved cautiously down the East (Haast) ridge, far away the bottom lip was because of the flat lighthoping like hell we were still on it. The snow was ing. We abseiled. Fortunately, because the abseil was treacherous, sliding away from under our feet into in excess of forty feet! the gloom. Progress was slow and we were very wet The trudge across the Plateau reminded John of the and cold. We had to risk removing our snow goggles Antarctic in blizzard conditions, and we thankfully as the lighting was very flat and it was difficult to gained the hut after an epic climb of eleven hours.