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195502 [2016/01/22 16:16] tyreless195502 [2016/01/22 17:05] tyreless
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 - Dot Butler. - Dot Butler.
  
-We had been five weeks in New Zealand, covering the lakes and valleys and mountain eountry of the southern part of the South Island, and now our itinerary was to take us to the Mt. Cook area - goal of every Bushwalker and Mountaineer's dreams. We left Glendhu Bay, where we had been swimming and sunbaking for several days, and got a lift into Pembroke where we caught the bus for MtCook Hermitage. For over 100 miles we passed through the most desolate country imaginable - some dry rocky hills and a profusion of broken sbones and miserable looking grass. Then we Passed Lake Pukaki, and for the next 30 miles the mountains, with Mt. Cook in the centre, were always ahead of us. We reached the Hermitage ai; 6 p.m.. The campin, ground was nicely situated amongst a clump of trees - a regular Alpine forest. We were lucky enough to bag a mall hut, and were +We had been five weeks in New Zealand, covering the lakes and valleys and mountain country of the southern part of the South Island, and now our itinerary was to take us to the Mt. Cook area - goal of every Bushwalker and Mountaineer's dreams. We left Glendhu Bay, where we had been swimming and sunbaking for several days, and got a lift into Pembroke where we caught the bus for MtCook Hermitage. For over 100 miles we passed through the most desolate country imaginable - some dry rocky hills and a profusion of broken stones and miserable looking grass. Then we passed Lake Pukaki, and for the next 30 miles the mountains, with Mt. Cook in the centre, were always ahead of us. We reached the Hermitage at 6 p.m. The camping ground was nicely situated amongst a clump of trees - a regular Alpine forest. We were lucky enough to bag a small hut, and were soon settled in comfortably for the night. 
-13. + 
-soon settled in comfortably for the night. +Leaving the Hermitage camping ground next morning Bert, Gordon and I lugged our packs out to the roadway to be picked up by the bus which was to take us 14 miles or so to Ball Hut. Besides our camping gear we had a fortnight's provisions aboard the packs - and were they a weight! 
-Leaving the Hermitage caiping ground next morning Bert, Gordon and I lugged our packs out to the roadway to be picked up by the bus which was to take us 14 miles or so to Ball Hut. Besides our camping gear we had a fortnight's provisions aboard the packs - and were they a weight! + 
-We waited at the Ball Hut till the cool about 4 p.m. we struggled into our packs and Glacier 6 miles to De la Beche Hut. It took the 6 miles', over icehummocks and heaped up an excuse to put our packs down and rest the look down into the blue depths of crevaeses, cold glacier waters tinkled in crystal purityof the afternoon, then set off up the Tasmon us about 3i hours to do rocknnraines, mahing no fact that we wanted to through which the snow- +We waited at the Ball Hut till the cool of the afternoon, then about 4 p.m. we struggled into our packs and set off up the Tasman Glacier 6 miles to De la Beche Hut. It took us about 3 1/2 hours to do the 6 miles, over ice-hummocks and heaped up rock moraines, making us an excuse to put our packs down and rest the tact that we wanted to look down into the blue depths of crevassesthrough which the snow-cold glacier waters tinkled in crystal purity. 
-. + 
-We reached the hut about 7.30. Here we and weighed our packs and impedimenta. Mine both the boys had over 100 lbs. +We reached the hut about 7.30. Here we found a spring scale and weighed our packs and impedimenta. Mine was a mere 53 lbs., but both the boys had over 100 lbs. 
-We had made plans to climb the Hochstetter Dom (9,179 feet), which is the great mound of snow lying at the head of the Tasman Glacier. This would necessitate an early rising of 3 a.m. on the morrow, but it was going on for 11 p.m. when we finally retired and we didn't wake up till 4.45 a.m. when the glow in the sky, which should have been the moon but was annually the sun, awoke Gordon. He and Bert had slept outside among the boulders, it being reputed to be cooler outside, while I enjoyed the comfort of a bunk inside, but + 
-was soon rudely awakened and mechanically struggled into my clothes and pulled on the hobnailed:boots, the while we consumed lukewarm porridge, slightly overdone,.in the murky light of a candle while dawn endeavoured to break outside. +We had made plans to climb the Hochstetter Dom (9,179 feet), which is the great mound of snow lying at the head of the Tasman Glacier. This would necessitate an early rising of 3 a.m. on the morrow, but it was going on for 11 p.m. when we finally retired and we didn't wake up till 4.45 a.m. when the glow in the sky, which should have been the moon but was annually the sun, awoke Gordon. He and Bert had slept outside among the boulders, it being reputed to be cooler outside, while I enjoyed the comfort of a bunk inside, but was soon rudely awakened and mechanically struggled into my clothes and pulled on the hobnailed boots, the while we consumed lukewarm porridge, slightly overdone, in the murky light of a candle while dawn endeavoured to break outside. 
-One of the hardest parts of Mountaineering is to drag oneself out of a nice warm bunk:and'a sound slumber at some God forsaken unearthly hour in the morning and try to pretend you like it.. However it has to be done if one is to get the advantage of hard snow, and nothing slows up progress so much as soft snow, caused, of course, by the heat of the sun. + 
-We were ready to set out by 5.55 a.m. It was now quite light. We followed Up the Tasman Glacier for some miles and found the going fairly good. The Whole expanse of the glacier is criss-crossed every square yard or so by innumerable cracks and crevasses, but as these were not more than a yard or two deep in most instances it was easy enough to jthnp or step over them, and the surface was good solid frozen snow. +One of the hardest parts of mountaineering is to drag oneself out of a nice warm bunk and a sound slumber at some God forsaken unearthly hour in the morning and try to pretend you like it. However it has to be done if one is to get the advantage of hard snow, and nothing slows up progress so much as soft snow, caused, of course, by the heat of the sun. 
-The glacier now gave way to vast undulating aaowfields very generously furnished with crevasses, but a negotiable route was found through these by dint of much zig-zagging and making use of questionable snow bridges. On either side of a bridge some 18 inches to 2 ft. wide a glacier would yawn, but one kept onels eyes fixed straight ahead till the several yards of crossing were effected, not daring to look down into the blue gaping depths, hundreds of feet deep, where icy pinnacles gleamed eerily in the unearthly soft blue + 
-found a spring scale was a mere 53 lbs., but +We were ready to set out by 5.55 a.m. It was now quite light. We followed up the Tasman Glacier for some miles and found the going fairly good. The whole expanse of the glacier is criss-crossed every square yard or so by innumerable cracks and crevasses, but as these were not more than a yard or two deep in most instances it was easy enough to jump or step over them, and the surface was good solid frozen snow. 
-14. + 
-light. As we gained the higher levels the crevasses decreased in number but increased in width, some of them being over 50 feet wide and deep in proportion. They are fascinatingly beautiful. +The glacier now gave way to vast undulating snowfields very generously furnished with crevasses, but a negotiable route was found through these by dint of much zig-zagging and making use of questionable snow bridges. On either side of a bridge some 18 inches to 2 ft. wide a glacier would yawn, but one kept one'eyes fixed straight ahead till the several yards of crossing were effected, not daring to look down into the blue gaping depths, hundreds of feet deep, where icy pinnacles gleamed eerily in the unearthly soft blue light. As we gained the higher levels the crevasses decreased in number but increased in width, some of them being over 50 feet wide and deep in proportion. They are fascinatingly beautiful. 
-There were no great hazards to try our skill on this climb, othe than the crevasses just mentioned, and eventually we gained the summit. Here Bert produced a map and we located as many of the landmarks as were within our field of vision, then wended oty way downward again with long strides and slides to whore we had left the pacl on a level field below. + 
-Bert and Gordon now prepared for a good meal, about the fourth since breakfast, and it was hardly yet midday. I felt that I was noi yet in need of nourishment, so I hied me off to the lower levels to get a drink and fill our whisky bottle with glacier water for future consumption. +There were no great hazards to try our skill on this climb, other than the crevasses just mentioned, and eventually we gained the summit. Here Bert produced a map and we located as many of the landmarks as were within our field of vision, then wended our way downward again with long strides and slides to where we had left the packs on a level field below. 
-It was furtherthan I thought to the level of the glacier, and when I had filled the bottle, and myself, with ice water I looked back to where the boys were still eating - mere little black dots on a great expanse of white. + 
-It was quite hot walking, but one soon became chilly with inacti, so I decided to continue on m3i. way down the glacier and the boys would catch up later. The sun had been shining fiercely on the snow all the morning and in consequence quite a lot of it had melted and was running in cheerful gurgling little channels down all the cracks in the glacier. The surface snow too, in contrast to its morning hardness, was now quite soft and yielding, and many times I broke through the surface into the water below, but it wasn't very deep and as I only wet my boots and socks I didn't mind much, it was such a pleasure to see the happy little runnels of water all rushing and leaping along their separate ways in an intricate network, pouring the_LT, contents into larger and deeper and still deeper channels wherethe water swept along in great eddies and swirls making a hissing, swishing sound.+Bert and Gordon now prepared for a good meal, about the fourth since breakfast, and it was hardly yet midday. I felt that I was not yet in need of nourishment, so I hied me off to the lower levels to get a drink and fill our whisky bottle with glacier water for future consumption. 
 + 
 +It was further than I thought to the level of the glacier, and when I had filled the bottle, and myself, with ice water I looked back to where the boys were still eating - mere little black dots on a great expanse of white. 
 + 
 +It was quite hot walking, but one soon became chilly with inactivity, so I decided to continue on my way down the glacier and the boys would catch up later. The sun had been shining fiercely on the snow all the morning and in consequence quite a lot of it had melted and was running in cheerful gurgling little channels down all the cracks in the glacier. The surface snow too, in contrast to its morning hardness, was now quite soft and yielding, and many times I broke through the surface into the water below, but it wasn't very deep and as I only wet my boots and socks I didn't mind much, it was such a pleasure to see the happy little runnels of water all rushing and leaping along their separate ways in an intricate network, pouring their contents into larger and deeper and still deeper channels where the water swept along in great eddies and swirls making a hissing, swishing sound. 
 I followed the hurrying water fascinated, not conscious of the significance that the crevasses were becoming deeper and more frequent, and that the water now rumbled on with an ominous hollow boom. I followed the hurrying water fascinated, not conscious of the significance that the crevasses were becoming deeper and more frequent, and that the water now rumbled on with an ominous hollow boom.
-Suddenly, without warning, the great torrenf, I had been following disappeared with a muffled roar into the very bowels of the eartL. I found myself standing on a thin overhanging sheet of ice and gazing down horrorstricken into a bottomless hole Whose glassy smool,fluted sides gleamed coldly blue and sinister and almost seemed to drag inc I recalled tales I had read in my childhood, of bottomless pools where evil spirits lurked and waited their chance *L-_, drag down unsuspecting passer-by, and how"the locals avoided such places, especially after dark, or if alone, or When the sky was dull and heavy. I shuddered and backed away hastily and hurried on with the din of the tumbling waters in my ears. The weather had now turned cold and overcast - and where were Gordon and Bert? + 
-15. +Suddenly, without warning, the great torrent I had been following disappeared with a muffled roar into the very bowels of the earth. I found myself standing on a thin overhanging sheet of ice and gazing down horror stricken into a bottomless hole whose glassy smooth fluted sides gleamed coldly blue and sinister and almost seemed to drag me in.... I recalled tales I had read in my childhood, of bottomless pools where evil spirits lurked and waited their chance to drag down unsuspecting passers-by, and how the locals avoided such places, especially after dark, or if alone, or when the sky was dull and heavy. I shuddered and backed away hastily and hurried on with the din of the tumbling waters in my ears. The weather had now turned cold and overcast - and where were Gordon and Bert? 
-Iliad glanced back some time ago and noticed that they had finished their lunch and followed down to the glacier where they had been less than half a mile behind me, but now my straining eyes could see no sign of them on that wide white sea of ice hummocks. They mus be there. They couldn't suddenly disappear like that. What is tharblack object away up there? Is it moving? Oh, it must be moving! But it wasn't! It's only a fallen avalanche stone, and all those other black spots, none of them are moving - not one - they are all only fallen stones. Oh my God, supposing they walked on to an overhanging ice rim and it collapsed and they have fallen into a + 
-0  yawning bottomless hole like..... But they couldn'both fall in Wh couldn't they both fall inc.. - they were walking together... God, they might both have fallen into the icy water of a deep cave +I had glanced back some time ago and noticed that they had finished their lunch and followed down to the glacier where they had been less than half a mile behind me, but now my straining eyes could see no sign of them on that wide white sea of ice hummocks. They __must__ be there. They couldn't suddenly disappear like that. What is that black object away up there? Is it moving? Oh, it must be moving! But it wasn't! It's only a fallen avalanche stone, and all those other black spots, none of them are moving - not one - they are all only fallen stones. Oh my God, supposing they walked on to an overhanging ice rim and it collapsed and they have fallen into a yawning bottomless hole like..... But they couldn'__both__ fall in! __Why__ couldn't they both fall in? - they were walking together... God, they might both have fallen into the icy water of a deep cave and even now be struggling in the dark water with their packs bearing them under. "We're done, Smithy", pants Bert. "Jesus!" gasps Gordon as the wild waters race them away into the ghostly blue underground ice caverns. 
-0  and even now be struggling in the dark water with their packs bearing them under. 'We're done, Smithy", pants Bert. "Jesus!" gasps Gordon as the wild waters race them away into the ghostly blue underground ice caverns. + 
-"I must go back and look for them" I thought while my eyes still feverishly sought the glacier in vain for some movement. I called again and again but no voce answered my shouts from the expanse of desolate white, only the ice cracked and shattered and splintered, and the water sucked and gurgled away into the bottomless depths with the noise like a drowning man. +"I must go back and look for them" I thought while my eyes still feverishly sought the glacier in vain for some movement. I called again and again but no voice answered my shouts from the expanse of desolate white, only the ice cracked and shattered and splintered, and the water sucked and gurgled away into the bottomless depths with the noise like a drowning man. 
-I was about to step into a slight depression where the water was running only a few inches deep, when suddenly the sides and floor caved in, the water disappeared with a quiet whispery sigh, and in deathly silence a deep bottomless chasm yawned at my feet. I jumped like a scalded cat. My heart seemed to be beating suffocatingly in my throat and I set off in a wild uncontrolled run for the side of the glacier. What did it matter if I was thus exposing myself to the dangers of falling avalanches! What did it matter if the going was much more difficult and chopped up at the sidesAnything to be off this treacherous accursed glacier! - it was only a shell of hummoel, ice over a roaring torrent beneath, and liable to collapse any minute and hurl me into the depths below as it has done the two boys. Poor old Gordon and Bert. Oh my God!!! + 
-I reached the lateral moraine trembling and panting. "Hi, there" called Bert "what's your hurry? We thought you'd take to the side eventualy. Gordon and I have been following the side for the last  couple of miles. Too wet and sloppy further out, eh?" "Ye-e-s' I said weakly and followed in silence to the hut. +I was about to step into a slight depression where the water was running only a few inches deep, when suddenly the sides and floor caved in, the water disappeared with a quiet whispery sigh, and in deathly silence a deep bottomless chasm yawned at my feet. I jumped like a scalded cat. My heart seemed to be beating suffocatingly in my throat and I set off in a wild uncontrolled run for the side of the glacier. What did it matter if I was thus exposing myself to the dangers of falling avalanches! What did it matter if the going was much more difficult and chopped up at the sidesAnything to be off this treacherous accursed glacier! - it was only a shell of hummocky ice over a roaring torrent beneath, and liable to collapse any minute and hurl me into the depths below as it has done the two boys. Poor old Gordon and Bert. Oh my God!!! 
-FEDERATION NOTES JANUARY.+ 
 +I reached the lateral moraine trembling and panting. "Hi, there" called Bert "what's your hurry? We thought you'd take to the side eventually. Gordon and I have been following the side for the last  couple of miles. Too wet and sloppy further out, eh?" "Ye-e-s' I said weakly and followed in silence to the hut. 
 + 
 +=====Federation News January.===== 
 - Allen A. Strom. - Allen A. Strom.
 the death of the death of
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