New Zealand Alpine Journal 2014 preview

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ALPINE JOURNAL 2014

NEW ZEALAND ALPINE CLUB

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ALPINE JOURNAL 2014

we ARE climbing

Glenda Rowlands on Tane Mahuta (26) Mangorewa Gorge

WILD COUNTRY

Photo: Kerry Crawford

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southern alps Guidebooks nZaC is pleased to offer a complete set of seven climbing and backcountry guidebooks to the mountain ranges of the southern alps.

Enquire now about purchasing the full southern alps set. national office: (03) 3777-595, office@alpineclub.org.nz or order online at:

alpineclub.org.nz Photo: Mark Watson

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NEW ZEALAND ALPINE JOURNAL 2014

CONTENTS Success and Failure in the Oriental Alps David Hood 100 Atlas Shrieked Derek Cheng 104 Tsartse—What Lies Hidden Brad Jackson 108 Anidesha Chuli John Price 112 Langua-tai-Barfi Pat Deavoll 114

President’s Page John Cocks 8

NEW ZEALAND ROCK AND ICE The Popes Nose Guy McKinnon 12 The Ghost and the Abyss Stephen Skelton 16 The Borland Valley Kester Brown & Stephen Skelton 20 A Somewhat Different Sabbatical Georg Pollinger 28 Indifferent Exposure Kester Brown 32 Fiordland Forever Henriette Beikirch 36 In the Elements Shane Orchard 42 The South Ridge of Mills Peak Stanley Mulvany 48 A Winter Climb of Mitre Peak Stanley Mulvany 51 Turning Transalpine Dreams into Reality Peter Wilson 54 The Architect Steve Harris 59 Burning Kieran Parsons 62 Mt Tasman Speed Descent Benjamin Letham 66 Seaward Kaikoura Range Traverse Shane Orchard 70

THE VERTICAL WORLD The Changing Height of Aoraki Mt Cook Geoff Wayatt & Pascal Sirguey 118 Noel Odell Grant Hunter 124 Mountaineering During the First World War Graham Langton 130 Centennial Roll of Honour Graham Langton 134

AREA REPORTS South Island Rock Troy Mattingley 142 North Island Rock Cliff Ellery, Dan Head & Kester Brown 146 Ski Mountaineering Joe Harrison 148 New Zealand Alpine Kester Brown 150

OBITUARIES

OVERSEAS CLIMBING K2 and Broad Peak Expedition Chris Jensen Burke 76 Silbergeier Wiz Fineron 80 Single Push on the Cassin Matthew Scholes 86 Big Boys Don’t Cry Daniel Joll 88 Accident on Denali Steven Fortune 91 The Scorpion Kings Jono Clarke 92 The Pilgrimage Llewellyn Murdoch 96

Ivan Pickens 1930–2014 154 Don Mackay 1931–2014 155 John Rundle 1933–2014 156 Stephen JS Barker 1933–2013 157 Jack Higgs 1940–2013 158 Catherine Sintenie 1961–2014 158 Ari Kingan 1993–2014 159

c o v e r Steven Fortune nearing the top of the Supercanaleta route, Fitz Roy, Patagonia. Daniel Joll i n s i d e f r o n t c o v e r David Shearer approaching the summit of Mt Hamilton, Aoraki Mt Cook National Park. Nick Shearer h a l f t i t l e Castle Rocks Hut above the Franz Josef Glacier. Mark Watson t h i s p a g e Dan MacKay on the slopes of Hochstetter Dome, Tasman Glacier. Gavin Lang

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President John Cocks Executive Subcommittee Chair Geoff Gabites Honorary Treasurer Gillian Crombie Honorary Secretary George Edwards Community Richard Thomson Shelter Richard Wesley Climbing and Instruction Paul Prince

Section Representatives Auckland Magnus Hammarsal Australia Terry Cole Canterbury/Westland Craig Hoskings Central North Island Mike Greer Nelson/Marlborough Jerome Waldron North Otago Hugh Wood Otago Danilo Hegg South Canterbury Neil Harding-Roberts Southland Bill Gordon Wellington Daniel Pringle

National Office Staff General Manager Sam Newton National Administrator Margaret McMahon Administration Assistant Narina Sutherland Programme Manager Sefton Priestley Managing Editor/Designer Kester Brown New Zealand Alpine Journal Editor Kester Brown Sub-editor Nic Learmonth Proofing Lizzy Sutcliffe, Rachael Williams New Zealand Alpine Club PO Box 786, Christchurch, New Zealand Phone 64 3 377 7595 office@alpineclub.org.nz | alpineclub.org.nz NEW ZEALAND ALPINE JOURNAL 2014, Volume 66 Published by the New Zealand Alpine Club Designed and typeset in Minion and Univers by Kester Brown Printed by Spectrum Print, Christchurch.

ISSN 0110 1080 Placeholder, not for Printing Logo use must be approved by Blue Star Group NZ Ltd Min Size 12mm Height

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PRESIDENT’S PAGE JOHN COCKS

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s President, I was launched into a busy schedule and, being new to the position and having been away from club administration for some years, I was dependent on the support of members and staff to address immediate demands. I was impressed and reassured by their commitment and strengths.

These sentiments grew as the year continued.

On Labour weekend last year, Hiroki Ogawa and Nicole Sutton died on Mt Taranaki whilst on a club trip.

Immediately after the event, an independent investigation was organised. This included a careful process of investigator selection and reviewing drafts of the report. Recommendations of the final report are being implemented, which include a revision of club trip guidelines. Club trips are a fundamental activity. Courses and trips stimulate interest in climbing and the climbing environment, help develop friendships, and attract and nurture new members. Such an event takes a terrible toll on family and friends. Also, it takes its toll on the club and its members, emotionally, time-wise and financially. As club members, we must work and evolve in ensuring that we take care of ourselves, particularly young and new members, whilst we encourage mountaineering, climbing and allied activities, and preserve opportunity for amateur climbers.

Many members assisted in responding to the Taranaki incident. In acknowledging this assistance, I record in particular the dedication and significant actions of NZAC General Manager Sam Newton, Auckland Section Chair Magnus Hammarsal, Climbing and Instruction Committee convenor Paul Prince, and members of that committee.

Professionally-led club instruction courses at both a national level and section level, and volunteer-led section level courses have attracted strong participation, which reflects a healthy demand for instruction and interest in club courses. These courses follow the club’s policy and procedures, which now include an externally reviewed safety management system. Refinements for volunteer-led courses are being discussed.

The Banff Mountain Film Festival provides a significant revenue stream for the club’s hut fund and for sections. The festival’s success is testimony to the effective work of section volunteers who organise the screenings.

Our huts and lodges require constant attention to operational and maintenance matters, to relationships with hut users and others, and to regulatory compliance matters. This attention is provided by the time and effort of dedicated members and staff. Of particular note is the establishment of the government’s Community Conservation Partnership Fund (CCPF), which allocates funding to community groups.

Federated Mountain Clubs, of which NZAC is the biggest member, formed a consortium with New Zealand Deerstalker’s Association and Trail Fund NZ and successfully applied to the CCPF for money for the maintenance of backcountry huts and tracks. NZAC is in a good position to benefit.

Concurrently, the club applied to the CCPF for funding to carry out the costly strengthening work that is necessary at our historic Aspiring Hut. While DOC declined our application to the CCPF, they have committed to funding the strengthening work separately.

A personal highlight of the past year was attending the reopening of Whangeahu Hut, which followed extensive building work over the last three years by CNI Section members. This occasion was a celebration of so much that NZAC has to offer—activity in the mountains, tradition and loyalty. Peter Hillary reopened the hut that his father opened 50 years earlier. Several of the original hut builders attended.

NZAC climbing camps and meets were based in the Hopkins valley, at Homer Hut, at Tukino Lodge, at Unwin Lodge, and at Arthur’s Pass, which is evidence of club vitality.

I thank all those members who have contributed during the year to the club. Contribution has come in many forms—time on section activities and national committees, working on huts, writing guidebooks and articles, making donations in response to appeals, participating in other club activities and more.

I congratulate Ralph Miller on his well-deserved election to life member during the year.

For the year ahead, my best wishes to all members in their climbing activities.

8 NEW ZEALAND ROCK AND ICE

The Mueller Glacier lake and Main Divide peaks from Mt Isabel to Mt Sefton and the Footstool, from Mt Wakefield. Mark Watson

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