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Transcriber’s note:
Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).
A caret character is used to denote superscription. Multiple
superscripted characters are enclosed by curly brackets
following a caret character (example: 16^{th}).
Changes made are noted at the end of the book.
THE NEW ZEALAND ALPS
Printed by
Spottiswoode and Co., New-Street Square
London
[Illustration:
[Wheeler & Son, Photo.
G. E. Mannering Mr. J. Dixon P. H. Johnson
CLIMBING PARTY ON THE TASMAN GLACIER]
WITH AXE AND ROPE
IN
THE NEW ZEALAND ALPS
by
GEORGE EDWARD MANNERING
Member of the New Zealand Alpine Club
Member of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia
Member of the Philosophical Institute Of Canterbury, N.Z.
With Illustrations
London
Longmans, Green, and Co.
And New York: 15 East 16^{th} Street
1891
All rights reserved
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED
TO ALL LOVERS OF NATURE
PREFACE
This short work contains the story of five seasons’ climbing and
exploring in the New Zealand Alps. Most of the material embodied in it
has already appeared from time to time, in rather a different form, in
the Christchurch (N.Z.) ‘Weekly Press.’
The author trusts that the publication of the same in book form,
together with a map of the locality and a few photographic
reproductions, will supply a want in the shape of a guide-book to the
Alpine mountain district which is already beginning to be felt by
tourists in New Zealand; and he hopes that the contents may not prove
uninteresting to the general public, more especially to Swiss and
Caucasian climbers, few of whom are perhaps aware of the extent and
nature of the New Zealand Alpine chain.
The map is compiled by the New Zealand Government Survey Office from
the work of Mr. T. N. Brodrick, Government Surveyor, and that of Dr.
R. von Lendenfeld. The illustrations are from photographs by Messrs.
Wheeler and Son. Their operator has in several mountain expeditions
accompanied the author, who takes this opportunity of expressing his
thanks to the New Zealand Government Survey Department, and to Messrs.
Wheeler, for their kind assistance.
It will doubtless be said that the summit of Aorangi has not yet been
attained: quite true. Like Mr. Green, the author and his friend were
‘wise in time.’ Yet it is only a quibble to dispute the ascent of the
mountain, for being on the ice-cap of Aorangi is like being on the
topmost rung of a ladder, and yet not upon the projections above that
step.
CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND:
_April 13, 1891_.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY
PAGE
The New Zealand Alps and their glaciers 1
CHAPTER II
THE ROUTE TO THE MOUNT COOK DISTRICT
A short description of the route to the Mount Cook district, and of
the topographical features of the Mueller, Hooker, and Tasman
Valleys 5
CHAPTER III
FIRST ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI
First impressions—Swagging—The Hochstetter Glacier—Defeat—The
perils of river crossing 14
CHAPTER IV
SECOND ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI
A flooded camp in the Tasman Valley—Hard struggles—We reach
Green’s bivouac 32
CHAPTER V
THIRD ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI
Photography on the Tasman Glacier—Attempt to scale Mount De la
Bêche 42
CHAPTER VI
ASCENT OF THE HOCHSTETTER DOME
Camp under De la Bêche—Twelve hours on snow and ice—The
pangs of hunger 58
CHAPTER VII
FOURTH ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI
We reach the Great Plateau at last—Defeat again—The crossing of
the Ball Pass 65
CHAPTER VIII
FIRST EXPLORATION OF THE MURCHISON GLACIER
Hard swagging—Erroneous maps—The struggle for Starvation
Saddle—Exhaustion and hunger—Return 76
CHAPTER IX
FIFTH ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AORANGI
Avalanches—The bivouac again—First attempt repulsed—Second
attempt—The Great Plateau—The Linda Glacier—Hard work
step-cutting—The terrible _couloirs_—Victory at last—Descent
by lantern-light—Back to civilisation 90
CHAPTER X
ON SOME OF THE PHENOMENA OF GLACIERS
The cause of glaciers—Formation and structure—Motion—Moraines:
Lateral, medial, and terminal—‘Surface’
moraines—Crevasses—Moulins—Glacier tables—Glacier cones—Surface
torrents—Avalanches—Cornices 109
CHAPTER XI
CANOEING ON THE NEW ZEALAND RIVERS
The Waimakariri—The enormous rainfall—Descent of the Waitaki
River—The Tasman branch—Lake Pukaki—Leaky canoes—The
Pukaki Rapids—The Waitaki Gorge—Out on the plains again—Sixty
miles paddle to catch the train—Home once more 119
L’ENVOI 131
APPENDIX 133
A SHORT GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL ALPINE TERMS 139
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
CLIMBING PARTY ON THE TASMAN GLACIER _Frontispiece_
HOOKER VALLEY AND MOUNT SEFTON FROM GOVERNOR’S CAMP _To face page_ 8
AORANGI: MOUNT COOK AND THE HOOKER GLACIER ” 10
MOUNT TASMAN (11,475 FEET) AND HOCHSTETTER ICE-FALL ” 28
MOUNT COOK AND THE HERMITAGE ” 46
CROSSING THE HOOKER RIVER ” 48
AORANGI FROM THE BALL GLACIER ” 50
ICE CAVE, TASMAN GLACIER ” 52
MOUNT DE LA BÊCHE (10,021 FEET) FROM THE TASMAN GLACIER ” 54
PEAKS ON MALTE BRUN ” 58
THE TASMAN GLACIER ” 66
MOUNTAIN LILIES (_Ranunculus Lyallii_) ” 86
LOOKING ACROSS THE MURCHISON GLACIER ” 90
AORANGI FROM THE TASMAN GLACIER ” 90
THE MURCHISON GLACIER ” 92
AORANGI: THE HIGHEST PEAK ” 100
IN THE ICE-FALL OF THE ONSLOW GLACIER ” 120
THE SURFACE OF A GLACIER ” 128
MAP _At end_
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY
_The New Zealand Alps and their glaciers_
It is unnecessary for me in these days of universal education and
enlightenment to describe the geographical position of New Zealand, the
‘Britain of the South,’ and the future playground of Australasia.
Everyone knows that New Zealand consists of three islands, situate
between the 34th and 47th degrees of south latitude, off the south-east
coast of Australia. Reference to almost any handbook of the colony will
furnish every information regarding settlement, population, government,
climate, and so on, and I do not propose to dwell longer than is
necessary on any general matters of this nature.
It is advisable, however, to describe in as brief and concise a manner
as possible the general physical features of a country containing such
varieties of scenery and climate, more especially those of the South
Island (or Middle Island as it is sometimes called), where the High
Alps and their wonderful glaciers are situated.
Speaking generally, the highest mountains of New Zealand may be said to
run in a north-easterly direction from the southernmost point of the
South Island through the whole country, like a vast backbone, to the
north-eastern point of the North Island.
The main formation of the mountains dates back to Jurassic times, so
that the geological structure may be said to be one of great antiquity.
Volcanic action has long since ceased throughout the South Island;
but there are many active volcanoes in the North, where a perfect
wonderland of hot-springs, solfataras, and silica terraces exists.
As a whole, the country is heavily timbered—more thickly on the
western parts, where the greater rainfall occurs. This is notably the
case in the South Island, where the hot and moisture laden winds from
tropical regions are deprived by the Alpine chain of their aqueous
vapour.
The Southern Alps proper may be said to extend over a distance of about
one hundred miles of the middle part of the South Island, the chain
being situated closer to the western than the eastern ocean. The slopes
on the western side are the more precipitous, and are clothed with
heavy timber and intersected by innumerable mountain torrents, fed in
most cases by glaciers, some of which descend to within 600 feet of
sea-level.
Ranges of outlying foot-hills occur on the eastern side, snow-covered
in winter, amongst which many large glacier-fed rivers have cut their
way, and meander over the plains (probably of entirely fluviatile
formation) which slope gradually from the outer bases of the foot-hills
to the eastern ocean.
The peaks of the Alps range in height from 7,000 to 12,350 feet above
sea-level, the majority of those over 10,000 feet being contiguous to
the culminating point in altitude—Aorangi—more popularly known as
Mount Cook. Here also are found the largest glaciers.
The snow-line is a low one when compared with that of Alpine countries
in the northern hemisphere and in relative latitudes. It would be
difficult to compute its average altitude, but in parts where large
glaciers and snow-fields exist it is even as low as 5,000 feet above
sea-level.
By comparison with Switzerland, for instance, it may safely be said
that the snow-line in New Zealand is from 2,000 to 3,000 feet lower;
consequently we have the same Alpine conditions at a much lower level.
Owing to this interesting fact, we find that the New Zealand glaciers
attain far greater dimensions than those of Switzerland, although the
peaks do not rise to such a height above sea-level.
In themselves, I believe the mountains compare favourably as to size
or actual height above the valleys below them; Aorangi, for instance,
rising for nearly 10,000 feet from the Hooker Glacier, and Mount Sefton
8,500 feet from the Mueller Glacier, whilst the western precipices of
Mount Tasman (11,475 feet) are stupendous.
The enormous length attained in remote times by the New Zealand
glaciers is evident on all hands at the lower parts of the valleys,
the heads of which they now occupy; whilst the formation of nearly all
the lakes in the South Island can be traced to the action of ice and
the deposition of terminal moraines, prior to a period of retreat of
the ice.
There is an interesting feature in the glaciers of this country
peculiar to them; I refer to the deposition of singularly extensive
moraines. The lower parts of the large glaciers on the eastern slopes
are, in nearly every instance, completely covered with accumulated
_débris_ derived from the moraines. This is variously accounted for by
the antiquity of the mountain chain, the slow rate of motion in the
ice, and great denudation from rocks which are much jointed and offer
but little resistance to the splitting powers of freezing infiltrated
water.
The western glaciers I am not personally acquainted with, but I
understand that they do not carry anything like the amount of moraine,
and I imagine the cause of the disparity will be found in a faster
motion of the ice, and (a yet more potent factor) in the dip of the
strata of the rocks, which is from east to west, the broken faces being
eastward and the slab-like faces westward.