A NEWS BULLETIN published quarterly by the NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY • • • • • • ..._. ••- Mt. Harmsworth Climbed. VOL. I. NO. 6. JUNE 1957 NW ZEALAND • I rA lodl•. eo"'fbell l. · ' --- ---- -,-, Co 4 •• I ,, •, ,, ,, ,, o , , % \ < , 1 '-- -- '« (.oD ;~NO ( ANTAJ1CTlCA InfernatJol'lol Geophysical Year - Proposed Bases • U"ited K:n;dorn + New Zeoland • U~,t.d Stote' • Ausr,..,l,a ,.. U.s.S.R. 0 Othe~ Iil Cornmo.... w""'Uh T~on,onto,.d;c: E.>p«i.h,," • J (Successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin") • VOl. I. No. b. JUNE 1957 - Editor: L. B. Quartermain. M.A.• 1 Ariki Road. Wellington. E.2, New Zealand. Business Communications, Subscriptions, etc., to: Secretary. New Zealand Antarctic Society, p.a. Box 2110, WelJington. N.Z. Annual Subscription, 15/- - Single Copy 4/- Mt. Harmsworth Climb Highlight Of Seolt Base Work Possibly the outstanding feature of all the work done so fur by the New Zealand expedition is the climb of Mt. Harmsworth r;: Bernie Gunn, Guy Warren and Arnold Heine, who form~e southern geological party. Their feat represents the first . e that a major peak on the Antarctic continent has been climbe . ':'-.,# At ~hc beginning of February and slarted to climb again. h'awng the three were flown in from Scan by this Mme decided on a different Base to the foot of the SI<eIlon route from Ithe one seen. They Glacier (78'50 mins. S. 161'45 stopped for food at 6.30 p.m. and mins. E.) to make 'the first geolo­ gical survey of this area. Using manhau'l1ng sledges, they made Cover Pic.ture some nO!'able geological discoveries, MT. HARMSWORTH "'00 ill the course of climWng a CLIMBED snow ridge some 3,000 feet high On FebruGry 10. Bernie Gunn, be Arnold Heine and Guy Warren, 011 they saw \vlhat appeared to a Now Zealander5, mode the first practllcable route to the summIt of a$cant of Mt. Hllrmsworth in the Mt. Harms\vorth, Ithe ,J>jghest peak Worcester Ronge. west of .the R05s In the Worcester Range. Ice Shelf. They decided to attemPt the This photograph by Heine shows • climb and so two days later on Sun· GUM (on left with p",dl and day, February 10. they set olf at Wturen on the summit. The view ;~ looking west to unnamed peab 12.30 p.m., C'arryingonly light betwoen the Mulod Glacier and packs. They took with them tho Skalton Glacier. Depot 270, crampons. la prlmus, a ,Jlit'tle tood, established by the Now Zealand spare "lathing, pitons. a geological eltpedition, lies well to the right. hammer high aJlt:itude boots and Ice The route to be followed south by axes. They expected to be away Hillary's potty lies beyond these Jltl>le more than a few hours. mountain~. Below is the Skelton Glacier. The initial climbing was mainly {TroM' Antardic Expedition ­ over loose rock, and 'a1.'ter .some World Cl?Pyr!ght Reservod.} 2,700 ft. was reached they roped up 130 ANTARCTIC June 1957 • • thencon1Jlnued, alternating with derably during the niglit, but they crampons and without, as they said that at no time were they crossed rock and ice and snow uncomfortably cold. 'A number 'Of faces. Much of ·the time was spent ice pits were dug at intervals across in ~tbing &,frpS, and as they came the ice shelf, and these will be used , to. .the final summit ridge heavy for geologicai studies next spring. fog came In from the polar plateau, blown by a strong wind. .Mthough INCREASED WORK , it was midnight there was full light The new Zealand paVry's part In and they were able to darefully the BrUt'iSh Trans-An!'arCtic Expedi· watch each dthers' 1Iaces for froSt· tlon has been Increased w1'tl1 the bite.. news that Dr. Fuchs has asked Sir ~t Was not until 3.15 a.m. that Edmund !Hilary to lay depots they saw ahead the final ridge, farther south than was originally which appeared to be several mileS intended. This will mean added away, and they spent the next hour work for the New Zealand party, travelling over frozen snow along but It will be done in the knowledge a broad ridge 9,000 ft. above 'the that the added contribution they are glacier. making will be vital to the success They reached the summit at 4.40 of the British party. The added a.m. on rhe Monchty, where their supplies for the new depots will be aneroid barometer indicated a carried by Beaver aircraft, by trac· h-eill:ht of aboltt 9,500 It.. above their tors and by dog teams and sledges. camP. There. In a clear bn.I.l.iant It had been found by 'the BIiIti$· mptpUlg sun they enjoyed the party ht 'the antlc1pated rate of most spectlacUlar view, 'llIld after progress could not -be malnt'a.1ned ra g several panoraIn'ic ..photos, In ·tlle &.ce O'f some of the difficult gan tlle descent. country which the expedit!lon had to It was already 18 hours since cross, 'and tthe request was :tbere­ they l1ad started and they were be­ fore made to 'the ·Ross Sea Corn· comfng a little t'ired. At 7.45 they mlttee and passed on to Sir Edmund stopped for food and a sholit rest, by the Hon. C. M. oBowden. and then con'tinued ~he qong climb down. Not until 26 hours had TWO BLIZZARDS elapsed ;.tr9"! the 'time they had Full qjJizzard condl'tltons have left 1t did they reach their camp been experienced so ·fur on two again on the Skelton Glacier, hav· occasions a't Scatt Base. In one,"'the ing achieved wiith comparalt!ive ease \vl.nd-driven sn'ow beat 'against the a climb tltat will add much to the base In gusts up to 56 mHes an notable events In the long Sou'tl1 , hour, but the other one did not re­ Polar saga. strl~t outside activities to any great: • e><tent. Both of these bllzzards WHITE ISLAND TRIP laSted ·about 12 hours. They are: • On . April 4th Lieut. Cmdr. merely a foretaste of What the base RiChard. Brook" the dog expert and can expect 'tl1toug'hou the long surveyor. and Bemie Gunn set out Polar Jl'ight, wl>lch ib'egan ofllically h"om·Scot't Base for White Island on AJprll 14 when 'the last rim of on a geological trip. The dogs be· the sun peeped over Mt. Erebus for J1aved 'splendidly, doing 22 miles in a few moments ·in a watery f'ashlon.· one day, and in the six days they There are of course a number ot were 'away, they covered 70 miles.. days In whlch thl!re Is s'!!IN light. The average temperature dUring or twl'1lght.· . t!h'ls pe11lod was- about 30· below Arr<a.ngemellt.s have been. corn· zero and the'lr tent Iced up cons!· pleted for the base to be completely·· ,.Juno 1957 _ANTARCTIC III self.:contained for the wihiter period, CAPE EVANS VISITORS and no one need go m'ore 'fhlan 200 Captain ScoU's winter quarters yards !from ~he main block of at Oape Evans have been viSited by buildings, although 11lere will be three separate pat'tles, aUoget'her 12 Wiinter Viislts to the Mde gauges, flsh of 'the expedition making the 'trip. traps and current meters installed oape Evans is only aboltt 15 m'iles in ice holes. north of the Scdl't Base at PraJIl Point: EXPERT OPINION . , It was at Cape Evans th'at Cap­ The decision made some time ago !lain ,Scdtt 'in 1911 erected 'the to locate Scot! Base ",t Pram Point winter qliarters of 'hIs Terra Nova m.s earned 'the commendation of expedition. From lliese quarters Sir J)Ougllls Mawson, to wh'om the also 1lhe polar party anI! supports area is, of course, 'eX'tremely set out on !'he last ill-fated journey. tanUllar, .and he said in a recent Peter Mulgrew and Murray Ellis letter to \!he Ross Sea Committee mllnhaull!d a lig'tlh sledge 'to t'he that he had no doubt thll~ Sir Gape, and were away tor a Utile Edmunl!'s party will be enabled, more 'than two days, Md the pilots from :theiT new site, to carry ou't J dhn Craydon an'd Bill Cranfleld, their part of the Trans-Con1iinental who WiiShed to sImul\l.te 'the condi­ programme uin fine s'tyle". l!lons of a march from a forced­ ..­ down aJrcl'aft, m:anhauled 'to oape PLANE "COCOONED" Elvans arid back, equipped ..wth'-only The Beaver 'aircraft, whiCh has the gear 'they would 'have had had done such yeoman service t'hrough­ they cmShed. They swucIt- ipoor ou·t tlhe summer, Ihas been dis­ v'isib11J'ty and dIitfdng snow~. but mantled and dts ma,in parts crated, managed Cape Ev'ans 'and 'hac'i<"in w'h'lle the fuselage has been the week, "cocooned". Since mid·January lit The main party of four dog has flown n....dy 150 hours, and teams, driven by George Marsh, been responsible for much valuable Harry Ayres, Ray Call1yon and Bob p'hotograpRic, reconn'a5ssance and Miller, With Sir Edmu!1d, G.uy traThsport work. The Auster wilH be Warren, Murray Dougllls and kept ope~ational dUlling the winter. Bernie Gunn as fellow·travellers It will ,be flown when posslbl!! spent ~heir first two days 'biattling : 'during mooriJlgai:t periods" and j,t Is against strong WiindS in blinding hoped ~o obtain much data on the drdft. They w~re forced to' =p dlmcUlties of '8lrt:rad't ma!inten'ance on 'tiIle northern side ot Glacier and W!Jiter fl,ying.