| CHAPTER I |
| DESCRIPTIVE AND HISTORICAL |
| PAGE |
| Terra Incognita—An Experiment in Acclimatization—The Volcanic
Mountains—The Thermal Region—Volcano of Ngauruhoe—The
Southern Alps described—Physical and Economic Aspects—Influence
upon Character—The Early Explorers—Green’s
Historic Climb—First Ascents—Immunity from Accident |
| [1] |
| CHAPTER II |
| IN THE OLDEN DAYS |
| Across the Mackenzie Plains—The Alpine Lakes—The Cuisine en
route—A Jehu in a Rage—The Old Hermitage—A Passing
Storm—Provisioning a Camp—A Huge Moraine—Sub-Alpine
Vegetation—Adding to the Larder—Crossing an Alpine River—We
bivouac in the Valley—Feathered Visitors—In Tent in the
Wilds |
| [24] |
| CHAPTER III |
| IN THE OLDEN DAYS—concluded |
| First Sight of the Hochstetter Ice Fall—An Alpine Panorama—Bad
Weather—The Musings of a Lady Mountaineer—A Storm
in Camp—An Acrobatic Feat—Return to the Hermitage—A
Scramble on Sealy—First Meeting with Fyfe—An
Avalanche from Sefton—On the Mountain-Side |
| [39] |
|
| CHAPTER IV |
| THE CONQUERING OF AORANGI |
| We arrange an Expedition—The Difficulties of Transport—Quicksands
in the Tasman River—The Manufacture of Ski—Flight
of our Porter—The Climb to the Bivouac Rock—Difficulties
with the Cooker—Preliminary Step-Cutting—Plans for a
Higher Bivouac |
| [52] |
| CHAPTER V |
| THE CONQUERING OF AORANGI—continued |
| The Joys of High Bivouacking—Caught in a Storm—Thunder
and Lightning—We lower the Tent—A Cold Repast—Retreat—We
lose our Swags—New Fashions at the Old Hut—Other
Arrivals—A Cook in Trouble—Another Storm—I return
Home |
| [65] |
| CHAPTER VI |
| THE CONQUERING OF AORANGI—continued |
| Another Attack—Digging out the Frozen Tent—Camp on the
Plateau—Finding a New Route—Blocked by a Wall of Rock—Some
Acrobatic Performances—Defeat once more—Finding
the Lost Swags—Return to the Hut—A Fourth Attempt—Back
to the Plateau—Climbing by Lantern-Light—Loss of an
Ice-Axe—The Final Ice-Cap gained—Retreat once more—A
Terrible Storm |
| [77] |
| CHAPTER VII |
| THE CONQUERING OF AORANGI—concluded |
| Green’s Route abandoned—Fyfe and Graham explore the Hooker
Side—Camp on the Ice—Serious Work at a Schrund—A
Long Couloir—Green’s Saddle gained—Difficult Rock-Work—Success
at Last—The Descent—Falling Stones |
| [105] |
| CHAPTER VIII |
| ABOVE THE PLAINS |
| The Tararua Range—A Mountain Railway—Our Unknown Host—The
Charm of High Places—Through the Beech Forest—Insects
and Birds—Mr. and Mrs. Kohoperoa—A Botanist’s
Paradise—The Old and the New—A Reverie on a Hill-Top |
| [116] |
|
| CHAPTER IX |
| DOWN IN THE VALLEYS |
| The Valley of the Mueller—A Trying Moraine—Our al fresco Camp—A
Bivouac Dream—Retreat in the Rain—In the Valley of
the Tasman—Reflections on being one’s own Porter—The
Curious Kea—Dentistry at a Mountain Hut—An Evening
under a Rock |
| [128] |
| CHAPTER X |
| AN ASCENT OF HAIDINGER |
| A Glacier Tramp—The Penguin Rocks—A Fairyland Grotto—Second
Breakfast and some Reflections—Rock Avalanches—Beautiful
Schrunds—A Sharp Arête—Scaling a Precipice—Zurbriggen’s
Axe—A Difficult Ice Slope—A Problem solved
by Rubber—On the Summit Ridge—A Splendid Panorama—The
Descent—The Bivouac again |
| [144] |
| CHAPTER XI |
| AN INTERLUDE |
| Thunderstorm at the Hut—The Sun-bonnet Brigade—Our Habitation—The
Housing Problem—Cooking al fresco—Cards and a
Late Dinner—Memories of Boiled Mutton |
| [158] |
| CHAPTER XII |
| DE LA BÊCHE AND THE MINARETS |
| Mount De la Bêche—Early Attempts—An Historic Bivouac—Heroic
Pluck and Endurance—View down the Valley—Reflections
under a Rock—Caught in the Mist—Provisions
run low—Moraines by Candle-light—Breakfast on a Summit—A
Scene in Cloudland—Crossing a Bergschrund—First
Ascent of the Minarets—A Quick Descent—Return to the Hut |
| [165] |
| CHAPTER XIII |
| ACROSS THE SOUTHERN ALPS |
| We decide to make a New Pass—Bivouac at Malte Brun—A Start
by Moonlight—Early Morning on the Glacier—Dawn on the
Pass—Rotten Rock and Broken Ice—Some Difficult Climbing—An
Ice Fall and an Avalanche Shoot—We reach the
Whymper Glacier—A Cannonade from the Dome—We
explore New Country—West Coast Vegetation |
| [178] |
|
| CHAPTER XIV |
| ACROSS THE SOUTHERN ALPS—continued |
| An Uncomfortable Bivouac and a Frugal Meal—We start down
the Valley—Through the Virgin Forest—Grandeur of the
Scenery—An Interesting Discovery—Blocked by Gorges—A
Veritable Fairyland—We bivouac on the River Bank—A
Sleepless Night |
| [193] |
| CHAPTER XV |
| ACROSS THE SOUTHERN ALPS—concluded |
| An Adventure in the River—Dripping Mountaineers—The Sand-Flies
have an Innings—On Short Commons—Wild Cattle in
the Forest—Footprints on the Sands—Down the Broad Valley—A
Habitation at last—Fyfe goes into Hospital—An Exciting
Ride—Gillespie’s Beach—In a Miner’s Hat—Bivouac under
a Rock—I recross the Alps alone—Back at the Hermitage |
| [202] |
| CHAPTER XVI |
| IN KIWI LAND |
| Early Expeditions—A Lost Explorer—The Aborigines—The Great
Lakes—Primitive Navigation—The Grandeur of Te Anau—Over
MacKinnon’s Pass—Views from the Summit—Mount
Balloon in Dangerous Mood—A Bivouac in the Forest—Camp
Cookery—Down the Arthur River—In Milford Sound |
| [215] |
| CHAPTER XVII |
| IN KIWI LAND—concluded |
| Some Unexplored Country—Discovery of New Glaciers—Camp on
an Old Moraine—The Birds of Kiwi Land—A Spotless Glacier—Strange
Bergschrunds—Difficult Step-Cutting—Ice-Glazed
Rocks—An Exciting Glissade—Benighted—A Cold Bivouac—The
Southern Stars—The Cross and the Bear—A Dreary
Vigil—Camp again—Return Journey in the Rain—Countless
Waterfalls—A Concert in Camp—The Lost Explorers |
| [236] |
|
| CHAPTER XVIII |
| THE FIRST CROSSING OF MOUNT COOK |
| Incidents en route—Digging out a Hut—On the Liebig Range—Dawn
on Mount Cook—A Minor Peak—Elie de Beaumont—Defeated
by the Weather—A Splendid Sunset—Keas again |
| [264] |
| CHAPTER XIX |
| THE FIRST CROSSING OF MOUNT COOK—continued |
| Testing a Leg—A Moonlight Ride—We start for the Traverse—Avalanches—The
Rolling Mists—The Commissariat—The
Plateau by Moonlight—Schrunds in the Dusk—A 3000-Feet
Slope—On the Main Arête—Snow Ridges and Rocks—Magnificent
Views—The Final Slopes—The Summit gained |
| [283] |
| CHAPTER XX |
| THE FIRST CROSSING OF MOUNT COOK—concluded |
| On the Summit of Aorangi—We commence the Descent—An Ice-Glazed
Rock Arête—Suspended over a Precipice—A Sloping
Chimney—An Ungraceful Descent—Graham loses his Hat—A
Cold Wind—Down a Frozen Slope—Falling Stones and Ice—An
Accident—Cutting Steps by Moonlight—The Final Bergschrund—Crevasses
by Candle-Light—Our Second Sunrise—The
Hermitage at last |
| [297] |
| INDEX |
| [313] |