The party had intended climbing by the ice-slope on the western face, but an enormous ice and snow avalanche had fallen in this quarter, leaving no trace of the ice-slope from the Bonnar Glacier.
Proceeding past the western face, the party climbed up under a thumb of rock on the N.N.W. ridge (now known as the Turner Ridge), and continued along above the enormous precipices of Aspiring, reaching the summit after a most eventful journey.
A severe gale greeted the party on the top of the mountain, and they stayed only a few minutes. On the return journey they found themselves benighted at the 8000ft level. At dawn a fresh start was made in a blinding rain and wind storm, but the route was easily followed over and round the serrated ridge and down and under the thumb of rock.
A thick fog was experienced, causing some delay, but eventually the party succeeded in crossing the avalanche and the Bonnar Glacier, and reached their camp. On the ascent some splendid photos were taken of Mount Cook, Mount Tutuko, and other distant peaks.
This is said to be the first amateur party in New Zealand to climb a peak as difficult as Mount Aspiring.
• Bluff mutton-birders were all of a hustle on Monday morning when the Wixon, Buller, Skerrett, Murphy and Howell parties left for Potama and Boat Harbour Islands by the s.s. Rita under Captain Ben Johnson, says the Bluff Press.
Howell's party go to Boat Harbour Island, while the others will work Potama as in the past. The Colac Bay party (22 in number) went over by the Britannia from Colac Bay on Sunday.
They will work Solomon Island and others in the vicinity of South Cape. Captain W. Dixon commands the Britannia. Finer weather fell to the lot of both vessels for the trip across.
• The Tuapeka Times states that an innovation in the transport of coal from Coal Creek to the dredges at Miller's Flat is about to be adopted. Owing to the increased charges for cartage, due, it is said, to the stringency of the Tuapeka County's heavy traffic by-law, Johns and party, the owners of two dredges, have had a motor launch constructed which will be capable of conveying a load of six tons down the river.
The adoption of this system of conveying coal down the river should result in a big saving to the main road, but whether it will be as satisfactory to the business people of Roxburgh - especially the blacksmiths - is a moot point.
• It is stated that Hindus are being imported from Bombay to sell fruit in the streets of Wellington, an importation which, naturally, is not welcomed by the white hawkers. Hitherto the vending of fruit in the streets has been exclusively in the hands of the Europeans, which is rather remarkable seeing that the Chinese have such a big hold on the retail fruit trade there.
Mr Doyle (the corporation inspector) states that he was a little in doubt about issuing permits to six Hindus at first, but on looking up the by-law he found that there was nothing to prevent such a procedure.
They are balloted for on April 1 of each year, and each successful applicant pays a license fee of 1 for the year.
- ODT, 22.3.1913.
