Early Climbing Days - Two

After those early days in the foothills and lower alps I had a few years climbing in the Arthur's Pass National Park area during the mid-1950s. Some of these were with Mike Kirby, Terry Hassell, Gordon Hasell, Pat Barcham, and others - once Mike Kirby and I tried to climb Rolleston with Kelly Tarlton but we were thwarted by the weather and Kelly had other ideas on what made for good adventures.

We had memorable trips to the head of the Waimakariri where we climbed Murchison, Davie, Harper and others. About the Pass area we climbed Rolleston (one was a first ascent of the Otira face to the middle peak), the Temple Basin face of Phipps and various traverses including one winter day when Terry Hassall and I climbed Rolleston, Armstrong and Carrington and came out down the Waimak the following day - all in glorious weather.  There were other climbs on Oates and Franklin.  It was a superb training ground for climbs further south. More photos from two of these climbs below.

Pat Barcham on Temple Basin face of Phipps

BLS and Terry Hassell descending Mt Davie
(Photo Dick Wareing)