I’m still back in the 1970s – down memory lane of the old photo collection. Early in the 1970s there was the mountaineering push as the Otago Tramping Club morphed into the Otago Tramping and Mountaineering Club. There were a number of training courses – lots of experience and encouragement being passed on. One snowcraft course was held at Mt Cook. In those days there was Ball Hut which you could drive up to and stay in, with access down to the Tasman Glacier from there. This part was more like icecraft. Learning to get ourselves out of crevasses. With prussic loops on the rope so we could climb up the rope like a sort of magic trick. Except with a single rope it was darned difficult getting up the top bit where the rope was held tight against the ice by our own weight. That top bit was an undignified struggle. What we really learned was to not fall into crevasses because it was not easy getting back out.
It’s hard to identify people in fuzzy photos from 40 years ago where everyone is in helmets. I’m picking Ken Blackwood on the left and Bruce Clark second from the right. Any other guesses?
But wait – there’s more… I’ve enlarged the people parts to help with identification – see below.
