Pioneer Work in the Alps of New Zealand: First Exploration of the Southern Alps-Arthur Paul Harper

In the years 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, I made holiday expeditions to the Tasman District of the Southern Alps, and in 1893, 1894, 1895, was employed by the New Zealand Government to explore the valleys and glaciers of the West Coast of the South Island.

I do not pretend to have made many high ascents, but base my claim to be considered an authority on the Alps of New Zealand on the fact that I have shared in the first exploration of nearly every glacier in the central position of these mountains.

It is not right, in my opinion, for one who has special knowledge on a subject of general interest to keep that knowledge to himself, and for this reason, as well as with the object of recording our work and helping others by our experiences, I have ventured to write the following pages.

The work of map-making and topographical exploration is sometimes undervalued, and a man's capabilities and exploits too often estimated by the number of high ascents made and new routes discovered by him, without considering the usefulness of the results.

It is impossible to map the country without a vast deal of hard and more or less monotonous work, and those who in after years make use of the maps are apt to forget this.

We too frequently find climbers ignoring those who have preceded them and whose work has materially helped them.

Some even attempt to add to their own exploits by omitting to acknowledge their predecessors' work.

This is especially the case in the opening up of a country that is little known, and it is therefore right that a record of the first explorations should be made.

I have, in the following pages, recorded all the pioneer work which has materially contributed to the present topographical knowledge of the central portion of the Southern Alps.

Not having studied any of the standard books on glacier science, my theories and conclusions are the results of the observations of several years, and I may have dwelt unnecessarily on points which are well known to those who are authorities on the subject.

Of adventures we had, of course, enough to satisfy any ordinary human beings, but they were so bound up with the work that we were apt to take them as a matter of course.

I have, however, in recording our progress, described a sufficient number to convey an idea of the conditions under which the work had to be carried out.

If the life was rough, I fear my account of it is rougher, but hope that the facts here set down may be nonetheless interesting because they appear in somewhat crude language.

Should any fellow member of the Alpine Club decide to come and climb our peaks, I shall be only too glad to give him all the information in my power, and trust that he will take this offer seriously and write to me should he need advice.

The map published in this volume has already appeared, excepting a few additional details which I have since added in Mr. E.A. Fitzgerald's publication.

Before leaving the survey office in Hokitika, I helped the draftsman to record the results of Mr. Douglas's and my work on the map at Mr. Fitzgerald's request, in order that the tracing which was sent to him might be, quote, up to date, end quote, for though the last of the unexplored country had been mapped by us before his arrival in New Zealand, it had not been transferred to the standard map.

Arthur P. Harper, January 1896.

Note.

It is considered desirable to state that the letter announcing the transmission of the manuscript of Mr. Harper's book is dated Christchurch, New Zealand, March 18, 1896.

The manuscript was received in England on May 18th.

T. Fisher Unwin.

End of note.

Chapter 1.

Introductory Remarks on the Southern Alps and Climbing in New Zealand.

The main features of the mountain system of the South Island of New Zealand are tolerably well known and need only be generally referred to here.