The Ill-fated Dart Trip, Jan 1935

Mon 21st Jan – Wed 30th Jan

Party: Lin Crozier, Murray (brother) and myself (Lindsay Stewart, age 17ľ), with Barton Challis (initially)

We had been making plans all year for this expedition into the head of the Dart River. We had intended to go into the Dart Glacier and if possible climb Maori and Moriori [Maoriri], and any other unclimbed peaks together with those climbed peaks which took our fancy – a pretty ambitious programme, but if our luck and the weather held, we might carry it out. I had just got a new camera (Dad gave it to me for Christmas) and all of us had been making preparations for weeks ahead. Our party was to be composed of Lin Crozier, Barton Challis, Murray and myself.
The trip was one long series of disasters – bad luck all the time – rain & snow, flooded rivers, loss of equipment, in fact everything that could happen to upset a party.
Wattie Cook, of Cook’s Mill, Routeburn, was to pack us up free and we were not slow to take advantage of this offer.

Murray and I were already at Queenstown with the family, and Lin Crozier and Barton Challis came up on Saturday 19th by train & boat from town. On Sunday, we strolled around and in the afternoon, Lin went up Ben Lomond but was soaked to the skin. We had spent all Saturday night packing for we had heard that Jock Edgar might be going up the lake on Sunday, but he did not, so the start was delayed till Monday.

Mon 21st Jan

Up early and after breakfast went down to the boat. The outlook was pretty bad and there was a strong nor’wester blowing and storm clouds massing for an attack. The lake was very rough and the old Ben Lomond rolled a bit. We spent most of our time on the bridge or down in the engine-room. The engineer was a good sort and showed us how to start and stop the engines. We stopped at Mt Nicholas Station to put on 18 bags of wool. We lent a hand. The wind was very cold and it was spitting a bit. The head of the lake was shrouded in fog so we weren’t too hopeful. We went down and had a prolonged morning tea during which we got down on all the available biscuits.
We stopped at Elfin Bay to take off a few packages and then the next stop was Glenorchy. Just after Elfin Bay, the lake began to get yellowish in colour which showed that the Dart River must be very high. We now and again had glimpses of Turret Head through the fog, but Earnslaw hid herself completely.
On arrival at Glenorchy we quitted the boat and went for a stroll. We picked some nicely ripe gooseberries and then went over to the store for some chocolate. Soon we left for Kinloch, arriving there at 12:45pm. There Harry Bryant told us that the Dart was so high that we would have to wait weeks to get over it. However we waited for Neil Cook to arrive in the lorry and meantime wandered about looking at things and skipping stones on the lake. Mr Cook’s brother & his wife & child were also there. They were going to Cook’s for a holiday.
When Neil arrived, he told us he thought the Dart was all right to ford because the recent snow had frozen up the sources, so we first helped him unload timber from the lorry and then to put chaff on, and then we set off for the Sawmill. It rained on the way up and there was a lot of water on the road. Neil took us up through the bush as a variation from the usual route and it was great. Once or twice we got stuck in holes but after manoeuvring a bit, Neil got her out.
Soon we arrived at the Cook’s where we were warmly welcomed. Also staying there were Mr McInnes (a master at OBHS) and his wife. They both belong to the OSNZAC. We walked over to the mill after afternoon tea and watched for a while. Then we strolled over to the Routeburn. It was still high.
Back for tea, we had roast mutton, new potatoes and cabbage followed by beautifully cooked steamed pudding, and I have never tasted a better meal. Afterwards the men went up to cut mining props, helped by Murray and Lin.
Bart & I went with Wattie Cook. We saddled up three horses & then crossed the Routeburn. It was over my boot tops and was very cold. Then we went down the bush track and after about 2 miles, went down into the gravel flats of the Dart River in order to find a suitable ford. We forded a small tributary and then Wattie went into the main river. The water went up over his saddle but he got nearly to the other side where he was held up by a quicksand which the horse refused to cross so he had to come back. The he tried in another place lower down, but this time the horse had to swim, it was so deep, and he came back. He thought, however, that it would be down enough in the morning, so we started home again looking out for ducks to shoot.
After coming out of the bush, we continued along the side of the river and then Wattie got down off his horse and took a pot at a duck but missed it. We then again forded the Routeburn and arrived home damp and very cold.
After unsaddling the horses we went over to the house we were camped in and built up a big fire. There I dried out while the others went across to the homestead. Afterwards, about 10:30pm, we all went to bed. Lin & I slept in an old bed, while Murray & Barton slept on the floor. We all slept fairly well.

Tues 22nd Jan

Early in the morning, 2:30am, Wattie came over with some eggs and I fried them & some bacon for breakfast. Then we packed our bags and went over and saddled the horses and then led them over the Routeburn bridge, through the bush, and down to the ford. The first small ford was crossed without any trouble. We were all taken across behind Wattie except Barton, who got up on the brown pack horse and was nearly bucked off for his trouble.
Then we arrived at the main ford. First Wattie went over on his horse to see if it was all right. The water was nearly up to the saddle but he got over and managed to avoid the quicksand by going upstream on a little shoal of gravel. Then he threw off his rifle and bag and got on the horse again. Before he had time to grab the reins, the horse walked directly into the quicksand. They sank till the horse was in up to the saddle, meanwhile it was plunging about trying to get out. Wattie rolled off the saddle and managed to get out. He then pulled the horse out, and came back the way he had come to get us.
We took the packs off the horses. Then Wattie took Barton’s pack in front of him, Barton mounted the brown pack horse and I the white horse with my pack on my back. The other two horses then went in and got over all right but my horse kept too far downstream and went into the quicksand. I thought I was gone and Wattie thought so too, but I headed the horse out into the middle of the river and dug my heels in and it managed to plunge out. Then Wattie took the three horses back for Murray and Lin.

They [Wattie & Lin] crossed without any trouble and I took a photo of them.

Then we set off up the track. About 6 miles through bush and clearings, from which we had fine views of Turret Head towering above us, and of Nox and another fine rock peak on the other side of the Dart, brought us to the second ford.

[Nox on the left, Chaos in the centre, both under cloud]

The horses took some pressing to go in, but we got across all right.
Wattie then went after a deer he saw at the mouth of the Bean Burn but had no luck. In the meantime, we were walking slowly up the stone flat beside the river and after he caught us up, we forded a smaller channel of the Dart and went into the bush. When we came out of this, Wattie stopped us while he went after 5 deer grazing in the flats half a mile ahead. He fired several shots and hit one deer but it got away. Then we went to ford the river again.

[Poseidon, under cloud, up the valley]

Wattie went across first. It was OK so he came back for us. Murray tried to mount the white horse behind the packs but it started bucking so he came off down. Barton mounted the brown pack horse and Wattie put Lin behind and the two horses started into the river. After a short distance, Wattie’s horse was maddened by the crampons on Barton’s horse sticking into it. It began to rear and plunge, and threw both Wattie & Lin off into the river. Lin had a narrow escape from the hind hoofs of the horse but got out all right. Wattie’s foot caught in a stirrup & we thought he was being badly smashed up as he was being dragged along beneath the plunging horse, but he came out a bit sorry looking but no bones broken. He had been carrying two ice-axes. Both went down the river & were lost. This was disastrous for we must have ice-axes.
Then Wattie’s horse bolted away for home followed by the white horse which, like a fool, I had let go in the excitement of the incident. Wattie speedily threw the saddle off the brown horse, which Barton had been riding. Then hopping on bareback, he went tearing after the horses. He soon caught the white horse in the bush but his own, being the best horse, was harder to catch. He was galloping neck and neck with it up to the flats to the second ford and actually galloped into the ford. The horse threw him and the reins broke. He managed to hold on because his finger had caught in a hole in the reins. His horse was swimming and it eventually pulled him out. Then he galloped off after the other one, and finally caught it near the first ford which it was afraid to cross because of the quicksand.

Meanwhile we had lit a fire and boiled the billy, and Barton set off after Wattie on the white horse. They arrived back safely at 1pm, and we made some soup and some tea. Then after a council of war we decided to go up the Beanburn for a spot of exploration and climbing as it was useless to go up the Dart without the two ice-axes. Barton decided to return home. Then we loaded up the horses and set off back. We arrived at the mouth of the Beanburn without any trouble and there we laid out all the food and took what we wanted and cached the rest. Then we bid Wattie & Barton farewell & set off up the cattle track cut by Charlie Cook into the Beanburn. It was now raining. We left at 4pm. The track wasn’t bad but we were laboring under 60lb packs so it was hard going. In about half an hour’s time, we arrived at the ford across the river, but it was roaring down in flood so we had no chance of crossing.
We continued up the right hand side of the river which now came down in a series of rapids and falls. We had a very hard and strenuous time. The packs kept catching on creepers and throwing us over, and when we were not forcing our way through creepers and dense undergrowth, we were treading carefully round the face of a bluff expecting any minute to lose our footing and go rolling down into the river beneath us. It was with a sigh of relief that we at last sighted flats ahead and went down to them, arriving in the open at 6:30pm. It is the toughest job we have ever done, mainly because of the heavy packs.
On coming out of the bush, we sighted 3 deer and got quite close before they bounded away. We went up the flat which is a mile long by a quarter wide, and up to the other side of it, where, on the bank of the river, we pitched the tent and made camp. Away up the valley on the left side, we could just see below the mist a fine glacier, so that it must have come from a high peak. (Chaos, we believe.) Further up was another smaller one. They will bear investigation and we will have a look at them. Then we had some stewed apples and cocoa and went to bed at 10pm after a very exciting and disastrous 19-hour day. We slept fairly well during the night notwithstanding the hard ground.

Wed 23rd Jan

On waking, we found it was raining. We lit a big fire and had some porridge. The rain came on worse, so we retired to the tent and stayed there all day, playing Patience and eating. We only had two meals that day. For the second, we had stewed apricots and bread and cheese & treacle. Towards evening, the rain went off a little bit but the wind was still howling down the valley so the prospects were still not too good. We finally got into our bags hoping for the best on the morrow. If it is fine, we intend to reconnoiter the big peak up the valley.

Thurs 24th Jan

During the night it began to thunder very hard and the lightning played all round the tent. Finally the heavy rain began to leak through the tent and Murray’s and my sleeping bags got wet as well as a good bit of the food which we had put in the corner of the tent.
In the morning when we got out of bed it was not raining, but the prospects were not good. We lit a big fire and dried out all our clothes. Then we had breakfast of bacon & fried bread. Patches of blue began to appear overhead so we decided to climb up the bluff opposite the tent to have a look round the valley & see what the country was like. After putting provisions in the pack, we left at 10:30am.
We struck into the bush near the camp, followed the river up some distance, and then struck up. After an hour’s hard and wet going, we bore over to the right and struck the watercourse which we had planned to follow up. We discovered a deer track leading up this so we went straight ahead. When near the top of the bluff, it began to sleet. Higher we discovered that there were peaks behind the bluff, so we continued on, although minus ice-axes, rope and snow-goggles.

[ice on Mt Cosmos]

After crossing several patches of snow and one larger snowfield, we climbed the first peak only to find that there was a much higher one beyond over a large snowfield. In fact there were peaks sticking out of the snow all over the place.

[on Mt Cosmos]

We pushed on as the higher ones were behind the first ones. It began snowing very badly and the wind threatened to sweep us away.
After climbing one of the peaks which looked the highest, we finally sighted what appeared to be the highest across another large snowfield, so we struck down, across and up to it. The snow was in good condition, but the wind was bitingly cold.

[on Mt Cosmos, showing highest point climbed]

Arrived at the top [lower peak of Cosmos?], we found that half a mile away was another peak which was probably higher, but the visibility was so poor that it was inadvisable to attempt the climb. Besides, it was now 2:45pm & time to go back, so back we set off.

The wind was now very strong and kept swirling the loose-lying snow up round us like a sand storm, a peculiarity I have never seen before, caused by the wind tearing in between gendarmes and turning into whirlwinds. However we got down off the snow without any mishap by glissading, although on the rocks I had to jump & run down a steep scree slope to miss a rock falling above me. After we left the snow, there was a long tramp down the watercourse.

[Looking down the Dart from Mt Cosmos]

We could now see, under the mist, the Dart Valley and Lake Wakatipu, while across the Beanburn Valley we could see the Lake Unknown lying high up on the ridge. This lake gives rise to the magnificent cascade prominent from the Dart on the flats between the second and third fords, opposite the mouth of the Beanburn.

[Mt Nox from Mt Cosmos]

Soon it began to rain and it was a wet job coming down through the scrub. We struck the deer track and followed it down. It was now very wet and we were soaked through. Near the bottom of the watercourse, we lost the deer track and found ourselves in a maze of lawyers which tore our flesh and caught us up. After forcing our way through these, we finally reached the bottom and came out of the bush.
Then to get across to our tent we had to ford two big pools of water up to our knees. We were too wet to care, however.
We arrived back pretty weary at 5pm. I had been feeling sick since we left the summit but now was all right. We built up a big fire to dry the clothes but the rain wet them as they were drying, so it was a hopeless job. Then we had stewed apples & cocoa for tea, and arranged the tent for the night. I went to bed while the others wandered about attending to various things. It was still raining hard. Finally all to bed.

Fri 25th Jan

Today it is raining hard as usual. The river behind us is roaring down in full yellow flood and we are kept awake by its noise. The whole flat is covered with a series of little lakes, and we are in danger of being flooded out. The tent appears to be pitched on the only dry spot in the whole flat, thank goodness. The waterfall opposite the tent is very magnificent with a large volume of water coming over, but it would be more appreciated in better weather.
Last night was very wild. The thunder was so heavy and close that it shook the very ground we were lying on. The lightning was flashing about all over the place and it is a wonder it didn’t keep the tent dry as it seemed so close! The rain came down in torrents, but the tent didn’t seem to leak as much as usual. However on waking this morning, I found my feet were in a pool of water. I tried to dry out my bag over the Primus but it wasn’t a success.
We had scattered eats from 9 o’clock onwards consisting of biscuits & butter, dates, raisins, and cheese.
About 11, we roused ourselves sufficiently to make a stew which consisted of 1 slice of bacon each, half a packet of pemmican, 2 handfuls of raisins, an Oxo cube, a handful of peasemeal and as many sandflies as were unlucky enough to fall in. We were going to add a half packet of soup, but decided that it was rich enough already. We cooked the mess over the Primus for about quarter of an hour, and then ate it. I didn’t like the bacon at all but the others did. The rest was jolly good with a taste somewhat like beef tea. You could feel the good in it flowing into you.
After this, we got back into our bags and I read out all the hints on camping in Lin’s Scout Diary. Some of them were quite amusing, especially the hints upon weather and upon leaky tents! We then dozed off and it is now about five o’clock. The rain is not so heavy but is still very steady. It seems much lighter, but the wind is still blowing down the valley, which is not too good. However we hope for a change during the night. We finally settled down in our bags.

Sat 26th Jan

When we woke up, it was still raining very hard. We therefore decided to get back to Cooks!
We packed everything into our packs and took down the tent. The tent was sopping, all our clothes were sopping, and most of the food was sopping. However, everything went into the swags wet and we got into sopping clothes, wet socks, wet boots, wet everything.
Then we started off at about 9:30am. The wind was fairly howling down the valley with low clouds tearing down and very heavy rain soaking us. We went along the river bank for 200 yds, and then I put on the rope and tried to ford the river where it seemed shallowest. It’s a matter of fact it was much higher than it had been when we came up. I left my pack on as, if I could not cross with it on, it would mean none of us would be able to cross with packs. The water was coming down very fast. Murray and Lin payed out the rope as I went in, and they had a hard job to hold me against the force of the river. I got about 1 third way across and the water was up to my waist when I was swept off my feet, recovered, and was swept over again, this time stumbling and rolling down the river. I scrambled back to the bank absolutely soaked and pretty miserable.
We decided not to ford the river there.
So we kept on the left of the river all the way down. First we kept up high in the bush to avoid the bluffs which gave us trouble on the way up. The undergrowth was very wet and wetting. Soon however we were forced down by bluffs and had to come down over bluffs by hanging on to one creeper, dropping down till one foot rested on the next, and so on. It wasn’t much fun with heavy packs on. Then we got bluffed – couldn’t get forward, up or down, so had to go back and try lower down. To get down we had to come over another pretty steep pitch but after that the going was easier, and soon we struck the track where it went down to the ford.
After that, the going was quite easy down to the mouth of the river. Then came the problem of fording it. We obviously couldn’t get across it before it joined the Dart, it was so swift and deep. We took off our packs, had some chocolate and then went down on to the river flats of the Dart. There the rain was sweeping down the valley in great gusts, and by Jove, it was cold, almost as cold as the river itself.
First we forded one of the channels of the Dart, and then another. They were no higher than our knees but were very cold. Then we started to cross the Beanburn just after the junction of these two streams with it, in a place where the river flowed over a very wide surface. First we headed straight across towards the bank just close to which the water was running deepest. Then when we got near the deep part, we headed directly upstream in the middle of the river. It was very cold, and we were afraid of cramp. The water was up to our thighs. Then when we found we could get across all right, we turned round and came back, shouldered the packs, and went and did the ford again. This time we were absolutely numbed with cold, and with the packs on, we had a hard job. Two hundred yards of river to wade, very swift and icy cold, with a freezing half-rain half-sleet blowing full in one’s face with all the force of a nor’wester, and a heavy pack made heavier with the rain, are not the best things for one’s enjoyment and comfort.
Lin and I walked straight into a quicksand and were up to the waist in a trice but we quickly struggled out. However, we got across safely and then headed into the bush and followed the Dart along by means of deer tracks. They were very rough but served our purpose.
After a wet up and down tramp through the bush, we came into the flat at the mouth of the Routeburn. We judged it to be about midday but as I had broken my watch, and Murray’s was deep in his swag, we could not tell. The Routeburn presented a worse appearance than the Beanburn, so that there was no hope of fording it there.
We headed upstream, and after a short scramble up through the bush, we found a place where the river was roaring through a deep narrow cleft in the rock cliff. Across this was lying an old tree. It was a bit rotten, but sound enough to hold us. First I went across on the rope with the tomahawk and cleared away a tree which was growing above it and which was impeding the way. It was rather a picturesque spot with the river far beneath, but we were shivering with cold, and did not appreciate it. After the way was cleared up, we went back for the packs and crossed one by one, straddling the log with the rope on for safety. It was very slippery and the pack had an unpleasant trick of overbalancing you and trying to throw you into the gorge which was filled with water boiling and raging through, fifty feet below. However the crossing was made safely and we set full sail for Cook’s, keeping close to the Dart, and following deer tracks.
We had a bad time where the river cuts between two bluffs, and we had to climb the one on our side. It was very steep. Once on top we went round the back of it, but soon came back to the river, being afraid of losing the way. In fact, we took out the compass to make sure. The going was very rough indeed by the river, but after very many (high) ups and (low) downs, we finally came out into easier bush and arrived at the spot where the Cooks had been felling timber for the mill. Soon after this we struck the tramway and our troubles were over.
A very long wet trudge along the tramway (which seems miles long) brought us out to the mill, where we were welcomed back by the Cooks, who gave us a jolly good tea of cold mutton, potatoes, bread, and apple tart.
Then we stayed there the evening yarning and after supper, went up to the hut we were staying in. They told us at the house that Wattie had had a pretty bad time and was in bed for a day after his misadventure. We went back to our hut, thankful to be in a dry place where we could build up a good fire. All my pack was soaked. I had not a dry stitch of clothing, and even the sleeping bag, which had been rolled in a waterproof, was wet. I lit a fire and dried it out while the others went to bed.
Murray slept on sacks filled with chaff, while Lin and I slept on a mattress. It was a welcome change after the hard ground.

Sun 27th Jan

Day dawned very fine. We got up about 9 o’clock and put all our things out to dry. Then we had breakfast of porridge and bacon. Next we took a few photos of Cosmos which we think we have almost climbed, and of Turret Head.

[Turret Head from Cook's Sawmill]

Then we collected some biscuits, butter & cheese for lunch, and set off down the tramway with Neil Cook to see the men working in the bush. On arrival there we found things humming. Big logs were coming in fast, brought in by the hauler which they worked by means of a system of whistles, very ingeniously.

[The Hauler for the logs at the Sawmill, men in front]

Neil took us over to the Dart river bank to show us where they had put the hauler across the river and up the 20 foot bank into the bush. It must have been a very hard job, but was a very fine achievement, and pays a big tribute to the Cooks’ application to hard work. Naturally, they are all very proud of this job.
Then we went back to the hauler which Mr Cook was working and watched it bringing in logs as though they were watches. Then we had lunch. After, we went down to see them cutting down the big trees.

[Sawing down a big tree, Bernie Cook on right]

We photo’d some falling. One big one came down with such force that it brought another big one down with it. Later we went back to the hauler and then went up the tramway a little and then struck into the bush on the right. A few minutes’ walk brought us to Sylvan Lake. It was a perfect day and the lake was very picturesque with Cosmos in the background. I took a snap.

[Sylvan Lake & Mt Cosmos]

We undressed and went in for a swim. The lake was quite warm and we enjoyed our bath. We dried in the breeze and sun, dressed, and set off back. A detour had to be made to miss one big pool of water, but after that we followed the tramway down back to Cooks, where we had a tea of stewed apples, bacon, fried bread, and cocoa. After tea, we built up a big fire. It is now about 8:30pm and I am going over to Cook’s to take all the dry clothes they lent us, back.
When we arrived home at the mill in the afternoon we discovered that a cow had visited the hut we were staying in and had sampled all the stuff we had left out to dry. It got away with or ate: 1 packet of pemmican (vegetable flavoured), 1lb salt, most of the raisins, and licked the sugar all round, also ate 1 cake of soap (scented). However as we were coming home, we didn’t care.
After taking back our clothes, we went over to the mill to lend a hand putting wood on trucks. Wattie, Bernie and Neil had wrestling matches and after some minutes of this amusement, we put the wood on and then went back to the house & yarned till 11. Then supper and home to bed.

Mon 28th Jan

Beautiful day. Up at 8 and had breakfast of porridge and bacon. Then packed up all our stuff and cleaned up the hut.
Charlie came over and asked me to go for the cows on his horse, Joan. I went up the track towards Routeburn Valley, and going up I had a great view up the Dart of the glaciated peaks up there. It was wonderful and I wished I was up amongst them. I rode about two miles up to Weka Flat, where I found the cows, and then I drove them home. After putting them in their shed, I had a fine gallop over to the stable where I left Joan.
Then I went back and took a photo from the roof of Cook’s garage of the Dart peaks.

[Mt Cosmos (on right) from Cook's]

Then we went back and helped to load timber on the lorry, after which we went over and had a cup of tea, and Mrs Cook showed us some of her fine collection of photos. Then we thanked the Cooks and hopped aboard the lorry. Neil drove us over to Kinloch, and a rough ride it was. There we got on the boat (the Earnslaw, thank goodness), and went over to Glenorchy, where we bought some chocolate. I found in reading the papers that I had only got on the University Scholarship Credit list, and that Thompson had beaten me easily – a bad finish to a rotten trip! Then we went back to the boat, over to Kinloch, where we bid Neil Cook goodbye, and left for Queenstown. Afternoon tea on the boat. A lot of people got on at Elfin Bay, where we had a yarn with Mr Shaw of Greenstone Valley Cattle Run. He didn’t recognise us. Then off again. We had a great view of Earnslaw and the other peaks at the head of the lake. Finally arrived at Queenstown at 6:30pm. Had some tea and got into nice soft beds.

Tues 29th Jan

Next day, we packed up all our stuff, went up and visited Mr and Mrs Hyndman, who gave us dinner, and we told our series of experiences. We packed up all the suitcases, cleaned out the house, and then to bed.

Wed 30th Jan

In the morning, down to the boat, and away for home. Arrived home via boat, train (through Gore), at 5:30pm. We took a taxi home.

This trip has been our first failure. It was nothing but a series of accidents. First, the fortnight’s rain had swollen the rivers. Then loss of the ice-axes. Then the inability to ford the Beansburn because of the high river & hence a tough scramble up to the flats. Then the rain. Then when we did get a bit of climbing on Cosmos, it had to start snowing & blowing & freezing hard. Then more rain. Then the wet trip out, when we had our only bit of luck, that of being able to ford the Beansburn and across the Routeburn. Finally the cow eats our provisions!

However, it was an experience.

---oo0oo---