Leonard Harford Lindon and his wife Annie (nee Hudson) were passengers aboard the ss Wimmera on two occasions, both in company with Professor Walter Baldwin Spencer and both in 1906.
At the time Leonard Lindon was Headmaster of the Church of England Grammar School at Geelong. He was previously the second master of Sydney Grammar School and would later become Warden of Christ College, Hobart.
Postcard. Author’s Collection.
Annie Lindon was the second woman, after Freda Du Faur, to conquer New Zealand’s highest peak, Mount Cook although she had been mountaineering on the South Island prior to Du Faur’s ascent.
ASCENT OF MOUNT COOK
A LADY’S EXPLOITS.
SCENES FROM THE SUMMIT.
Mrs Lindon, who is the second lady to reach the summit of Mount Cook, arrived in Christchurch last evening, and, in an interview, gave a short account of her achievement. For the past seven years Mr and Mrs Lindon have come from Australia to spend their holidays in New Zealand. It was during these holidays trips that Mrs Lindon learnt to climb, and, to that extent, although she is a native of England and a resident of Australia, she regards herself as a New Zealand climber.
Miss Du Faur, the first lady to successfully attack Mount Cook, went up last year from the Hooker Valley. The glazed condition of the rocks made that route impossible this year, and Mrs Lindon took the route first traversed by Green in 1882, subsequently by Mannering and Dixon, and, in recent years, by Wright. Chambers and Turner. This route is reached from the Tasman Glacier.
Mrs Lindon said that with Guides Peter Graham and D. Thompson, she rode up to the Ball Hut on the afternoon of April 10. Early on the following morning, they climbed to Green’s Bivouac, on the Haast Ridge. There the guides pitched the tent, and then they left her, in order to go to the Linda Glacier and kick steps to facilitate climbing the following day. She got into her sleeping-bag at 5.30 p.m. rose at 12.15, and started out at 1.15 a.m. She had two lanterns, one in front and one behind, and the light of a waning moon. The party climbed over the last part of the Haast Ridge leading to the slopes of the glacier dome, which they followed over the shoulder of the dome until they descended to an immense basin of snow, called the Great Plateau. Crossing that. they descended further to the Linda Glacier, which they followed through innumerable crevasses amongst serac ice and fallen snow to its head, in Green’s Saddle. Turning to the left, steps were cut over the long slopes leading to the ridge of rocks known as the eastern arete. Climbing over the rocks there for about 800 feet, they reached Summit Rock, on which they found buried tins bearing the names of previous climbers. That stage was reached at 9.15 o’clock. They then arrived at the frozen ice-cap. The long slopes necessitated hand ice-cutting, which occupied three hours, and they stepped on to the summit at 12.15, having taken eleven hours from the time they left the Bivouac. They stayed on the top for an hour, boiled the billy and had lunch, took photographs, and saw as much of the scene as possible. Mrs Lindon described it as a scene well worth all the labour and all the risks that had to be taken in order to see it. The atmosphere was absolutely clear. There was not a cloud in the sky, and the coasts on both sides were easily visible. The only drawback was a cold, biting, icy wind which blew over the summit.
Of all the sights they saw, the most remarkable, Mrs Lindon said, was when they reached Green’s Saddle. The rising sun played most fantastic tricks with the scenery. It shed first a golden glow, and then turned everything blood-red, until it seemed as if they were putting their ice-axes into blood instead of snow. It was a marvellous effect, and it continued for quite a long time. They left the summit at 1.15 p.m., and reached the Bivouac camp again at 6 p.m., having spent sixteen hours and three-quarters on the climb.
Mrs Lindon added that she was exceptionally fortunate in having very favourable weather. The experience was a very interesting one, and one which could never be forgotten. She expressed her deep gratitude to her guides, who, she said, were very kind and considerate, as well as skilful.
ASCENT OF MOUNT COOK. LYTTELTON TIMES, VOLUME CXXIII, ISSUE 15907, 19 APRIL 1912
SS Wimmera 