I'm Kevin Biggar. And I'm Jamie Fitzgerald. Over the past 10 years, we've taken on some of the world's toughest adventures, from rowing across the Atlantic... It's the problem with this seat we've had. It's the only major concern. > ...to trekking unaided to the South Pole. Whoo-hoo! Last season, we relived five heroic journeys of NZ's greatest explorers. Now we have a new challenge ` to take on a series of even more epic expeditions. Wow. It's beautiful. We'll encounter some of the toughest terrain this country has to offer ` You can imagine what they felt like. from the vast Olivine Ice Plateau... This place is enormous! ...to the deadly currents of the Three Kings Islands. Each week, we'll retrace the hardest parts of pioneering NZ expeditions. We're good, we're good, we're good! But we will not just be following in their footsteps; we will be trying the same food, wearing the same boots,... Oh, that's cold! ...and using the same equipment. This week,... Gotta get over that. ...we take on John Holloway's 1936 South Westland exploration of the Olivine Range. Wow. Just incredible. Wow. Just incredible. Isn't it? We'll enter the wilds with classic mountaineering gear,... You got it, Kev? You got it, Kev? Yeah, I've got it. Pretty creepy down here. ...tackle two mountains ranges... Argh. ...and scale the intimidating Great Arc... You're gonna love it. You're gonna love it. I don't want to look up. Wow. ...to try and reveal just what Holloway faced... This is something else. ...when he took on one of the most demanding, remote landscapes in the world. Just... Ohhh! (GRUNTS) (GRUNTS) (GRUNTS) HELICOPTER WHIRRS DRAMATIC MUSIC We're flying up to the head of the Dart River at Mt Aspiring National Park. The Dart is one of NZ's coldest rivers, and it cuts a path through the beech forest here at the south-west corner of the country. It's guarded by the imposing and aptly named Barrier Range. But the near-vertical walls of rock didn't stifle the enthusiasm of a 21-year-old university student by the name of Jack Holloway. The mystery of what might lie behind the range became his obsession. At that point, it was still a blank on the map. The country beyond was considered so rugged, so intimidating that no one dared venture in. But the most amazing part of this story is the date. It was still unexplored in 1936. So Holloway and two friends, Jackson and Lillie, set out to try and fill in the last remaining white space in the map of NZ. Plenty of people have tried before. But, hidden from view by other mountains and too high to be reached by early aircraft, the land behind the Olivines remained a mystery. One of the few clues to just what lay beyond was to be found in the 1864 journal of gold miner Alphonse Barrington. While prospecting, Barrington had become trapped by rising rivers and had attempted to cross the range. Thanks, Jack. Through the mist and rain, he reported seeing a glimpse of a tremendous icefall. But Barrington's account had been widely discredited. If Holloway could succeed, he not only would record a first crossing, but go some way to proving if Barrington's journey had been an elaborate hoax. Let's see what we've got. Let's see what we've got. Yeah. Ice sacks arrived. Good start. Ice sacks arrived. Good start. Yeah. You know the thing that stands out the most? What's that? The packs. You know, these are the kidney crushers. This is a European design. And they were made for maybe the European lighter loads` ...and probably smaller people as well. ...and probably smaller people as well. Yeah. (LAUGHS) You think you can fit your waist in between that? You think you can fit your waist in between that? The pack will make sure I do. Got the snow goggles. That's pretty cool. Like Snoopy. Got the snow goggles. That's pretty cool. Like Snoopy. Are they polarised? I don't think so. I don't think so. (CHUCKLES) What else have you got? Oh look! The stove. Fantastic. That's pretty cool. That's pretty cool. Isn't it great? Crampons. Must have been some of the earliest use of these in the country. But these are the 10-points. So one, two, three... 10. The thing that they're missing are front points. So what that meant would be that they had to cut a lot of steps still. The thing about this is it's got the same form and function as what you'd use now. It's essentially modern stuff. I mean, it's 1936. The only difference is` is, like, it's wool, it's steel. It's just heavy. 20-below sleeping bag. We'd take one` We'd take a sleeping bag, right? Oh, yeah, beanie. That'd be good. Oh, yeah, beanie. That'd be good. Weather hat for the sun. Gotta get over that. Hope you had a big breakfast. If you're hanging on the end of my rope, I hope you've had a small one. If you're hanging on the end of my rope, I hope you've had a small one. (LAUGHS) MAJESTIC MUSIC We will do our best to follow the trail set by Holloway's original 1936 plan. From the Dart, we'll cross the fearsome Barrier Range, descend into the Joe River, then attempt to cross a second range ` the Olivines. Only then will we get to see just what it was that Holloway discovered. It was to be one of NZ's most ambitious expeditions. One that, if it succeeded, would see the country's final piece of unexplored wilderness mapped for the very first time. So nice to be able to travel through some open beech, bro. So nice to be able to travel through some open beech, bro. Yeah. 'From the Dart, the going is easy. But the trees hide an obstacle straight out of a fairy tale.' Oh. < Wow. It's a bit early on for us to have hit the wall. Naming it Barrier Range couldn't have been any more accurate. There's gotta be a better way around here. Let's try up this ridge. 'This sheer wall of rock extends a staggering 300 vertical metres.' If you look at it too long while you're moving, you get dizzy. 'Holloway had described this first section as "easy". He obviously had a good sense of humour.' Wow. Check this out. Check this out. So pretty. It's just a trickle coming down now. But, uh, I think when it rains it must be a huge amount of water coming over. You can see by the size of the logs that have come down over that cliff. You can see by the size of the logs that have come down over that cliff. Wow. This could act as a pretty good pathway up. It's a little bit like a ladder. But I don't want to wait for the rain to start, so let's get going. But I don't want to wait for the rain to start, so let's get going. Yeah. Pretty slippery. 'It's already easy to see why the Barrier Range guarded its secrets for so long.' Be a bit careful. You don't know how rotten these logs are. Be a bit careful. You don't know how rotten these logs are. Yeah. 'Holloway had scrambled his way to the top the previous summer, only to be stopped dead in his tracks 'by yet another massive cliff. 'This time, armed with information from half-remembered tales gathered from the locals, 'He was more determined than ever to get across the range.' (PANTS) Oh, it's freezing up here. (PANTS) Oh, it's freezing up here. Yeah. 'For us, the climb has been straightforward. 'But on this crossing, it's not the going up that's the problem.' That's amazing. That's amazing. Yeah. (PANTS) What a view. Panorama, isn't' it? Out here is the entire Olivine Range, and in front of us is Destiny Ridge, leading up to the highest peak. 'It's almost 2000m of nearly vertical rock. 'But somewhere hidden behind, Holloway believed, lay some sort of valley. 'But before he could prove it, he would have to descend the barrier to the Joe River.' It didn't take them long to see that this wasn't going to be the gateway to the mountains they'd hoped for. These bluffs here are far too big, far too steep. They said they're even steeper than the ones around the Milford Sound. And the bush down there looks incredibly thick. But perhaps worst of all, it's far too far down the river to be of any real use to get to the top. What they did was make their way further around the Barrier Range and hope that they'd find their path to the very bottom. But the further they travelled south-west along the range, the more unlikely it looked that they would ever find a way down to the Joe. It's epic country. Holloway described the terrain as 'fearful'. Never a truer word was said. They tried at various points along the range to get through. They tried False Pass ` they had no luck. They tried at Seal Col ` they couldn't get through. Finally, they made their last attempt at the aptly named Desperation Pass. 'The pass Holloway discovered was filled with deep crevasses and steep snow slopes. 'Progress was difficult and slow. Climate change has laid the slopes bare. 'It makes travelling much easier for us.' BOTH GRUNT 'At least for now.' Ah. Doesn't look good. It's been great to get on to the tussock. But our good luck wasn't gonna last. < We're always gonna meet one of these ` a big bluff. What do you think, Jamie? Well, having looked at it, yeah, I've got a plan. Well, having looked at it, yeah, I've got a plan. What's that? You go first. You go first. (CHUCKLES) All right. All right. But you go first in the next one. Yeah. OK. Let's go. Hope we've got enough rope. Hope we've got enough rope. You'll find out. We'll find out. Should be all right. OK? OK? Yep. 'It's a 30m plunge to the ledge below. But the rock overhangs, 'which means the rope will rub on the rock face. It's the worst thing possible for rope. 'It will weaken it and could cause it to break. I need to add something to reduce the friction. 'Something high-tech.' Good work. 'Like one of Jamie's old socks.' KEVIN PANTS, GRUNTS It's always the worst feeling just after you've gone over the edge. You just don't know if the rope's gonna hold, the drop's at its highest. OK, Jamie. Let's go. Phew. 'From here on, there's not much skill needed for the descent, as Jamie will just lower me. 'All you can do is just trust that your partner has their full attention on the task at hand 'and that you've brought enough rope to reach the ground.' I hope you're getting near the bottom! BREATHLESSLY: The eagle... has landed. Whoo-hoo! Here we go. 'But the abseil is going to be a whole lot harder for Jamie.' Oh! 'We need to retrieve our rope, so he's gonna use the classic abseil method.' How far, Kev? You're nearly there! 'It means the rope is doubled over and wrapped around his body and leg, 'with the friction between the rope and Jamie slowing him down.' I can't wait to get down. 'But the rope has slipped, and the full weight is being taken by Jamie's leg. 'Halfway down, he's in pain. 'And in trouble.' Argh! Oh, the friction! We've travelled back to 1936 to take on Jack Holloway's epic exploration of the majestic Olivine mountain range. OK, Jamie. Let's go. 'We're descending the Barrier Range at Desperation Pass. 'But an overhanging bluff has blocked our route down to the river below.' The eagle... has landed. Whoo-hoo! 'I've made it down safely, but Jamie's attempt at a classic abseil has gone bad,...' Argh! '...with the friction from the rope burning into his leg.' Argh! Oh, the bu`! Oh, the burn! Oh, good job. Get it off me! Get it off! Get it off me! Get it off! Have you been cut in half? I can see why they worked as hard as they could not to have to do that very often. It's insane. It's insane. That was my safety. It's insane. That was my safety. (LAUGHS) (GRUNTS) Oh, that's better. (LAUGHS) You can't believe how hot that got. (PANTS) That's not the sort of thing... I wanna sign up to every day. 'Once clear of the snow line, the terrain only gets worse. 'We still have 800 vertical metres to descend to the Joe, and it's impressive country. 'Our best hope is to follow the path of one of the main waterfalls that flow down from the range.' What do you think? What do you think? Oh... What do you think? Oh... Round the side? 'It won't be easy, but the constant water flow has eroded a jagged slot in the rock.' Oh yeah. Whoo! Uh, not quite. 'But travelling within it, we will at least have some protection from the elements.' You don't know how deep this water is, do ya? WATER RUSHES 'It's a muscle-screaming chimney climb down the inside of the mountain, 'but we're making quick progress.' Oh yeah! OK. (GRUNTS) BOTH LAUGH SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC Oh wow. What a view. Well, we must only have another, what, 100m to go? Well, we must only have another, what, 100m to go? Oh,... yeah. Maybe. All right. Let's go. 'It's exhausting travel. 100m feels like a whole lot more when it's pretty much vertical.' The problem coming down... the ravine is we've never known exactly when we're gonna get bluffed out, what's gonna happen next. We've been lucky so far, though. It's been really good. But I think... (CHUCKLES) we're not at the bottom yet. Not just yet. And our luck might have run out. 'The waterfall that so kindly guided us hundreds of metres down the face has suddenly turned on us.' Just what we need at the end of the day (!) A bit of a shower. Just what we need at the end of the day (!) A bit of a shower. Well, you do. BOTH LAUGH 'If only getting wet was the problem. 'The water has made the rock slippery as ice. 'Lose your footing here and it's an 80m fall to the bottom.' Try and be quick, mate. I'm starting to get wet here. (CHUCKLES) Slippery? 'We need to be quick and careful.' Oh! TENSE MUSIC You're gonna love it! (LAUGHS) OK. Here we go. Take a flick. Oh, that looks wet. (CHUCKLES) Oh, take a flick! Whoa! Oh, that's cold! Oh,... that's cold! Oh,... that's cold! (LAUGHS) That is freezing! That is freezing! (LAUGHS) > That is freezing! (LAUGHS) > Oh! Oh...! Let's get out to some sun. (GRUNTS) 'For Holloway, Lillie and Jackson, the worst was now over. The path to the bottom ` a simple walk. 'But 80 years later, it's a very different story.' Let's see what we've got. A bluff. A bluff. (LAUGHS) Not much. Oh no. Oh no. You can't even see the bottom. Oh no. You can't even see the bottom. Yeah. It's a long way down. When Holloway and the others reached here, it wasn't the riverbed they saw; it was the glacier. They could have walked straight across. They could have walked straight across. Don't think it's an option for us. We're gonna have to make our way to this last little outcrop of rock and then lower you down > with the rope to the bottom. with the rope to the bottom. Why am I`? Oh, actually, I wanna be first! I don't want to have to down-climb without a rope. (LAUGHS) 'It's a horrible section of rock to have to climb down ` 'Smooth and made of crumbling schist. 'There are very few hand-and-footholds.' At some point, you have to stop looking at it and start going down. At some point, you have to stop looking at it and start going down. OK. I'm really hoping these Tricounis help me. You good? 'To come so far and now be bluffed in would be devastating. 'We'd have to retrace our steps and try and find another way down. It could add hours to our journey.' All very loose. I've gotta be honest... I've gotta be honest... Can't see a way? I've gotta be honest... Can't see a way? I can't. You'll have to let the rope do all the work. Yeah, but then that just leaves you in a bad situation. Yeah, but then that just leaves you in a bad situation. I'm fine. Fi` Oh, I see. No, when you come down. No, when you come down. When I come down. We'll` We'll solve that problem when we get to it. Away you go. > I think what's` I'll try over here. DRAMATIC MUSIC (GRUNTS) (GRUNTS) There's nothing` There's nothing to hold on to. (GRUNTS) (GRUNTS, PANTS) < I think I've moved a foot. < I think I've moved a foot. Good on ya. DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES (GRUNTS) I think that's one. You got it, Kev? Yep! > Yep! > You got it? Yep! > You got it? Yep. Got it! > DRAMATIC MUSIC 1 We're in the South Island of NZ, attempting to retrace Jack Holloway's remarkable exploration of the wild South Westland Olivines. What do you think? Round the side? 'We've been climbing down the steep western side of the barrier range.' (GRUNTS) 'But we've been stopped in our tracks by a sheer schist rock wall.' You got it, Kev? You got it, Kev? Yeah! Yeah! Got it! 'Jamie's attempting to scramble down. 'But it's proving to be a lot harder than we first thought.' Uh... Another one. Oh, just a foot below me. (PANTS) TENSE MUSIC OK. 'He's found a good foothold. But now there's no way down.' OK, Kev, just get ready. I need to take half a jump to a big ledge. OK, Kev, just get ready. I need to take half a jump to a big ledge. OK! > TENSE MUSIC Three. (GRUNTS) (PANTS) OK. I'm good. OK. I'm good. OK. > OK. I'm good. OK. > (PANTS) I think I've passed the worst of it. 'At least Jamie's proved there is a way down. Now I just need to follow it.' The good news is that Jamie's down safe now. But he didn't make it look easy at all. Problem was, you get no grip. So I won't have the advantage of a rope like he did, so that calls for extreme measures. ''m going to lose the boots and try and down-climb in bare feet. 'This should give me a lot more viable footholds and make the descent much easier.' Oh, they're heavy. Oh, it's pretty good so far. Tough on the toes, though. I don't know if the public are ready to see the state of your toenails. Is there anything for my right foot? Is there anything for my right foot? No, it's, like, a drop of about 3ft. 'With no top rope, I can't jump across like Jamie. I'll just have to inch my way around.' (GASPS) (GASPS) Yeah, if you can get that ` solid. < Good on ya. < Good on ya. (GRUNTS) < Good on ya. (GRUNTS) Oh... You're not far, mate. Oh... > Oh... > You're so` Yeah, you're on to it. Yeah. Phew. < Your feet have introduced themselves to the vegetation. Oh, that's great. Oh, that's great. Hey, great job with that. 'When Holloway and the team finally made it to the bottom of the Barrier Range, 'it'd taken them an epic two and a half weeks to cross.' When they got here, it was very special. They were the first people to see the upper part of the Joe. And, uh, I don't know, it's pretty special being here too. And, uh, I don't know, it's pretty special being here too. Yeah. The narrow canyon that's home to the Joe River is quite simply one of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful places on the planet. It's like walking around inside a painting. MAJESTIC MUSIC We're finally at the valley floor. But it's really only from here that you get to appreciate just how far they had to come down from the top. You look up there, and from the summit down to the river, it's 1400m. Now, the problem with crossing a glacier-fed river like this is that all the glacial silt makes it very murky. You can't tell if you're gonna take a step of 6 inches or go in over your head. The one thing you can guarantee is it's gonna be really really cold. The one thing you can guarantee is it's gonna be really really cold. Oh... No time like the present. 'It's not that far, but it's not gonna be easy.' Oh, here we go. You all right? You all right? Oh, that's a good start. I like that. 'It's mid-afternoon ` probably the worst time to be crossing, 'as the high temperature adds to the glacial melt 'and so increases the volume of water flowing downstream.' OK. All right. Probably the same` Ohhh! All right. Probably the same` Ohhh! OK. Yep. You good? 'It's like walking through a minefield.' I'm gonna put my foot` You? You? Yeah. Hold on. My foot's stuck. 'Halfway across, and Jamie gets his foot trapped under a rock. 'The pressure of the water is so great he can't pull it free. But it's why we've linked arms. 'He can use me to leverage against and try and pull himself out.' OK, good. Go. Go. OK, good. Go. Go. One, two, three! Yep. There's something there. Are you on top of it? Yeah. Go. Go. TENSE MUSIC (LAUGHS) Good one. You can tell that the water comes from a glacier. Tell you what ` walking on top of a glacier would be a lot easier. Oh,... I'm pleased the sun's out. The Joe is still one of the most challenging places in the country to reach. In fact, since Holloway's time, probably fewer than 100 people have laid eyes on this magical valley. It must have been a tremendous lift for Holloway and his team, 'but they were most definitely in the eye of the storm.' Despite all the troubles they'd been through ` and they'd been through quite a bit ` they'd only done half the job. That was just the entree. Now they have the Olivine Range to climb. And that's even higher. SLOW, GRAND MUSIC From the foothills, the Olivines rise a spectacular 2000m to their snow-covered peaks. Tantalisingly behind them lay Holloway's mystery valley. All the men had to do now was make it to the top. Having laboured for weeks down the Barrier Range, Holloway had ample time to scope what he thought to be the best route. 'But the Olivines would offer up a whole new set of challenges for the explorers.' We've been making our way up through this maze of... well, rock crevasses. And we're hoping... (PANTS) that it's gonna lead us out at the top without blocking us in. (GRUNTS) (GRUNTS) Pretty creepy down here. There's no living thing at all. Just this weird ribbon of ice. Hope we have a bit more luck than that guy did. Hope we have a bit more luck than that guy did. Yeah. 'These strange rock crevasses create an almost alien landscape. 'The ice looks like it's part of a still-living thing ` 'the enormous tail of a Jurassic Period dinosaur that perhaps still roams these forgotten peaks. Oh, you're really feeling the heat of the day. > 'n this immense, far-flung wilderness, just about anything seems possible.' SOLEMN MUSIC Tell you what ` after those stones` CHUCKLES: Yeah. CHUCKLES: Yeah. ...this snow feels like a` a highway. It's nice not having to focus so much on where you put your feet. It's nice not having to focus so much on where you put your feet. Yeah. The further Holloway travelled up the range, the more he felt they had chosen the correct route. But things were far from straightforward. The wind was ferocious. 'Being the first to walk these slopes, the students were intent on mapping the mountains properly. 'They tried to take compass bearings, 'But the wind was so strong they couldn't stand upright long enough to get an accurate reading.' You're coming down` You're coming down` Whoa. You're coming down` Whoa. ...on a pair of skis... This may take some time. (CHUCKLES) They did their best to bypass the more dangerous sections and pushed on toward the ridge. Over there ` it's called Twin Icefall. Kinda makes sense, with what you can see. < Holloway talked about it as well. (PANTS) It was the right choice,... at least, on face value, to come up this one. 'Occasionally, the mist would clear just long enough to reveal a vista of unknown mountains. 'And as they climbed higher, they discovered even more unnamed and unclimbed peaks. 'But the main prize ` the secret valley ` still remained hidden from view. 'Fast running out of light, they decided to set up camp.' We've been pretty lucky with the weather, though. When they did this, they had a mixed bag ` a complete mixed bag. a complete mixed bag. Yeah. They were here for a long time. Weeks and weeks. Weeks and weeks. Yeah. Can you imagine camping for weeks and weeks? Actually, I can. Can you imagine camping for weeks and weeks? Actually, I can. BOTH LAUGH Yep. There's deja vu for ya. So, other than the tent, what do you think you've learnt being, uh, walking in the footsteps of` < You know what? < You know what? ...Jack Holloway? I don't think they came up just because they wanted to bag a whole bunch of peaks. I think there was a little bit more than that. They... You know, Holloway ` I think,... you know, he was` he was mature for his age. It's like there was a deeper motivation in there. Well, there's the motivation of going somewhere you've never seen. > I mean, it's` it's incredible that, you know, people are farming over there ` Milford Sound ` > Oh yeah. ...you can see the sea from here, and yet nobody can see this place. It's a mystery. It's a` > It's this hidden little... > It's this hidden little... > Shangri-La or something. It's this hidden little... > Shangri-La or something. ...Shangri-La. > It is in between` It is in between these big tourism Meccas, and to think that, you know, no one had really known about this place... SLOW DRAMATIC MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUES 'We're up early for our final pitch to the top of the ridge. 'One of the last overland places in the entire world to be explored is now only metres away.' The view keeps going down (!) (LAUGHS) Wow. That's incredible. Isn't it? Isn't it? Fantastic. 'What stood grandly before them was a valley ` not of rock and water like the Joe, 'but an enormous valley of ice.' PEACEFUL MUSIC So, it was late January 1936 when Holloway and the others made it to this point, and finally, well, they could have looked out. But unfortunately for them, the weather was just so bad they never had this view. But they saw just enough to warrant coming back again when the weather cleared. When they came back the next day, they got to see this. And what an incredible view. They were the first to see it. They were chuffed because they had guessed that something like this existed, and now they'd been proven right. The next challenge, though, was to make their way down to the icefall and to get on to the plateau itself. Now, back in 1935, that icefall would have looked a lot different than it does now. The sun's getting on. It's getting warmer and warmer. I think, uh, we'd better go now. It's a bit spooky ` even while we've been sitting here, we've heard, sort of, cracks of thunder from the other side of the valley. It echoes all the way across. It echoes all the way across. Yeah. You certainly know the ice is moving round. I suspect we're in for a wild afternoon. 'No matter how majestic and stable an icefall looks, it's a place to be avoided at all cost. 'Huge slabs of ice the size of multi-storey buildings can break off at any moment. 'Holloway simply described this part of the journey "not enjoyable".' You're definitely gonna love this (!) You're definitely gonna love this (!) Yeah. Just take it easy. Keep that rope tight. Keep that rope tight. He's pretty keen to get to the edge. It just feels like I'm holding back a stallion. (CHUCKLES) This little pony can sit here. This little pony can sit here. Yeah. What do you think? What do you think? Blimey. 'Put simply, an icefall is like a frozen, slow-moving waterfall. 'However it's still the fastest moving part of a glacier, 'so the ice is not able to adapt and bend, but rather, it fractures. 'It creates deep crevasses and enormous ice towers.' This is a memorial icefall. It just goes to show that maybe the ice has changed a lot in the last 80 or so years, because I mean, you can see` Well, it's more recent than a few years. We've been hearing thumps. It's like gunshots going off. 'It's a high-risk zone. 'There's danger from above from avalanches and danger below in the form of hidden crevasses.' Pretty soft, eh? Pretty soft, eh? Sure is. Is that a good sign or a bad sign? I dunno. 'Holloway was right. It's not enjoyable, as Kevin is about to find out.' 1 We've travelled back to 1935 to take on Jack Holloway's epic exploration of South Westland's Olivine mountains. Following his route down from Solution Col to the plateau, we've encountered a dangerous icefall. Pretty soft, eh? Pretty soft, eh? Sure is. 'Suddenly, Kevin's completely vanished.' You all right? Are you` Are you safe? You all right? Are you` Are you safe? Yep. Oh, I'm safe. Certainly safe. < You disappeared pretty quick. < You disappeared pretty quick. Oh yeah. It's that soft snow. I'll just dig myself out of it. > (GRUNTS) (LAUGHS) The sun's been on this slope all afternoon. And I thought I'd just take a step. Instead, I must have punched through the crust and got up to my hip. (PANTS) Bit painful. And I kept moving forward on my leg that was jammed into the snow but was soon brought up straight. I'm sitting here on my knees, cos I actually haven't got myself out of here yet. Very close. There we go. There we go. So in there? There we go. So in there? Yeah. Big jump. 2ft. > (LAUGHS) It's quite deep, isn't it? It goes a bit blue. You know, you hope to go out into the mountains with a climbing partner you can trust, but anyway... It's quite deep. 'Despite the danger, icefalls are often the only feasible way to climb up and down a mountain face, 'and mountaineers are often drawn to them for the challenge and their sheer beauty.' You can feel the temperature dropping as well. 'But it's no place to sightsee. As beautiful as it is, we need to keep moving.' Once through the icefall, Holloway, Lillie and Jackson could, for the first time, begin to appreciate the true enormity of the landscape. The plateau itself was 12km long, over 5km wide and was almost totally ringed with mountains, all of them unclimbed. Ironically, the last bit of white space on the map of NZ was literally a large white space. Far out. This place is enormous. For a long time, ever since I'd ever heard of the Olivine Plateau, I've always wanted to come and see what it was like. But, you know, I just can't believe how big it is. The scale's amazing. It's, like, if you could strap skis on a jumbo jet, you could land it here. Incredible. And despite this being 1936, and despite this place being hundreds and thousands of acres, Holloway and his friends were the first people to set foot on it. You know, this is the 1930s equivalent of walking on the moon. You know, and by that point, people have been to the head of the Nile, they'd been to the North Pole. It was 25 years after someone had reached the South Pole, and yet, in relative terms, it wasn't that far people were farming cattle. Crazy, isn't it? Crazy, isn't it? But no one had known of this place. 'It was a mountaineer's paradise. 'They set up a base camp and hungrily began conquering and naming the unclimbed peaks ` 'Passchendaele, Destiny, Climax were just some of the peaks whose first ascent they claimed. 'By the highest peak still eluded them.' It was one thing to be first on the plateau, but what they wanted to do was to be the first to get up here. It's the highest point. It's called Great Arc. It's almost 2300m, and if they could get there, they would not only be the first people to set foot on it, but they'd have a fantastic vantage point of the whole region. Not only would Great Arc be another first, but it would also offer them an overview of the supposed trail of gold prospector Alphonse Barrington. Confirmation of some of the geographic features Barrington had described some 90 years earlier would go a long way to restoring his tarnished reputation. I think the trick here is going to be straight up` straight up the centre, get to the ridge line, and then hopefully we can get round this gendarme. Oh. Oh. SNOW SHIFTS Oh. SNOW SHIFTS < Oh man. 'But that plan has just gone out the window.' < Maybe going up the middle's not such a good idea. < Maybe going up the middle's not such a good idea. < No. 'Loose snow avalanches usually start from a single point and gradually widen as they travel down a slope.' Oh, here it is. Oh, here it is. That's where it came down. That's where it came down. You can see that this snow is just sloughing off. Didn't start with much, did it? Didn't start with much, did it? No. Just starts at that little point up there. If we'd got caught up in it, would have dropped us right in that little crevasse just there. 'The avalanche means we need to change our plans. It's just too risky to stay on the snow.' (STRAINS) Oh yeah. 'It means we'll have to climb Great Ark from the rock face.' What do we got to work`? Oh. We've got a little passageway here. I think that's the best way through. There's no way on either side. Should we try and see if we can get through? < Yeah. It's just about your size, I think. < Yeah. It's just about your size, I think. (LAUGHS) Let's go and have a look. OK. You go in first, cos if you can't make it,... (LAUGHS) (LAUGHS) ...I won't be able to make it. Wanna make sure I breathe in. DRAMATIC MUSIC 'The chimney chasm presents our best option of making the summit, 'but it's going to be a pretty tight squeeze!' GRUNTS: Oh... 'It's a nightmare of a space ` awkward and claustrophobic.' Can you see anything, Jamie? Can you see anything, Jamie? No. It's a dead end. It's not good. I don't think a chipmunk could get through. Um... Yeah, no, we can't. But there is one way. TENSE MUSIC Dear God. 1 'We're in the South Island of NZ, retracing 21-year-old university student Jack Holloway's 'epic 1936 journey across the South Westland alps.' Oh wow. 'We've made it over the Barrier Range,...' What a view. What a view. Oh, fantastic. '...reached the ridgeline of the Olivine Range,...' The view keeps going down (!) (CHUCKLES) '...and trekked across the vast ice plateau.' This place is enormous. 'Now Jamie's attempting a chimney climb in a rock chasm...' Is it` Is it too wide or too skinny? '...amidst the summit rocks of Great Arc.' 'Chimney climbs are often used by mountaineers when there is no other route to the summit. 'The technique is simple ` you just need two opposing walls and a lot of leg strength.' (PANTS) I wanna push with my legs, but then all I do is wedge myself in. 'This particular chimney narrows the higher I get, and the rock is sharp and painful.' He never makes these things look easy. Never. (PANTS) It's good to be up here again. (GRUNTS) (GRUNTS) < Good job. (GRUNTS) < Good job. Yep. I made it. (BREATHES LOUDLY) It's not easy, is it? Those hobnails aren't good, are they? Those hobnails aren't good, are they? No. TENSE MUSIC Can you see the, uh, highway that I pushed out for you? < (CHUCKLES) I'm looking at the little trail of red fluff. So long as it's pants fluff. (GROANS) (GROANS) Good one. (GRUNTS, PANTS) Shit. I mean, shit! (LAUGHS) Sh` (LAUGHS) God. God. That's it. That's good. That's good. Good work. Thanks very much. Thanks very much. Graceful, mate (!) BOTH LAUGH I hope you're saying the words 'don't fall right' to yourself. I hope you're saying the words 'don't fall right' to yourself. Yeah. 'The summit of Great Arc marked the farthest point of the 1936 expedition, 'but sadly, Holloway himself never made it to this point. 'Two-thirds of the way up the summit rocks and only 180ft from the top, 'he was struck down with snow blindness. He was forced to wait it out as the others made the final pitch to the summit.' Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Is it good? Oh my goodness. Is it good? You'll love it. I don't want to look up. I don't really want to look down, but... I don't really want to look down, but... (LAUGHS) Oh! Oh! (LAUGHS) Wow. Wow. This is something else. (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) Yeah. You too. What a view. You know, of all of the peaks that we've climbed around the country, Kev, I just don't think we've ever seen anything with this view. No, the` the vista's` the panorama's amazing. Like, every piece of the horizon has a peak on it. Except straight over here behind us. Except straight over here behind us. What's that big bay on the`? Except straight over here behind us. What's that big bay on the`? You can see the ocean. Big slice of ocean. It's a classic Kiwi scene. You can see the ocean, and you're standing on a mountain, surrounded by stone. It's fantastic. Over there. Mt Aspiring. You can see why they call it the Matterhorn of the Southern Alps. Yeah. Yeah. Amazing. 'But the view from the summit also offered a significant clue to the mystery of Alphonse Barrington. 'The landscape matched exactly the description given by the lost prospector 'in his harrowing account. 'It proved conclusively that Barrington's tale of colossal mountain ranges 'and blue ice glaciers was in fact true.' How about slap your hand on the top and let's make our way back down? How cool is`? Fantastic. TRIUMPHANT MUSIC But the legend of Barrington now had competition from a quiet, unassuming lad from Dunedin ` a boy who had succeeded where so many had failed; who would go to make over 50 first ascents; who would discovered a dozen new passes and explore many little-known headwaters ` ...the man who climbers still talk of in hushed tones ` the legendary Jack Holloway. This one's brilliant. What did you think? I mean, it's been so hard lugging our gear up the Dart River, then to go up around the cliffs. And then trying to find the paths across the Barrier Range. And then across the incredible plateau. And then across the incredible plateau. Oh, wasn't that something else? You know, Rudyard Kipling said that NZ was 'last, loneliest and loveliest', but he may as well have been describing the Olivine ice plateau. It's absolutely spectacular, and it's hard to believe that it was 1936 before people saw it for the first time. Yeah, I know. It was incredible. But I think it was done by a very special person. You know, Holloway had a huge amount of motivation to be exploring here. Four seasons, looking around the place, and I think he did a thorough job. Yeah, 50 peaks and a dozen passes. Yeah. That's why die-hard climbers nowadays still call this place Holloway country. I think the amazing thing about this story is that Jack was only 21 years old when he began his exploring. And you've seen how extreme this place is. It's so gutsy. And he's a great example of how being young doesn't have to limit your dreams. And you know what I think about this climbing stuff? There's just too many ups and downs. There's just too many ups and downs. Oh... There's just too many ups and downs. Oh... (LAUGHS) Come on. Let's get a swim. REFLECTIVE MUSIC Captions by June Yeow. www.tvnz.co.nz/access-services Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright TVNZ Access Services 2013