Named by John Pascoe after the maidenly Arethusa of Greek mythology, who was challenged by Alpheus. Alpheus Creek drains a deep trench to the north of the Arethusa.
The Arethusa can be used as an approach from the Gardens to Mts Kensington, Hulka and Farrar. To ascend the glacier. From the gully west of pt 1636m (this rocky area was what Pascoe originally named Icefall Lookout) cross through the depression left by receeding ice and gain the Arethusa Glacier. Ice across the lower glacier can be quite broken later in the season and a route through may not be straight forward. Further up, the Arethusa has two icefalls. The lower icefall is more broken, and will usually need to be ascended by sidling up snow and rocky slopes on the true left of the glacier from about the 1640m contour. A route can usually be found through the slots in the upper icefall. From the neve at the 1940m contour, snowslopes to the south west lead either to Iceland Col, Hulka, or the big plateau at the head of the Farrar Glacier. Alternatively from the upper Arethusa, more direct approaches to the north and west can be used to approach Mt Kensington. See the Adams Valley for access from Adams Flat to the Arethusa Glacier.
in association with the Canterbury Mountaineering Club