In 1972, Neave and Peter Cowan of New Zealand attempted to climb Mount Hugh Neave via the Hobson Glacier east of the peak. They reached an elevation of on its south side, but ran short of time for an Azure Lake boat rendezvous and had to retreat through the Goat Creek valley. In those years, the boat did not pass several times a day as it does now, so missing an arranged meeting could have meant a long wait for the next boat arrival.