This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
.. Ten keen peak~baggers boarded the bus in Wellingten on a dreadful: Friday evening little realising that far from leaving the wind and rain behind, they were taking at’ least the rain with them. By 12.45am we were all established in.the Whakapapa Motor Camp. on waking we were greeted with. blue skies but a rather snowless mountain. We intended to climb Ruapehu using the Club Hut as a base and accordingly set off for it via Silica. Springs: and the lower slopes arriving ahout 2 hours later. We. packed day packs .and had a cold drink hafare -ontinning upwards, however before passing the old Alpine Club Hut site the weather had closed in. After a brief discussion we resolved to continue for a while longer and we stopped for lunch. near a number of aborted snow cave attempts, The antics of the skiers diverted us briefly but John decided that chuff slides and glissades were more interest— ing activities’ and some others joined in. The weather continued to: deteriorate and there was little delay before we returnecé towards the hut on foot or back- .. sides depending on inclination, The snow level was ‘well above the hut and most skiers seemed to be casual rather than serious exponents of the sport. After a Sort of vote we set off for Whakapapaiti Hut and by 3pm we were sidling westward to pick up the poled track from the Bruce Road. As one who has not strayed much from the main climbing routes on the mountain TI was much taken by the view from -the ridge, gloomy as the weather was, Looking into the Whakapapaiti Valley. Once at the hut our only pioblem was the Btave which quickly filled the hut with lacrimatory fumes, some, lucky enough to be near windows stuck their heads out, but ethers had to cope with the contributions of the-onions being prepared for our Italian style dinner as well. While the gastronomic delight was being eaten Peter trjed to solve New Zealand's educational problems ina discussion precipitated by the appearance of swot books carried by an erstwhile fifth former. -Sunday dawned overcast and wet 3. -we decided to ake for Waihohonu or further hoping to get at least one: peak later ak in the weskend. We thus spilled out onto the track down x . river but, found ourselves back at the hut in. 25 minutes having found the Whakapapaiti dangerously high. We retraced our ‘steps over the ridge finding a little snow in the air-at the: top and left the poled route to traverse across to the other track to Silica Springs. I had ae ef2
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! Lu . ay previously wrenched a knee anc in trying to protect this leg did a spectacular 2&2 over K which had the effect of wrecking the knee even more. We were thus rather slow in regrouping at the shop near the Chateau where it being rather too early for lunch we d cided to carry onto the Taranaki Falls. The rain let up for awhile but started again while we lunched at the Palls. I found that I could move steadily on my sore knee providing I took care. on steps but Giynis was not feeling well so Neil and she ree turned to the Chateau while the other eight spurred by the thought of an empty hut carried on to Waihohonu. The neat three hours walking may be pleasant in fair weather but the oppressive cloud seemed to me to enhange the ugliness of the desert until it was perversely beautiful or perhaps the pain and rain were getting to me? In places the track was ankle deep in water, in others almost bone ¢ry because of the sandy soil. We detoured to the old Tae a historic building being the oldest building in the park boundaries and trudged.up the track to the new hut just after 4pm, We were more than a littie surprised to find the Medium Trip in residence So while two of the party did stay in’ the hut, the rest of us set up camp on the Flats across the’ bridge. Two of the tents leaked overnight and at 5.45am when JOnRe Dleary eyes greeted mine and we felt how wet our sleep=ing bags were it: took us-no time at all to vote for hot showers at the motoy. camp. That day brief patches cf -blue-sky.always faded away in ~, Showers and ‘the weather was perhapssa Littie cooler,-. Ablutions and lunch completed. we waited at ‘the Tavern until: the bus. arrived. ~ We did. not achieve OU main ob pjectives for the trip but everyone enjoyed themsélves and made new. friends, . Longar iro National Park certainly has "more to offer. than just, : skiing ang climbing. I Those on the Trip? "' MY Meee eee John .Beag] .eholée; Prue Coakley; ‘Marion Griffiths, Tan Hadfield, Markus Kaufmann, Murray Middleton, Peter ‘Thorn, “
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