This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
DUNDAS - RUAMAHANGA “J BANNISTER_ (_ 5-7 Feb):.: - -Eric Evans ; ms i a or was it, Dundas - Bannister - Ruamahanga = - has a better. ring to itl! Friday night saw half a dozen sort of keen FE tropps zooming up ‘to. Herepai in the rain. The combination’ of the mist and. stunted. high- ‘level vegetation just : before Herepai Hut gave the ‘place an eerie atmosphere. Little did” “we realise it was just’ a taste of things to come. Nevermind, after Alastair nearly burning the. hut down, a: brew was” soon on-its way. We scored the matresses: and were’ in our pits well before. the’ Fits arrived. Saturday I morning started with heads. poking out the door with exclamations: of yuck!,;/ were not tramping in this, re and other such comments. It was wetand windy ‘but the trip must go on' - much to the dismay of all and sundry - te sue ay “ -— After a 7. 30am start it was not long before we were climbing OVE I Ruapae, East Peak down and up to West Peak. Here we had a good rest and debate over whether the wind and rain along Dundas Ridge would be straight into one's face or a side winds We set off to Dundas and dropped down to: “the. hut for an early lunch, Paul‘s usual oversupply of: food. came in handy as he had left Jost of it behind at Herepai.’ As a’result many a swear word echoed off the Walls of Dundas Hut. ‘Discussions in the hut: centered on the feasibility of piking.:: However, it.was not to be, and we reluctantly ©: 0°-» dragged ourselves away'‘from the comfort of the hut. bd met A "hoe ‘ ast
On our way back up to the ridge we met up with the fit trip where we traded one cf our battered troops for Pauls billy funl of food - they drove a hard bargain. Dundas Peak slowed most of us down somewhat, or was it the effect of‘ the smell of burning rubber as Alastair burned up past us ail.
After a light ‘detour' to Arete Bivvy for a brew, we carried on toward Bannister. Visibility was about 100m and it was pouring with rain. There seemed to be a never ending supply of peaks fronting up out of the mist- and rain-- the=trip certainly had its high points!! I As. compensation there were impressive waterfalls, gushing down -off . the hillsides into the Ruamahanga. Travel was quite pleasant. The wind had dropped and it was warm.
We finally got to Waingawa Peak about 7pm. After a while we got bored with playing spot the track and took off down a well marked track to’ the Waingawa River just before dark. The Waingawa was a bit high but nothing a bit of linking up to cross wouldn't fix. We stayéd at Cow Creek Hut for the night. ., eS By. the morning the rain had eased off and the river had dropped ‘so much we ‘almost' boulder hopped across. A gentle stroll up over Cow Saddle led us down to the. Rupmahanga, he, 2a Bo) After catching up with the Mediums we had lunch at a very pleasant spot at the unamed greek ang were put at the road end by 3.30pm. A most enjoyable tnd eventful rep: was had thanks’ to. the trcops; Christopher Young, ‘Paul Critchily, Alastair’ Booth, Glen ‘Turner and Harry Smith. sa . . “+ Ws hee - a BEE Seer fesy eo: 4 . 4 * Reet tapi s , t