This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
This looked promising, to be on one of the biggest FE trips tor some time with 9 possibies. Welt 2 punters pulled off, being Sam and Johnny , saying they wanted to do a pushbike ride instead. A nice gentleman trom the Wairarapa phoned on Wednesday evening saying that the weather is to turn to the south and it would be miserable. Rex Benbrook pulled off and went on the Fit trip so he could drive the truck. I made a point of telling everyone 5.00pm at the railway station. I got there early to find Bruce Wilson waiting, no one else. Haltway through making my chicken roll, Glen Turner tums up at five, raring to go. I will tell you about my chicken roll while we wait for Darryl Boswell. 350mm long, 150mm diameter, I iilled it with one size 7 rotissanied chicken, 150g colesiaw and 150g lasagne salad, good stuff. Well 5.30pm and no Beep Beep Darryl. Let's go pick Eric and Marie up from Pearse House, yes they are stilt waiting and frozen.
Waikanae was dinner stop, and then Marie dropped the team off behind Levin, and we headed up the Chau. A eruisy trip up, following a torch beam and a dry crotch, we arrived at South Chau hut. After a hot brew we bedded down about 11.00pm. Next day after porridge, and Glen saying “Hurry up, let's go”, bacon & eggs and a good brew, we mosey off up to Te Matawai hut and a nice warm up for the day. A good bite, a slurp and off we go up to Pukematawai. The breeze is southerly and the snow flakes begin to fall. After Arete, we pass the large tarn which is going through a drought period like most of the rivers. Sidle round Lancaster, and as we go over the Waiohine Pinnacles the wind changes to the south-east and the snow gets a little heavier. Tarn Ridge hut for a late lunch, and the stories of the nights spent here, and “Hurry up, let's go” Glen said. Afler a debate where to spend the night we toddled off to Arete hut. Yes, after porridge and “Hurry up”, no bacon & eggs, but a brew, we had another warmup for the day on to Table Ridge. No views, winds very icy, snow and ice falling, a base of old snow and a thin fresh layer under foot, we enjoyed just standing on top of Mitre and taking in just being there. A few snap shots of the team and down the slopes to be met with a short break in the clouds and a very warm breeze, which lasted for a long time - 4 minutes. Lunch at the new Mitre Flats hut, where the S.R. gent met us with a brew and hot soup. As I cooked - you guessed - bacon, eggs, etc we were told about our missing punter, who after missing us by catching the truck at Upper Hutt, went with the Fit parly and finished the weekend with the Mediums. We wound the trip down along the Bara track. Arrived at then truck to find the S.R. gent dishing out another brew, nice one Brian.
On the truck ride back we batted around the idea of a moonlight southern, as the weather looked promisingly bad this week, and may turn good ai the end. Paul (new boots, no blisters} Critchley, Eric (sorry) Evans, Gien (hurry up) Turner, Bruce (new boots & blisters} Wilson.