Winchcombe - Neill Winter Trip

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MUILAE-ANCHOOPEA "And all they see is nothing at all In the Tararua Ranges." iri-Faniliar. That sort of typical Tararue weather overtook the party th-t set out one July weekend to do a winter Vinchcombe-Neill. Led by 3ill Niven with 11 food and alpine gear aboard we battered our way through heavy rain to Field Eut on Fridat night in company with Trev Jelsh's Southern Cros sing team. le were awey to an "eerly" start about eight next morning and throush mud, mist and rain but little wind and in comparative warmth ve nade Kime for a lunch at morning tea time. Patches of snow were encountered on jest Pcak of a firm variety and tbere was a little snow field in Kime Basin. But until Hector was reached the snow was really negligiole. Both parties stopped on Hector for a cigarette and scroggin and then we waved goodbye to the Southern Crossing tean. de went happily over Hector's snow cap and down grade to the inchconbe saddle. There ere two pinnacles to be negotiated on this route down and the ice ates were very useful as a third leg in the mud and slush. Visioilty WaS very limited but we had a good view of the ridre from & eide spur that we took to have B look at E deer that the cullers hed shot. e staggered (technically known as sidling) back onto the main ridre and eventually upwards and ever upwerds onto the inchcombe. The ridre fron inchconba to Neill could quite easily be renaned "3aw Tooth Saddle". 3 "e stood in the mud on the top of Vinchcombe we saw a bright trail of yellow curving avey down and then up towards Neill. Neill seemed so close but thrse who knew breathed deeply and renewed their strength. The trail of paint leads you up rocks and dowo rocks, down mud and up mud, through bush, up pinnacles in a naver ending grindo Somewhere on the way to Neill we stopped and in peuring rain optimistically lit the primus and put on a billy. The primus could not hold its own against the unkind elements so we stepped only to eat finally. hen at last we topped Neill the waether had begun to lift s.ightly. e were told what a wonderful view there was from the top. Hector Strean was a ribbon of white below on the left and the myried feathers of dancing li-ht w8s the waterf 11 on the Hain Range. Cone lay in the distance with a horrible darkness between it and us. 6 tried to sroke wet cizarettes, lotered at the rein and cloud, remebered the billy t at would not boil, had a sudden heartfelt vearning for Cone Hut and 30 down the "terrible drop" to the saddle. 3ill told us a pleasant story before we beran to climb Cone of his last trip - bow he had been told it only took an hour and 3 half to get to the top, and how be had woken up a few minutes later to find hinself there. It is - long ay up Cone. te were temporarily overcome by the darkness on top when we turned on our torches and made the bitherto patches of grey li ht that was track and clearing and of darkness that vas trees, into a pattern of stark blackness and bright ribbons of light. ne had a pleasant interlude pleying hide-and-seek in the le therwood and mountain beech before retra cing our steps and dissuading Laurie from returning to Neill. The track off Cone hes little to recoumend it ct night. e found it a very slow process travelling from disc to di3c, waiting until the ne t was found, going on stopping and repeating the process. The numbers of trees, wind-falls, ronts and stratches of muddied rock appear to multiply and thrive in the darkness. They certainly make no friends with the trampers. t last Cone Saddle was reached and very tired we tramped the last half hour to the hut - about 9p.m. warmth, food, dry clothes and into the sleeping bags and friendly oblivion Sunday we came down the Tauwharenikau Valley and after celling in at Smith's Hut, out over the Puffer to the road, the truck and Home Sweet Home. Memebers of the party who did the crossing werez- 3ill Niven (Leader), Tom Lawton, Peter LcMillan, Laurie Neilson, Graeme Hall, Rod Lilne, Derek Duckett, Des anning and Butch Harshall. K. M.