Northern Crossing: January 28/30th

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NORTHERN CROSSING : January 28/30th. Ellen Slattery, Leigh Hart, Barrie O'Donnell, Laurie Neilson, Ben Telbot, Cyril Jacquard, Terry Moore (Leader) and Marie Marshall left Wellington on the Fields on Friday and taxied from Levin to the Pipe Bridge. One torch short saw us to Ohau Hut where Cyril and Terry had preceeded us to have a cuppa on. We got in just before lights out. It was a very cold night to put it mildly, and we were not surprised to find it still cold when we got up, breakfasted and "plunged" into the Ohau at the ungodly hour of 6 a.m. By some mistake I had got mixed up with the fast pack which put on a brew at South Ohau. It was still very cold in the valley although the sky was cloudless and we were glad to be on our way up Yeates. Ben, Barrie, Leigh and I surprised ourselves by getting on to Butcher's Saddlo in an hour where we had a magnificent view of Crawford and the Main Range - especially Puketoro. Pukematawai, Dundas, Lancaster, Thompson, Carkeek were clear cut against the sky 1 just a very few high clouds chased by slight breezes. We took the odd photo here and then on to Te Matawai for lunch. Those of us who arri ived first had a fairly long spell here and with the wind freshening and fairly cold and the clouds increasing we were pleased to be on our way again. An hour and three quarters later saw us to the top of Pukematawai; and after more photography; over to Arete and chocolate and barley sugar at the a mp Site. The wind was becoming fresher and colder and we made a steady pace up the ridge below Lancaster and on to the Waiohine Pinnacles. We had all heard a great deal about these Pinnacles and were somewhat disappointed in them. As Laurie said there are some just as imposing on the Neill-Winchcombe Ridge. By this time there were a few spots of rain falling and the high peaks were being misted over: We climbed down on to Tarn Ridge to find most of the tarns dry. There was one im-" mediately off the Pinnacles which offered little shelter for a camp site - but we finally found one with a high bank protecting it from the wind just past and to the left of the Cullers' camp site. This camp will be memorable in many wayso The wind was now a strong South-Westerly driving thick mist over the bank behind us down into the Waingawa Valley. While Ellen and I prepared the stew and fruit the men collected wood and built a highly succesful fire. The mist was so thick that dim figures in search of wood off the ridge looked like Arctic explorers as they beat back into the wind, bent double to elude its force. The highlight of the meal was Leigh. We regret to announce that he was unable to eat all of his fruit! As Leigh is noted for the amount of food he eats we felt that he was probably ill but actually it was just that we did have a really huge meal by any standards. We. also tried some Oxo tea but the less said about that the better. We did not pitch the tents but laid them over us - except Laurie who prefers to sleep alone! The main aim of course was to keep warm. It rained during the night but otherwise we were really comfortable. I woke Barrie at 3.45aom. which he did not eppreciate as he went to sloep again and had to be re-woken at 4.30. It was a freezing cold morning and Barrie and Cyril earned and received the thanks of the rest of the party for their early rising and the excellent breakfast that they cooked. There is a photograph of us as we left camp - clad in balaclevas, scerves, parkas, longs, woollen jerseys and shirts! We began to peel off about twenty minutes later as the weather improved. We dropped off Tarn Ridge and so up and over all the little bumps that culminate in the big bump called Girdlestone. On the way up views were extended somewhat to the North - Bannister Ridge appeared and tantalising glimpses of bright sunshine in the Northern Wairarapa, We also saw the Dorset Ridge to the South, complete with its huge tarn; and Leigh pointed out some small streams - Waingawa - off the little pinnacles just before the final climb on to Girdlestone where water is obtainable very near the top of the ridge. We were glad to be on Girdlestone although the view was pract ically non-existent. Je had one brief glimpse of Mitre and that was quite sufficient for most of us. As we followed the ridge North East to Brockett however the mist cleared and we saw Mitre again in all its rugged height rising in a great bluff off the ridge. We had a brief spell on Brockett where the last of the longs came off and then on in su ummer gear again. The climb on to Mitre was not appreciated by everyone and we were all glad to be on top. The mist was now closing in again from the South but we could see the ridge patterns of the Northern Tararuas clearly, even though one or two summits were under cloud. The Dundas, Bannister, Northern Crossing, Lancaster, Dorset and Holdsworth

Ridges were all easily picked up as well as occasional glimpses of the Crawford a Hector group. We descended on to Peggy's Peak and, remembering last year and the inter Northern party's experience there, we were careful to take the correct ridge. Leigh experimented with a. short cut to the bush line but I think he now considers our shingle slide better than his leatherwood. Ben and I distinguished ourselves by rushing headlong down the track on to Mitre Flats and into the bog at the base of the spur. Very amusing, but we know better now. We lunched at the Flats - - something peculiar went wrong-with the tea - and headed out over the Barton Track. This track adds insult to injury on any Northern Crossing and all members of the'trip heartily endorse all attempts to put through a less strenuous track following the true right of the river. Including losing Terry and Leigh (who found a lovely deer track with some old blazes on it) en route and a swim at Blakes it took us 3 hours 10 minutes from Mitre Flats Hut to the Pines. Horrible thought! If we had thought our troubles were over at the Pines, we were wrong. Laurie had gone on ahead to ring for a texi. By all normal standards we should have missed the 5.25 Rail Car a but Ellen, Lauire, Ben and I made it at Reynolds Street Station - the stop after Masterton, The other four ceme back on the 6.25 with much less haste. So ended the first Northern Crossing done by our Club in two days. M.M. Sectional times for the trip are given below. All times are party times including ordinary spells. Total ti ime from road end to road end was 19 hours. Pipe Bridge Ohau Hut. 1 - 45. Ohau Hut South Ohau Hut. 2 10.. South Ohau Hut 1 Te Matawai Hut. 2 - 25. Te Matawai Hut Pukematewai. 1 - 50. Pukematawai - Tarn Ridge. 2 - 50. Tarn Ridge 1 Girdlestone. 1 * 45. Girdlestone a Mitre. 1 - 5. Mitre Mitre Flats Hut. 2 - 0. Mitre Flats Hut The Pines. 3 a 10.