North Mt Egmont (Taranaki Alpine Club Re-Union)

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July15/18th. Knowing North Egmont and knowing the T.A.C. the twenty (Betty Brewster, Betty Evans, Joan Ritchie, Dianna Collings, Ione McIntyre, Laurel Moeller (T.A.C.), Cyril Jacquard, Mo Allon, Stan Kinder, Rod Milne, Jim Ritchie, Trev Walsh, Rocky Garbutt, Phil Gardner, Ray Hill, Stinker O'Donnell, Chuck Bluck, Dave Lowe, Dick Archer and leader Terry Moore) were all set for a great weekend when we started off for the Taranaki Alpine Club's Annual Re-Union; and boy did we get it! The truck was rather l-te in arriving at the Station. I had told everyone to be thore at 8 so we could get away by 8.15 but when Rocky and I errived rether late at 8.15 by taxi to the tune of mny derisive remarks we found the truck had not arrived. It finally turned up about 8.30 and we hurriedly packed it and clambe ered in. Now a. Re-Union - especially in a dry (who said that?) aroa is no good without some sort of cheer so we had arranged for supplies of beer to be bought wholesale and carried down in the truck thus saving both expense and peck seams. When we got in the truck we found th hat it must have hit some bumps on the way down as we were greeted by the sight of broken glass and a wet mattress. After restraining the boys from sucking said mattress we clesned up the mess and then off into the night. We had a very short stop at Otaki then a non-stop trip to Wanganui and the Pie Cart. The night most of the way was crisp and clear with the moon and stars glittering brilliantly. After Wangenui we settled down again for an uninterrupted ride but it wa.s not to be. At Hawera Lev stopped the truck and eame round the back asking if we went via New Plymouth so - not really wishing to go to New Plymouth - Dick went up front to pilot the drivers Lew and Lee on their correct courso while Ione returned to the canopy. About 4.30 we arrived at North Egmont and piled out and into the Old House where Ray Okey and Curly waited to wolcome us. Phil and Dianna set off to crampon up the mountain shortly after this while the cooks got busy with the breskfast. This appoared in good time and then wO woko Chuck who must have had about 8 hours sleep that night. After brenkfast we sorted out our gear and got ready to climb. We also sorted out our broken bottles and found to our horror that they totalled 21 - which was almost enough to make us cry on each other's shouldors. During and after all these offorts we watchod the sun rise - a really glorious sight. This was the first time I had seen Egmont from Egmont having previously only seen it from Ruapchu and Titahi Bay. It was well worth wniting for too. When we arrived the mountain was a deep icy blue colour with the moon shining on it. Now, ns we watched the dawn, the icy blue faded giving way to the first delicate pink tinges which slowly flushed to a deeper red and then gradually faded to e. glistening white as the sun came further up. There were no clouds in the sky and Ruapehu, Ngaruahoe end Tongariro all stood out clearly. At last I could not delay my start any longer so Joan, Jimmy and I pushed off to follow the other three ropos (Rod and Dave; Trev, Barrie and Betty Brewster; Rocky, Chuck and Mo.) who hed left before us up to Tahurangi leaving the rest of the party waiting below to hire skis and come up later in the day. The snow was fairly well down and for some time before reaching Tahurangi was fairly thick. We had started off in woollen shirts, jackets etc. but after a short time as the sun really ceme up we sterted stripping off, Jimmy and I arriving at Tahurangi in singlets and lcngs while I was wishing for my shorts. At the Hut we stopped for some food and then plugged off up the mountain. Snow conditions were good for crampons but only Rod and Trev had them so it was a case of cutting and kicking steps most of the way. For some time we played "leap frog" with a rope of five from the Auckland Alnine Srorts Club until we finally passed them and retained our lesd. By tho LizardRod id Dave decided to keep to a leading ridge to the left while Trev and Rocky followed my rope over to the right towards the us sual route up. e did not strike right over to the usual ridge route up to the Summit cutting instead up a steep snow slope which should have saved us quite a bit of time on the climb. When we were within striking distance of the top of this slope at an altitude of about 7,500 - 7,700 feet snow conditions became worse and when I was testing onc slope before leading the rope out onto it my whole footstep gave way as I was transferring my weight to the next step. Unfortunately I could not safe myself and in sliding took the rest of my rope off with meo I stopped myself on Trev's rope after some feet while evoryone was in quite a tangle. After this effort we were defintely not going on up the slope we had been climbing and after sorting ourselves out we belsyod carefully down off the steeper slopes. While descending this part a couple of swiftly stopped slips gave warning of nerves that were not in too good a condition so we regretfully decided to keop on going down. What a waste of a beautiful day. Still, better luck next tine. Phil and Dianna hnd appoared in sight on their descent just before my slip and now they worked thoir way up towards us cutting stops for our use - thenks Phil. Whon we reached them Joan, Jimmy end I sat down for food while the other two ropes wont on down cutting on the way. We three had the pleasure of secing Phil trying to ski on tho icy snow while belayod by Dianna - we certainly got a laugh out of it. Joathor conditions wero still excellont although there was a lerge cloud bak lurking in the distance out at seto The sea itself was a wondorful bronzy/old gold shade from the sun. Aftor 3 whilo WO bestirred ourselves and followed down in the other's stops. On the last stretch down to the Hut we unroped and slid with grert gusto over the final slope. it least, Jimmy and I slid but Joan somehow didn't soom able to get started which was surprising. Acturlly it seomed funny after Jimmy and I had whizzed down to see Joan sitting up the top of the slope trying hard to slide and only getting two or three yords cach time. At the Hut we had moro food snd then while the othors went on down to the 0ld House Barrie and I stayed et the Hut to see Rod and Dave safely down. After a long wait the five A.3.C. blokes arrived with tho news that they were on the vcy and about a quartor of an hour leter ve sew them appear on the sky-line cutting steadily down to the Hut where-upon Barrie and I high-tailed it down to the Old House and a shower. Whon they arrived down at the Old House they told us that they'd struck some very hard ice et quite a few placos and so had been slowed considorably. At the Old Houso there was a general festive air with everyone gradually taking civilised shape - what, SHAVING on a tramping trip? Yes, and not only shaving; donning collars and ties and suits or sports togs for the boys with frocks (some long) for the girls. It just goes to show what you can do whon you have to. Gradunlly we all appeered in our finery and gatherod in front of the firo until it was time to go down to the Hostel for the dinner. Wo went down in a body but unfortunately as soon as we arrived in Deve Rawson, the T.A.C. Club Ceptain, ceme on the scene and I was taken protestingly along to one of the iostel Rooms where Dave informed me that I was to make one of the speeches at the Dinner. That of course rather damponed my enthusiasm but oven that vould not have been so bad if I could have stayed vith the gang but to add insult to injury I found that I also had to sit at the Official Table. Horrors! The only bright spot was the fact that it wes.the whisky teble. The gang told me later that I WAs looking vory worried during the course of the Dinner and the following speeches - but I think I had a perfect right to bo. After an excellent dinner the speeches started - I won't attempt to recall them all but most of them were kept very short much to evoryones obvious pleasure. The best of them all was made by the gentleman responding to the toast, "The Press", when he said "On behalf of the Press I thank you." and sat down again. After the dinner we retirod to the Old House for the odd noggin and about half an hour lator went back down to the Hostel for the dancing. Some of us didn't stay very long for that proferring to change back to slacks and sweaters and sit by tha firo in the Old House while gradually throughout the night till about 12 our gang kept rolling back. A little after 12 when some of us were thinking of going to bed and some had already gone came the news that the party was transferring to the Old House en masse. The bods wer e not fer behind the news and soon,,very soon, the wholo show was going as it hadn't before. The entrence of the others was the signal for Dave to get out of his bunk and parade in his sleeping attire, shorts over long woollen underpants, which rather amazed the T.A.C. people present. The morning kept on going with a swing with some concerted rivalry between T.A.C. and W.T.M.C. as fer es singing went - I think we can safely cell ourselves the victors. kround 4.30a.mo I know that I went to l-ep and I don't think the others were long in following as the party was by then just about finished. There was a general stirring round about 9.30 on Sunday with everyone gradually becoring conscious again. A little breakfast went down well and then we took stock of the beer position. I had noticed the previous night that we seemed to be drinking quite a lot of Inperi-l Dreught while wo had brought Brown Jug and when I countad th. BottlueTro-liaud why 1 we still had 33 unopened bottles in our room. Now came the task of getting rid of them. To each end every comer the invitation "Have a beer?" was extended but without very much success at the start. However, as the morning progressed more and more people did have a beer and by 2.30 the immense task was completed. We finished off the last bottle. The day was not particulerly inviting which was a good excuse for most of us to stay down at the Old House although Phil and Dianna and Trev and Barrie went up the mountain to have a look round. During the day too I had various people running after me trying to get (1) The good Tartan shirt. (Note for Mr. Phillips. There is only one good tartan - Ancient MacBeath.); (2) My Ski pants; and (3) My Tyrolean Hat. It's actually a wonder that I got through the morning still clothed. About 3p.m. or so with the truck packed we headed cown to the Hostel again to have afternoon tea as guests of the T.A.C. We had the tea, listened to one final spoech of thanks to the hosts of the ekond, Nev and Mrs. Hatwell of the Hostel, and then came the farewells while we finally left about 4.10p.m. We had an uneventful trip as far as Wanganui where we dropped Ione off and then off again to Lovin. I almost had a mutiny on my hands when I tola the boys we were not stopping for food in Wanganui but to reach Wellington before midnight we had to keep going. Six miles or so past Levin Rocky asked me if I had noticed a peculiar knocking sound from under the truck - I hed - so, wO stopped the truck to investigate. After some timo the four "exports" on the trip (Lew, Lee, Rocky and Dick)

docided collectively that the trouble was centred in the differential and so we were stuck. after soma time Phil thumbed a ride in a passing car to his home and phonod through for a reliof truck,coming back in his family's car with very welcome food and a billy of tea. After that wo settlod down egain to wait while Phil and Dianna took the car back. at long last around 3a.mo the relief truck arrived. Mac was driving it and scmehow looked r-ther tired having brought the truck straight out after arriving in town from Ruapehus He disgreed with our "experts" diegnosis, plumping for a. broken axle as the troublo. Anyway, we unloeded our truck, piled the forms in the relief one to one side, put in the mttresses and wedged ourselves in 9 sitting position on them. it Phil's place we stopped and picked up Phil and Dienna completo with a billy of soup. Have you ever tried drinking soup in a lurching truck? You've got to be quick! At 5.15a.m. wO arrived in wellington ell looking rather the worse for woar. Then came the job of getting texis which were in singularly short supply at that hour of the morning. I know that I finelly got home just after six. We have mony people to thank for our enjoyment this weekend. The T.A.C. members and Rey Okey of course; our drivers Low end Loo; Phil and his perents and Mac; and I wish to thank all the members on the trip who helped make it such a grand woekend. This account roally cannot be finished off at the stage where the truck hit town. I must include a little moro that followed in the ensuing couple of dayso On the Monday of course everyone was rather haggard to put it mildly and I know that my work and I'm sure everyone else's suffered greatly in consequence. I also know that when I got to bed on the Monday night I had had 52 hours sloep in the previous 88 hours. On the Tuesday I was talking to Barrie who hed just been booking some more trucks and he had some news to tell me. When the truck eventurlly hit town andves taken to a garage the trouble was found to be - a loose whoel I which could have been fixed in a few minutes by the roadside. In spito of that, or maybe bocause in some strenge way it provided the finishing touches, this was the best weekend trip I have ever been on and I think most of the members will agree with me in that. Terry