Ruapehu Ski Trip

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RUAPEHU SKI TRIP. 26/28th. Auguste Our truck departod from tho Railway Station about a of an hour lato due to one of the Hutt trains breaking down just out of Kaiwerra with two of our comploment on board. Tho nows was first broughti by Cyril who said ho hed walked from Kaiwarra, but I have my doubts. After waiting for about half an hour Tommy Lawton still hadn't put in an appcarance so we startod off, picking him up at Kaiwarra right whore the train had stopped - sensible fellow. First stop was Levin, for food, but oh the sorrow when efter racing up and down tho main strect for some minutes we discovered that ell the cating houses were closed. Cyril somehow, somewhere, procured a crayfish though. (It weren't the criminal nature of the trick; but the low animal cunning of the dogi) We first encountered snow around Taihape, a jolly good sign from the ski-ing view, but it was so cold that ice was forming

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804 GMATT ITT egref NiAt Eredoora i 030AA on the windows and walls of at the Chateau thg.genogy. A8EFFVEE while still dark at 6a.m. but in. another hour were groeted by the wonderful sight afforded by the sunrise creeping across the surrounding landscape. Everything round the truck which was bogged in a. ditch of a depth of 2 to 3 feot was covered in snow. The brenchos on the trees were weighed down and the whole scene looked just like a view of a Swiss mountain village. Strett made full use of this fact and had his skis on round the truck before breakfast. The cooks got a brew organised and aftor heaving the truck out of the ditch we headed,for the Chatoau for tickets for skis and our boots. Aftor travelling half the distance up to Salt Hut in the six wheclor mountain truck we lurched to a stop. Much to our mortification we found that tha roed greder had skidded off the road blocking it vory successfully, and what is more, refusing to budge. After survoying the position we decided to tramp on from there to Salt whore we obtained our skis. Half of the packs had been loft béhind because of shortege of space and the owners of these were now praying that-the road would be cleared by lunchtime. We headed for a small nursery slopo.where,undor the guidance of our instructors the majority of us succeeded in performing all sorts of queer antics. Lunchtime arrived, still the road was blocked, so some of us were minus packs, minus food. Still, someHlowwo: Menatedfo bludge enoughiforiadsubstantial lunch after, which we proceeded to practise our snowploughs, turning, traversing otc.until about 3p.m. when the rest rof-the packsarrived and most of the party went on up to the Hutt-Valley.Hut about 20 minutes above Salt_Hut. This hut is exceptionally warmand very well built. I TO dooda - Thile tho cooks cookodthe rest of us went out to ski in a gully directly behind the hut, some of us staying until 6p.m. and only then did we stop because there were several types in the party who were liable to eat all the tea which was now ready. After a super sleep we rose refreshed, or reasonably so, to greet the dawning of another marvellous day with not a cloud in the sky. After a very hasty breakfast we were again on our boards. One extremely noticoable factor was the exceptionally bright red colour most of the faces took on as the day progressed - especially one red-headed female. At approx. 1200 hours we headed back to the hut to pack up and have lunch and.then skied down to Salt Hut. I for one found it a lot more difficult to ski with a pack on. After returning our skis we clambered on board a six wheeler turck again and in no time at all arrived at the Chateau. A wesh, a change of clothes and into another truck, this time for the long trip back to Wellington with one stop at Hunterville for food (which always seems to come into these thingse) So ended an almost sperfect weekend. Bods on the trip were:- Instructors:- Roger 3utherland (P.T.C.), Harold Stretton and Stan Kinder (Leader). Course Members:- Dick Welsh, Betty Evans, Ton-tawions_Barrio O'Donnell, Rod Milne, Joe Morris, Dawn Holloway, Max Martin, Nancy Drieberg, Alan Gamble, Jim Dow, John Corrigan, Dallas Doran, Dennis

Alison and Dave Lowe. Extrass- Ian Baine, Cyril Tacquard and K. Anderson. P.S. Where did 3 of the members sleep on Saturday night? I've got my suspicions! i D. (Glop) Lo