North Egmont - King's Birthday Weekend

Machine-read text (unproofread)

Read from the scans by software, so it contains mistakes. Typing it up properly would help blind readers: use Suggest an edit.

NORTL EGMONT. (Kings Birthday, 2nd- thJune) On Friday night at 8p.m., seventeen keen bods left Vellington en route for Nth Egmont in Keith Freels "luxury liner". At approxo 3.30, Saturday morning, sixteen tired mugs arrived at the Old Cottage", and after a brew hit the hay. Saturday norning dawned cold and overcast vith intermittent rain, and everyone vas very reluctant to leave their sleeping bags. After breakfast some of the party paid a visit to Ray Ukey, caretaker of the Old House. With an enjoyeble lunch over, everybody donned boots and parkas and staggered up to Tahurangi Hut (5380ft) where members of the Taranaki klpine Club rere in residence. George and Barrie made a survey of snow conditions several hundred fert above the hut (keen bods) in readiness for the morror's climbo ve tuen returned to the cottage where a very eppetising tra was prepared by the cooks. Later on un the evening, tue Leader and George Thonpson gave a very instructional talk on the use of roprs and ice-axes. As only eight of the keener typos of the party possessed ice-exes, Barrie considered only thosc would be elegible for tue clinb on the folloring day. At 6.30a.M. Sunday, the weat.er cold and misty, eight veary types, Barrie O'Donnell, George Thompson, Jack Jessop, Dave Casvell, Paul Phillips, Stan Pottor, Frank McGowan and Mo Allen crarled from their sacks and partook of a substanti1 breakfast. The party set out for Tahurangi ut at nine o'clock, and arrived there at ten, stopping a fer moments to say hello to the bods therro Then the rain startrd coming down in bucket siull. Pushing on 117 Snov Valley, we ropen up about 500ft, above the hut because of high vinds. Here Mo turned back as he possessed ro parka and he was fooling tne coldo The party node good progress up on to the ridge leoding to the sumnit, where the full force of the wind was evident. Fron nere progress was practically at a stand-still, as the biting F ind and sleet made conditions extremely dangerors. At opproxinetely 1200ft. from the summit, th leader and te party recched a unanimous decision thet WC should turn back (oorey), ard re made haste back down the mountain to the varmth and security of the Cottage vhere we arrived at 1.30p.n. After a lazy afturnoon (the reatier ras torrible) te assembled in the banquet hall of the cottage and ve rere treated to luxurious feast by tne three girls Ethyl, Mary and Molly. Sunday nignt, ve vere entertrined on the piano by two visiting girls from Vellington, and also by several club gynnastic cxperts (future members of the gym scction). Everyone retired about 10.30p.. Monday dawned dismal and cold, but some of thc bods were brightened by the fact thot tue summit vas in view for a few scconds, but was then again Sirouded in mist.

At eleven, pocking began, and the Cottage vas cleaned outo Te truck arrived t 1.30p.m. T nile everyone was clicking calo ras. Packs rere stored, and farevells paid to Mr. and Mrs. Okeyo The truck then departrd at 1.47p.n. stopp.ing en route at Vanganvi for tea, and also at Levin for a brief stretci. Ve arrived in Vellington at 9.45p.1. after a most enjoyable veekend. luose on tuc trin veres- Leader, Barrie O'Donell, Etuyl Carter, Lorna Mocintyre, Mollv Morrison, Mary Hous ton, Georre -hompson, Jack Jesson, Dave Caswell, wtan Potter Mo Allen, Frank licGowan, Wes Secker Hori Ifccaucy, Paul Phillips, Jeff Hands,Laucie Gillian. P.P. & D.C. o