Ruapehu - King's Birthday Weekend

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FUAPEHU. King's Birthday Weekend. which Well, there isn't very much to tell about this trip as easily transferred from an energetic ski-ing and clinbing weekond to one of the best of restful veekends that I have yet had the pleasure to have - and all through weather conditions1 Dorn at the Station on Friday night there seemen to be dozens of F.T.M.C. bods floating around but by the time we T ere all sorted out tnose on the Ruapehu truck numbered among those present Joan Ritchie, Les Clendon, Viv Clendon Colleena Dalmer, Pat Vhite, Barbara Bartley, Dallas Doron lom Lawton, Mike Reddington, Bill Rice, Ston Kinder, Graeme Holi, Titch Graham, John Maburn, Rod Milne, Bob Williams, Frenk Johnson, Dennis O'Neili, and Trip Leader Terry Moore. Also amons those present lat r at Ruapel.u vere Mary Willett 9 Muriel MacFarlane, Carol Goldstein, Joe Morris, Dick Noble and Jack Vhitsitt rho harl booked passage on a private truck. The journey vent uneventfully apart from a couple of slignt nishaps to other trucks vhich Mac helpen fix and we landed at the Chatcau somerhere about 4.30a.m. Don't ask the exact tine as - really didn't open my eyes properly.outsile Long Lodce we found a bloke directing all and sundry to their bunks and also noticed Joinny Robinson in the offing. Vghad booked 10 bunks in Long Lodge and 2 in the Hut at the motor camp, but on arrivol te all infiltreted into the availoble rooms in Long Lonce, all single rooms, some of which soon contained 4 borls. Saturday found us in motion a trifle late with the weather looking not too inclement. We booked our "Special Hountain Venicle" for 10.30. and in the meantine everyone breakfesten, looked around and made sure of their bunks ( including the six of the other truck and a counle of odd bods from the C.T.C ) On to the truck we piled and arriver at tne road enl in time to see a few sheets of aluminium rofing blor ng rather hazardously round the place propelled by a sudden gust of T ind. Rain vas not falling, the * ind vas blor ing and a little sleet came to enlivon motters. The threc suck I er -ski-ers who had brought their skis up this far ent off laden and most of us rendezvoud at the RoS.C. Hut. Here the ski-ers left re ordinary mortals and pressed ono The balance of the bunch eithor retired to Salt Hut almost i.mmodiatoly via the Tararua ond Hutt Valley Huts or else straignt back the T ay ve had come. At Salt Hut some food was had and then most took to the road = timo 12 noon vith the truck booked for return at 3. Joan, Jack and I stayed with three other bods for company and after strenuous emorts ve at last coaxed a fire in the stove. Leter on Bob arrived back, then Viv, Les, Colleena and uuriel, all of Tho Set out to ralk and finoily the ardent ski-ers Sten, Bill and Hori - rathor deflated as the snow ras very : unco-operative, Saturdoy nicht was spent in various rays I you could take your pick of the poker school, the sleep-ng school (only I don't think anyone there needed instruction in that particular course) or the party school. (Nov vhot was that I heard abour Chateeu Blotto?) Sunday davnod = so they say I I didn't see it. Vhen eyes 4 ere opened ot last the vorld looked vet and T indy and cola and very, very niserable. Very few stirred except from one room to another or over to the cookhouse during the day. The main exceptions being Dallas and Muriel rho tramper over to Mangetepopo and back cnd Bob and Tom rho took their constitutionol up the mountain. During the day the Auckland Alpine Sports Club opened their hut rith John Robinson as the only momber from this Club present. That night pictures at the Chateau T ere decided on and after everyone had combed their heiretc. aray ve went in a rain shower arriving slightly dampo Most of us were soon further danpened when ve found that the place ras now full Only those who had the forethought to procure tickets earlier being able to get in. The rest retired to the cookhouse where cards (inevitably) and table tennis (thanks for the ball Bob) were played for some time. Monday agein davned - so they say - rith the wea ther quite no turally clcaring a little as it vas our lest dey. Breekfast, packing and lunch seemed to fill the morning until 1p.n., then the truck vas dueo it arrived about 1.20 and T e vere off fairly soon aftor. Bob had decided finolly as the weather was cle ring a little he would stay for the extre couple of days that he had previously thought he might and with one less on the truck and less room taken up by the packs Mugsy and Dick were takon off the other truck on to ours. This turned out fortunately for them as the private truck had an accident about an hour South of Taihepe when it ran into a lamp-post with quite a fair amount of danage being done. The passengers on that truck finally finished their trip home sitting in the aisles of some Larsens touring buses. We struck no trouble like that. A short stop a little way dorn the road vith sone trouble vith a blov-out and re were off again. While the vheel as being changed most of the gang wandered off dorn the road. Vhen we re-started we picked up some of the girls first, then a couple more blokes, then a bunch of five a couple of miles further on who were training for next yearts Marethon andahen seemingly another couple of miles further vas litch going strongly and apparently really training for the Marathon (Gross understntement ED.) A fer minutes at Mangarcka and thon on to Bulls vhere food - as vaiting for us at my home. Torn ras made at 10.10 after an excellent trip. Thanks gang, it vas a pleesure to have had the leading of this trip. T.M.