Snow Cave on Ruapehu

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.

SNON CAVE ON RUAPEHU For some time, Pete Beveridge and I had been planning to spend a week snow caving on Ruapehu, s0 we decided to take advantage of our August holiday and put our plans into actiono We left Wellington by train on Saturday, 18th August, and after spending a night in the cookhouse at the Chateau, we set off up to Salt Hut aboard a Mountain Goat. We had planned to get CB high up the mountain as we could - to the crater if possible, but the strong bitterly cold W ind and the soft snow conditions soon changed our minds and we decided to make the cave in the steep slope at the rear of the Cararun Huta

Owing to the inclement state of the weather, the followi ing six days were spent mainly rotting in the sack and playing cnrds with the T.T.C. mobo However, we did have one and a half days suitable for climbing. On Tuesday, with the added company of Barry Hogan from the Training College Tramping Club, we left the cave at 11.15 ao mo headed for Pare-te-tai-tonga. After a sweltering climb in the glacier and an enjoyable though freezing cold ice climb up the North Ridge of Pareo we descended into the crater and headed over for Te Heu Heuo We sidled the north side of Te Heu Heu and glissaded into the hend of Pinnacle Valleyo And so back to the cave whero the pressure cooker was soon hissing into action. Se next 0.03 ing the sky was overcast but the cloudbase was hagh enougn to luave mort of the mountain clear. We decided to make a quick dash ror the Lowen Pinacle before the weather broke. We headed E raight across the valley and started our ( limb Outo the - idgeo About half way up to the ridge Pete, who was not feeling too good, decided to turn back while I, emulating the spirit of Samuel Turner, decided to go on alone. The ridge was a bit icy and I had to cut steps near the topo The wind hai increased and I beat a hasty retreat dropping off the ridge just elow the summito By a series of glissades and traverses 1 1 nched the basin at the foot of the top ski-tow and hendud acros. to the caveo The rest of the trip was uneventful except for one morning when we were both rudely aws akened by Dud Jones poking his hend up through the tunnel and asking if we were O.Ko During the night snow had fallen and it had been blown into the tunnel, blocking ito Dud, showing much concern for our welfare, had, after three false starts, found our entrance and dug it outo By this time we were both browned off with the weather and on Saturday the 25th, headed back for the Chateaus Here we found about twenty primuses going; of every conceivable size and shape varying in as as many degrees of efficiency. One in particular, after about half an hour's stubborn refusal to work, finally exploded into action making up for all lost time in one shattering blnsto We took the hint and moved out down to the fleshpots of Chateau Staff Bnre The account is best concludcd here, except that AS was to be expected, Sunday was an excellent climbing dayo Snow Williams. -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-