Ski Week 1956

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SKI : WEEK 1956. Saturday 22nd,September - for us - zero hour - the Auckland Express s-1-0-w-1-y came to a halt at National Park Station and into the dead of night emerged six rumpled and tired folk - bound for their favourite sport - ski-ing, on the slopes of their favourite mountain - Ruapehu, The removal of six packs, nine cartons of food and three pairs of skis from the van on to the Chateau Bus brought something akin to snarling and cursing from Bus driver - and we began to think - is it our favourite sport? We slept that night in the H.V.T.C. Ar-tic ( no not Arctic) - which was parked at the Chateau and then when morning real lly came we took.thei Mountain Goat (at least it took us and our gear) to the end of the road where an advance party set out for our mountain abode for the next few days. Ellen we left to look after the food in case anyone would be silly enough to start carrying it off and leaving us tuckerless - later said food sledged up - and even later still the ski-less members sloped off to Tisdall's perralade Tours Truck and hired some, Sunday - our first dayproved fine and hot - and various shades of sun-burn vere on display that night. Monday was also fine and hot - and more various shades were displayed - faces becoming like highly polished apples and noses beginning to blister - but help who cared... this was our Ski-week, this was our holiday. Everyone trotted off to the Ski school in the morning - some learning more than others, I wonder why? The afternoon was spent in practicing turns. Tuesday and Wednesday were wet and foggy ( no this is not a weather report) and the snow was beginning to soften, which meant to get in good ski-ing one had to climb up for it, Ted and Hank went up to the top of the big chair lift on Tuesday afternoon and skied down. As a club trip was planned for the following week end we elected to move over to the Manawatu Hut and as we fullyexpocted a Hutt Valley party to move in on. Friday night tion M.T.C." that and n "Opera began day. Ray Hank skied down to reconoitre whilst the Leader went down to the Chateau to enquire about the piles to commence building our simple mountain hut; these were duly bought up and deposited ( not quite) on the dump site.

We packed up that evening and after cleaning up the Hut left for our next port of call via the Whakapapa Hut where we paid a courtesy call and partook of refreshments. Our night at the Manawatu Hut proved very comfortable. Saturday was wet ( very) with fog and patches of sleet and snow and the first member of the week end trip came staggering in at about 7.30 P.m. The rest of the party followed in two and ones until moving space was at a premium a however things gradually sorted themselves out at least the bodies did and after breakfast bho malo members sallied forth to cope with the pilos which had beon brought up the day beforc. It was nocessory to carry these up to tho first lodge, the piles I moan, not the malos, and thon they woro sledged up a long stoop slope to tho site and tho job was finishod by mid-nfternoon. By now rain had sot in (oh dear it docs sound like 0. weathor roport) and we were confined to barracks for the rest of the day A dinner was oxcellent a and bed time came all too quickly. Tho weather on Sunday was not very kind the snow being extremely soft and sticky and one could not gain any speod unless on a stecp slope - in some spots it becnme necessary to push oneself dpwn hill. Ellen and I found that the run down from the H.V.T.C.Hut which is usually quite good was most unsntisfactory due to the weather conditions. After lunch came. the usual cleaning up session and we loft for home after 3 p.m. arriving in Wellington just beforo mid-night. Week Party - John Armstrong (L.) Ray Brandeis, Betty Corby, Ted Dakin, Ellen Slnttery and Hank Sollarto Week-end Party - Trev.Walsh (L), Bernie Napp, Jacqueline Baker, Otto Johanson, Cushla Simpson, Terry and Joan Moore, Keith and Beryl Garbutt, Joe Barnao, Wondy Barrett, Alex Wallace, Lalage Outram, Allen Simpson, Lorna. - Murray - Rod Milne, Dave Catchpole, Charlie Muldoon, Dunc.Boswell, Harry Suter, Mario Callan, Judy Walkor.