Misery Trip (Renata-Alpha)

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MISERY TRIP (Renata-Alpha) After a fast trip up to Cloustonville, wind was not as bad up here and we at the end of which I suspect several plodded on through the mud, water, people felt rather green, seven bods slushy snow and rain, around the Dress piled off the truck and said fond fare- Circle, over Alpha and down to Alpha wells to the rest of the T. and M's who Hut. were going to Dobbies that night. The sky was slightly overcast and the night Pleasant thoughts had been enterair cool (for the first ten minutes), as tained of having the hut to ourselves we set off up the mill road to Renata with plenty of room to create the usual Hut, which we eventually reached about Tongue and Meat shambles. Alas and midnight. By the aid of diffused moon- alack, when we did arrive at the hut it light, thoughfully provided by Hughie, was already full of bodies, among them we could just make out some snow on five other T. and M's, Shona, Penny, the Southern Crossing route. Maybe Brian Devon, Peter (J.C.) and Robin we would need our ice axes after all. McGreivy. The walls and rafters were festooned with dripping muddy socks, Norm. Whiteside's alarm clock, shirts, shorts, jerseys, and other paranestling in his enamel mug, woke us phernalia. at an ungodly hour the next morning. After a cramped night, Sunday morn- We all ignored it, except its owner, who ing dawned wet, cold and windy, in fact conscientousiy got up; put a brew on, the weather was exactly the same as and then crawled back into his pit and Saturday's. Oh the excruciatingly went to sleep again. The water for the agonising joy of putting on cold wet brew had been boiling some time before clothes and going out into the rain. the tea was finally put in. (N.B., we go tramping for pleasure.) Meanwhile, up in the sky, evil black Some of us decided to go out via Mt. clouds had appeared and moisture was Marchant, that being the shortest way, being precipitated in large quantities. while the others dropped off down the The weather of course, was perfectly Block XVI track. The slog out over normal, with a strong nor-wester to add Mt. Marchant was noted for its usual to the delights. Nobody really wanted pleasantness, and after a stop at Dobbies to go on to Alpha, but everyone was too for a brew, we slithered on down to the "chicken" to be the first one to pike. Shelter Hut. By the time the last per- The result-we eventually trudged out son in our group had arrived, Ellen of Renata Hut, into the rain and along Slattery was there to greet us with the and up and down the ins and outs of news that Peter Atkinson had fallen the Renata-Elder ridge. Driving us on- coming down Block XVI and had hurt wards was the miserable Norm. his ankle badly. Clarkson, determined that we weren't to All bods. of the male variety collected feel happy. as much food as they could lay their hands on, and set off miserably the were up We soon wet through, cold and Puffer, to help carry Peter out. One miserable, just as the trip leader wanted was especially miserable as he had to us to be. Stops were short and few. remove his nice warm dry clothes and Mercifully, because of the inclement back on the wet, muddy ones he'd weather, we could not see the darling just put wiped his feet on. What happened little slopes of Aston rearing up. At after this is another story. the bushline on Aston, longs and other extra clothes were donned before we This article is written in memory of were driven on upwards. Eventually, we the following mad brave fools who sufreached what was left of the snow. It fered great miseries on a Renata-Alpha was soft and wet, and melting fast in Norm. Clarkson, Norm. Whiteside, the driving rain. This, plus the wind Bill Drake, Nick Jennings, Henk and noticeable uphill gradient combined Berthulet, John Patchett and Margaret to make us more miserable. Conver- Webb. sation was noticeably lacking. Thanks, Norm C., for the best misery The Dress Circle was reached at last trip yet. It wasn't a hell trip, it was and here one member of the party went just plain b- miserable. limp with an attack of Food Bonk. The -MARGARET WEBB.