Main Range (Queen's Birthday Weekend, 1964)

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MAIN RANGE (Queen's Birthday Weekend, 1964) Friday night, the start of a long week- having digestive trouble. end, and the seaward side of the rail- All present and correct, we pushed way station was a chaotic jumble of on, moving fast to keep warm. Down skiers, skis, packs, sleeping bags, trucks, into the saddle and then up over numertraffic cops, trampers, and boxes of food. ous small bumps until Butcher's Knob It appeared that the gentlemen of the was reached. A stop for a brew and Traffic Department were there to see lunch in the bushed saddle just after someone. Butcher's and we were off again. Peter After farewelling our skiing contin- and Yak moved off in front to have a gent, bound for Ruapehu, eight less sane stew ready at Nichols Hut when we members of the Tongue & Meats, namely, arrived. Up on to Dracophyllum Knob. Peter and Arthur Daniel, Gary Lund down into a saddle and up and down (trip leader), myself, Paul Green, Murray and up over Puketoro to Kelliher. Then Hall, Allen Higgens, and Nick Jennings, down into the long deep saddle between boarded the Kombi and set off for the Kelliher and Nichols, and the sun which Ohau Pipe Bridge. had been sinking rapidly in the west Another case of insanity was to be finally deserted us. As the night descendpicked up at Porirua. This was Jim ed we stumbled, tripped, and cursed our Kettlewell, and unfortunately we motor- way to the top of Nichols. From there ed on, forgetting all about him for a the lamp shining through the skylight short time. Luckily we'd only gone about in the roof of the hut, shone like a half a mile, so we backtracked at high beacon. Guided by it, we were soon in speed. While doing so, we noted a the hut drinking mugs of hot coffee. phenomenal number of Gentlemen of Next morning was cold and the weather The Road snooping about in Traffic De- looked a bit threatening. However, acpartment cars, and worse still, the bus cording to the weather man it was going carrying our Ruapehu contingent, halted to be fine, and the first of us set off by the side of the road with one parked about 9 a.m. From the ridge above the at either end. We wondered what fate hut we gained a terrific view of Mt. was in store for them. Ruapehu, with a huge mushroom shaped With Jim on board we were away cloud poised above it. The weather again and lost no time'in getting to the seemed to be worsening and we ascended Pipe Bridge. The weather, which had Crawford into the mist. It started rainbeen cold and showery in town, had ing, then snowing, and by the time improved and the night was clear with Junction Knob had been reached we (me a nearly full moon throwing a cold light anyway) were harbouring thoughts of over the farmland. Ohau Hut was reach- piking at Andersons. Suddenly, to our ed via the track and there we decided surprise, the clouds rolled away and we to go on up to South Ohau. Fortunately, were treated to a magnificent view of the moonlight made travelling easier, the length of the Main Range emerging and although it was very awkward at from the clouds which shrouded it. Down times, negotiating pools, slippery logs to Andersons in the sun, and an hour's and rock faces with frozen feet, an ice stop to brew up. The clouds had formed axe in one hand and torch in the other, again, but we set off along the low we duly arrived at South Ohau about bushed saddle and up into the mists on la.m. By the time a brew had been Kahiwiroa. made and everyone had settled down it Along the top and down into another was nearly 2.30 a.m. saddle. Struggle up an awkward pitch A few brief hours' sleep and we were and slog on to the top of Aokaparangi. awày again soon after seven o'clock A brief rest and on down the other side. when it was light. The day promised to The cloud had become patchy again and be fine and this promise was kept, lay mainly below us. From the saddle although the light wind was cold. Up between Aokaparangi and Wright we saw to Te Matawai where a short stop was Brocken Spectres and caught glimpses made and then on, up, up to Puke Mata- of the Waiohine and Otaki Valleys. Over wai at a funeral pace. Here we stopped Wright and Simpson and then the last again and waited for everyone to arrive. climb on to Maungahuka. From the top Jim was getting cramp and Gary was a magnificent sunset was recorded by the shutterbugs. The clouds which had Breakfast and packing up were acbeen gradually breaking up were piled complished between visits outside to haphazardly and brokenly level with us, watch and photograph the progress of and a crimson sun shone through, out- the sun as it rose over so slowly. The lining them with a warm pink glow. moon lost its brilliance and the ridges stood out in black relief. A blanket of The cold soon set in and we were mist poured out of the Waiohine, over glad to be inside the hut, with the ground the saddle between Maungahuka and outside freezing and the snowgrass stif- Simpson, and flowed like a waterfall into fening with the frost. Early next morn- the Otaki, where it disappeared. The ing (5.30 a.m. to be exact), the writer start of a perfect day. was unfortunate enough to be compelled Peter, Nick, and Paul set off before to leave the warm comfort of a bunk us, to get a rope up the chain between because of an overdose of dried apricots the Tararua Peaks, and when we arrived and dehy. stew. The sound of the wind they were ready to help haul us and moaning around the hut conjured up our packs to the top. Over the chain visions of the usual Tararua weather- and along over McIntosh, Yeates, Voscold, wet mist, wind, etc. Much to my seler, and Boyd Wilson to the last grind relief, the wind which had sounded so up to Kime. Tarns were frozen and ice bad, was only a gentle zephyr, but a stood up out of the ground. Lunch at cold one, and the moon shone down with Kime and we set off down to Otaki a cold white brilliance. White mist lay Forks; past Dennan, Table Top, and low in the valleys and the ridges stood Fields Hut. Racing down the track, out blackly above them. Everything was Arthur slips and grazes his head impresfrozen, including me. The tarn had sively and Paul twists his ankle at some frozen over during the night and the stage. Both injuries mainly to their pride. ground was rock hard. The wind seemed Thanks, Trip Leader, for an excellent to cut straight through my multitudinous trip, expertly led from the rear. layers of clothing like a razor. -MARGARET WEBB. *