Alpine Instruction Course, Ruapehu

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ALPINE INSTRUCTION COURSE, RUAPEHU On the weekend 5th-7th August I ing around, said, "There's a gully that went on the second alpine instruction is just right for the occasion," but as course. The bus left the station at about it was a whiteout at the time, Fraser seven o'clock on Friday night bound for volunteered to go, down first to make Ruapehu. We stopped at Mt. View and sure there weren't any bluffs. When then at Ohakune where the A.I.C. party Fraser reached the bottom, Noel went left the rest of the party who were travel- for a ride on his posterior and I folling around to our hut on the other side lowed. of the mountain. Of course, we forgot Noel showed me many things, such as our fire (the carbonets), which was still how to cut steps in the ice, and how to on the bus. walk with crampons. Fraser did some After waiting about one hour for the skiing and Davie did a bit of rock climbmountain goat, it finally came and we all ing on the cliffs. bundled aboard ready for the ride up On this A.I.C. I thoroughly enjoyed to Blyth hut. On the way up, everyone myself and I learnt a great deal. I would on their storm gear as it was snow- recommend this sort of trip to people mE hard. When the goat finally stopped interested in tramping and climbing on we found we didn't really need all that rock and snow as they could learn a lot heavy gear as the snow had stopped. from our capable instructors. From where we were dropped, it took All in all this was a splendid weekend, only fifteen minutes walking to Blyth apart from the weather and the fact that hut, which we found already occupied we left the carbonets on the bus. by three university chaps. -Bill MacLeman On Saturday, eight of us went up the * * * mountain behind Blyth hut to have a If I got lost in the bush I would make look about. After a while, Fraser, look- at tent and a fire and cook my sausages.