Angle Knob

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ANGLE KNOB The bus reached Holdsworth Lodge skating across the frozen floor, and then late, after dropping one party off at boiling water to thaw Laurie's boots- Mangatarere. We had our packs all he'd missed out first time round-we ready to go and were off up Gentle were set to go when I found a briefcase Annie as soon as the bus stopped. The in the porch. A brown leather briefcase, snow was lying only five minutes up the of the kind many office workers carry track and it was bitterly cold with a hard their sandwiches in, containing a few southerly moderating gradually. The fore- small tools, a newspaper, half a packet cast was good, and our projected Middle of biscuits and a wallet. The latter con- Crossing looked reasonably feasible. A tained some fifty or sixty dollars, a drivquick stop at Mountain House to say ing licence and an identity card-it hello to the C.T.C.'s, and on. Well below belonged to a Lester Tweedale. the bushline we put on storm gear; it was snowing intermittently. We arrived We never thought seriously that he at Powell at 2a.m., brewed up. in the pit could be in trouble. There was no entry and tried to sleep. Unfortunately we had in the logbook and little to say when the no alarm clock, it was extremely cold bag had been left; so we assumed it and we were late; in a word-we slept had been left accidentally and took it in. However, it was still blowing, though with us to Angle Knob. No doubt Paddy not badly, and it was misty; so we de- would take it. cided to go to Angle Knob, and got up in leisurely fashion. After thawing out The weather cleared on Holdsworththe boots with the remains of the brew, so much so that we regretted not going across. The snow was good and hard advised him against going very far (it and there were footprints frozen in it. was blowing a southerly gale, and snow- We thought little of those, too, as they almost down to the Lodge). He then could have been there a week if the ior. and has not been seen since. There weather was right. After Holdsworth the were no entries in any of the hut logsnow was soft and very deep; we flound- books. Presumably he went up to ered along in glorious sunshine. Finally the top; footprints were found going up we swam through four or five feet of to Holdsworth, but coming down only the stuff down to the hut, and I was part of the way; and a search team confirmed in my opinion that this hut found prints going down the spur just has one of the most magnificent views above High Ridge going into Isobel in the Tararua's. Stream. The only other clue was a We slept well that night, and in the doubtful set of prints crossing High morning the wind had gone back to Ridge, below the bushline, found on northwest. A fine dawn over the Wai- Sunday. rarapa but heavy crud on the tops. We It seems reasonable to that shot down past Spooner's in sunlight Tweeddale went to the suppose came and snow to the Atiwhakatu hut. There off the into up Isobel Creek trig, and we heard for the first time that Tweed- way down. spur It is done. The on the dale was missing. We found a search of the snow, coupled easily with four days depth at party Holdsworth Creek and passed very bad weather, hampered the teams of the word to them. To cap an unusual considerably; even in summer it would weekend, the bus went into a ditch and be difficult +o search. we were late hone. country There are many other theories, of course, as there The search for Tweeddale lasted nine always are when little is known for days and some epic trips were made; certain; but the above is, to me, the the Tararuas turned on a typical display most probable. I might go and have a of ugly weather. It was a search notable look in the summer-there'sa big waterfor lack of clues. The only things certain fall, so they say. Ask one of the search are that Tweeddale arrived at the Lodge teams. on Friday morning to do a daytrip. Paddy Moore spoke to him briefly and JOHN ADDISON.