Day Trip, August 1970

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Day Trip, August, 1970 After missing one train, and nearly in the icy air at the car-park donning missing the next, I finally arrived at boots and parkas. By 7.30 a.m. we were Nick's place at 11 o'clock. Supper, then heading for the Penn Creek sidle track in the pit by midnight. which we located without any trouble. 4.30 a.m. feet on the floor, a quick At the that breakfast, and we were on our way by about, Nick big slip lot everyone talks quarter past five. The weather was cold needed a of persuasion and wet, the forecast was for snow down before he would lead the way so that to 2,000 feet. (The Tararuas were bare I could get a photo of him. The track at the time.) was reasonable for part of the way before it dropped into the first creek, The Otaki Forks road was in a poor but from here it became a little (?) state and Nick was a little dubious at steeper and looser. The route we took taking his car over the slip but decided didn't look like a track but we couldn't to risk it and soon we were shivering see any other way across. The recent

- CRATER LAKE, RUAPEHU (photo Laurie Gallagher) rain had weakened the crumbly soil and I went on ahead from here to try to whenever a foot-step was used twice it get some feeling back into my feet, and completely fell away. Quite hairy in fact. managed to grope my way into Fields The rest of the track was uneventful, without a torch. Hunted round for some except that it climbed SO high over the candle stubs and had a couple burning spur before Penn creek that snow was when Nick came in. We stayed here for falling before we reached its highest a while, had a brew and the last of our point. food and left at 7.30 p.m. for the forks. A hasty lunch at Penn creek hut and we were on our way again, up the creek By concentrating intently on Nick's to the forks where the stream was waist- heels, barely discernable in the dying deep and icy. A large blaze on a tree glow of a sick torch, we stumbled between the forks showe dthe start of through the darkness to reach the forks a good blazed track to the main range; at 9 p.m. Half an hour later we were it snowed most of the way as we plodded at the car and changed into dry clothes. upwards. At the bushline we stopped to Once over the slip, the last of our put on storm gear before making the worries behind us, we relaxed and had final drag through the leatherwood onto some difficulty in keeping our eyes a little bump on the main range. Here propped open for the last leg of the it was a bit exposed to the southerly journey. I was dropped off at Plimmer- (would you believe a regular blizzard) ton at quarter past eleven and Nick got and we staggered along against the wind home half an hour later. and horizontal snow to the saddle before West peak. Thanks Nick, for a gun trip. After a brief hand-numbing food stop, then a long climb, Vosseler appeared out LAURIE GALLAGHER. of the whiteness and we stumbled inside. We broke the ice off our parkas and P.S.: Future day-trippers are warned overtrou, devoured a couple of biscuits, "Jennings Day Trips" are sometimes then stepped back into the white fury. longer than expected- a torch and It was 5 p.m. spare battery are essential.