Bannister Crossing

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BANNIS TER CROSSING 24th - 26th February. The Editor, "Tramping and Mounte: ineering" Dear Sten, Last time L sent a letter to the editor of our journal it got such a rude reception from Torry Moore vho was the editor at thet time that - decider to rait until there wOS a nev nen on the job bef ore I ventured into print agein. Vell now that you have been appointed to the position let me congratulete you end 1 trust that you will be able to regard me as a friend even if Terry could'nt! Ac-Ac-Actually I haven't been out on ma ny trips at all lately but + thought you might like to knot about the last one vhich vas quite a goor show. I bclicve the whole thing really starter avay back at the trip schedule neeting last July when that bloke O'Donnell stuck his neck out ton far and insistod thet he ranted to do a Bannister Crossing. Just for this of course he got his name put on the schedule to lead ito Serves him right - that'll teach him! He cane back from the Xmos trip all wore out like and after one trip e 1 ith Denis to the Hutt Forks thought he would be fit enough for this one. By the ray - did you hear about the trip to Hutt Forks - just Barrie and Denis on their own - an official club trip too! Tot! No photos!

Well to get back to the business on hand, old Barrie talked Denis and Ian cnd res and Max Batie and 2111 Potter into doing this Bannistor trip - ith Butch and litch ond Rod and a few Northern Crossinr Types come along just to fill up the truck. (On! Sorry Stan 1 forgot you were on the Northorn) You knor that Ino fine veather tranper now - you didn't! - what on earti have you been doing then? Well anyway + en and beforesetting out on a trip like this -I wanted to be sure of things so on the Fridry afternoon I went along and had a look at the reather mapo The word HICII in big lettors stretching right across the lasman Sea was very encouraging So along I wento The trip up to Uhau on the Friday night vas uneventful and re all arrived at the hut about midnitht only to find that Phil Gardner was therevih a fire and a brev on giving a previer of "vhat the well-dressed tramper vill wear next season". Next morning long before Hori's alarm clock went off our cooks vere up and doing and aftor a breakfast of porridge "with thet very nutty flavour", we pressed on up the river tovards South Ohau Ilut. The weathor was very dull despite the forec st though it was not very long before the sun broke through. It was quite easy going up the river to the hut but at that point, for sone reason 1 have yet to discover, the track suddenly became very vertical instead of more-or-less horizontal. Vell I would not mind that so much if it were not for the fect that at the same tine the old pack suddenly becomes about 3 tines as heavy! Luckily this state of affairs did not last very long and after a vnile the track flattened out to about 60 degrees and the going became more-orless normal. A fer nore ups and dovns and things and ve reached Te Matavai at about half past eleven (Not exactly record time what?) It was a bit of a graunch up to Pukemetavai and te were quite glad to have a spell for a rhile and an orange. Vhy is it that thore is never ony vater on these tops trips? There was a bit of mist about on the restern side of the range and T e did not get uuch of a vier of anything until we reached the top ofpukonntorai. Un the Vairarapa side it vas quitdelenr rith a light easterly T ind keeping the mist to the western side of the range. By this time we rere oll starting to feel a bit the worse for wear and the sight of an enormous saddle between Arete and the First Tvin vas most discouraging.

Between Arete and Bannister we spent quite a large part of the time collapsing into untidy heaps and restingo By the time ve reached the top of Bannister it was about 6p.mo, ve were all dog-tired and we could not very well stop there for the night anyway. There was only one thing to do - to press on a bit further until we could find a bit of vater a id a suitable spot to stay the night. The going became more and more difficult as we became more and more tired and to make matters vorse the bits of ups and downs off Bannister seemed to get nearer and nearer to vertical. At one stage we reached a place where Bill got into a spot of bother and had to either drop his pack or himself. Luckily there was no damage done to the pack! Ihis was enough for us thank youo Just below the next saddle we found a little bit of water and decided to stop for the nighto ve dropped our packs and Barrie promptly pulled out his sleeping bag and went to sleepo Do you know 1 think he must have been tireds The rest of us gathered up some of the very plentiful dry leatherwood and it was not very long before we had a much needed brew ready. After this ve felt like new men and got busy with a stew. Vhile the ster was cooking we spread out our sleeping bags in the most comfortable places we could find in the snow grass and generally prepared for a night on the open topso In vier of the rather slow progress it was generally agreed that we should make an early start on the Sunday and the idea was for the cooks to get up about three. Hot ever good the idea vas and howver good the intentions may have been the fact is that it was just on five a,m, before anyone moved. This was the most memorable part of the trip I on the Sunday morning at that hour the stais were still shining brightly = the first light of dawn was just beginning to appear in the sky - there was not a breath of vind = there was not a cloud in the sky - there was not even dew on the snor grass. It was a wonderful feeling to be aray up on the open tops in conditions like thato We got under way about 7a.m. and by that time the sun was shining brightly. There were still quite a few bits of ups and downs to negotiate before ve reached Waingawa Peak and one in particular was a bit sticky. Hov ever we managed without mishap and eventually reached Waingawa Peak T here we stopped for a spell and an orange before follor ing the ridge vhich was to lead us dor n to the bush line again. We folloved the ridge and at this stage of the trip disturbed a deer which at about 200 yerds would have been a sitting shot had Max had his rifle. We had seen quite a few deer but there seemed to be more of them about here and one in particular we came across quite suddenly at close range. Once in the bush we picked up a spur which led us dovn into Cow Creek at a point about ten minutes up from the Waingawa River. The spur dropped fairly steeply but we did not have any trouble in folloring it and after so long on the open tops it was delightful to be back in the bush again. The most relcome thing of all was to hear the sound of running water again and when ve reached Cow Creek you can guess what happened! After the short spell for a very much needed drink of water we pressed on to the Waingawa River and there we found a vonderfully welcome swimming pool - it was such a hot day! From here Max and Bill went on ahead to Mitre Flats to let the Northern Crossing party knov we vere on the wayo The next couple of hours were spent tramping down the River to Mitre Flats. We rere hot and tired and those Swimming pools were most enticing but ve pressed on regardless as ever. One of these days I am coming back here for a lazy reekend as I think the camping spots and swimming pools in this section of the Vaingawa are about the best in the Toraruas. At Mitre Flats the Northern Crossing party were very conveniently producing a brew of tea which was certainly very welcome. After an hour for lunch and a rest we pushed on down the lower Waingawa Gorge and out to the Pines. The river was low and consequently made a very pleasant ending to the trip. Times taken on the trip vere:- Arrive. Departe Pipe Bridge 10.20p.m, Fri, Ohau Hut 12,00 7.00a.m. Sat. South Ohau Hut 9.00 9.20 Te Ma tawai Hut 11.30 12.40p.mo Pukemat tawai 2.35 2.48 Arete 3.25 3.48 1st. Tarn 4.25 Bannister 5.10 5.23 Camp Site (1st. marked saddle) 6.20p.m. 7.10a.m. Sun. Waingawa Peak 8.20 8.35 Faingawa River 11.0 11.30 Mitre Flats 2.10 3.10 Below Gorge 6.10 6.30 Pines 7.00 Those on the trip were:- Denis Allison, Max Batie, Stan Potter, Ian Hindmarsh, Wes. Secker, Barrie O'Donnell (Leader). Also RAN!!!!!!! Marie Marshall, Rod Milne, Titch Graham. Your 0ld Pal, Regardless.