Corner Creek Saddle

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CORNER CREEK SADDLE. The following, George Thompson (Leader), Frank McGowan, Charlie Vial, Laurie Haig, les Secker, Stan Potter, Titch Graham, and to keep the tome of conversa tion sweet a lady, Les Clendon, left Wellington by the usual channel, the 8.42 train bound for Baines Hut, Orongorongo. T We arrived at midnight after an uneventful trip and retired straight away. On Saturday in light rain we set out for our destination - Laws Hut, Palliser Bay via Corner Creek Saddle. : After seeing the Leader's photos on the Notice Board the party was very exuberant, Even heavy showers could not dampen the enthusiasm for that wonderful saddle we vere going to cross. The North Matthew Stream was our road and half-way to the saddle one Titch Graham, mighty stalker, showed his prowess as the leader with goaty bleats called the attention of a young goat. The goat won. At the top of the North Matthew Stream there is a fork, the left going to the Wharekahau Saddle. We took the right into the heavy low cloud. A quarter of an hour from the fork we started to climb to what we thought was the saddle, a rocky gut running out onto a bluff. The leader had not been over this saddle for 12 years and as the loese rocky nature of country is changing we took this as the Corner Creek Saddle. It was not. It is a good policy to carry a little rope when tramping - we had taken 100 feet of alpine rope and boy = 0 - boy was that needed. As the rock face steepened: So we got slower, and the rope came into play. The knowledge of rope work was confined to about 3 members of the party, still a good job was done hauling up the rest like sacks of potatoes. Titch excelled himself on steep loose rock taking the top belays. Getting near the top Frank took off his pack to facilitate matters. Ha.assured the leader that it was firmly wedged in a crevice, but itk proceeded to take off down the bluff into the mist below. Stan, the last man, said he heard.it for 20 seconds from the time he last saw it. After a two hour struggle on the face we gained the main ridge in the rain. The criterion of those who knew how to climb was the absence of scratches on the legs, Have the legs healed yet Charlie? Frank and Titch took asteep grass spur back down the North Matthew to look for the "flying saucer" and they were lucky and found it. After a few repairs we struck down through the bush and scrub to the supposed Corner Creek. The bush opened out to a headwater and good going down a stream brought us on to, of a waterfall. The party did not appreciate my quotation from Shellyey; "And like a downward smoke, the slender stream, To pase awhile, and fall. did.seem."

With a little confidence plus the rope we were away downstream below the fall and hell bent for the mouth and Palliser Bay. Tovards the mouth the leader "This isn't Corner Creek, it is the Hingataka Creek. No, may n Rojd1e be the Wharekahau. Someone remarked, "Make up your b.... mind." So ve decided on the Wharekahau Stream. It was too. We hit the coast at Palliser Bay and tramped for an hour and a half to between the Little and Big Mukamuka Streams, to "Buck" Law's Hut. We arrived in the dark, and retired early after tea. Sunday was fine and we'coasted' around the coast to Eastbourne stopping for lunch atPaiaka Creek, Fitzroy We Bay. also had a small stop at Lake Kohongopimipiri-th launch a slab of wood. With a washed up light bulb we aptly named it the good ship "Tongue and Meat", It was a good trip with plenty of variety. The only trouble = I was abused for calling it the shortest day trip. George Thompson. (Without beard - Sub.Ed.)