Ruapehu Round-up

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RUAPEHU ROUND-UP Snow conditions had been good during the mornings, an inch of frozen At 2.30 a.m. on Saturday, Septem- snow on granular ice, but in the afterber 5, Andy McGechan and I stepped noons the surface layer turned to a down on to the Ohakune railway. sta- slush which made climbing unpleastion after a painful trip in the Limit- antly difficult. We were keen, thereed. On the platform Bruce Miller and fore, to get off the climb early. At Brian Cropp greeted us. These two had half-past seven we were on top of come just for the weekend and had the high pinnacle after a short snow arrived by bus. climb. From the summit we crampon- Unfortunately the Ohakune Moun- ed down a steep snow couloir for 200 tain Road was blocked by a padlock- feet. A sidle across a coup'e of snow ed gate; evidently it was out of con- couloirs and rock ribs landed us in dition. This gave us four extra miles the first saddle one hour after leavof unenviable slogging. At 1.30 p.m., ing the high pinnacle. The second pinafter ten hours' continuous travelling, nacle was narrow and gave an exhilawe arrived at the base of Girdlestone rating climb. Like the other three Peak. We had neither the time nor pinnacles it has a definite overhang energy to complete the climb. Al- on its western flank. As the descent though three of us had c'imbed the was mainly down rock, we removed peak under summer conditions, it was our crampons. The last six feet overdisappointing to turn back when wea- hung and had to be jumped, an excitther and snow conditions were so ing procedure when you have only a good. Back at the hut we slept the narrow ice ridge to land on. The next clock round. pinnacle was quite steep, a mixture On Sunday Andy and I had planned of rock and snow, al of which was to traverse the mountain and a climbed in crampons. A good snow snow cave somewhere on the slope led down into the last saddle. VESLE papa Glacier. The weather was still As it was still early we spent twenty fine and we were away before eight. minutes sitting in the sun, eating Bruce and Brian had offered to help and gazing at the massive overhang us with our loads over the lower of the low pinnacle. I took a spineslopes. They left for Ohakune at chilling photo of Andy underneath the half-past nine and we each added an- overhang, but found I was off the other twenty pounds to our loads. film. Bruce Miller and I had been on Four hours later, after some ankle- the saddle a couple of weeks previrendling work on- crampons, we ar- ously in bad weather, and our steps rived at the top of Gliding G'adys. were still usable. This sidle is quite The packs were dumped and a speedy spectacular, a steep snow and ice couclimb of Tahurangi made. loir below and overhanging, ice- During the short descent to the draped rocks above. It was only 10 crateral plateau Andy slipped when o'clock when we got on to the broad a step broke and his ice axe snapped snow shelf below the low pinnacle, so in the middle. Close examination we climbed to the top and spent a showed dry rot. The rest of the des- couple of hours basking in the sun. cent was uneventful. Our last day, Friday, was spent A suitable slope was found on the traversing Te Heu Heu and Paretetaiwest side of the Te Heu Heu Valley tonga, an enjoyab'e but not difficult and at 4 o'clock we began digging. day. In the afternoon we packed up At nine we shivered into our bags and left for the Chateau. and warmed up on bacon, salami, It had been a good trip and had powdered milk and cabin' biscuits. convinced us that climbing on Rua- After enlarging the cave on Monday pehu can still be an adventure for morning we went down in search of those not confined to club huts, chairan ice axe. A skier informed us that lifts and the usual slog up to the we were not on Mt. Cook (a fact crater. Andy would like to record his which we had quite forgotten) and thanks to the gentleman who lent therefore an ice axe was unnecessary. him the ice axe. However, a suitable instrument was Five weeks later Andy and I travfinally procured and we returned in ersed Pinnacle Ridge again, this time great glee. in the company of Brian Cropp and On Thursday we were away, early Bruce Miller. With the exception of for an attempt on Pinnacle Ridge. the Low Pinnac'e we kept to the crests all the way. Heavy snow condi- However, it was suggested that to tions and wind made the climbing determine the safe life of nylon difficult. rope it would be advisable to test BILL DRAKE. samples which had been in use for + * * some months against new pieces of NYLON ROPE the same rope for their breaking Effect of Exposure strain. Early last year a letter was receiv- the Samples Executive are now so that being tests collected may by be ed from the Royal New Zealand Air carried out by the Dominion Physical Force Station at Wigram calling at- Laboratory. tention to the actinic degradation of Information on the comparison benylon rope. tween terylene and nylon ropes was They wrote:-"I.C.I. Ltd. have pub- also supplied by the D.S.I.R. as follished figures on the effect of sun- lows:light on the breaking strain of woven (1) Tensile strength is approximatenylon materials. These figures show ly the same as that there is a decrease of up to 50% is no decrease in nylon, strength but under there in breaking strain after one month's wet conditions, whereas exposure to sun, and 90% after 12 wet strength is 85-90% of nylon the months. There is no visible change dry. associated with the decrease in (2) Terylene is more resistant to strength. The I.C.I. tests were carried degradation by sunlight. out in England, but the findings have (3) Terylene is slightly less resistbeen substantiated as far as nylon ant to abrasion but difference is webbing is concerned the Royal smaller when fibres are wet. Canadian Air Force any the Royal (4) Terylene has a considerably Australian Air Force. Terylene, on higher modulus of elasticity; the other hand,. is not so greatly will not stretch as much as i.e., affected. under similar loading conditions. nylon "The breaking strain of nylon ma- Results of the tests will be terials is initially great considering lished when the information becomes pubits weight, so that large decreases available. can often be accepted without pre- -Extract from "F.M.C. Bulletin". judicing their application to certain tasks. However, the decrement due * * to sunlight is a factor which must be