"One of Those Weekends"

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"ONE OF THOSE WEEKENDS" The weather was perfect-in Welling- and crawled to the top. Being a frail ton-but as we got further the island chud I was frightened 1 might be blown it gradually got worse, by the time we off, so I stayed down below, reached Ruapehu it was snowing and Going back down we managed to blowing and looked like being "one of catch a few glimpses of Ngauruhoe and those weekends". beyond. We ended the climb with a most The trip up was fairly quiet, as Ursula exhilarating "bum glissade", past the was down in Queenstown, and most of Tararua A.I.Cers A.L.Cing, and finished us managed to get a bit of shuteye. At up at the bottom of the second chair lift. Mount View the dog gave us a demon- On the way back to the hut we watched stration of how to chew Geoff's jersey, the Christiana Derby for a couple of and also how to beg for jubes from the minutes, then got fed up as all they Hon. Editor, in which he succeeded. seemed to be doing was starting and At the end of the road there were falling. Just after this I went for a moans and groans from those who were beautiful, bottom bruising, unintentional going up to the hut-sorry, lodge- glissade down the track and like every spurred on by the thought of cocoa and good mountaineer my first reaction when biscuits, and sniggers from those who I fell was to throw my ice axe as far were wise enough to stay in the truck away as possible. for the night. As it turned out there The hut was reached just as lunch were no biscuits and no cocoa because was being cleared away, so we had to the week party were asleep in the com- make do with soggy toast, gooy butter, mon room. We retired hungry. messy jam, and coffee. A few hours later Saturday sort of The period between so-called lunch dawned all wet and nasty. Sighs of re- and tea was filled in quite successfully lief at not having to do the trip, but at by playing numerous games of "ping about 9.30 the thought of having to spend pong". One enterprising bod decided that the rest of the day in the hut became icicles make a pretty picture and spent a too much for some people and I was good half hour with brooms, etc. trying dragged rather reluctantly away from to get wires out of the way so the right peeling potatoes and pumpkin and found effect could be captured. myself plodding up towards Pinnacle Tea was both delicious and filling. To Ridge behind Ken, Roger Cole, Bill, Bill, shake it down we played "round the and Bill. At the stage where crampons table", for about 35 inches. Various odd were donned, Bill Cronin had to be sent bods kept wandering in, among them back as he had none, and we continued Russ Hargreaves on his way to the Taraplodding. At last Bill Drake declared rua Hut. a camera stop necessary and proceeded As a trip to the top was planned for to juggle his lenses while Roger put his Sunday an early night was what we crampon back on, Ken examined the wanted to have. We all said we would frozen blood on his ice axe, Bill Lockey go, secretly hoping the weather would looked at nothing in particular, and I still be bad, so the alarm was set for looked thoughtfully at where we had 4.30 and given to Peter Daniels for safe been and where we were going. I de- keeping? cided against piking and telling my heart Promptly at 4.30 the alarm went off. to stop jumping into my mouth, went Iremember thinking that it was going for bravely on. a long time and then went back to sleep Ten minutes later and about 20 feet as nobody seemed to be making a move. higher, Roger's crampon came off again Certain people are trained so well they and Bill Lockey's started to come loose can sleep right through all the racket. -another rest. Five minutes after we Anyway, it was raining so we couldn't started off again, Ken's came off, and have gone. About sevenish there were then I'm not sure how long after that the usual grunts and groans as those it was when we finally reached a point who had had late night coffee had to about six feet below the top of one of get up for a quick trip outside. It was the pinnacles. Up here amongst the gods then time to start organising our breakthe wind was so strong, standing up was fast and early morning cuppa so anyone difficult but the boys braved the elements who dared to get out of their pit was called upon to fetch toast, cups of tea, ski at Roy's on Saturday, but from peanut butter, etc., until everyone had what UT hear it was a pretty impossible had their fill. A little time was spared task, icy one minute and very soft snow to try and analyse a dream about a the next, and they couldn't see much bewheelbarrow in a hole outside the hut, cause of the wind-blown snow. which was revealed when the rain melted the snow away. It was decided that the After lunch the horrible task of getperson who had the dream didn't like ting everything tidied up was in hand. working. Gary, Alan, and I had a most enjoyable As is usually the case when you have interlude playing Inkie Pinkie Elephants a chance to stay in your pit, you don't with the hose of the vacuum cleaner, feel like it, so I got up, grabbed the which Gary rounded off with a solo shovel, and headed for the Shangrilas trumpet piece. and spent a very happy morning digging The hut tidied, we headed down to the the snow out of the doorways. I had a truck. The trip home was much the same problem when I had finished. After last as coming up, as everyone was in a night's discussion I couldn't do anything. collapsible state after a sort of It's impossible to do nothing, but in spite weekend. I think that energetic at some of that I went inside and succeeded suc- stage did something energetic, everyone even if cessfully in doing nothing until mince- it was just the pumping. time. The skiers had not had a very success- A good weekend was had by all!! ful weekend. They had been trying to -SHONA BAKER. *