Snow Caving (or Was it Snow Mounding) in the Tararua Range

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SNOW CAVING (OR WAS IT SNOW MOUNDING) IN THE TARARUA RANGES Lynley Whitford Remember that nasty weather Wellington was Some immediate action was required = - go blessed with in early June, the one when all back to Fields Hut, nah, wade on to Kime, nah, one could do was curl up in front of a fire with a or build a snow cave YEAH! What an good spy novel all weekend? Well that adventure that would be, considering none of weekend 4 members of the WTMC decided us had done it before. But the 21 Marks had that since there were no good spy novels read about in the Mountaincraft Manual. around, tramping was the only alternative. Some 24, hours later we had built what would Our adventure started early Saturday morning be our home for the next 16 hours. The at 5.30 a.m. I'd heard of early morning starts, process of building was to find a flat open area but this was ridiculous. Ileft home about 6.30 (the track served this purpose well), throw our a.m. leaving behind cries of "you're mad" and packs down and biff snow over the top. The collected my tramping buddies for the packs were then pulled out, and a tunnel into weekend - Mark Randal (leader), Mark the cave formed. The walls were then chipped Johnstone and Gareth Stratford. away with the ice axe (or any other piece of On the road north to the Otaki forks, light high tech equipment that one could find - emerged and with it a strange yellow ball in the namely dinner bowls). In the end we had a 2 sky (commonly and fondly called the sun). door house, with a kitchen facility and very Snow was quickly spotted on the tops oft the cosy sleeping area for 4. A peaceful night's Tararua ranges. This was met with excited sleep was had (considering where we were), jubilation from our leader. which goes to show just how warm snow We departed Otaki Forks carpark at about 9.30 caving really is. The only worry we had was a.m. people stumbling in on us, as we were This trip would take us strategically placed on up in the direction of the track. Kime Hut and on to It wasn't hard to get Pakihore Ridge for the night, then back down inspired to get up on into the Otaki river. Sunday morning. I mean, the we Well, that is what sleeping planned and hoped for. bags were wet, the roof But none of us was leaking and the anticipated the great thought of my car with volume of snow that al heater in it (that met us on the track to worked) was Fields Hut. I will even inspiration enough. But it was beautiful go as far to say that There up Fields Hut looked very there. was a picturesque surrounded with snow. heavy snow falling, which had fallen all night (on my face !), very Lunch was consumed at Fields Hut then we little wind, and a hazy view of the sea. continued onward and upward to Kime Hut. After Mark had trampled down our small Things were going great, plodding along in humble dwelling sO it resembled the track, we knee deep snow till we reached Table Top. hurried as best we could back down track. Once we had passed the marker post to Penn the Creek, we ran out of the footsteps that we had Lunchtime at Fields Hut again. It was obvious been following. No-one had used the track to that the cold had got to Mark Randal and Kime in days it seemed. What emerged was 4 Gareth - in devising a cup of Milo, milk people attempting any method of snow powder, raro tomato soup, peanut butter, plodding, breast stroke and plain old freestyle. honey and gingernuts... I can't really tell you It became obvious that none of these would get what it resembled, but I will say that most ofit us to Kime in a hurry at least. What we did ended up on the trees outside. discover was that we'd taken a good half hour We arrived back at the Otaki forks carpark to move a matter of a few hundred feet! (via a soon after lunch, to the safe confines of my car ridge). and revved up the heater.