A Journeyman's Trip Over the Top

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A JOURNEYMAN'S TRIP OVER THE TOP Allan MacLachlan Looking through old Club newsletters Mangaehuehu Glacier on the Turoa wereluckytohavetoourselves. Inodded andjournals, Hseemsilitemostraompers Skifield, and the Wahianoa Glacier on offtos sleep after dinner while the others in those days were either tradesmen or the other side of Girdlestone. Such talked about skillsaws and power drills; people who earnedi their livingbyd doing hedonistic bourgeoisie fun wouldhave I heard one or two chainsaws in the something other than sitting at a desk. to wait for another weekend. night as well. Today, however, most of my fellow trampers are also "professionals" After a late lunch just over the saddle Unfortunately the wind had risen lawyers, accountants, analysts; people between Girdlestone and Tahurangi, overnight and it was now not possible whospendi their week in front of fa desk we traversed the Wahianoa Glacier tocontinuewith our plansto go backup and PC. So it was a little unusual to be towards a saddle belowMitre. An easy to Paretetaitonga, the summit the only sedentary worker standing on stroll up to Mitre Peak afforded US (Tahurangi), and down to Turoa again, the Turoa Skifield looking up at magnificent views to the north towards sowebailedouttowardsTukino Skifield. Girdlestone on a Saturday morning in Mts Ngauruhoe and Tongariro. Itwas ane easy, ifblusterywalke acrosst to September. Tukino, and welcoming to be invited into the Christiana Ski R uapehu is a mountain Club for a brew. John Booth which alwaysaftractsme. phoned his wife, Miriam, sO we Despitethedaysspent: sheltering could get back to the Duchess in the Lodge waiting for the and vans parked at Turoa. weather to clear, I've had many other days of skiing, mountain While we sat enjoying the sun biking, and tramping on and streamingt throughther windows around Mt Ruapehu. So with I started a game of chess with recently resurrected AIC skills one off the people staying at the and confidence, I was keen for hut Itdidnot seemfair, however, Allen Higgins' trip over some of as Paul Critchley and another the peaks on Ruapehu. skier helped my opponent out considerably. Threeagainstone The weather forecast on Friday in chess is a little hard for this was not promising. It was sedentary worker and I was looking like another weekend soundly beaten. spent cowering somewhere from the weather; however, as We left the skifield mid-morning we emerged from the Duchess and walked out towards the on Saturday morning the carpark, some 8 kms down the weather had cleared. road Glancingbackat Ruapehu, it seemed to be snubbing US as Plodding through Turoa Skifield it was now clear over the can be a tiresome affair. Skiers mountain. Nevertheless, we areacleverbunch; wefrequently knewthe wind woulds still betoo got comments like, "It's much high for US to have made the easier on a chairlift". Descending Girdlestone Allan MacLachlan crossing safely over the top. There's something a little disturbing As we headed down Mitre towards the We got back to the Duchess to find the aboutbeingleftbehindbygrandfathers. Alpine Club's Whangaehu Hut the talk Easy andMedium parties already there The oldies of the trip were setting a wasofthingsl didn'tunderstand Things andk ikeen to go. After an obligatory stop comfortably fast pace and we reached likel Dwell Angles, which grade of metal at Ohakune for "The World's Best the saddle below Girdlestone by late was suitable for which job, the price of Chocolatel Eclairs"werumbledoff down morning. My excuse for being slightly afour byt two, and SO on. Somehow my the road towards Wellington. behindtheothers swasthatlhadtor drive mention of Keynsian Macroeconomic the Duchess on Friday night. Paul policies did not quite cut it, so Itrudged Monday morning at the office was a Critchley was quick to point out that it on towards the back - not that wasn't little different. Still buzzing over the was probably my sedentary weekday getting a bit tired by this stage. achievements, great weather, and occupation slowing me up. companyofther weekend, the question We reached the hut before sunset and of "How was your weekend?" was We roped up and headed up wentaboutthetask ofpreparing dinner. answered with a beaming sunburnt Girdlestone. The views were magical, The hut sits on top of a bluff looking smile and "Awesome!" Somehow I and we could see what looked like down the outlet river for Ruapehu's never couldget theledgert rtobalanceon some fantastic skiing runs down the Crater Lake. It's a small hut which we Monday. TRAMPING & MOUNTAINEERING