SNOW SPORTS AND EXCURSIONISTS

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21483, 27 May 1935, Page 10

SNOW SPORTS AND EXCURSIONISTS

SKI-RUNNING GROWS IN POPULARITY EXCELLENT CONDITIONS AT ARTHUR'S PASS

i In perfectly fine weather, and with I a greater depth of snow than has greeted them at Arthur's Pass for more than a year, the 480 snow sports enthusiasts who travelled by the railway excursion yesterday had every reason to be pleased with the opening day of their season. In the station yard and the settlement at Arthur's Pass the snow lay more nine inches deep, and at the head of the pass the depth was more than three feet.

When the railway department first began running its snow sports excursions six or more years ago, most of those who travelled to Arthur's Pass went for the novelty of spending a day among snow, and if they took any equipment at all, toboggans greatly outnumbered skis —in fact it was rare to see more than 20 pairs of skis on the train. Yesterday there were four pairs ot skis to every toboggan—the guard s van was full of them—and on the grounds at the head of the pass at least 100 ski-runners were active.

Popularity of Ski-lug This change in the relationship of the two forms of snow sport—tobogganing and ski-ing—shows how rapidly ski-ing has become popular in Canterbury, and in fact in every part of New Zealand where suitable snow country is available. Six years ago it was the sport of a few enthusiasts, who did the pioneering work in finding ski-ing grounds, and who had great difficulty in obtaining suitable equipment. Now a well organised service has arisen to serve their needs, the number of skirunners has increased tremendously, and at the same time the standard of skill achieved has greatly improved.

Not all of those who travel on the excursion are equipped for either ski-ing or tobogganing, though a toboggan has an advantage over skis in that it can serve for the amusement of a number of persons where skis are confined to one. Great numbers go merely to look on, to savour the exhilaration of mountain air, or to observe the beauty of the mountain landscape with its bush-clad slopes under snow.

The Fun of the Journey Not the least part of the fun of the day is in the train journey itself—the return journey rather than the outward one. On the way out from Christchurch the atmosphere of the carriages still retains something of the chill formality of the normal railway journey, although it begins to thaw as the distance from the city increases. On the way back each carriage seems to attain a congenial character of its own. Everybody is tired, everybody has something to talk about, and everybody is more or less acquainted. In fact the occupants of each carriage tend to regard themselves as a unit or a household. The household effect is added to by the taking of food in common. The day's exertigns have made everybody hungry, and out of pockets, handbags, small suitcases, and mountainous rucsacs come things to eat. Some have trimly cut lunches, circumspect sandwiches, neatly cut pieces of cake. Those who are used to the trip, however, do it in another fashion. They produce a loaf 'of bread, a half-pound of butter, a tin of tongues, or a packet of sausages ready cooked, and prepare their meal on the spot. Even a cold fowl is produced and dismembered in public, and yesterday a new note was introduced by a group which produced a camp cooker and heated saveloys as the train sped along by the Waimakariri gorge.

Excursionists Better Clothed Another change that has taken pWe as people have become used to the snow has been in the clothing of the excursionists. At first it was common to see both men and women in entirely unsuitable clothing, and in particular wearing flimsy boots or shoes, which might be well enough in the city," but which kept out the water for only a few minutes. Now most are warmly clad, with changes of shoes and stockings and other garments waiting for them on their return to the train. The result is that by being better equipped for the snow, and less likely to suffer evil consequences from the trip, most people are getting more enjoyment out of the excursions.