City Skier Describes Tours On Winter Olympics Venue

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30348, 25 January 1964, Page 9

City Skier Describes Tours On Winter Olympics Venue

SPHERE could be few places more suited to stage the Winter Olympic Games, which begin on January 29, than Innsbruck, the heart of the Austrian Alps, according to a Christchurch skier. Miss Rosemary Maindonald, For two years Miss Maindonald skied extensively in this region, and was delighted with the vast scope it offered, with unlimited snow basins and long ski tours which often started more than 12 OOOft up and descended many miles to some picturesque chalet perhaps 9000 ft below. One tour, which she describes in this article, was made in company with an Austrian friend from the top of Sonnblick, nearly 11,000 ft in altitude. Apart from these vivid experiences, Miss Maindonald’s main impression was of the lack of knowledge overseas of New Zealand and its own mountain scenery and attractions.

The trip began with an ascent of several thousand feet in a cable to a mountain chalet which was shared with 40 other ski-ing enthusiasts. A blizzard was raging, and snow and swirling mist enveloped the mountains at this height when they arrived, Mis* Maindonald says. "I cavsed quite some speculation coming from a land most of them had never heard of. After evening meal we all sat round the pot-bellied stove sketching a map of the world to show everyone New Zealand's relative position. Most had thought it was joined to Australia, or was Tasmania. One person even suggested we formed the border-line between England and Scotland. and another said it was a State in America. They were unbelieving when told that New Zealand had peaks rising to more than 12,000 ft A map which I produced from my pack giving the

heights of peaks in the Mount Cook region caused a scramble for pencils and paper to convert our feet into their metric system.

“So while the wind howled outside, sending flurries of snow and hail against the shuttered windows, I struggled with their language to describe my homeland. One could not have wished for a more attentive audience than this one, which was keen to learn about a land ■down under 1 which boasted mountains rivalling their own.

“The blizzard raged for three days, confining us to the chalet The fourth morning, I awoke at 4 a.m. to a calm, clear night sky, a million stars twinkling over the heavens, and the moon shedding its light over the lake reservoir below our chalet. After a hurried breakfast we set off on our day’s tour.

“By now the first fingers of sunlight were creeping about the tops of the surrounding peaks and shining on the ice at the head of the glacier, which led up to Sonnblick. The going was hard and steep. After two hours we reached the bottom of the glacier and even from here the view was magnificent. “After climbing a small peak and dropping into the upper reaches of the glacier we attached seal skins to enable us to walk in our skis up the glacier ice. About 12.30 p.m., with only 100 ft to go to the summit, we stuck our skis upright against a rock outcrop and rock climbed the last stretch.

“I sat enraptured by the vast panorama of rugged peaks and glaciers in every direction. Only one mountain reached higher than ours. It was the famed Grossglockner. Below us was the glacier, indescribably beautiful with its depth of colours —teal bluish with tinges of green. Large crevasses and seracs, or pinnacles of ice, stood out distinctly in spite of the fresh snowfall.

“Through binoculars we saw a party cutting steps up the glacier. Chips of ice flew out in a million sparkles as they caught the sun.

“In brilliant sunshine, 11.000 ft up on the top of Sonnblick, we ate our lunch in a vast, silent world and enjoyed the glorious splendour about us. As far as one could see were snowcapped mountains of varying altitudes. After an hour and a half’s rest we climbed down and strapped on our skis. It was time for the downhill run. “We roped together because of the dangers of crevasses covered by the fresh snow. Our skis were buried under more than a foot of snow as we careered down, weaving in and out amongst large crevasses. We seemingly floated down the gentle grade, and ski-ing was most exhilarating. Powder snow showered gracefully out from the sharp steel edges.

“Thus we made the run of several miles down to the top of the icefall. By 3 p.m. the sun was already fading and the air was decidedly chilly. Below us were skiers on the slopes near the chalet. They appeared like ants, but within minutes we were speeding down amongst them. How lovely it was to feel packed snow under my skis again. It reminded me of New Zealand ski-fields, where club members consolidate the surface of the basins with their activities at week-ends. “We reached the chalet on dusk. It had been a full day. and after the evening meal and two mugs of beer, everyone in the chalet made for their bunks. Next morning we awoke refreshed and set off for another day’s ski touring in another direction. “Soon the world’s best skiers will compete on these slopes in the Austrian Alps. What a fitting arena it is for these classic Olympic Games events.”