New Temple Basin Ski Hut Opened

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30770, 7 June 1965, Page 16

New Temple Basin Ski Hut Opened

The new University of Canterbury Ski Club hut at Temple Basin, Arthurs Pass, was opened by Mr L. W. McCaskill, representative of the national park boards on the National Park Authority, on Saturday afternoon.

This hut, built almost entirely by voluntary and unskilled labour, contains 75 tons of building materials. It stands about 4600 ft above sealevel.

“The hut grew from dissatisfaction with the living standards of the old hut,” said Mr G. H. Powell, the club president.

Mr Powell said the site had been surveyed in 1961. after plans for the hut had been made in 1960.

“It was hoped to build the foundations in two weeks, but it took us two years to pour the particularly solid foundations we have now. From then on, progress was rapid. “This has been a magnificent club effort with only a small debt left behind,”, said Mr Powell.

“It is one thing to design an alpine hut but another to build it,” said Mr P. Pascoe, the architect. “The hut honours the situation and the day of the shack is obviously past. “You have set a standard for building in the mountains," said Mr McCaskill. “1 must thank all those responsible as this is a national asset.” Mr McCaskill Said the first Temple Basin hut had been started in 1930 and completed in 1933. This was now part of the old University hut. “It contained 16 bi:nks and there was hardly room to move,” he said. Another bunkroom had been added in 1936 and a final extension made in 1947.

The new hut cost £6OOO and several thousand hours of voluntary labour. The

Students’ Association lent £2OOO and a grant of £750 was received from the Golden Kiwi profits. Interior stairways link the three levels of the hut. The

lowest level, containing the living room and kitchen, and the middle, which contains the main entrance, has flush lavatories, showers, a drying room and ski storage space. The top level contains the bunkrooms, with provision tor 30 skiers. The old hut will still be : used for ski storage, daytrippers, and take any overflow from the new hut.