JOURNAL OF AN AMATEUR MOUNTAINEER.

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 192, 15 February 1907, Page 3

JOURNAL OF AN AMATEUR MOUNTAINEER.

(By Maurice Mounwoy.) II.— RUAPEHU. Monarch though he be of the volcanic group. Ruapehu presents no serious obstacle to the amateur mountaineer. Given a suitable time of the year, sound wind and, a modicum of nerve, determination will do the rest. The mountain mass, which is composed of what is thene audesite, at one time probably known to the geologist as hypersassumed the fair proportions of Egmont. But after a period of comparative quiescence, during which the vent and crater were filled with lava and other plutonio products, there came a terrific explosion which shattered the upper part of the cone to fragments. Since that time the agency of disintegration has been silently but continuously at work, changing the configuration and reducing the elevation. But there is no difficulty even now in tracing the far-flung streams of lava. It is only when one gets on to the flank of a volcanic mountain that one faintly realises the inconceivable amount of molten lava welled out during the period of activity. Standing on one of these lava flows one forms a vivid conception of GeUries' sentences: "A volcanic cone so long as it remains bears eloquent testimony to the nature of the causes which produce it. Even many centuries after it has ceased to be active, when no vapour arises from any part of its cold silent and motionless surface, its conical form, its oup-shaped crater, its slope of loose ashes, and ite black bristling lava currents remain as unimpeachable witnesses that fires now quenched, once biased forth fiercely." But to our climb. We left the camp at 5 o'clock, and almost at once began the long battle with the opposing force of gravitation. The morning was clear, spirits were high, and everything promised well. After two hours or so we were in touch with the snow. For a short time a halt was made, a biscuit or two were eaten, and our thirst quenched by a "draught from pure snow water. Thus refreshed we put behind us another stage of the journey, and found ourselves on the margin of a vast snow-field. While crossing this we enjoy the first little thrill of excitement, the field being intersected in all directions by little crevasses. Very uninviting some of them were, with their cola blue glistening ledges of ice descending further than the eye could reach. Some we stepped over as a matter of course, others we merely peered into. On the further side of this snowfield we came to a long lava ridge, standing dear above the snow for many yards. Here we paused to reap some of the fruits of our labor. At our feet were the extensive bush and the, Waimarino Plains, in the distant east the Ruahines, and in the west was the snowcapped Egmont. The view reminded us of the appositeness of the New Testament parable, " and he took I him up into a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the earth." It was on this ridge that the real struggle with gravity began, Beyond the ground had to be won foot by foot. As we were struggling up this ridge a band of cloud that appeared to encircle the horizon caused us some anxiety. At length we reach the snow-clad final spur. But cloud and mist were there before us. Fortunately we were accompanied by a member of a party that had made the ascent on the previous day. We accordingly roped up and in dense and freezing mist we followed our leader. The first part of the descent was not without a spice of danger. It was very difficult to get a foothold on the slippery snow, and during our zigzag downward course I fear some of us were more than uncomfortable, knowing, as we did, the possibilities that lay in a false step. By and by we are once more in touch with our lava spur and also out of the mist. To have walked down the spur would have spelled broken limbs, so a better and easier way, the delight, I am told, of all mountaineers, was proposed. We were to glissade over the long snow-field on our right, which was free of crevasses. The instructions were to sit down, raise the feet, have the alpenstock ready to act as a break, and let gravity do the rest. It was glorious while it lasted, but when over one had an uncomfortable feeling of an unequal distribution of temperature over one's body.but to a mountaineer that's but a trifle. Then came a period of deadly monotony, as we toiled downward through loose scoria and over jagged lava-flow. At the long last the camp, a rest, a meal, and then at nightfall, fully beswagged, once more across the tussocky plain. It's really wonderful what mountaineers can do, and what they can induce others to do is more wonderful still. (To be Continued.)