HILL CLIMBING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 27 September 1926, Page 7

HILL CLIMBING.

Tit AM PI NG IN THE TAP! Altl' AS. Since the first crossing of the Ta rani a* iTom .Woodside to O'taki by tne late Mr. Hugh G milestone, whose map and report have been made use oi by many Hundreds oi trumpets, the trip has become gradually more popular with the .mciease oi facilities, and now the Alpha hut seldom sees a weekend without somebody in it, .and on summer week-ends, especially where, a holiday conies on the .Saturday or Monday, it j,s often, as full as it can hold. Since the erection of a hub at. Mount

Alpha winter crossings have become much easier. 'The Mount Hector track committees at Grey town and O'taki did a good deal to open up the way across the ranges, says a writer in the W’eiilngton Evening Post. Mr. Mark Maxton. of leathers wmi, one of New Zealand's earliest residents, was one of the loudest workers in the carrying out oi this idea, and eventually, 'aided by Government subsidy, a track was cut through from Woodside to the site of the Alpha Hut. Subsequently there was erected a small hut. some time prior to 1914. about 12It by 10ft. This and the track were the work principally of Mr Workman. a. man well used to borh kinds ot work, and one who did not spare himself. Mr. Workman left his tent standing at the Tauherenikau River, and that was used by Hampers until it became too dilapidated. Then a. hut was built there partly by public subscription. and partly by the aid of the Tararua Tramping Club, and with the aid of a Government subsidy.

Th ree years ago the Tararua Tramping Club spent some hundreds oi pounds in extending the Alpha Hiil. which is now capable oi holding some 40 people, perhaps 50 at a pinch. Sturdy and comfortable, it is built to -stand snow pressure, and sometimes, this is needed, as it is often completely covered. It has >a. wide fireplace, and a stock of dry wood is (or should he !) always left, .so that anyone arrivug spent and cold may speedily start a fire. ...lt is also the custom to leave any surplus tinned food there, as sometimes that. too. may prove as valuable to thoughtless, or storm-bound people as the warmth, and security, of the hut. Many times 'already the latter has saved travellers more than discomfort. The wind on the .summit, when it is laden with snow, is so bitter that it is quite capable of robbing travellers of the power of speech or locomotion within half an hour.

Perched on the‘far side of Mount Hector from Wellington .there is also a small hut, known to .tramper# as the “dog kennel. ’ Little more than a Telephone booth in size, it can nevertheless prove a valuable safety point to travellers caught in a blizzard on the inhospitable summits. The Tararua Club hopes some day to have sufficient funds to erect something more substantial there, as it is thought that there ) s quite a. good skiing ground hear if. with the possibility of ice-skating on the lagoons, and winter sports generally. I'he great drawback to this lint is the scarcity of fuel. I he “dog kennel'’ marks about halfway between the Alpha hut and the f ie.d hut. which lie well down, snug amongst the big timber on the Otaki side. Named after the Tararua Tramping Club’s first president, Mr. W. H. field. M.P., who donated ■ £10(j towards its erection, it holds twenty-five upstairs and more downstairs, and has the convenience of a cottage. A very fine track was cut some little time ago by the Tramping Club from connects with the Wood-side track to ivaitoke to Mount Omega, where <it Otaki. and on it, at what is known as Hobson s Mistake, are two bivouacs. This track circles at Mount Marchant, and enab.es Alpha to be reached more 'peeuTiy than by the old track, which meant a steep climb up Aloiint Reeves, the benefit ot which was. lost later. Another impiovement elf cared by the Tramping Club is the track cut across the Tara runs down .Smith's Creek to the junction of the* '.LauhereniKau, where there is another little hut erected years ago by the Public Works Department lor railway .surve, purposes, and now u’sed oiten by trampers. illi.s is one or tiie piettiesl anti most readily accessible spots in tlie '.chest reserves

I rompers over the Tararua.-, must always exercise rfeasonab.e care, be properly equipped, clothed, and provided with food for emergencies, preferably something which can he eaten as it is, without cooking, such as seeded raisins, chocolate, oatmeal, biscuits, etc., as sometimes it is impossible to have a fire just when it is most wanted. Paities sliou.d not consist of fewer than three persons, and at least one ol the party should have a knowledge of the track. In heavy logs, the track is readily lost* and heavy .snow can make the track quite indistinguishable. wlii.e the walking becomes well nigh impossible, especially on the edge of the bush, where tiie warmth keeps the drifted snow soft.

femig, commodious, and placed just where it is most likely to he needed by tired trumpets,' tlie Alpha hut. erected by the Tararua Trumping Club, can accommodate fifty people at a pinch. Ihiilt of axe-squared timbers by Mr. Gibbs, ail the iron was packed up on horseback. More and more popular, it is often crowded at week-ends by tramping parties. “Leave dry wood, 5 ’ “Don’t touch emergency stores,” and “Leave the hut tidy” are the only commandments. Shielded by birch forest, “Alpha,” as the hut i.s commonly known, nestles at the foot of a 700 ft climb to the summit of Mount Alpha.