ALPINE CLUB.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 25 June 1928, Page 6

ALPINE CLUB.

TR AMP ON MT. EG MONT. Dawson’s Finite was the scene of rather unusual acti-v-ity at an early hour on Sunday morning, when members of the Alpine Club arrived at regular intervals from 8.3 Q onwards- in preparation for the proposed climb to / the top of Fantham’s- Peak for instruction, in the use of axe and rope, and with the hope of proving the suitability of the slopes on the top of F-anthanis for such sports as ski-ing, glissading and tobogganing. News had -spread qu-iokly that the mountain was m excellent condition after the heavy fall of snow during the week, b-ut the weather was to be the upsetting factor. From an early hour the peak was covered with dense elo-uds and there was every indication that under the influence of the cold south-west wind conditions at the high, levels would have been very unpleasant. It was therefore decided to abandon the proposed climb and instead the party of nearly seventy set out at ten o’clock along the snow-covered- track to Stratford Plateau, where the work recently done on the- ski track was inspected, and full use was made of the good -snow slopes to try out the thrills of tobagganing. After lunch t-he party continued on the track leading through the -Maunganui gorge a-n-d out on to the snow-cover-ed tussock slopes below tlie Policemen. Here a very pleasant hour’s sport was secured- in glissading and snow-ball in g and it was only the approach- of a heavy shower of sleet and rain that finally turned the trampers towards home. The trip, which was under the leadership of Brian Ha-ybittle, club vice-captain, was thoroughly enjoyed by all. The postponed trip to the top of Fantham’s is now being keenly looked forward to.