ACTIVITIES ON EGMONT

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 4 March 1935, Page 6

ACTIVITIES ON EGMONT

MOONLIGHT CLIMB TO SUMMIT PERFECT VIEW AT SUNRISE On Saturday night 28 members of the Mount Egmont Alpine Club left Dawson Falls on a moonlight climb to F'antham’s ’Peak, IS .proceeding to the summit of Egmont to watch the sun rise. Conditions for the lattex stages of the journey were perfect and a. magnificent panoramic view was unfolded. Under the leadership of Mr Rod Syme, the party left the hostel at 11.45 p.m., reaching Syme Hut at 2.50. A stop of one and a half hours I was made at the hut and a cold mist suggested a stiff climb on the main peak. After climbing for 200 feet, the party emerged from the clouds and there were perfect conditions for the rest of the climb, the summit being reached at 5.45. Of the 10 members of the party who remained at Syme Hut several were women. When the summit climbers returned the whole party made the descent to Dawson Falls, which was reached at 8.55 o’clock.

Later in the day there was a. large gathering of club members for tho annual picnic at Kaupokonui Beach, where games and fresh water and surf bathing were enjoyed. STR ATFORD CLUB CLIMB

A party of 23 members of the Statford Mountain Club led by Air Brian McMillan also climbed to the summit of Egmont yesterday to view the sunrise. The party left the Stratford house at 12.30 a.m. and was at the top an hour before the sun rose. The rising of the sun was spoilt in one sense by clouds over Ruapheu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro, but the cloud effects, outlined by the light of the rising sun, w r ere spectacular and members of the party were thoroughly satisfied with the trip. Good weather was experienced on the climb and on the descent till most of it was accomplished, when mist was encountered. The mist broke later in the morning and conditions during the day were excellent. Another party of six also went to the summit, leaving the house at 8.30 a.m. AGED WOMAN’S FEAT

Airs C. Af ay head, Stratford, aged 75, set out to climb Mt. Egmont yesterday, and some anxiety was felt when she had not returned by nightfall. However, she was in no trouble, merely delayed by a somewhat more strenuous climb than she had expected, and eventually reached Stratford mountain house early this morning safe and sound to eclipse the performance of Airs Chequer, Hawera, and gain the distinction of being the oldest woman to have climbed Alt. ngmont. Airs Mayhead left the mountain house at 7 a.m. yesterday with a party led by Air A. Nelson. She found the climbing more difficult than she had expected, but persevered in her intention, though progress was slower than had been hoped.