MOUNTAINEERING IN NATIONAL PARK

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 9 November 1927, Page 2

MOUNTAINEERING IN NATIONAL PARK

ADDRESS BY MR HARKNESS OPTIMISTS’ CLUB At this week’s meeting of the Y.M.O.A. Optimists’ Club at lunch in Messrs frathen anci Co.’s tea room Mr G. Harkness delivered a short address on various trips he has made to National Park. Ho thought his remarks might give a lead to the newly-formed Y.M.* O.A. Tramping Club. Mr Harkness said that the party always looked forward to the trip to National Park at Easter time. Arriving by train at Waimarino or Ohakune in the early hours of the morning, the mountaineers were very often met by a most gloomy outlook as mostly there was a drizzle of rain and cold in the early hours of the morning in that particular part pf the Island. A favourite route lay via the Haunted Whare to Whakapapa huts. This could be dope by lorry to the Whare, and at that time it was usual to halt there for breakfast, but now a car could be driven right to Whakapapa, so probably the Haunted Whare did not rank ap importantly as in previous years. If the trip was planned for Tongariro or Ngaruhoe the route lay across country about nine miles to another but known as Mangatapopo. On their first trip there, said the speaker, no member of the party cought a glimpse of the mountains till’ the morning of the third dav, when all were surprised to find tliev were actually situated right at the foot of the two mountains. While they were ascending the steep scoria-cov-ered sides of Ngaruhoe a wonderfully interesting sight was presented. The climbers could look right down on Tongariro which was snow-covered and is composed largely of huge razor back ridges. Ngaruhoe is a most interesting mountain having two huge craters at its summit —one full of snow, the other large crater being full of a limey formation. Rainbows could bo seen by anyone looking clown into the water’s depths. Descending Ngaruhoe great care had to he taken to avoid loosening the boulders which came hurtling down all along the line. On the way back to Whakapapa the route to the Kitatahi Springs was passed. The springs, of course, require a special trip to themselves.

On this particular occasion the Whakapapa huts were full up, and it was a case of continuing on to the Haunted Whare again for supper. The whare was reached by 10.30, supper cooked at once, and off to bunk. Breakfast was on at 2 o’clock in the morning, and after a good deal of growling the party was on the way again by 2.30. The last clay’s trip now lay’ahead 1 . "A beautiful sight was presented to the early’ morning Hampers as they journeyed through the bush all snow covered and the mountain coming to vigw from time to time. The objective was to reach the summit of Ruapthu as soon after sunrise as possible. Unfortunately the trip was not completed till some considerable time after sunrise, but even then all were filled with awe at the beauty of the scene before them. The greatest view in the country can be obtained from Ruapehu, limited by the sea on the east and west, the Southern Alps in the south, and as far as the eye is capable c-f seeing to the north. The most striking point of all was the beautiful summit of Egmont away above the clouds with fhe sunlight striking full upon and breaking into bright colours. A glorious scene indeed, and one that repaid many times the early rising and toil of climbing. Ruapehu is a beautiful mountain, with its. huge snow fields, and various peaks. The crater lake was then a woncler for, in spite of its boiling heat in the centre, many a mountaineer has had a swim in it round the edges. That quality seemed to be destroyed when a great change took place in the crater a year or two ago. The last time the party saw it, it resembled very much a pot of green paint. As an illustration of the contrasts in condition qn the top of the mountain, the party one year spent two hours on top, while another year it took them all their time to stay there long enough to notice the colour of the lake before all desperately edged back over the ridge. The speaker went on to describe a trip across a glacier where steps, were cut for every foothold, the exciting skate of one of the- members who missed, how one or two personal belongings such as mugs, were parted with, and after bouncing down the sides in great bounds gave a final leap and with a great dive disappeared into a yawning crevice far below. The party also had slides on the famous ski-ing ground much to the detriment of the clothes they wore. The Glhakum lints were reached during the afternoon, and after a hearty meal the party set out for the station, 9 miles away. A tedious journey resulted because it was pitch dark, and the track bad been used by pack horses and foot passengers, and there had been a lot of rain that week-end. Also the track was only a- clearing through soft soil and all the' way lay through virgin forest slopes. There were wild and exciting times when the train came in sight in tho middle of swabbing down to get the mud uniforms off. “The, glories of the park cannot be exaggerated,” said Mr Harkness, “and should be an inspiration for any tramping party.”