MOUNTAIN CLUB NOTES

Opunake Times, 19 August 1932, Page 2

MOUNTAIN CLUB NOTES

FROM THE LAST OUTING. (By "The Goat,") Last week-end's trip was by far the most successful we have had. The general opinion is that it is far better to go slowly up the road track on a lorry than walk even if one is peltered with snow all the way by Ken, Fitz, Mac and Co. When we arrived at the ski track our club captain fitted on a pair of skis (Opunake made) and proceeded to give us an exhibition. As it was highly amusing we were polite and never asked what is was an exhibition of, but kindly helped him to disentangle himself at the bottom of the track. We left him at it and found tobogganing much to our likij l but even on these we were thankful the snow was soft stuff to roll in. The boys will welcome suggestions as to how to get the toboggan sledge to the top of the slope again other than pulling it up themselves. We got a nasty fright when wc saw Nell and Jean coming down the track, eacli being supported by two men. We seized our first aid outfits and dashed forward with visions of broken ankles, etc., only to find they were on skis for the first time. Our secretary, after making calculations, decided that Fantham's Peak could be successfully assaulted, so, with a small party, started off. After successfully negotiating 8 and 10 feet of snow drifts they met a gale so hard that they had to cut steps in it to make progress? Struggling onward and upward they were finally met with clumps of ice being blown down the slopes and having forgotten to bring a fire screen to put in front of them they were forced to come back, giving as they came a fine exhibition of Napoleon retreating from Moscow. Some thoughtful person had taken some roller skates up and when we got back to the camp house we found that some were better at rolling along than sliding, also we could see that a cabbage will roll better than it can slide. The club hopes to benefit considerably when a budding young gold prospector has washed the gravel spoil he obtained from the foot of Dawson Falls.