SUCCESSFUL SEASON

Taranaki Daily News, 22 March 1935, Page 3

SUCCESSFUL SEASON

MOUNT EGMONT ALPINE CLUB. INCOME SHOWS EXCESS. An excess of income over expenditure of £l7 3s lid and an accumulated fund of £l9O 4s 9d are features of the balancesheet to be presented in conjunction with the seventh annual report of the Mount Egmont Alpine. Club, the annual meeting of which will be held on Wednesday. The year in all respects is recorded as successful. The report states that the membership of the club has been well maintained, and notwithstanding the reduced fees, £45 18s has been collected in current subscriptions and £7 4s in arrears. The club bulletins played an important part, seven having, been issued. They were distributed to members, Taranaki newspapers,. and to all affiliated clubs of the Federated Mountain "Clubs of New Zealand.

The work of the Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand had been well carried on in several directions, and the president and captain, Messrs. L. O. Hooker and R. Symes, who are on the executive, attended all meetings. They are concerned at the present time over the heavy burden inflicted upon some clubs in connection with the sending out of search parties. The time has arrived when it is felt that clubs and members should not have to bear all the burden.

Congratulations are extended to the South Committee for the many improvements effected on the southern side of the mountain. The campers can now have the privilege of electric light, electric heating points, electric hot water service and, above all, the grounds are all well lighted. Another hut built on the ski track provides ’ extra accommodation for skiers during the season. Each year some improvement is made. The equipment, consisting mainly of skis, ski stocks and ropes, has been kept in good order. Stocks have been increased by the addition of eight pairs of Norwegian hickory skis. Ski hires continue to bring in a satisfactory income, especially in view of the fact that most of the keen skiers now have their own equipment. Further consideration should' be given to the provision of a more suitable storeroom at Dawson Falls for the club equipment. A number of new books have been added to the library, including most of the better known recent works on mountaineering and exploration. The club was now a subscriber to the National Geographical Magazine. While the periodicals and club bulletins in the library had been made good use of on dub evenings, there had been a falling off in the number of books taken out for reading. The care of the Syme Hut has again been one of the tasks willingly undertaken by the members. Early in the year a strong working bee was organised, and in spite of rather unfavourable weather the sarking of the roof was carried out after having been postponed from the previous autumn through a succession of wet week-ends. During the winter there were very heavy snowfalls on Fantham’s Peak and the hut was buried for some months under a heavier blanket, of snow and ice than at any previous time. The roof carried the great weight without showing any signs of damage. On a number of occasions members have been disappointed at the condition in which the hut has been left by some members of the general public. At the end of January things were found to be in an unsatisfactory state. The club reported the matter to the South Committee and has asked that a restriction be placed on the day use of the hut by outsiders. • A regular programme of trips on the lines of previous years was maintained, usually with good support from members. Interest in the ski-ing activities varied a great deal as a result of changeable conditions. Heavy falls of snow, sometimes right down to the edge of the bush, were usually followed by quick thaws, with the result that the ski track at Dawson Falls was' only used by club parties on about half a dozen occasions. September has usually seen parties ski-ing regularly on the slopes of Fantham’s Peak above the head of the Kaupokonui, but this year the snow went very quickly from the slopes and in September they were practically bare. As is usual, the ski-ing centre moved upwards to Rangitoto Flat at the beginning of October, and from then on until the end of December excellent conditions prevailed on the slopes- above Syme Hut. Lack of snow on the eastern slopes in September caused a postponement of the Taranaki provincial ski championships until Labour Day week-end when the championships were held on the slopes above Rangitoto Flat. Mr. B. E. Murphy, second in the slalom, fourth in the straight race, and third in the combined championship, Was the best of the club men. H. Snowdon and R. C. Murie also performed well. In the women’s races there were poor entries, and all were members of the Egmont club. Miss J. Murphy won the slalom, Miss P. Murphy the straight race, and in the combined championship Miss P. Murphy was first and Miss J. Murphy second. The teams race and the novice race were both won by club members. The club championships were held in November and resulted in B. E. Murphy winning the men’s title and Miss P. Murphy the women’s. H. Snowdon and Miss J. Murphy filled second places. Towards the end of the season at least five members added their names to the list of those who have ski-ied. from the summit

to Rangitoto Flat. The club joined with the Taranaki Alpine Club and the Stratford Mountain Club in organising a party to the Tongariro National Park in August for the New Zealand ski championships. This was the first time the club had an official party at the Chateau, and with those in the above combined party and others with the R.S.C. party there were in all 19 members at the championship meeting. The following members gained honours: Misses J. Beale, P. and J. Murphy and M. Bond, and B. E. Murphy, H. Snowdon, R. C. Murie, H. Holt and H. Roberts. In the interclub teams race the club team was first in a strong field of nine teams. In winning the New Zealand long-distance championship B. E. Murphy is the fourth club member to gain the title in the five years the competition has been held. Ski tests were held on a number of occasions and several members succeeded in passing the third-class test. Mr. Rod Syme was reappointed to the ski council of the Federated Mountain Clubs and was again associated with the preparation of the New Zealand section of the Australia and New Zealand Ski Year Book. Members of the Aero Club contributed several successful evenings. Our thanks are due to the good work of the social committee and to the directors of the Winter Show Company for making a room and hall available for use. The report impressed on members the precautions that should be taken on all mountain trips. It was gratifying to know that the year passed without an accident of any kind. The search fund had again been added to and was now being brought up to a very satisfactory amount. The report congratulated Mr. R. Syme upon his 100th climb of Mount Egmont.