Continued from Snowcraft 2014 Part 1 in last month’s newsletter… On the way up to Whakapapa it got darker and cold. We could see by the side of the road from National Park that a lot more snow fell during the week. On the drive up the Bruce, past the snow chain bay the van … Read more
Ah what luxury! Showers, flushing toilets, running water, electricity and hot water on demand! I speak of course of the opulent WTMC lodge a stones throw away from the Top O the Bruce on Ruapehu. Compared to huts, even Great Walk huts(!) the lodge presents a sense of civilised creature comforts that are otherwise sacrificed … Read more
Featuring Assembled Cast Members: Ye Enlightened and Wise Instructors: Sharron Came, Mike Phethean, Marie Henderson Keen Bean Students: Sam Thorndon, Fiona Elliot, Emily Shrosbee, Doug Jones, Adam Threlkeld, Inky Hickey, Nicky Shields, Megan Sety, James Skeggs First of all, if you’ve never done the snowcraft course or been on trips in the snow, I would … Read more
Quick out of the blocks on Friday night at 5.30pmish, Snowcraft 2 set off for our second trip to The Mountain. Due to delays from phaffing, traffic and phaffing, some had to consume their Bulls kebabs on-the-run. The sun-gods seemed to have turned their back on Whakapapa this time, choosing instead to warm the faces … Read more
When signing up in the balmy month of May, it wasn’t there yet. And even for many long weeks into June, there was hardly any snow on the ski fields at the big hill in the North, which we can often see on a clear day when tramping in our Tararua backyard. However, we still … Read more
This year the Club again ran both an Alpine Instruction Course and a Snowcraft course. We had 6 people on the AIC and 14 doing Snowcraft so a total of 20 students. At the time of writing we had just completed the Snowcraft course while the AIC still had its final weekend to go. We enjoyed two brilliant … Read more