Why you should rock climb Part 1

There is a misconception that the mountaineering group in the club is hard core and tough. Hopefully once I have finished this article that misconception will be cleared up. If this does not do the trick then Frances and Henry’s talk on the 2^nd December should sort it out once and for all.

We didn’t meet at the railway station at 5 pm. No, we got there at 4 pm to get away early. Despite an early traffic jam we were safely inside the club lodge at Ruapehu by 9:15 pm.

Yes that’s right, us big softies were not camping under a fly at a road end but were walking through carpeted floors to heated bunkrooms. A good night’s sleep was had by all.

We woke at the late hour of 7:30 am and cooked our bacon, eggs and pancakes for breakfast before sorting out our kit and sandwiches for the day.

Taking our day packs we tramped for a good 40 minutes to Pehi’s Bluff. After that the furthest we got was another 40 m as we worked our way through some rather good trad climbing. The sun was shining and only a few clouds – it was a beautiful day. Most of us got about eight climbs in. We led the lower grades but top roped the harder ones. Our skills at placing gear while laying back a crack are not there yet! (after Summer Rock this sentence will make sense to you).

Then we strolled back to the lodge arriving about 6:30 pm. We then set out to cook dinner. Menu is provided below:

Entrée

• Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips
• Crackers
• Assorted dips

Main Course

• Caramel walnut, blue cheese and spinach salad.
• Kumara and Potato wedges with herb flavouring
• Beef steak

Dessert

• Chocolate Truffle tart with a side serving of cream

 Unfortunately there was no drinks menu as we forgot to ask the chief guide for permission, next time!

Afterwards we retired to the warm bunkrooms.

The morning bought drizzle and a bit of wind. Being rock climbers we knew what to do and settled down to a leisurely breakfast with much coffee. (Most climbers spend a lot of time drinking coffee, especially when it rains).

It was still damp so we drove home, back for 1:30 pm.

Thanks to David Jewel for knowing about the bluff and organising an excellent weekend. Fellow climbers were Brendan Eckert and Megan Sety.