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 Section
Night April 5th: AUSTIN BROOKES!
This month, Austin Brookes will talk about
and show slides of the 1981 NZ Molamenqing expedition.
Not only was Molamenqing (7,703m) the highest
virgin peak ever climbed by a NZ mountaineering expedition
but, as Austin points out, it always will be: there are
no virgin peaks left! The 1981 expedition was a shoestring
climb. It is thought that the climbing party was only the
2nd group of Western climbers to be allowed into Tibet by
the Chinese authorities, but before the Kiwi team could
tackle Molamenqing it had to find the mountain! To do so,
the expedition even had to make its own map - constructed
from NASA satellite photos!
Some section members may have read Warwick
Anderson's book about the expedition "To the Untouched Mountain".
April's section night talk now gives all section members
an unrivalled opportunity to hear the story of a small but
successful expedition that is an integral part of NZ mountaineering.
Austin's talk will be preceded by the AGM
of the Wellington section (details inside). This is not
expected to take long and will not detract from the evening's
enjoyment!
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Mt Hooker and Mt Dechen and cloud in the Landsborough
Valley
Section Nights: Upcoming: MAY, JUNE & JULY!
On Monday evening, 3 May, Neil Hickman will
talk about and show slides of the Mt Hicks grade 6 ice route that
he climbed in December last year together with Nick Cradock and
Phil Penny.
On Monday evening, 14 June (ie: a week after
the Queen's Birthday holiday), the Wellington section of Alpine
Club will hold its annual photographic competition.
On Monday evening, 5 July, Neil Hickman teams
up with John Rhodes for a multi media presentation on New Zealand's
top ten classic peaks.!)
 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Want
to give something more to the Alpine Club?
Would
you like to be on the Club's committee?
Would
you like to help the Wellington section but not be on the committee?
The
Wellington section of the NZAC is on the lookout for new blood.
If you answered yes to any of the above, we'd love to hear from
you and/or see you at the AGM, which precedes Austin Brookes'
section night talk on Monday, 5 April. Keen, enthusiastic level-headed
people (if that's not an oxymoron!) are the life blood of the
club, and we are especially looking for a new Trips Coordinator
(our last one's just had a baby), and a new Section Night Coordinator.
As Lord Kitchener famously remarked: "The
Wellington section of the NZAC needs you!"
PLEASE NOTE: THE FINANCIAL REPORT/AUDITORS REPORT
WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE AGM….
Section trips news
Please send all your fantastic trip reports to newsletter@nzalpine.wellington.net.nz,
so everyone can enjoy your stories.
Duggan to the Darrans
During the last week of February Malcolm McGechie, Jeremy Haines
and myself headed down to Homer Hut in Fiordland. We spent several
days getting down there, visiting the Port Hills, Hanging Rock,
and Wanaka during the day and driving at night. Our original plan
was to climb the north buttress of Sabre but there was too much
snow about so instead we spent a few days cragging at Chasm Crag.
This is an excellent climbing location with great views and it
is nice and dry in the rain, being situated under a huge overhang.
After a couple of days of sun enough snow had melted from Homer
Saddle and Moir's Mate so we went and climbed the Bowen-Allan
Corner, an excellent 7 pitch route up to grade 17 in difficulty,
on the diamond (western) face of Moir's Mate. We unfortunately
ran out of time to climb Sabre after that, so headed back to Wellington.
After several recent trips to the Central Southern Alps it was
a nice change to climb on the nice solid rock of the Darran Mountains!
Eric Duggan
More Crumbs from Nank
* Adamants. Early February evergreen Section member and San Francisco
resident Rob Rowlands, Cherie Bremer-Kamp, John Nankervis and
a host of nice people from the western US went into Fairy Meadow
in the Adamants, Columbia Mountains, BC for a week's ski touring.
The weather was mainly good, the powder deep and the food verged
on the gourmet. More cols were climbed than peaks. Great views
east across the Columbia to the Rockies as far north as Robson
and, to the south, the impressive north face of Sir Sandford and
the Rogers Pass area.
* Tukino Callout. Before Christmas Tim Stern and John Nankervis
had a good day's ski touring on the Waikato and Whangaehu Glaciers
marred only by having to call the AA to the top of the Tukino
road late in the day .
* Bath on Barth. Late January Dave Bamford, John Ombler, Hugh
Logan, John Nankervis, Barb Brown and Geoff Spearpoint went up
the Ahuriri to a camp in Canyon Creek. They climbed Barth via
the southern snow face in light rain. Next day in much heavier
rain the announcement was made by the Minister of Conservation
of the purchase of Birchwood Station by the Nature Heritage Fund
. The Birchwood pastoral lease occupies the Upper Ahuriri and
spills over into the Dingle Burn in the Hawea watershed.
John Nankervis
BANFF IS BACK! THE BANFF FESTIVAL OF MOUNTAIN
FILMS!
"Well of course the Banff Mountain Film Festival is one of
the greatest, if not THE greatest film festival on mountaineering
matters in the world" -Sir Edmund Hillary
Well, if Sir Ed says so...........
Following on last year's success, the NZAC is bringing the Festival
back to Wellington on Sunday 2nd May. Featuring films on climbing,
skiing, mountain culture and other oddities, we guarantee you
will be entertained. There will be showing a variety of short
and long films, so be prepared for some adventure, humour, and
adrenalin. This event sold out last year so get your tickets early.
Only 500 seats! Don't miss out!
When: Sunday 2nd May 6:30 PM
Where: Paramount Theatre, Courtney Place
Tickets: $15 available From: Mountain Designs, Mainly Tramping
and Bivouac Outdoor after 6th April
Thanks also to our other sponsors Fergs Rock 'n' Kayak, Hangdog
Climbing Centre, and Format Printing for helping us bring this
event to Wellington.
Don't miss this opportunity: As Alpine Club members we
are offering you the chance to be the first in town to get your
tickets. Come to the section night on 5th April where we will
be pre-selling tickets. Cash and cheques only please.
Info
Wanted!
From Frank Davis
Dear Climbers. A recently discovered second cousin, born in NZ
and now in CA. USA, told me of another cousin, Gillian (Jill)
Gwen Tremain who was a mountaineer. She and Graeme Dingle made
the first winter crossing of NZ Southern Alps and I believe she
perished in an avalanche in the Himalayas (with three other women)
in May 1974. Does anyone have any information, obituary, or articles
on her or can aim me at anything published on her life?' Contact
Frank Davis on Davisfjtn@aol.com.
From Peter Barnes:
ON THE HUNT FOR 1940s NZ ALPINE JOURNALS…..Old NZ Alpine journals
are a bit thin on the ground these days, but if anyone has the
1941-1948 journals for sale or for exchange etc, or can offer
advice on tracking them down, I would be appreciative (these last
ones will complete a set. Thanks in advance' Pete can be contacted
either via email peterbarnes@clear.net.nz or by phone (03) 471
0955 (evenings).
DISTAHGIL SAR FUND APPLICATIONS
This fund was set up as a memorial to Chris Hoare, Andy Boas
and Steve Thornley, Wellington Section members who died on Distaghil
Sar in the Karakoram in August 1996.
The fund is made up of donations from families and friends. Awards
are made every year from the interest it earns. This year the
total available for awards (including interest not spent last
year) is in the region of $1000. The purpose of the fund is to
assist members to become better qualified to instruct on our alpine
courses.
Any member of the section
may apply for an award. The closing date for applications this
year is 3 May. Decisions about grants are made by the fund administrators
(the section's chairperson, instruction committee convener and
treasurer).
Applications should be in
writing, and should specify the courses or qualifications for
which financial assistance is sought; the need for such assistance;
and the availability of the applicant to instruct on the section's
snow courses.
Appropriate courses are NZAC
or FMC instructor courses; NZOIA snow assessments or pre-assessments;
risk assessment and outdoor first aid courses; or any other courses
or qualifications that the fund administrators approve. Awards
will be used to pay for expenses actually incurred, rather than
given as a lump sum.
The decision about awards will take into account the applicants'
climbing skills and judgement, ability to communicate with students,
commitment to safety, previous contributions to the section's
instruction programmes, and availability to instruct on the section's
alpine courses in future. The available funding may be given to
one applicant, or split between two or more. Applications should
be sent to Distaghil Sar Fund, NZAC Wellington Section, PO Box
1628, Wellington BY 3 MAY 2004. Awards will be announced in the
June newsletter.
CHAIRPERSON'S 8th QUIZ -
At December's section night
meeting, the chairperson's quiz was in the form of a riddle: "What
am I? I am a mountain ski resort, an island whose highest point
is a hill 1184 feet high, a curry beloved by Welsh rock jocks,
and a large coral atoll."
The answer is Christmas.
In the spirit of Christmas,
there were two winners. The first correct answer to be submitted
was sent in by Kevin Patterson less than an hour after the 1st
of December section night meeting had finished. The second winner,
Jane Furkert, was drawn from all the other correct answers sent
in to the section chairman by 29 February. Kevin and Jane each
received a bottle of wine as a reward for their labours.
CHAIRPERSON'S 9th QUIZ -
The March section night was held on the night of the stars, a
few brief hours after the 2004 Oscars were awarded (largely to
Kiwis, but we needn't boast). As a result, the chairperson drew
on the stars for inspiration for his ninth quiz question, which
is:
What is the tallest peak in the solar system?
Email your answers - with the words "Quiz number 9" in the subject
line if you don't want your email to be destroyed as spam! - to
chairperson@nzalpine.wellington.net.nz
by no later than 12 noon on Sunday, 4 April 2004, to go into the
draw to win a bottle of wine.
For Sale
Sportiva "Nepal Extreme" Leather Mountaineering Boots Size 41,
Top of the line Leather Mountaineering Boot, Retail at $930.00.
Worn once, selling for $600.00. To kind home only!
Contact Pat Deavoll, ph (03) 443 4452, email pdeavoll@hotmail.com
Lost and Found
Found: Sportiva Viper rock shoe. North Otago Section members
found a rock shoe at Elephant Rocks near Duntroon in December.
Sportiva Viper, left foot, blue upper. Contact Barry Stevens (03)
434 1535 or Nick Shearer shearer@es.co.nz?
And here are the club trips ....
Wellington Section Trips
Trips are a key part of the section, so if
anyone has an idea about a trip, no matter how vague, come and
chat to the new trips co-ordinator (trips@nzalpine.wellington.net.nz)
Trips can be of any length, any level of difficulty,
and any size. Simply email us, or approach us at the monthly meeting,
and we can help you get going on a safe and enjoyable trip.
See you in the hills!
Chile
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TBC
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Trip type:
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Overseas Expedition
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Level:
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Intermediate
- Advanced
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Organiser:
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Toto
Gronlund, toto.high@ntl-world.com
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