A river ran through it: Whanganui Bay road collapses. Pigs safe.

Over the weekend of the 9th December the road down the gorge to the Bay was totally washed away in a flash flood following a burst water storage pond on the farmer's property. The road is still a mess from the top of the gorge down to just about 200m before Lobotomy Buttress.

The Whanganui Bay road just below the top car park. Scott Taylor and Matt Spittal demonstrate the drop would have been bigger if they were smaller.

A stream runs down the middle of the former road, consisting of a series of short 5 - 15 foot waterfalls. The bed is full of fallen debris, large tree trunks, and car size boulders (and the odd car). Further damage was done by a precipitous downpour, including plum sized hailstones, on the 14th of January.

A route fit for foot traffic has been formed. Expect, in current conditions, the walk down the campsite to take about an hour fully laden. Some Wellington section members reportedly avoided the whole mess by flying in and out on a floatplane (no names, Alex Palman).

Connoisseurs of schadenfreude may be interested to note that the BMW of an Auckland climber was floated down the road by the second flood and had its engine cavity thoroughly stuffed with pumice.

The locals have got a large yellow digger in and by the end of anniversary weekend had re-established the car park at the top of the gorge and started the onerous task of diverting the stream from the road. The digger operator estimated they will have the road restored in about a week - baring accidents, by the time you are reading this.

How stable and permanent the resulting structure will depends on how effectively locals can divert any further moving water away from the light, easily eroded pumice and other volcanic material in the gorge that makes up the road base.

Despite access difficulties over a dozen mostly Wellington section members were down at the Bay climbing over a very pleasant Wellington Anniversary weekend. The main current danger to campers is the scavenging herds of pigs let lose to forage due to the difficulties of trucking in their regular nosh. The herd streams across the vast Bay plains like migrating wildebeest in the Serengeti, devouring everything moderately edible that crosses its path. Several erstwhile climbers reported being thoroughly masticated by pigs in the mistaken impression they were finger food.

Finally Matt Spittal and Derek Lowe have asked that their spectacular onsights and flashes of several grade 18 climbs at the Bay over the long weekend be noted by Vertigo. Noted, boys.

Section Night: What a deal!! February Section Night on Monday 4 February is our annual Free BBQ night at Fergs.

Just turn up anytime after 5pm, show your membership card, and you will get in for free. As well as free entry - members also get free sausages, bread, tomato sauce, fizzy drinks and a few beers (beer only available after you have finished climbing). All courtesy of the Section.

Vertigo Photos

As observant readers will have noticed, we now have the technology to do photos. All submissions appreciated! Please send electronically to Maria Cassidy at mc@nzalpine.wellington.net.nz

Baring Head Rock Hop, Saturday 2nd of February

The Rock Hop is on us again. And it is well worthwhile to do. There are both recreational and expert categories. Register after 10 am at Baring Head on the Saturday and have a fun day's climbing for $10. Barbie and prize giving afterwards at Catchpool. If you don't want to climb, it's still great to just come along and get some tips from really top boulderers in action on some gnarly problems.

National Bouldering Series

Of course the Rock Hop is only one part of the National Bouldering Series, sponsored by Cactus Climbing, Bivouac, and your own NZAC. Other events are at Froggatt Edge (26th January), Hulk Hogan (16th February), and Castle Hill (23rd February). All promise great prizes and more importantly atmosphere and all kick of at 10 am and cost $10.

Other news

Proposal for bouldering in Chaffers Park development

Mike O'Brien has been putting his injury downtime to good use by presenting a submission to Wellington City Council on integrating a bouldering component into the proposed Chaffers Park Development.

Mike reports his presentation was generally well received. He was interviewed and photographed by the Evening Post regarding his submission with the article still to appear. Keep your eyes peeled!

The next step awaits production of a development discussion document by the Council. Hopefully a bouldering component will be included as a possible feature. At this point, following the development discussion document, a design competition for the Park is instituted. Mike plans to try and involve people with design skills - possibly from the Wellington Design School - to help him with this work. If any of you work in design and know anything about rock climbing and want to help, please contact Mike on mike_goesaclimbn@hotmail.com.


Lowrie breaks jinx on Aspiring, summiting on 67th attempt after 20 years effort
Foolhardily braving Al Lowrie's appalling record of attracting bad weather into the Matukituki, Matthew Stevens, Maria Cassidy and Caroline Duggan teamed up with the guy and made a leisurely walk in to Colin Todd Hut via French Ridge and up the amusingly named Bonar. There they spent a few days lounging in bed, meeting new people and making a recce trip up the rock buttress to the NW Ridge. After nearly a week, much discussion, and when most of the food had run out they decided to go for the top and summited via the Rock Buttress and the NW Ridge. Being polite when they got back to the hut they skipped dinner so as not to wake the other 22 guests and stayed in bed the next morning till most of them had left. Much discussion saw them leave soon after via Bevan Col with a four hour nap at Aspiring Hut, out to the Raspberry Flats and a celebratory breakfast in Wanaka. Many thanks to Pete and Hamish who saved the team a bunk, waited up, and made them hot tea and gave them chocolate! As a footnote, Alpine Guides report increased bookings by clients for ascents of Aspiring, now that news has got out that Alan will no longer be frequenting the area and attracting in dodgy weather. Alpine Guides share prices were noted to lift over the new year, but leading analysts spoken to by Vertigo said that the alleged "Lowrie effect" could be due to the normal post Christmas hubris.

And a final word to Alan:

"I will be forever grateful for the fantastic teamwork, humour and support given to me by the others on the trip which has culminated in them getting me to the top of this mountain (on my sixty seventh attempt over the past 20 years). Everyone came home tired but happy. I must confess to having to eat humble pie after making a gross error of judgement on the way out. I argued that walking all the way out would not be much harder than getting a back flight on a helicopter and that we would get to the end of the track about the same time anyway. How I thought a 16 hour epic walkout was better than a $50 10 minute helicopter flight I still do not know. Oh…and Alpine Guides shares? Buy, buy, buy!"


More Aspiring news
Eric Duggan (NZAC Wellington) and Mark Solari (Melbourne, Australia) headed into Gardiner Hut in early January for a Grand Traverse of Cook. Bad weather saw them cache food there and retreat to Wanaka where they climbed Mt Aspiring from French Ridge Hut via the West Face and the South West Couloir. Last reports had Eric heading back to Cook to find someone to help with eating the food.


Nank, Cocks up "first ascent" of Mt Moffit
Over the New Year w/e John Nankervis and John Cocks went up the Windon Burn from the Mavora Lakes . Complete with Extra Virgin Oil ready to mist an unclimbed summit they scrambled up Mount Moffit , the highest protuberance in the Livingstone Mountains. Sadly there was a cairn on top. The rivers were fast and furious on the retreat.


The Section's "Spring Rock" course goes summer
Spring Rock is going well but weather events have led to cancellations and the course name being changed to Summer Rock. A super student write up by Lennie and Kirsten will appear next issue.

Wanted: A contributor to a NZ Ski Touring Guidebook.

NZAC has accepted a proposal in principle from James Broadbent, of the Canterbury/Westland Section, to co-ordinate a Ski Touring Guidebook for publication in December 2003.

James plans to outline day trips and overnight trips in the main, avoiding documenting the more remote areas. He knows the North Island quite well and is building up his knowledge of the northern South Island where there are numerous experienced people locally who he can call on.

However, the southern South Island needs local input and James seeks an experienced partner. He is open to this partner being a co-editor or a contributor, although his preference is the former. Please contact James at james.broadbent@xtra.co.nz

Trips

March 2002
Easter Gardening. 27 March-1 April 2002.
Don French is heading to the Garden of Eden from Clyde, with eyes on Mt Tyndall. Don't miss out. This is sure to be a great gnarly adventure lead by one of the great gnarly adventurers. Get in early and secure a place, Contact: don.f@xtra.co.nz, or ph: 06 377 7117.

June 2002
Queen's Birthday Bash, Mt. Franklin, Nelson Lakes. 1-3 June 2002.
With remarkable foresight Caroline Duggan has revealed the Place To Be for the first w/e of June 2002. We've had to advertise this far in advance to avoid disappointment. Don't miss out, Contact: cd@nzalpine.wellington.net.nz, or phone 04 475 5542 (hm).

Thanks from Phil to everyone making an effort to generate club trips. Remember, contact trips co-ordinator if you have any ideas for trips-destinations, leaders, dates, level of (in)competence, activities, queries about listed trips, or even if you'd like to help in organising trips. Nothing will be set in stone! Phil Suisted-ps@nzalpine.wellington.net.nz, or ph: 380 0855.