Club nights are at Turnbull House, on the first unimpeded Monday of every month. New and prospective members are welcome. Meet for dinner at the Backbencher public bar at 6.30 and on to Turnbull House at 7.30 pm for a catch up. Meetings and talks start at 8.00 pm with club business and tea and coffee afterwards (if someone remembers to buy the milk and boil the jug). Biscuits are generally guaranteed!

Pete Blaxter modelling DoC’s new staff uniform, Mt Ruapehu

Upcoming Section Nights

2nd AUGUST: There will be a spectacularly amazing presentation, details to come next month!

6th SEPTEMBER: Back by popular demand is our SHORT TALKS, no walk too long, no tale too short, or perhaps a technical demonstration? This is your 10 minutes of fame, contact Caroline at cd @nzalpine.wellington.net.nz if you want to say something!

Ed in Bed - Back next month

This months edition of vertigo has been hijacked by the Sub-Editor while Rachael Schmidt, our usual editor, recovers from last years altercation with a white van. We wish her all the best in her recovery and await next months edition from its rightful editor!

The Section’s thoughts and good wishes are also being sent Northwards to Waikato Hospital where section member Diane Drayton is recovering from a fall at Queens Birthday.

We hope to see you both back cranking hard soon!

Sorry about the tea…

That should really be sorry for having no tea at the last section night. The two members of your hard working committee who were organising the section night each thought the other was making the tea. However you can make sure this problem doesn’t arise again by volunteering to be a Section Night Administrator! Just let any member of the committee know if you are keen to help out.

While on the topic of your hard working committee please remember they are all volunteers with busy stressful lives, so next time you see a committee member, pat them on the back and say thanks! Hug-A-Committee-Member month starts now!

2004 PHOTO COMPETITION RESULTS

For the second year in a row, section chairperson Nigel Roberts judged the section's annual Photo Comp. Nigel Roberts commended the high quality of the entries – he'd said that while he'd really enjoyed judging the 2003 photo competition, he thought that this year's entries were of an even higher overall standard.

In the Alpine Activity category, the winning photograph – the Champion picture – was Malte Dreaming by Caroline Duggan. Slides by Peter Laurenson and Derek Richardson were awarded Honours.

In the Alpine General section, Tom Wilson's Ishinca Moonlight was the Champion picture, and he also submitted an Honours photograph entitled Pisco Palette. Nigel Roberts judged Tom Wilson's two slides to be the evening's outstanding pictures. Other Honours slides in the Alpine General category were taken by Kara Lipski and Peter Laurenson.

In Alpine Nature category, the Champion award went to a picture called Flowers of the Andes – a print by Tony Gates, while Richard Davies and Peter Laurenson submitted Honours slides.

The Champion Rock Climbing picture was Leading by Merewyn Ellis, while Eric Duggan was awarded Honours.

In the Photojournalism category, Dave Langrish's Crevasse Rescue slide was judged Champion picture, and Peter Laurenson won yet another Honours commendation.

Peter Laurenson's Billrock was the Champion Humour photograph.

Many thanks are due to our sponsors – Mountain Designs, Mainly Tramping, Bivouac, Hang Dog and Image Lab – for their support and great prizes!

Section trips news

Please send all your fantastic trip reports to newsletter @nzalpine.wellington.net.nz, so everyone can enjoy your stories.

Everest

On the 15th of May I achieved a lifelong dream by standing on the summit of Mt Everest. This was the first summit day of the pre-monsoon season on the South Side of the mountain so our ascent was a little slow as the route was still being fixed.

I was part of a commercial expedition (Jagged Globe) which consisted of a total of two clients and expedition leader Kenton Cool. We had three climbing Sherpas in support - Ang Tshering, Pema Tshering, & Pemba Norbu. Kenton & I, plus Pema and Pemba were the first to reach the summit, arriving at around 12.15pm.

Having spent more than 8 weeks on the mountain, it was good to get from Base Camp to back home in less than 6 days!

Everest is my 3rd 8,000m summit, having previously climbed Cho Oyu (8,201m) in 1994 and Gasherbrum II (8,035m) in 1999.

Clive Jones

Mt Arrowsmith

JB made a recce of Mt Arrowsmith at the beginning of June over three days. Its a mountain which doesn't get a lot of ascents, even though Cameron Hut is well appointed and maintained by the CMC (including a solar light for bedtime stories!). It may have something to do with the traditional approach up the Carriageway now being inaccessible. He is happy to share the beta with anyone interested.

John Barnes

Spanish Lessons

During March 2004, Tony Gates clambered solo up Pico Refugio (Peak of the mountain hut), which is a nice lump of granite in the northern Patagonian Andes. It is 1936 metres altitude, set in mountains and scenery a bit like the Nelson Lakes area. Conditions were pretty good, and he reports that running shoes were quite OK for the scramble. The peak is not far from the very scenic Refugio and lago (lake) Jakob, which is on the polpular trekking circut near the town of Bariloche. There are several granite torres (towers) in the area, some reaching 2300 metres, and looking a bit like smaller versions of the more well known Patagonian peaks further south.

Tony Gates

Blue Lake, Nelson Lakes - Queens Birthday 2004

Justin said Blue Lake was the best place in the whole world. Matt said that the view from the top of Moss Pass was pretty good too. Rach and Jen said that a view from the best place in the whole world only a ferry ride away was something they needed to see.

A series of overtraining injuries and a major one resulting from an altercation with a taxi postponed the trip from December until June 2004. Over planning replaced overtraining – ferries and water taxis were booked, distances measured, absolutely necessary new gear was purchased and the merits of carrying live vegetables were defended over a smorgasbord of dehydrated dishes. Matt kept the group honest with a healthy dose of the ‘how hard can it be we’re only going for a walk’ attitude that has come to define him.

The alarm at 6am on Saturday produced the usual round of groaning and plastic bag rustling. The team stormed up to West Sabine Hut as the rain started to set in. The Bangma schedule took a pounding as we analysed progress over lunch. Luckily the conversation soon moved on to debating the quality of Justin’s, Matt’s and Rach’s choice of chocolate. We pushed on towards Blue Lake Hut, stopping for a quick chat with the only other trampers we met on the trip – of course it turned out to be fellow Wellingtonians Garth, Michele et al. on a sensible day trip to Blue Lake (unlike us, they had worked out that it would be warmer to stay at lower altitude). The snow started falling at about 800m and each of us revelled in that serene feeling of tramping quietly up to the lake through beautiful falling flakes. Matt delivered again on his gourmet chef reputation and much trivia of the non-intellectual kind was discussed round the ‘corker cooker’ after dinner.

The sound of water being poured into a billy roused us all out of our semi-warm slumber on Sunday. More snow had fallen overnight and the first to brave the elements noted that visibility was at 10m. However, our weather god was with us all the way on this trip and by the time we had shoved our feet into wet cold boots it had cleared back and we could see to the ridge. We launched ourselves up the slope toward Moss Pass and it was everything that Matt and Justin had promised and more – mist quietly rising from the valley, early season snow capped ridges and sun warming our faces as we headed up the last narrow gut and over into the D’Urville Valley. The downhill was a little more challenging with slippery shallow snow on rock and tussock as we slithered rapidly and sometimes unexpectedly through the beech forest. We were glad to see Ella Hut which was soon toasty with the wee fatso stove roaring and wet gear steaming. A bit of doom defined the talk of the walk out the nest day, however such talk is usually designed to surprise and delight when the weather clears back and it takes half the time to travel the distance than was originally estimated.

And so it was – a fast jaunt down the valley to the lake under blue, sunny sky; surprise on the face of the backpacker owner who couldn’t believe that we had got through alive (what type of tramper does he usually meet?); and of course the next trip plan hatched while the current one was still raw.

As with all short adventures of this kind, it never ceases to amaze how many occasions there are for a laugh at someone else’s expense, how great friendships are forged through shared experiences and how heading into the mountains provides just the right cocktail of solo reverie and group therapy.

Rachel Depree

Hooker Hut CLOSED (Temporarily)

DoC’s Aoraki Area Office has advised that due to the avalanche hazard affecting Hooker Hut during the winter months, the hut will be closed to all visitors. The closure will be lifted when the hazard decreases, most likely in October.

WORKSHOP FOR TRIP LEADERS AND ORGANISERS

Its official!!!

DATE: Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th July.
TIME: 7pm - 9pm,
WHERE: Turnbull House, Wellington
COST: FREE!!!!

Topics covered will include :

• Communications in the outdoors
• Researching an area to visit
• Legal liability, is it really a big problem?
• Planning for safety, planning for a successful trip
• Computer-based map products
• Templates for planning and documenting a trip, including what your family should do if you're late coming out
• Psychological factors in leadership
• Ideas for good trips - sharing information from all participants

This workshop will be informal, interactive, fun, and suitable for people participating in trips to alpine regions, tramping and rock-climbing.

Anyone will be welcome to attend. We'll have acknowleged experts, lawyers (BUT DON’T LET THAT PUT YOU OFF – ED), experienced leaders, and also bunch of ordinary people like you and I.

For more information or to register your attendance, please email Peter de Joux (pdj@nzalpine.wellington.net.nz) or Rachel Depree (rd@nzalpine.wellington.net.nz). If you already responded to our request for interest and ad in last months newsletter, you'll be contacted soon.

DSF AWARDEES

Along with several others from the Wellington Section, I attended the 2004 Avalanche Safety Seminar on the 29th of May at the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre in the Central North Island. I was nominated to write up what it was all about.

First I would like to thank the Distaghil Sar Fund for making the grant available to pay for myself and those that attended the seminar from NZAC Wellington Section.

Of the speakers on the day, the following spoke about topics of interest for recreational and professional users of Mt Ruapehu and its surrounding areas.

Turoa and Whakapapa Snow Safety Programs Chris Emmitt and Henry Worsp

There are three major avalanche paths on Turoa, they are:

• Gliding Gladys (Below summit of Mt Ruapehu)
• Upper Big Bowl
• Upper Slider

Also the Mangaehuehu Glacier (back country skiing)

Whakapapa has one main Avalanche path:

• Valley Head Wall

Both ski fields feed information to the Avalanche Advisory Information Exchange www.avalanche.net.nz where you can get the latest reports on avalanche activity for each region around NZ.

Avalanche Rescue Don Bogie DOC (Christchurch)

This was very interesting as it had information on Swiss studies of 966 burials from 1968 – 1991. The findings were chances of survival versus time/depth buried. Some key points from this were:

• 91% survival rate if buried for 18min
• 34% survival rate @ 35min
• 7% survival rate @ 130min

Most people who were pulled out alive had been found around the following depths:

• 93% of all burials are in the top 2 metres
• 98% of those found alive were in the top 1.5 meters

Other points from Don Bogie’s presentation were:

• When searching for avalanche victims, dogs and transceivers are far more effective
• Probing is still a valid search technique for these reasons:
  • Lots of people still without transceivers
  • Lots of places where dogs are 60 minutes or more away

Transceivers - there are approximately 20 different models out on the market now. Things to be aware of when using different avalanche transceivers are:

• Minor frequency differences
• Different beep rates
• Different sample rates

These factors can affect detection distances between different brands. Usually you can trust a coarse initial search at 10m spacing (or a 20m zigzag). This is well down from a best range of 60m as stated by manufacturers.

Cell phones, radios and any other electronic equipment e.g. digital watches will interfere with avalanche transceivers. Turn cell phones and radios off, or keep them at least 1m away from the avalanche transceiver when you are searching.

Spatial Variability Studies Kevin Boekholt

This presentation was interesting because Kevin showed that there are more variances in the stability of the snow slope than what most of us realise. If you get a stable test profile when digging into the snowpack in one place, it is not a true reflection of the whole slope. Don't blindly trust just the one profile. When analysing the snowpack you should also be looking at the type of failure that occurs during shovel shear tests and compression test etc. Does the snow collapse downwards and slide, or does it just slide away cleanly. This gives clues as to how a failure will propagate across the snow slope.

Some variability is predictable, thin snow pack, rocky areas, wind loading. Some is unpredictable depending on internal variances of snow pack

What follows is information a lot of us have seen before, although I think it is good to remind ourselves:

• Weakest snow is found over rocks in shallow areas
• Substantial spatial variability may exist even on slopes that appear stable and solid

Recent research has focused on the way a failure actually occurs during snowpack tests:

• Persistent weak layer at Ruapehu is usually a buried surface hoar
• Many different layers where crusts become the predominant theme
• Look back into historical activity - avalanche observations

Probing:

• Probe a lot, become proficient at identifying hardness by probing
• Take time to analyse what you see - in a safe place
• Be Terrain Smart

Train yourself to stop in a safe place regardless of stability or confidence:

• Getting caught in an Avalanche is always a possibility, a product of time in the mountains and exposure to risk
• Greater uncertainty requires a greater margin of safety

DOC Presentation Mark Davies

- Management policies for mountain and ski activities
- Eruption warning system
- Effect of volcanic ash on avalanche activity

This was very interesting in the fact that the Crater Lake is being electronically monitored for its level, and also for any seismic activity on the mountains to facilitate an early response to the lahar that will occur when the crater wall collapses. There are automatic gates that will close on State Highway 49 near the Tangiwai rail bridge. The rail and road bridges are also being strengthened or lifted in height above the river.

There is also seismic monitoring of Mt Ruapehu and Nguaruhoe to give early warning of any volcanic activity.

Of note: the NZ Alpine club's Whangaehu hut is higher than the lahar’s expected flow depth, so it is a safe refuge.

Formal Education for Outdoor Professionals Ed Nepia

Ed's lecture was aimed at the teaching industry. He asked questions in regards to whether we are reaching as many recreational users of the Alpine environment as we could be. The alpine and snow safety programs that are being run are doing well, although there could definitely be more involvement in the skiing & snowboarding pastimes. He raised some good questions although no time was given for these to be explored, and no results of any discussions that went on at an informal level over dinner were presented. It is great to ask the questions, but getting some answers to this situation and then working towards a solution would logically be the next step.

Visual Presentation of Past Avalanche Data from the Homer Tunnel Area Jordy Hendricks

Jordy was asked at short notice to speak about the PhD studies that he is conducting down in Christchurch on data from the Milford Sound and Homer Tunnel area. He showed some very interesting information.

His work has been putting together all the avalanche activity for the area that has been previously recorded on paper into a database, and then visually displaying that information via a digital fly-through of the area.

Some might say that Jordy is completing his PhD whilst playing computer games; actually Jordy mentioned this in his talk.

The work that he is completing is very valuable. In the past there has been a lot of information recorded, but no easy way to retrieve the data to predict the expected avalanche activity based on previous patterns. Jordy’s work will greatly enhance the ability to maintain the Milford Sound road and control the avalanche activity in the area.

In Summary

This was money well spent by the Distaghil Sar Fund. All of us who attended from the Wellington Section are instructors on our alpine courses, and the knowledge from this seminar will make us safer and more effective.

Dave Shanks

On behalf of himself, Caroline Duggan, Rachael Schmidt, Merewyn Ellis, Craig Robinson, Garth London and Pete de Joux

National Instruction Courses

This winter, the National Office is running the following courses in the North Island. The cost is $199, and each course has eight places available on it:

Sat 10 Jul - Sun 11 Jul 2004, Ruapehu Intermediate Alpine Climbing, Ian Ruthven.

Sat 31 Jul - Sun 1 Aug 2004, Ruapehu Intermediate Alpine Climbing, Ian Ruthven.

Sat 14 Aug - Sun 15 Aug 2004, Ruapehu Intermediate Alpine Climbing, Ian Ruthven.

Please contact the National Office for more information on these courses.

It’s here! Joe Simpson’s Touching the Void

Spotted schmoozing at the NZ premiere of Touching The Void held as the launch of the 33rd Wellington Film Festival were section members Judy Reid, Jane Furkert, Matthew Stevens, Jeremy Bray, Caroline Duggan and Dave Langrish. (Rumour abounds that Mike O’Brien was there also but no one has produced any evidence yet – Ed). All highly recommend the film, screening details can be found at www.nzff.telecom.co.nz.

Coming to the Wellington Film Festival July 16 - August 1 – Don’t Miss Out!

Booking North Island NZAC Huts

Ruapehu Hut

Perched high above Whakapapa, the largest ski field in New Zealand, this hut receives heavy use during the winter months as a base for skiing, mountaineering and ice climbing.

Facilities: 24 bunks, electricity, cookers, heating, drying room, water on tap, microwave, utensils, flush toilets.

Fees: Members $10, Non-members $20 per night

To book contact Mr Suresh Nanu, ph 021 815 210 or email ruapehuhut@paradise.net.nz. Suresh checks his email almost every day and his cell phone is on 99% of the time!

Whangaehu Hut

The Whangaehu Valley is a quiet outpost of the Tongariro National Park. Located on the east side of Mount Ruapehu, this cute little hut visited year round by groups wanting to get away from it all.

Facilities: 6 bunks, water tank, some utensils.

Fees: Members $5, non-members $10 per night

To book contact Barry Smith ph (07) 855 8296, email 2smiths@wave.co.nz. A key to the access road is held by the Wellington Section. Currently it is held by the AIC Coordinator for the Instruction Course. Afterwards it will be available from the Section Gear Officer.

For more information on club huts see www.alpineclub.org.nz.

Chairperson's 9th & 10th Quiz

Quiz number 9 asked what is the tallest peak in the solar system? The answer is Olympus Mons on Mars.

A technical glitch (a bit like the one that happened to the recent European Mars probe) meant that the draw to find the winner of this quiz was delayed until Monday, 14 June. However, given that Mars is the red planet, a bottle of appropriately red wine from Mission (which Nigel Roberts claims is short for Mission Control) goes to Beth Burdett.
How and when do you want to claim your prize, Beth? Contact Nigel Roberts.

Quiz number 10 was “One of the people often called ‘the father of Canadian mountaineering’ has a peak named after him in New Zealand. What’s its name?” The answer is Mt Conrad (2,598 metres) in the Liebig Range.

No right answers had been sent in after a month had gone by, so the competition was kept open for another month. Club members then got off their chuffs and more than half a dozen correct entries were sent in by the 13 June deadline. A bottle of Main Divide white wine goes to Hugh van Noorden, who should also contact Nigel Roberts to arrange to collect his prize.

Chairperson's 11th Quiz

In view of the fact that this question was originally posed by the chairperson at the June section night meeting – i.e., on the night of the section's Photo Competition – the chairperson's 11th quiz question is about a well-known photographer, Gordon Wiltsie.

In the 2002 Banff mountain film festival, there was a film about Wiltsie, and the film included some of his photos from one of the world's best-known magazines. Both the film about Gordon Wiltsie and a copy of the magazine were shown at the September 2003 Wellington exhibition of some of the films from the 2002 Banff mountain film festival.

What is the name of the lowest but most spectacular of the peaks climbed by the expedition that Gordon Wiltsie photographed for the magazine shown at the 2003 Wellington Banff mountain film festival?

Email your answers – with the words "Quiz number 11"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 July 2004, to go into the draw to win a bottle of wine.

An invitation – Shishapangma 2005 – Do you want to give a 8000m a try?

I’m looking at organising a Shishapangma (8065m) trip to Tibet in April/May 2005. This is actually part of a grand plan Stan of Shishapangma in 2005, Cho Oyo in 2006 and Everest in 2007.

This is an invitation to keen climbers – who want a supported (but not guided) trip to climb one of the beauties. I’m only looking at a small group! I’ve organised a contact in Nepal to organise everything (hotels, yaks, cooks/local staff, all permits, all travel ex Kathmandu, Tibet Visas, liaison officers etc). Its fully supported until advanced base camp at 6400m – then its all up to us to climb! The price is a very reasonable $4000 USD ex Kathmandu – excellent!

Why Shishapangma – because it IS do-able without guides, its NOT a very long flat summit walk (like Cho Oyo and Broad Peak) but more of a climb, its not grand central station during the climbing season (like Cho Oyo), but does have other parties on the mountain for mutual support, and its is in Tibet. There can be a companion Tibetan trekking trip to Base Camp (5000m) for your non climbing partner.

If you are interested contact me via email warwickwhite@ yahoo.co.nz.

Warwick (Waz) ((ex owner of HangDog and Top Adventures – and now a free spirit!)

Wellington Sportclimbers off to World Champs!!!!

Wellington Sportclimbers Zac Orme and Kirsty Trotter have been selected to represent New Zealand in the 2004 Junior World Sportclimbing Championships. Along with the rest of the team they will travel to Scotland in September to compete in this event.

To help fundraise for this, two bouldering competitions are being run:

Wednesday June 30th: Ferg’s Kayaks, Queen’s Wharf
Wednesday July 28th: Hang Dog, Lower Hutt

Both run from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. Come climbing and support Zac and Kirsty!

In 2003, both Zac (15 years) and Kirsty (17 years) were ranked number one in their age groups for sportclimbing. In this year’s National Bouldering Series, Zac was the overall winner in the U16 Males and Kirsty came third in the Open Female category.

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 Michele Domaneschi or Rachel Depree (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.

See you in the hills!

Note: A trip organiser is responsible for coordinating the logistics of the trip including:

• Compiling a Trip Plan (contact coordinator for a sample and guidance on this) including possible objectives and alternatives
• Organising cars/transport
• Organising accommodation

A trip organiser is not responsible for:

• The safety of individuals participating in a club trip
• Providing any technical guidance, instruction or leadership

For Sale

MSR Stove
Mac Pac Torre alpine pack
Make an offer! Contact Matthew on ms@ nzalpine.wellington.net.nz