Section Night 8pm Monday 6 May.

Frozen Coast: The Antarctic Peninsula by Graham Charles.

If you missed this talk last year don't miss it this year, it might be your last chance to hear Graham talk about the trip by three kayakers to explore an inhospitable but starkly beautiful coast of rock and ice. This presentation got rave reviews when Graham took it around the country last year.

A beautiful sunset from Mt Ruapehu

Hangdog Bouldering Series 2002

Hangdog are setting up a bouldering competition again this year. The emphasis will be on participation and there will be Junior/Recreation and Elite categories; with Male & Female categories for each. The format of the competition will be eight rounds over the winter to create a leaderboard, with the top five in each category going through to the finals in September. Starts 17 April at 6pm. Contact Hangdog, or go to the click here

Climbing wall deals

Reminder that Fergs are still have $5 members cheap nights this year. Also Hangdog are continuing their anytime $8 deal. The Wellington High School wall is going to be open again from 7pm to 9pm every Tuesday night for $5.

Distaghil 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 1 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 2002. Awards will be announced in the June newsletter.

Learn how to be cold and miserable on the 2002 Alpine Instruction Course

Here's some news - our very popular AIC will run again this year. The course includes theory and practical sessions on avalanche awareness. The course fee covers instruction (2:1 student/instructor ratio), accommodation, food, and transport for three weekends away on Ruapehu and Taranaki, and includes three super evening sessions in Wellington..

If you want more information and/or a place on the course contact Pete de Joux, email pdj@nzalpine.wellington.net.nz or phone 478-1017 Home or 0274-421-779 Mobile as soon as possible. There are 20 places, but they normally fill up very quickly, so get in fast.

Please also contact Pete if you would like to instruct or come along as an assistant instructor and are available for these dates.

Photo Competition

Slides are now being accepted for the 2002 Wellington Section Photo Competition. Mainly Tramping are accepting all the slides for the competition, so drop them off there. Please add a black spot to the front bottom left of all your slides so that we can put them in the projector the correct way the first time. There will be some fantastic prizes this year. Entries Close Friday 31 May. Rob Suisted is the Judge this year and is, he tells Vertigo, eminently corruptible at very low cost. Come along and see some great slide at the section night on Monday 10 June. The entry form and more details will be available on our web site here or contact Alan, email chairperson@nzalpine.wellington.net.nz or phone 970 0529

Mountain safety council instructor programme

Al Presidente sent the following message to Vertigo: "Hopefully Matt Stevens will send you some details of the MSC Instructor Programme which you can include if you have space". Well, we have space but despite "having plenty of time" on his hands, Matt Stevens hasn't got round to it. If you're interested, contact Matt Stevens, sometime between 2 pm and 6 pm weekdays when he's awake for more information!

A Vertigo feature: Climbing somewhere cool

After more than a month each of searching throughout India for some serious rock, both Matt Quirke and I rendezvoused in a somewhat undiscovered bouldering utopia, in the central state of Karnataka. Hampi, a small village, often not on the most detailed of maps, is a full days train ride from Mumbai. This once was home to over a million people, when it reached its height around 1530 AD, and now is a place visited mostly by tired Goa party goers looking for a quiet place to chill out and relax.

The village is divided by a river, that conveniently keeps the busy bizaar and daily local life out of your mind. As far as the eyes can see, the landscape is filled with strange but beautiful pea shaped granite boulders. Behind almost every rock outcrop is evidence of the old civilisation, with many great roads and buildings lying in half ruins. Every hilltop has a temple built upon it, which seems to be the main attraction for Indian visitors.

The climbing here is unlimited. Every day a new and interesting area can be discovered, all within walking distance of the main town. A bouldering mat is recommended, although we sufficed with a cheap locally made mattress. As this was the first rock we'd both touched in a few months, it didn't take long for us to be forced into rest days with a few split tips.

Although India at this time, is supposedly in its winter, the midday sun forces you to find shade, or as we found most comfortable, assume a horizontal position. Early morning sessions and bouldering to beautiful sunsets became the norm. I even managed a five day yoga course to see if it helped my climbing.

If you're thinking of doing India on your next trip away, I'd highly recommend this venue. All you need to carry with you is your shoes and a chalk bag. Its dirt cheap and there is a magical quality throughout the place. And why not finish up with two months sport climbing in Thailand, on y. Jason Naran

Trips

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).

August 2002
Mid–winter Ascent, Mt. Taranaki. 17—18 August.
Kara Lipski is keen to organise an ascent of Mt Taranaki to coincide with the final weekend of the 2002 Alpine Instruction Course. She would love to hear from anyone keen to go and especially from someone with enough experience to lead it. Easy peasy. Contact: kalipski@ihug.co.nz, or phone 04 387 4420 (hm).

January 2003
Informal “climbing camp”. Wanaka. ?27 Dec 2002—20 Jan 2003.
“It has only begun in my head at the moment.” (Steve Hart). The idea would be a "climbing camp" based at a Wanaka campsite. This allows for a meeting place for individuals as well as family groups to meet and pair up with others. Walkers, mountaineers, novices, rockclimbers, as well those who may just join in for the sun, company and barbeques. If you are at all interested in such a plan, Steve Hart would love to hear from you, Contact: sdhart@paradise.net.nz, or phone 04 9738079 (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.

Wanted to Buy

Silvretta 400 touring bindings: A damaged or broken pair may be OK. I broke a heel piece and hope to mix and match to complete the pair. Contact Don (03) 328 7447

Wanted to Sell

I wore this gear on Denali and McKinley in Alaska, but now have a mortgage and have no use for this expedition gear.

MARMOT 8000 mtr GORE DRY LOFT DOWN JACKET, XL, $600 and PANTS,XL, $400
NORTH FACE SUN POLAR FLEECE JACKET, XL, $150.
NORTH FACE DENALI FLEECE PANTS, XL, $100.
KOFLACH-ARCTIS DOUBLE PLASTIC BOOTS, SIZE 11-12,$400
ICE-AXE, with Black Diamond leash, 65cms Long, brand-new and unused, $150
OUTDOOR-RESEARCH GORE-TEX GLOVES,XL, NEW, UNUSED, XL, $100.

If you're interested, give Eric Major a call (09) 266-2922, or drop him an e-mail: i8manu58@hotmail.com

Final Word

Quote from Dick Hubbard (which Al likes a lot) "THE NEED FOR ADVENTURE

I am a passionate believer in the need for adventure. All of us have a desire for adventure, in fact, more than that, all of us have a need for adventure. Adventure nurtures our soul, it inspires us, it motivates us, it teaches us about ourselves and it helps us to develop as human beings. Most of us will probably easily agree with this.

There is one problem with adventure, however. It comes with a thing called "risk". With zero risk there cannot be true adventure and one of the problems we now face is that as we become an almost obsessively risk adverse society, we run the risk of stifling adventure and then stifling ourselves.

What we so often don't realise is that there are different types of risk. So often we lump all types of risk together and we don't understand the distinction. But consider this. First there is reasonable risk as opposed to unreasonable risk. Yes, risk should always be minimised to move it from the unreasonable to the reasonable category. But the minimisation of risk is totally different from the elimination of risk. How often we confuse the two!

Then there is the difference between perceived risk and actual risk. It's also important we understand this difference. Perceived risk is what the mind tells us and so often our mind lets us down. For instance, imagine abseiling down a cliff. The perceived risk is high but in actual fact you are safer than driving on an Auckland motorway. Bungy jumping is another classic example....

Dick Hubbard