fight snowball snowcraft

CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY TRAMPING CLUB
❄ WINTER
newsletter
2000 no. 3
Newsletter 2000
number 3, July 2000.
A publication of
Canterbury University
Tramping Club
c/o- UCSA, Private Bag
4800, Chriustchurch
Club members may submit
items for publication in the
newsletter!
❄ Items may include news, open
letters, pictures and photos,
details of upcoming events,
safety warnings, route suggestions,
incriminating
paparazzi shots of open nakedness, rumours, gossip and
wild speculation about club
members, beer and “get out
of jail free” cards.
❄ Electronic submission is preferred! Via email to
[email protected] or on 3.5"
disk. Text should be submitted in plain text or MS Word
format. Photos should be
scanned at 150 dpi and saved
as compressed TIFF or JPEG.
Do not send photos with file
sizes larger than 1MB, scale
them down to less than 1MB
first.
Editor:
Philip
Lamb;
[email protected]
P.O. Box 25-252, Victoria St,
Chch.
McLean Falls, Catlins - Phil Lamb
❄ The submission deadline is
one week before the start of
each term.
Captains’ comment:
Well folks, welcome back. Hopefully you re well
rested after last term s trips (and exams) and ready
to get up and going again. This term the club will get
you out of hibernation and onto the slopes. We re
sure to have some great weather after the dismal
weather of last term. So start sharpening those crampons, because although standing on the top of a mountain is always a great feeling, it is even better when
the surrounding peaks are covered in snow.
Hopefully the break allowed people to recover from
some of the more exciting moments that happened
last term. Weekend after weekend, bad weather affected club trips, turning easy trips into epics. It was
great to see club members coping extremely well on
such occasions. This proves that we re not just a hill
walking club at all!
The rock climbing courses in the first weekend
showed starkly how variable NZ weather can be. The
Saturday course was a cruisy day, learning to climb
the slopes and pockets of Castle Hill. The Sunday
course was a completely different story. We d barely
put on our harnesses when the weather packed in.
Full credit must go to all those hardy souls who had
a climb in the torrential downpour. You ve all earned
your first star for alpine climbing. The next Sunday,
when we had another go at instruction, the weather
was still rather unpleasant. Clare had biked all the
back to university before her toes started to thaw!
Few of you who went up Mt
Manakau are going to forget that trip in a hurry.
However you might
disagree with me,
whether being stuck
in a tent for 36 hours
is exciting. If you
believe David s description of the experience, that might
depend on who you
get stuck lying next
to! When things
looked like they
could only get better
a tent pole broke,
and the fly ripped.
Well done Greig,
NEWSLETTER 2000 NO. 3
Sharon and Holly
for staying calm for
during the night. I
think your debrief
at Spagalimis was
well earned!
The bad weather
struck still more
times during the
holidays, causing
the Avoca Hut
T.L.C. Weekend to be
postponed and our
Safety Officer to get
into a spot of (very) cold
water! On this occasion the
only consequences where arriving out a day late, and
a few exams being missed. While a little bit of a scare
such as this can be a positive experience if you re
well prepared, it s important to remember that hypothermia kills trampers every year. This was all too
well demonstrated in the holidays by the death of two
trampers in the North Island who died only 25 minutes walk from the start of the track. We strongly recommend you to carry a rescue blanket, a small torch,
and if possible a first aid kit, on EVERY trip including day trips.
On a more positive note, TWALK went awesomely
this year. It was great to see so many of you dressed
in ridiculous costumes, getting right into the swing
of walking (or was it drinking?) for a full twenty four
hours. Congratulations to the few among our ranks
who did the keen thing and went the full twenty-four
hours without touching a drop. You guys are so hard!
Congratulations also to our crazy club captain, and
his wacky social sidekick took away the costume
award for their chicken wire, kitchen implement and
aluminium foil impressions of Daleks from Dr Who.
How they could walk in those things, let alone climb
hills we ll never know.
Over the last term the tramping club has again been
performing it s romance-enhancing role, and we ve
spied some new couples, and with this the committee has lost another eligible bachelor. We heard a story
at TWALK about someone s parents who got together
at TWALK in 1969, now that is awesome! Who
3
knows, maybe Gerry and Greta will
keep the tradition alive!
The other awesome even last term
was the pub crawl that happened the
second weekend of term. The small
but dedicated bunch of hard core enthusiasts left on Saturday morning to
discover the intricacies and delights
(were we really that drunk??) of the
pubs on the road to the Sylvia Flats
hot pools. On the ride back Stewart
practised flying, Cynthia found some
good friends in Culverden, and we all
discovered why Waikari isn t a
happenin place on Saturday night.
The taller club captain also found a
rather nice spot on the road to . (although he swears it wasn t the drink)
and we found out that Fred is really,
really, REALLY ticklish. Of course
for those of you how didn t go, you ll
never really know what happened! If
you missed out, you ll have to wait
for next year s pub-crawl, to try a trip-
4
graded extreme.
Remember team, it s the halfyear already. If you haven t
done much to date then this is
the time to make up for lost
ground. With no exams, the
start of new courses and an
awesome term coming up
there s absolutely nothing to
stop you going out and having
a primo time.
It s the heart of winter- this
means that it s time to learn a
few essentials about tramping
in the winter. We re hoping that
this year there s going to be
plenty of snow making for great
trips, and plenty of snowball
fights. It s important that everybody goes on a basic
snowcraft course this term, as
most of the trips this term will
require walking over some of
the wonderful white stuff. On
these courses you ll learn how to
use crampons and ice axes without injuring yourself. This will
expand the range of trips you can
do and open up the opportunities
for some great scenery. While it
is vital for those who have not
gone on such a course before, the
old farts among us can also do with
a few reminders about
cramponing, self-arresting and the
likes.
Later there will hopefully be an
intermediate snowcraft course that
covers ropework, and anchors for
the really serious mountains. If
you want to do this course, you ll
need to go on a few trips in the
snow to really perfect your technique with the tools. See the Instruction Officer Stewart Hardie if
you re interested.
CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY TRAMPING CLUB
This term also sees the most mindblowing event of all: Bush Ball
2000. That s right team, with the
start of a new millennium we are
going to make this the best bush
ball ever. The weekend includes a
little tramping (hopefully), drinking galore, music, Rene s infamous dancing (and yours also), not
to forget the bestowing of the coveted Toilet Seat Award. The location is still a mystery, as we do not
know ourselves, but the theme is
medieval. So get your gear together, and get ready for a really
funky weekend. It s a strictly no
polypro policy affair, so be
warned. Anything vaguely resembling polypro will be thrown in the
river (including the wearer).
.
We will also be having another
gear sale at Bivouac Outdoors on
Thursday 20th July. If you need to
update your winter wardrobe this
will be the perfect time to do it.
Remember that you can never
have too many warm clothes in
winter.
The meetings will be a chance to
get out of the cold, and come warm
yourself inside. This term will include a talk on avalanche safety —
really important if you are going
to head backcountry in winter.
Snowcraft will teach you the skills
to climb mountains in winter, but
that doesn t mean you should
There have been calls for another climb every mountain. Sometimes
rubber chicken events, as last term the avalanche risk is just too high.
was a bit quiet in this respect. So This evening will teach you about
get hyped up for a moonlit walk the dangers. There will also be
along foggy peak — no werewolves some great social activities includallowed. It s all planned out, all we ing a games night, and a trip to the
have to do is wait for a full moon, ice skating rink. Last but not least
beautiful weather and we re away. will be the now famous CUTC
We ll keep you posted on this one. Photo Competition. This year the
categories will be portraits (indi-
vidual), group, landscape and humour. So team, bring your entries
and be in to win some really choice
prizes.
At this point we would like to say
a big thanks to our beloved committee for having put in such a big
effort over the last half year, and
for making the club an awesome
place to be. There are too many to
thank but cheers.
So folks it s time to get out and
about, don t be put off by cold dark
days, instead visualise the beautiful snow clad mountains, the
crunch of snow under your feet,
or the fun of having your thighs
ripped apart by snow monsters and
your shorts eaten by ice goblins.
We ll see you out in the snow,
cheers
Ren and Clare
❏
CUTC committee members
For issues concerning the operation of the club and its activities, these are the people to contact!
Co-Presidents
Jonno
Benjamin
Club Captains
Clare
Rene
Treasurer
Lauretta
Assistant Treasurer Emily
Secretary
David
Membership
Demelza
Publicity
Clare
Trips
Greig
Instruction
Stewart
Safety
Ian
Newsletter
Phillip
Gear Locker
Greig
Ian
Social
Phil
Suz
Gerry
TROG
David
Cynthia
Enviromental
Fred
Trudy
NEWSLETTER 2000 NO. 3
Hill
Franzmayr
McLennan
Borsboom
Smith
Tuffley
Bones
George-Franzmayr
Scott
Hamilton
Hardie
Buunk
Lamb
Hamilton
Buunk
Barclay
Cleary
Craig
Bones
Bishop
de Zwart
Geoghegan
341 1250
322 6209 / 021 2975714
348 3707
377 8388
365 2967
351 9233
332 4296
322 6209
343 4386
338 2497
359 8820
357 1220
377 8773 / 021 605564
338 2497
357 1220
357 0911
351 4494
3435010
332 4296
359 7872
365 0559
356 0449
[email protected]
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[email protected]
5
Presidents’ report
Friends, roamer s, country-loving
people (to be PC), lend me your ears.
But only if they re nice ears, not silly
pointy ones, or any with really big
dangly bits hanging off them, and no
earwax, definitely no earwax. And
while I think of it, can I also borrow a
woolly hat, cause it s getting pretty
bloody cold again. That s right folks,
time to start thinking about winter
tramping, and all that it promises. For
those of you who are new to the sport,
winter is considered by many of us to
be one of the best times of year, in
fact, it s up there with summer and
spring, and is almost as good as autumn. It s a good time of year for
tramping for several reasons, including the spectacular alpine scenery, a
characteristic lack of pests (namely
sandflies and other trampers), and the
glorious fact that the hot pools are still
hot!!!
As far as Of ficial and Presidential
news goes, the only thing worth mentioning is that the club s grant applications were looked upon favourably
again this year (he must be a gener-
ous guy, that Grant). Every year the
Hillary Commission and the UCSA
give us some money, and this year we
have secured around two thousand
dollars. Can you say Snowcraft ?
Yep, snowcraft is gonna crank again
- thanks to this money we can continue the long and proud tradition of
these fun and educational courses (see
kids, learning doesn t have to be boring). Last year we had excellent participation - just as much for social as
for educational reasons - and this year
should be no different, so get in early
if you re keen, because places will
probably be limited.
That s about all I want to say, except
for a quick thankyou to the committee for their selfless contributions towards the running of the club. I know
that this sort of stuff is supposed to
come at the end of the year, but I don t
want their efforts to go unrecognised
by club members until then. Many
of you may not realise how much
blood, sweat and tears (to echo the
title of a cinematic classic) are shed
by the committee in endless hours of
toil. To be working with such a selfless group of people, sacrificing so
much and expecting nothing in return
is, well, it s a deeply moving and heart
warming experience. Their motto is
Givin it back to the people , and
they run the club with an almost cultlike fervour, meeting every afternoon
for hours at a time to plan the most
minute details regarding the functioning of the club. So what can I do? ,
you will no doubt be asking yourselves. Well, you can show your
gratitude for our (slightly exaggerated) efforts by always bringing a
good vibe to the club, and getting involved whenever you can. After all,
it s ultimately the members that make
the club what it is, and most of us are
just as interested in the company of
good people as we are in seeing some
beautiful scenery.
And, of course, it is beautiful (insert
National Anthem here).
Cheers
Jonno
Co-President
Search and Rescue Personal Locator Beacons
With generous support from the
Hillary Commission, the club has
been able to obtain at reduced cost
three personal locator beacons (PLBs)
which club members may take on
trips at no cost. A PLB is a walkmansized device that transmits a distress
signal that can be picked up by satellite and aircraft. Search and Rescue
HQ in Wellington are notified immediately and can decide what action is
appropriate. In the case of an overdue or injured tramper, the use of a
PLB can save time, money, and potentially, lives.
There are some cautions that need to
be noted though. PLBs are for emergency use only. Activation of a PLB
in a situation that does not constitute
6
an emergency can land the user with
a substantial bill for the Search and
Rescue callout, Secondly, PLBs cannot make up for lack of skills or
equipment. Good preparation is still
absolutely essential. Thirdly, PLBs
offer no safety net in the case of
Avalanches. SAR action is typically
a helicopter callout, and this may take
hours or days depending on accessibility and weather, whereas someone
buried in an avalanche requires help
within minutes. The only effective
avalanche safety device is an avalanche transceiver on every member
of the climbing party. The club has
considered purchasing avalanche
transceivers but their cost is prohibitive. Club members wanting ava-
lanche transceivers are highly recommended to hire them from a mountain equipment supplier.
Finally, PLBs should not be relied
upon. Like any piece of equipment
they can break and malfunction.
Equally well, if the PLB is in your
pack and your pack gets lost or swept
away in a river, you d better have
some other survival skills up your
sleeve.
Anyone planning a trip off the beaten
track is highly recommended to carry
a PLB. Please contact one of the gearfreakish gear-locker officers Greig or
Ian to arrange for their use.
PL
CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY TRAMPING CLUB
NEWSLETTER 2000 NO. 3
7
Trips for Term 3
Most of the trips that are going away
this term are day trips that require
snow skills. So I recommend that you
do a basic snowcraft course. These
courses not only teach you how to use
ice axes and crampons they are also
heaps of fun and very CHEAP. To do
a basic snowcraft course as good as
what the club offers would normally
cost you at least $100. We charge less
than half this.
Next term there will be at least one
intermediate snowcraft where you can
learn about roped climbing, snow anchors, glacier travel and crevasse rescue. This will allow you to climb just
about anything in New Zealand. Last
year a group climbed Mt Aspiring after doing this course and had a great
time doing it. But if you want to do
this course then the best thing to do
is to go out as much as you can this
term and get really good at using an
ice axe, crampons and helmet. That
way when it comes time to go on intermediate snowcraft you won t be
thinking about things like how do I
hold the ice axe, or how to put the
crampons on correctly.
There is nothing better than being on
top of a peak with friends enjoying
the view of countless snow covered
hills.
12 July
Meeting 1
Phil Novis starts off the term with
some slides of a winter expedition to
the higher places of the North Island..
Phil s a bit of guru when it comes to
snow, and his slides are usually some
of the best, so it should be a great
evening. You ll also get an idea of
some of the places that Basic
Snowcraft skills will take you. Also
the t-shirts are ready and look really
great, so come and get one if you ordered it.
8
15-16 July
Mt Purple —This is a nice trip up the
hill on the far side of the Lake Pearson,
giving impressive views of the surrounding snow covered peaks.
Grade: Easy
Duration: Day Trip
Mt Cheeseman — Mt Izard—This
trip involves a traverse of two of the
peaks on the craigeburn range. The
views will be spectacular! Snow skills
will be required for this trip.
Grade: Medium
Duration: Day Trip
Edwards River — If you dont like the
idea of heading up onto the peaks then
why not this trip. Head up the
Edwards River to Edwards hut then
go for a stroll up towards the head of
the valley if you so desire, otherwise
spend the afternoon relaxing around
the hut and preparing a gourmet dinner.
Grade: Easy
Duration: Overnight
19 July
Meeting 2
20 July
Gear Sale
It s the night of the second great gear
sale so come along to Bivouac in the
City Mall for great specials. From
6:30pm.
22-23 July
Basic Snowcraft —This is the first of
the three basic snowcraft courses that
will be run this year. I highly recommend the course as you will learn
most of the basic techniques for
climbing and tramping in winter. The
course teaches you how to walk on
snow and ice, how to hold an ice axe,
how to self-arrest if you fall over and
also about avalanche awareness. The
first snowcraft is the best one to go
on because you can do more trips into
the snow afterwards. The snowcraft
instruction courses are subsidised too.
If you want more information contact:
Stewart Hardie ph 359-8820
Grade: Easy
Duration: Overnight
Wharfedale Track —A trip close to
home. Near Mt Oxford and only 1hrs
drive from Christchurch. Good if you
want a nice relaxing weekend and
don t want to go into the snow.
Grade: Easy
Duration: Overnight
Waimak Col — For the more adventurous people who have already done
a snowcraft then here is the trip for
you. This trip heads up the Waimak
staying at the Waimak Falls hut or
camping out if you re brave. Then
on Sunday heading over Waimak Col.
This trip will give people good views
and it s always amazing to be out
tramping when everything is covered
in wonderful snow. Snow skills required.
Grade: Hard
Duration: Overnight
26 July
Avalanche Awareness, come and hear
about the dangers of avalanches, and Meeting 3
how to avoid them. This is vital information if you want to play in the To get you folks into the swing of
snow this winter.
CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY TRAMPING CLUB
things for bush ball we are having a
games night. This should be a real
hoot, so make sure you come along.
It s also your last chance to purchase
tickets to the social event of the year!
29-30 July
Bushball —This is the club s annual
trip away where everyone dresses up
in medieval clothing and then dances
the night away in the middle of nowhere. Costume possibilities are endless —Witches, Goblins, Kings &
Queens, Robin Hood be inventive
and the best characters will be suitably rewarded!! In the past Bushball
has been a very social occasion with
several people finding themselves a
partner during the evening. If you
already have a partner and don t want/
need a second one then you could always make an attempt for the toilet
bowl award. This is given to the person who can t handle their drinking
very well. (Note: You have to clean
up your own mess)
Grade: Easy
NEWSLETTER 2000 NO. 3
Duration: Overnight
courses that will be run this year. If
you want to know more then read
Mt Aicken — For those people who about the first snowcraft course
want to practice their newly learnt above.
snow skills more than going to a rag- Grade: Easy
ing party then this maybe the trip for Duration: Overnight
you. A nice walking starting at
Arthurs Pass and climbing up the Mt Cassidy — Blimit —
Temple Baother side of the valley from Ava- sin —This trip will give you lots of
lanche peak. Snow skills will be re- practice in the snow. You get to anquired for this trip.
noy the skiers at Temple Basin too. J
Grade: Medium
Snow skills will be required for this
Duration: Day Trip
trip.
Grade: Hard
Duration: Day Trip
2 August
Meeting 4
ICE SKATING! Whoopee, come
along and enjoy another winter sport.
First stop is the Upper Common
Room to quickly organise this weekend, and then we ll breeze along to
the skating rink.
5-6 August
Basic Snowcraft —This is the second of the three basic snowcraft
Castle Hill Peak —This trip is really
close to Christchurch and it still provides great views. It s almost 2000m
(only 1999m) too. So if you just want
to tell people that you ve been to
2000m then you could jump really
high or pile up a whole heap of snow
and you might make it. Snow skills
will be required for this trip.
Grade: Medium
Duration: Day Trip
9
Mt Torlesse —This trip is also really close to Christchurch.
Providing great snow skills practice. You might even be
able to wave to the group on Castle Hill Peak if you go on
the same day. Snow skills will be required for this trip.
Grade: Medium/Hard
Duration: Day Trip
9 August
famous event is going to be even bigger and more beautiful than the last time. This year the categories are going
to be portrait, group, scenery and humour. So make what
you will of each category and bring along your very best
photos from the year. You can vote for your own photos
or maybe someone else s. There s bound to be plenty of
discussion about composition, aperture, light, and how
silly everyone is looking. So get clicking!
Meeting 5
19-20 August (End of Term 3)
Trampers Trivial Pursuit Night.
This is the night to test those skills you ve been building
all year. There ll be plenty of questions, and hopefully
you lot will give us a few answers. It should be a fun
night, as we promise some entertaining questions, as well
as the curly ones. If you do well enough, you might even
win a prize.
Mt Cloudesley — Mt Enys—Yet another trip into the
Cragieburn range. Lots more snow skills practice. Snow
skills will be required for this trip.
Grade: Medium
Duration: Day Trip
12-13 August
One Day Basic Snowcraft —This is the final basic
snowcraft course of the year. It s only one day but don t
let this put you off, you can still pack a lot of stuff into a
single day. So if you haven t been on one yet and want to
then this is the one for you. For more info refer above to
the first basic snowcraft.
Grade: Easy
Duration: Day Trip
.
Mt Philistine —This peak will require a bit more skill
than some of the other trips this week but it s worth it.
Snow skills will be required for this trip.
Grade: Hard
Duration: Day Trip
Hamilton Peak — MtWall —Another traverse of two
peaks in the cragieburn range. Again this is a good trip to
practice your newly learnt snow skills.
Grade: Medium
Duration: Day Trip
Avalanche Peak — Cr
ow River — One of the few over
night trips that s going away this term. You get to climb a
peak on the first day and then go down the other side to
Crow Hut. Since you are sleeping in a hut it won t be as
cold as if you were camping. I can highly recommend
this trip. I did it in winter and had an awesome time.
Nothing beats waking up and having snow on the door
step. Snow skills will be required for this trip.
Grade: Medium
Duration: Overnight
16 August
Holiday Trips
Three Passes —This is one of the classic back country
trips. It goes from the Waimak river over three alpine
passes and into the west coast. This trip will really live
up to your expectations. Snow skills will be required for
this trip.
Grade: Medium
Duration: 4-5 days
Mt Adams —This trip will be awe-inspiring. It s on the
west coast for a start and is right next to the coast. So the
views will be great being able to see Mt Cook and maybe
Australia. (well maybe not too) Camping high on the
mountain will be a good experience too. I promise the
weather will be better than Mt Manaku. J For those of
you only interested in the height it s about 2200m. Snow
skills will be required for this trip.
Grade: Medium/Hard
Duration: 2 - 3 days
Mt Rolleston —A nice day trip up to the low peak of Mt
Rolleston. This is a trip for those of you who don t have
much time to spare. Views down the crow valley and out
to Mt Murchson. Snow skills will be required for this trip.
Grade: Medium/Hard
Duration: 2 - 3 days
Other Possible Trips
Mt Tapuae-o-Uenuku
St James Walkway
A trip into Fiordland
A trip into the South West of the West Coast
If you have any ideas talk to me or email me on
[email protected]. I m always keen to hear
peoples ideas for trips.
Meeting 6
The CUTC Photo Competition, that s right folks, this now
10
Greig Hamilton
CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY TRAMPING CLUB
From the
mailbag…
✐ Another letter!
✐ The Federated Mountain Clubs AGM came and
went on June 10th in Wellington. All CUTC members are FMC members, so you may be interested
in the goings-on in our national body (NOT the
goings-on inside your fellow CUTC members’ bodies!) David Bones, our beautiful secwetwawy has
a copy of the FMC Bulletin and Annual Report if
you want to see ‘em.
✐ Occupational Safety and Health sent an information brochure highlighting the law change removing farmers’ liability in the case of trampers etc.
using or crossing their land. Landowners now have
only a simple duty to WARN visitors of any extraordinary work-related hazards on their property. (Its also worth noting that property owners
do not have to warn of natural hazards on private
property unless they charge for use or access.)
✐ Tourism Resource Consultants sent information
on their two-day, 250 Fijian Eco-treks. I sure hope
they don’t go out of business with all the natives
running amok. Also, Active Travel sent info on
their Asian/Himalayan tours and expeditions. If
you’re looking forward to some international
travel, see David for a copy.
✐ Otago Polytechnic sent information on their 2000
avalanche safety management courses. Highly
recommended for those planning on taking themselves and others into the mountains. Also, Sport
Development Canterbury sent information on
their training programmes for both sports coaches
and club administrators.
Dear Sir,
You big bunch of namby-pamby mummy’s
boys and daddy’s girls wouldn’t know a mountain if it fell on you. My mother climbs harder
that you and she’s got no legs! When I go
climbing I eat SNOW for lunch and ICE for
tea, and I don’t have any breakfast!! I’m so
tough tha
The above letter just goes on and on like this
interminably. I think it was from someone in
the climbing club. A “sport” climber perhaps?–
Ed.
✐ Wow! Three letters!!
Dear Sir,
As secretary of the International Federation
of Poodle Fanciers (IPOOF) I wish to complain
about the cartoon published on page 21 of
your publication which features the abhorrent
subject matter of “Avalanche Poodles”. It has
so upset our members that we sat around and
had a group cry. We’re going to tell our
Mummy’s on you.
Yours abhorrently,
Wodewick, Wodger, and Waynette.
IPOOF
Wait till you see what I’ve got in store for
NEXT time! It’ll perm your hair for free. –Ed.
✐ A letter!
Dear Sir,
Some time ago, on a distant tramping track,
I met a lovely flaxen-haired boy with a big
smile and a bigger… The next morning when I
woke he was gone. I only remember that he
said he was a member of C-UTC. I am writing
in the hope that I might be reunited with his
image, since it was truly godlike.
Yours, etc.
Q.T. Tram-Pette.
Could he be the boy on page 23? –Ed.
NEWSLETTER 2000 NO. 3
Letters from Club members and any interested public, and replies to such letters, are welcomed.
❄ Send letters via email to [email protected] or via
snail mail to:
Philip Lamb
P. O. Box 25-252
Victoria Street
Christchurch
❄ Contributions should not generally exceed 300
words.
❄ The editor reserves the right to decline to publish
or abridge any contribution. So there.
11
Out and
about
Term 2
Fun Page
Pub crawl
Ahh.. Sylvia Flats hotpools
TWALK
Not too much unlike the original Dr. Who eh.. - Stewart
For more pictures see the club web site gallery:
www.cutc.canterbury.ac.nz/gallery/
Please scan your pictures for the gallery too!
Billies (pots, pans etc) come in a huge
variety of shapes sizes and brands, so
choosing the one that suits your needs
can be a little overwhelming. Luckily we re here to help.
There are
three main materials used in the construction of billies, these are stainless
steel, aluminium and titanium. Each
of these has its own unique characteristics that may or may not be attractive to the purchaser.
Stainless is, from a cook s point of
view, quite good. It is easy to clean,
difficult to bend out of shape and is a
reasonable conductor of heat (although those with copper bases are
far better at spreading the heat
evenly). Another advantage is that
they can be bought relatively cheaply.
But from a carrier s perspective they
are far less attractive in that they are
much heavier than the alternatives
(especially those with decent copper
bases).
Don t be surprised to pay $90 at least
for one of these beauties. Why would
anyone pay so much for a billy? Well
the short answer is weight. They
weigh slightly less than an aluminium
billy of the same size but will not bend
and don t have the health risks. Most
importantly they have the advantage
of being incredibly posey. The one
drawback I have found (and yes I do
have one, and yes I am cool) is that
because they are so thin (and thereby
light) they don t spread the heat
evenly and food has a tendency to
stick on the bottom unless you are
careful. Due to this tendency they are
probably more suited to alpine activities where weight is at a premium and
melting snow is the order of the day
or to caffiends who need to boil water every twenty minutes to get their
fix.
The other main concerns when choosing a billy are size and shape. These
depend on what you usually cook and
The next type is probably the most for how many people. 1 to 1.5 litres
commonly used in the New Zealand is a good size for one person while
outdoors. Aluminium is popular for a 1.75 to 2.5 litres is preferable for two
good reason: it is both light and af- to three people. 3 to 4 litres is good
fordable. However it does have its for larger parties but if you need more
drawbacks in that it is easily bent out volume than that you are probably
of shape and studies have shown that better off with more billies rather than
there are health problems associated larger ones as they become increaswith cooking in aluminium.
ingly difficult to pack. There are two
extremes of shapes in billy design and
There has been at least one attempt
most lie somewhere in the mid
to bring together the best qualities of
ground. The first are wide and shalstainless and aluminium in Trangia s
low - good for frying and easy to clean
DUOSSAL range. It is a hybrid bebut notoriously unstable when using
tween the two with stainless on the
the standard wire loop handle. The
inside and aluminium on the outside
second extreme are tall and narrow — its exciting, its new and it really
good for soups and pasta, much more
does suck. That s right folks it is just
stable when hanging but tricky to
as heavy as stainless with an inflated
clean or fry in. I would suggest some
price tag and I have heard stories
thing in the middle with a diameter
about the two layers coming apart.
approximately two and a half times
Speaking of large price tags the third the height.
and most exotic material, titanium,
As with all good things one has to
certainly costs the most.
accessorise with one s billy. Many
14
billies come with lids while others
like mine do not. I would suggest even
if yours does to leave it at home and
instead take a disposable aluminium
pie plate, they are lighter and easier
to pack (and on occasion come in
handy when fixing your dodgy 30
year old cooker). Most billies come
with the standard wire loop handle
and some people like these. Personally, I cut them off my billies and instead use a billy lifter , a simple aluminium device that clips securely
onto the rolled lip of the billy and is
used like a pot handle. These don t
heat up (unless you leave them on the
billy while cooking) and are more stable. They are available at all good
outdoor stores but beware — all billy
lifters are not created equal. Trangia
make a good one that is very light and
won t bend, so that s the brand I
would stick with.
We have a range of billies from 1 to
20 litres available for hire and the gear
locker officers are only too happy to
advise you on all your gear needs.
❏
CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY TRAMPING CLUB
In a strange mix of fanatiscism, Zen and
tall-poppy dreams, trampers compete on
the website http://ultralight-hiking.com
for the ultimate in ultra light weight
tramping gear. Their target: 15lb on
equipment & 10 lb on consumables & 2
lb on worn, = 25lb pack & 2lb worn.
Here it is, provided for your planning
pleasure, and courtesy of Stewart Hardie
and Phil Lamb.
The item weights, to scale. Note that the five heaviest make up over 50%!
Item
TOTAL EQUIPMENT
Sleeping Bag (incl.bag)
Bivy Shelter
Backpack
Pad
Pullover
(Wind) Jacket
Umbrella
Stove
Shell Pants
Tee Shirt Long Sleeve
Camera
Tights
Sleeping Bag Liner
Hat (sombrero)
Cooking Pot 0.85lit
Medical kit
Water filter/bottle
Water Bag
Fuel Bottle
Tripod
Radio
Rope
2 x Film & Envelopes
Journal, pen, maps
Flashlight
Soap
Bowl / Cup / Scoop
Brief
Toilet Paper
Space Blanket
Water bottle
Knife
Towel
Matches&Wood&Candle
Socks (2pair)
Bandana
Monocular
Sunglasses
ToothPowder
Storm Whistle
Lighter
Battery (spare)
Head Net
Toothbrush
Spoon
Spare Light
TOTAL CONSUMABLES
Food (5days)
Water
Fuel
Salt & Spices
TOTAL PACK WEIGHT
WORN
Shoes (running)
T-Shirt
Shorts
Brief
Socks
Watch
Weight (kg) Weight (lbs) Price (US$)
7.061 kg 15 9/16
$1,612.19
6$
960.0 g
33.86 oz
$155.00
900.0 g
31.75 oz
$170.00
670.0 g
23.63 oz
$50.00
434.0 g
15.31 oz
$45.00
400.0 g
14.11 oz
$30.00
370.0 g
13.05 oz
$90.00
303.0 g
10.69 oz
$10.00
270.0 g
9.52 oz
$25.00
250.0 g
8.82 oz
$30.00
240.0 g
8.47 oz
$16.00
170.4 g
6.01 oz
$120.00
170.0 g
6.00 oz
$12.00
140.0 g
4.94 oz
$60.00
127.5 g
4.50 oz
$32.00
118.0 g
4.16 oz
$45.00
100.0 g
3.53 oz
$30.00
95.0 g
3.35 oz
$25.00
90.0 g
3.17 oz
$10.00
84.0 g
2.96 oz
$8.00
80.0 g
2.82 oz
$20.00
80.0 g
2.82 oz
$70.00
80.0 g
2.82 oz
$5.00
75.0 g
2.65 oz
$10.00
75.0 g
2.65 oz
$5.00
70.0 g
2.47 oz
$30.00
68.0 g
2.40 oz
$1.59
61.3 g
2.16 oz
$10.00
61.0 g
2.15 oz
$10.00
60.0 g
2.12 oz
$2.00
51.0 g
1.80 oz
$5.00
50.0 g
1.76 oz
$6.00
48.1 g
1.70 oz
$35.00
42.0 g
1.48 oz
$5.50
40.0 g
1.41 oz
$1.00
36.4 g
1.28 oz
$3.00
28.4 g
1.00 oz
$1.60
25.4 g
0.90 oz
$90.00
20.4 g
0.72 oz
$25.00
20.0 g
0.71 oz
$3.00
20.0 g
0.71 oz
$6.00
20.0 g
0.71 oz
$1.50
16.7 g
0.59 oz
$4.00
14.0 g
0.49 oz
$5.00
10.0 g
0.35 oz
$1.00
9.0 g
0.32 oz
$2.50
7.0 g
0.25 oz
$16.00
6.800 kg
15
4.350 kg
9 9/16
2.000 kg
4 7/16
0.400 kg
14.1 oz
0.050 kg
1.8 oz
$3.00
13.86 kg 30 9/16
1.004 kg
2 3/16
0.600 kg
21.2 oz
$50.00
0.182 kg
6.4 oz
$13.00
0.090 kg
3.2 oz
$30.00
0.057 kg
2.0 oz
$7.00
0.040 kg
1.4 oz
$1.50
0.035 kg
1.2 oz
$170.00
Make & Model
Remarks
NorthFace, Tourlight3D R
Polarguard 3D
OR, GoreTex
Jansport Cirque 2100 in3
modified: originally 910g
Thermarest Ultralight2 _
self-inflating
Acrylic/Polyester
LOWE Alpine
Adrenaline Jacket
modified from 14.5oz to 10.7oz
Mini-Trangia #28
alcohol, modified, no simmer ring
nylon
sprayed with silicone
DuoFold, CoolMax
Olympus Stylus Epic
polypropylene
Silk
OR Seattle Sombrero
Gore-Texr Rain Hat
MSR
Titanium (wow!)
home made
18oz PurLife
Bottle with filter cap
2.5 gal
MSR
0.325 lit, alu
AM/FM, Earphones
50 ft nylon
Kodak 100 Gold
Light Wave 2000
Travel Soap 2 oz. Tube
SALEWA
DuoFold, CoolMax
2 bags (biodegradable)
with 3 x “AA” lithium
Biodegradable
plastic
Platypus
Beretta Airlight
Pack Towel
Wind/Waterproof
thin nylon (2 pair)
Cotton Bandana
Zeiss MiniQuick
2.5 liters
30% serrated, Zytel
27" x 10"
24" x 22"
5 x 10
Plastic
1 x “CR123A”
No-See-Um
GSI
Photon Micro Light
lexan
blue
H2O
alcohol
2 liters (~2 quarts)
0.4 lit
(not including clothes worn)
CoolMax
CoolMax
Nylon
incl. compass, altimeter, thermometer
Club Co-President Ben Franzmayr sends word on…
The Hazards of Climbing
The following story is from last years. Antics (Otago
University Tramping Club s equivalent to T rog ) The
story represents some of the environmental hazards that
may be encountered while out climbing. Hopefully after
reading this people will have a greater awareness for the
dangers of climbing.
You are in good hands, Roy!
Almost forty meters of rope had gone already, and the
small light was close to the top. Go Roy , still five meters, you can do it! — a chorus of voices screaming in the
night to incite the mad climber.
By Danilo Hegg
What s going on down there? asked a female voice coming from a car with red and blue lights on the roof. Silence. But she understood it by herself.
Climber: Roy Johnston
Belayer: Paddy Dwyer
Witnesses: Bean, Ewan, Danilo, Karan, Elisabeth, Julia,
Stefan, Norbert, Sean, Terry and a policewoman.
Ewan: Oh, we were just watching how far he can get.
But he is on his way down, he is almost down — in the
meanwhile, the light on the tree disappeared not more
than ten meters, don t worry.
The music was real crap, but dancing was getting wild at
Roy s flat warming as people started jumping on sofas
and armchairs. Roy suddenly stepped into the room holding an ice axe in his hand. I thought this would be to
dissuade people from smashing his furniture, or to tell
them it was time to go home.
The cop stepped out of her car and joined Paddy at the
bottom of the tree. The beam of light of her torch looked
for the face of a drunken man between the branches of the
cedar, but she couldn t see anything. You clever girl, how
do you think you can see through forty meters of branches,
by night? Just go to the other side of the green, and you
will see where he is! There was no point in hiding, anyway.
Roy s Tree 25 April 1999, 3AM
There is a tree out there which hasn t been climbed yet.
What tree? I understood it soon. One of those four awesome trees growing together at the NW corner of the intersection of Arthur St. and Rattray St., close to the obelisk erected in memory of the early Otago settlers, and
just three meters from the swings in the playground. Cedars — according to the botanist Bean, but he isnt sure,
as this is a very Exotic species of red tussock. So, shortly
after 3AM, Roy was standing there at the bottom of the
South face of the biggest tree, the crampons on his feet,
two tools in his hands, and quite a big number of beers in
his brain. Paddy belayed on the swings. The sharp tools
cut deep wounds in the wood of the poor plant, and more
than once we got the impression that the beaks of the ice
axes would be stuck in there forever. Roy soon disappeared from our view, and we had to go fifty meters far
away to see the light of his Petzl rising high on the trunk.
Despite the altitude and the exposure, our vice-president
was pretty safe. In fact his belayer Paddy was totally
sober and in full possession of his mental capabilities.
Danilo:
Paddy , you can t lower Roy on the rope once
he is over the 25 meters mark.
Paddy:
Yes, of course I can. Once he is over half
way he can t abseil, but I can still lower him.
Danilo:
How can you lower him?
Paddy, after a while: Yeah, I can still lower him, but not
properly, I mean, he will have to climb down, and I will
just have to make sure that he doesn t fall all the way to
the ground.
16
Roy , you can turn your lamp on again!
And there he was, right at the op, 45 meters over the
ground, his Petzl like a star on a Christmas tree. Not more
than ten meters from the ground, eh?
Policewoman: How long will it take him to get down?
Not longer then fifteen minutes. It was about ten minutes to go up . Another lie, as it took him far longer than
twenty minutes.
OK, in fifteen minutes I will be back and check that he is
down. Did he drink?
She would have liked to test him, but luckily she wasn t
able to climb that high
Ewan: Oh, just a couple of beers. But if he isn t down in
fifteen minutes, will you call the fire-men with a big ladder?
Policewoman: Sure I will, and we will get him down.
After fifteen minutes Roy hadn t reached the ground yet,
but the only cars we could see with lights on their roof
were taxis. Bean and Ewan tried to convince Roy to wait
for the cops on the tree.
The police-chick is awesome. And she wants to meet
you!
But Roy made it to the ground safely, thus missing the
chance of his life.
Ewan: How small is the truck at the top?
CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY TRAMPING CLUB
The one event not to be missed this term is the annual
CUTC Bushball. BUSHBALL ? Following traditional
university ball style there promises to be music, dancing
and loads of drunken debauchery, but with a unique CUTC
twist — the ball is held in a hut amidst the flora and fauna
of Aotearoa! Every year brave lads and lasses take on the
challenge of bushball (consumption of copious amounts
of alcoholic beverages) in an effort to win the coveted
toilet seat award. You could be next! All participation
requires is: a cruisy tramp to the chosen destination, a quick
change into costume and then PARTY PARTY PARTY
till dawn. We re telling you, it s the most action that the
huts have seen in ages. Past participants rave about the
fun they ve had at bushball, but don t take our word for it,
here are a few unrehearsed testimonials
Bob It was great, more fun than the sheep out at Lincoln
Jo So much fun and excitement, I danced and laughed
so hard that I wet my pants!
year s medieval theme, what better excuse for you boys
out there to dress up as Queens? Wizards, witches, goblins, trolls, executioners the possibilities are endless —
go on, we know it s term time, but use your imagination!!!
Plenty of time to get a costume and win the best-dressed
award, you have been forewarned!!
But that s not all! You get the opportunity to fine tune
those dance moves and pickup lines (be careful what you
pickup though!) in a night of absolute hilarity and tomfoolery that will have you begging for more!
Be there or feel the wrath of the CUTC social committee
(and we can be really scary)
TICKETS ON SALE IN JULY! Don t miss out, tickets
are limited - reserve yours NOW, phone 0800
BUSHBALL*, or come along to Wednesday meetings and
see Gerry, Phil or Suz and we ll look after your every
desire**. If you reserve your ticket early we ll even throw
in a FREE bottle of champagne!***
What are you waiting for?
Ian Its cool, man.
Get into Bushball
2000!
But wait there s more!
It s a great opportunity to
meet people — the combination of crazy
trampers and alcohol is
bound to be a sight well
worth watching, don t be
shy — join in, nobody will
remember your antics
anyway!!! And with this
*just kidding, do you really
think we d waste good money
on an 0800 number when we
could be spending it on more
refreshments?
**we lie again, although Phil
B. is available
***SUCKERS!!!
This is it, the prize you're playing for – the coveted toilet seat
Continued…/
Roy: Small
Ewan: As small as my knob?
Roy: Smaller than that
Ewan: Oh, then it must be really small!
The highest peak in Arthur St. has been conquered. From
now on it will be labeled by Roy s name on all the maps.
But the three low peaks of the cedar are still virgin. There
are still three vacant places in the album of glory, just a
NEWSLETTER 2000 NO. 3
few meters underneath Roy s name. Who is going to be
so foolish to pick up the challenge?
Roy is now OUTC s president. Perhaps our presidents
or club captains could make the journey and claim one of
the other virgin peaks.
❏
17
❄ Winter motoring ❄
It ain’t just penguins you’ve got to watch out for!
By Kylie Hills.
Winter is upon us, and you only need
to take a quick peek west at the mountains to see a whole bunch of snow if
you need proof. While this fabulous
season presents huge tramping and
backcountry opportunities for us with
spectacular snow capped scenery and
new types of challenges and experiences, it also presents a whole bunch
of potential hazards and problems.
For many of us images of avalanches,
hypothermia and Captain Oates ducking out for a pizza come
to mind. But what
about your poor ol car
eh? Many of us just expect them to go when
we turn the key and pull
the choke a little - or in
some cases after we
perform strange rituals
involving just a little
gas , three hits to the
dash and a small sacrifice to the gods of internal combustion.
When we go tramping
we make sure we are
properly prepared and
equipped for most
eventualities, but when
it comes to our cars, lets face it, we
suck! In winter the usual rules don t
apply; sub-zero nights, snow, fords
and the high rainfall in the back country can screw over even something as
reliable as a Citroen. The AA man
isn t much use when the nearest
phone is eight hours walk away! What
follows is a few hints and tips for safe
winter driving and a few ideas to
avoid emergencies scrounged from
old episodes of Macgyver and The
Dukes of Hazard.
vious I know but people do forget and
regret it later. When you check the oil,
always do it after your car has been
sitting a while. If you do it just after
the motors been running the dipstick
will incorrectly read low. Funny how
they ask you about oil just when you
pull into a garage isn t it...
Water / Coolant, without water in your
radiator your car will die, trust me I ve
been there. Whip the lid off your ra-
Things To Bring
When you go bush bring along a simple first aid kit for your car. This
doesn t have to be a support truck for
the Paris to Dakar but like any first
aid kit a few items can be handy and
do make sure you can actually use the
stuff in it.
Compulsory
• Tire changing
stuff. I.e. a wheel
brace and jack.
• A torch — the one
in your pack isn t
much use if you can t
find it in the dark.
• Shovel or spade
(something to dig you
out of the snow).
• 2L bottle of water, don t put anti
freeze in this though
— you may want to
drink it!
Not compulsory but
diator (when the engine and cap are
cold) and look inside. If you see
empty space you have troubles — get
the hose and fill it up! If you still can t
see water find where its coming out
so you can look clever in front of your
mechanic. Once you can see water in
the radiator have a look at its colour,
if its bright green (about the shade of
Kermit the frog) things are looking
good. If its brown, clear or only
slightly green you need anti freeze,
find the manual or someone in the
know to learn how to get the old waPre-race Pit Stop
ter out so you can get the anti-freeze
As they say its all in the preparation, in. Anti-freeze is great stuff without
before you leave make sure you have it the water in your engine will freeze
enough gas. oil and air in the tires — when it gets cold. As we all know wadon t forget to check the spare! Ob- ter expands when it freezes so you can
18
expect to find burst hoses and radiators after a cold day or night if you re
not running with anti-freeze.
bloody useful
•
Snowchains (essential if you re
heading that way), check the forecast
— old Jim on Friday nights is normally
pretty good for snow warnings. Make
sure they fit and you know how to put
them on. You can hire snowchains at
most ski hire shops.
•
Ice scraper for windscreen.
•
A tow rope. Get a static nonstretchy one, remember if you re being towed try to keep the rope under
tension at all times and don t brake
suddenly.
•
Jumper leads. Real handy
things to have but often expensive so
don t buy em unless you really want
them. Otherwise connect positive to
positive and negative to negative, and
CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY TRAMPING CLUB
remember to have the car with the good battery
running when you try and start the other. Don t
turn either off till both leads have been disconnected!
•
CRC 9.96 — this stuf
f is cool and fixes 90%
of breakdowns.
On The Track
OK we re all grown ups here but I ll still do this.
OBEY THE ROAD RULES!!! Especially the
ones about driving after five jugs at the Bealey
and speeding — passengers dont be shy to abuse
your driver for being a try-hard boy racer and
feel free to hide their keys if you see them drinking. I just need to get something out the boot,
can I have the keys? works every time.
Right then — driving in snow or on potentially
icy roads — take it easy
. I ve driven from the
Bealey to Springfield without exceeding 50kph
because there was ice all over the shit show! If
you do see ice don t drive over it, but if you really have to do so very slowly and carefully, if
you hit black ice at speed pray because steering
and braking aren t going to help you! If you do
get into snow - put your snow chains on and take
it nice and steady. Remember the two-second
rule? It s now four, you can t stop very well so
be prepared! In the event of a skid DON T
STAND ON THE BRAKES! Simply depress
the clutch and turn into the skid. If you break
hard you will lock up your wheels and slide off
into the sunset. The textbooks say brake gently.
Finally if it all goes to custard do what any good
mountain biker or skier does and look for a nice
place to crash and keep looking at it. Odds are
you ll somehow wind up here and not that big
rock or power pole you might otherwise have
been looking at. Finally never trust ABS brakes
on ice and snow since they don t always work.
If you have an automatic ignore the clutch part
and keep it in one of the lower settings while
driving on snow. If you have to start in snow put
it in 1 if you have it. Otherwise go for the lowest number you ve got. Let the engine spool up
then slowly give it gas — you have no clutch so it
is a lot harder to stop the wheels breaking traction and start spinning without going anywhere.
Snowchains
•
•
•
Front wheel drives — Front tyres
Rear wheel drives — Rear tyres
Four wheel drives — Front tyres (or all four
if you have that many!)
Finally I ll put a quick note for flooded roads,
NEWSLETTER 2000 NO. 3
19
Winter Motoring continued…
fords and dodgy puddles. These can
happen quite often in winter especially after heavy rain. If you have any
doubts the driver should walk through
the hazard to make sure it s not too
deep or swift (they do this a lot in the
army), otherwise stop and weigh up
your options, do you really have to
cross? If the water is up to your thighs
be concerned — you will probably find
your air intake will be very near or
below the water line and you re going to do a Titanic. Should you cross
remember to get everything off the
floor and take it slowly when you first
enter the water — you dont want to
drown the engine with a big wave —
then trundle through at a nice steady
pace. If you do stall try to restart the
engine, otherwise you ll need a tow
or just have to get out and push.
My Car Won t Start!
If your car doesn t start after a lot of
attempts or crossing a water hazard
you pretty much need someone who
knows their shit to get it going again.
20
However it may just be wet or fuelflooded so try again in five minutes.
Otherwise the following may be helpful.
bit and hold the metal bit a few millimetres from the metal of the engine.
When your mate turns over the engine you should see a little spark jump
across to the engine. If there s no
Engine overheating. Hopefully you
spark, check all the spark plug leads
just need water. Let it cool for a while
are plugged into the distributor propthen top up the water. If you can see a
erly and aren t wet. If it still won t
leak in a hose seal it up with some
spark you ll need help or a can of
tape from your first aid kit. Finally
CRC. If you have CRC take the cap
drive with the heater on full; this is a
off the distributor and liberally blast
great way to give your engine extra
everything under it with the can, then
cooling power.
pull off the leads and give them a blast
Engine won t turn over or does so too. This will remove any water or
very slowly. Odds are your battery is crap that s causing the problem. Alflat — use jumper leads if you have ways put all the leads back in the same
em, otherwise you will have to push socket! If you have a high voltage or
start it. Note: You can t push start an electronic ignition system don t try
any of this lack of spark stuff, it won t
automatic.
be the problem.
Engine turns over but still won t start.
Do you have gas? Platypus drinking There is a spark or the engine occasionally catches then dies. Probably
tubes make good siphoning tools.
water in the fuel keep trying. If it still
Engine still won t start or even catch. won t start take the lid off your air
Do you have spark? Pull one of the filter (the round or rectangular box on
leads off a spark plug, peel back the top of the engine). Have a look for
insulation so you can see the metal signs of water and give the metal thing
CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY TRAMPING CLUB
Winter Motoring continued…
in the bottom of it (the carburettor) a
blast with CRC.
Still won t go. Say bugger! and start
making alternate plans.
If you know your car is a bit dodgy
put an old jersey or blanket over the
engine, especially the leads and distributor, while you re off tramping.
This will protect it from moisture and
may make getting the car started
much easier, just remember to take it
off before you start the engine!
If your car doesn t go at worst your
base contact will raise the alarm when
you re overdue and someone will
come and find you. Just remember if
you spend the night in a car DON T
USE A BURNER IN IT. A few years
ago four guys had to spend the night
in their car up in Arthurs Pass due to
snow, they cooked a meal and ran the
burner for a while to warm themselves. In the morning their bodies
were found in the car by road crews they had died from carbon monoxide
poisoning.
Well I ve rambled enough so good
luck out there folks, winter is a great
time for tramping and with a few precautions you and your cars will be
fine. So for godsake get out there and
enjoy it!
Cheers Kylie
Overdue!
A sample to whet your appetite…
“Little did we know that it would take us the best part of two days the
reach the hut and no more food (except chocolate) would be had until
then. And now it's intermission, and some time to reflect on some "famous
last words" uttered on that Saturday. "The Weather's going to be crap all
weekend. I'm not sleeping in a tent. Lets leave them here" – before leaving
the UCSA. "There's a hut about 'Halfway' up the valley. We can always go
to that one" – That is if there wasn't the 10 metre wide wall of water
between it and us. "Al, you know that tent you carried. There's no fly" – a
certain gear-locker guy was closer to death than he knew that night, and
he wasn't even there. "The track starts about one more kilometre up river,
once we get there it should only take another hour" – unfortunately this
was at about 10pm and we never made it to the track: when we did, the
next day, the track didn't exist and it took us 4 hours…”
Read all about it in TROG 2000!!!
Write up your stories now and receive a king-size bar of finest
Cadbury’s!
22
CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY TRAMPING CLUB
The Gerry Tribute!
Our beloved friend, social officer and all-round nice
guy…
It just about takes a belt-sander to wipe the smile off this guy’s face!