page break

The Three Volcanods Trip

Thursday 15th-Monday 19th April 1965

Ruapehu - Thursday & Friday

We left Wellington Railway station in a truck hired by the [unclear: Tararua] tramping club on Thursday evening. The truck was slowed up by heavy Easter traffic and we arrived at Okahune after midnight.

By 6am. the next morning we were off. It was a fine chill National Park down. After a stop for breakfast, porridge cooked in, the inimatable John Rhodes manner, the party climbed Ruapehu from somewhere near the Blyth hut. It took 3 hours to roach the summit from where we had breakfast. Just for fun, the party roped up at one point crossing a snowy slope, but the climb needed fitness rather than skill.

The view at the stop, clouds permitting, is quite good. We walked past the Dome shelter, which is on the Chateau side and [unclear: asconded] To Hou Hou (9050'). the descent was accomplished by sliding on snow and rock, it being impossible to walk down. At the bottom we found ourselves in the sandy desert between Ruapehu and Nguarahoe and we camped [unclear: near] the Tame lakes for the night.