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A Rich and Strange Christmas Trip; or An Account of the V.U.W. Moraine Crushing Expedition, Jan. 1963.

The initial difficulty was making up our minds to go somewhere; once it has been passed, we had then to plan a trip which would encompass the ruling passions of the aprty (these being Jonny; to end up in the raspberry fields of the Hermitage. Stephen: to keep out of Canterbury river-beds. Michael: to be swallowed by a concealed schrund. Ray: positive action. Margaret: to survive). Our trip was from the Rangitata to the Hermitage, by rather obscure routes as befitted trampers in climbing country.

We went from Ashburton to Mesopotamia by taxi: the driver disconcerted dosciples at the shrine of Samuel Butler by his references to "Messy". The Rangitate was Big; the Havelock only slightly less so. Our first night was spent in a musterers' hut with gooseberries provided, the second day we reluctantly passed a dear-stalkers' hut on the junction of the Forbes and Havelock, and prossed on up the Forbes. No account of our assault on Twilight Col can do justice to the agonies of body or spirit - 7 hours (o Shame), boiling sun, scree, soft snow, heavy packs, and a good 7000 ft up. The view from the top was very fine - many great mountains including Cock, and strongly affected the sensibilities of some. The descent into Separation Stream was doath, and we were all quite shaky with tiredness.

The Godley Hut was a very habitable place - from where we assaulted the glacier (much broken up), spent many hours dancing on the moraines, and the heroes climbed Mt. panorama. We travelled down the Godley, crossed it (a feat!) and established a waterless camp (see The Island) on idyllic flats onthe Rutherford - much daisy-chaining and art photography. Our one wot day was spent well up the Rutherford a Bocket-like experience, heads out of sleeping bags declaiming Webster and D.H. Lawrence, and playing Sink The Nazi Navy. Armadillo Saddle in comparison with our earlier pass was as nothing.

Murchison Hut is very satisfactory - one can sit outside in the sun drinking coffee surrounded by immense mountains. We climbed Mt. Cooper - a source of great pride. The notorious Murchison Moraine was overcome, in record speed by experienced morainers. Steffan Hut is very small but in a beautiful seting - icefalls and alpine flowers. We spent a morning wandering about, an afternoon frantically staggering across the Tasman Moraine, and an evening responding to the challenge of the Ball Hut Road, having missed the bus.

Our trip was a Truly Magnificent Achievement Tthough we say it ourselves)

J.R.R.