President’s Desk Kia ora folks, Arggh, this again. While I’m not really known for my sunny, optimistic disposition for the sake of everyone’s sanity I’ll try and keep a positive spin on things. So, first of all, our club night this month is the NZ Mountain Film Festival, which will still be held at the 4th Wall Cinema on the 16th of September, assuming we are at Level 2 by that time. We don’t expect to be below Level 2 again anytime soon, so numbers will be limited to 100 people. If we aren’t at Level 2 on the 16th, […]

President’s Desk Kia ora folks, Well, the snow arrived…I guess it pays to be careful what you wish for. A tough month weather wise has resulted in some cancellations and postponements, a bummer for those of us who were looking forward to a weekend at the Levin Waiopehu Lodge on Ruapehu watching the Snow Craft 2 crew being put through the wringer. But we are nothing if not persistent, and as I write this bleak missive, chained to a laptop nowhere near the snow and shackled into club service, there should be a crew of lucky punters heading central for […]

President’s Desk Kia ora katou, This month the snow season officially kicks off… so it can start snowing anytime now already. Train the trainers day is planned for the first weekend of July so a reminder to those who will be helping out on snow craft courses, to keep that weekend free. Also keep every other weekend free from now until the snow level drops to within sensible distance from the lodge. Postponement is a possibility. Currently looks like we’re going to be doing a summit mission instead of the usual gentleman’s amble within hearing range of the Lodge toaster. […]

President’s Desk Kia ora folks, Not the best month on the Maunga, and our thoughts go out to the families of Richard Phillips and Peter Kirkwood who fell and died near the summit this month. Thanks, and much respect are due to the rescue team, who recovered the climbers in the difficult conditions.This time of year can be especially dangerous as the mountain transitions from summer to winter conditions, so please everyone be careful up there. It’s crampons, ice axes and the know how to use them at all times on the upper mountain at all times from now on. […]

President’s Desk Kia ora folks, Stuff got done this month! Pete Lethbridge and his merry band of electricians have installed the new power cable, flicked the switch, and got it all up and running again. The lodge is all powered up and whatever accounts for normal business up there has resumed. Because the works were taking place during the week, the retired were massively overrepresented in the vollie turn out, be it orchestrating logistics, shovelling dirt, feeding the workers, or messing about with dangerous bits of wire, so a huge thanks are due to the club’s boomers this time round. […]