Club Meeting, May 2015
The monthly meeting, which included the AGM, was held in the revamped Search and Rescue Headquarters to ascertain whether these premises would be a suitable venue for future club meetings.
The AGM saw Jane Green re-elected as President. Robbie Verhoef and Neville Corry retained their positions of Secretary and Treasurer.
Members voted in favour of holding future club meetings in the SAR Headquarters.
During the General Meeting Wednesday Walkers reported on day trips in April to the Benmore Walkway, Elephant Hill and Mussen – both on the northern side of the Waitaki River, and Mt Dryburgh from the Hakataramea side. The first trip for May to Mt Difficulty (inland from Five Forks) from The Hectors Road saw walkers battle cold winds and needle-like rain.
A club trip to Aspiring hut planned for ANZAC weekend was cancelled due to bad weather. Wallabies were roaming in large numbers when a group walked from Lake Aviemore, up and beyond Deep Stream earlier this month.
Modern technology enabled members to be given helpful tips on how to navigate the club’s website – www.NOTMC.org.nz.
Guest speaker, club member and keen photographer Noel Pullan, shared his ‘Views from the Tops’ – stunning photos from some of his climbing expeditions in the Southern Alps, Kaikoura ranges and Mts Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Egmont in the North Island. Noel can claim membership of the ‘Ten Thousand Club’ – ie those who have climbed to altitudes of 10,000 feet or more. On one trip he climbed three 10,000 feet peaks in three days. Most of us only get to look up to these peaks from ground level but Noel’s images transported us to razor-edged ridge lines, seemingly impassable rock faces and enabled us to look down on endless lines of icy peaks and snaking glaciers and be in awe of the miniscule dots that were the climbers and huts in the snow below. Magnificent!