Club Night June 2013
Over 40 members and visitors attended the Clubs monthly meeting.
Trip Reports. Some trips were cancelled because of the weather, however in spite of an atrocious weather forecast, the Queen’s Birthday Kepler Track trip went ahead with seven keen trampers heading down on the Friday in a mini bus.
After being dropped off on Saturday morning at Rainbow Reach, they headed for Iris burn Hut, some 22km away. They were treated to a vibrant display of Fiordland fungi along the side of the track, which slowed the photographers down. They were kept awake by heavy rain and hut shaking thunder that night, but there was only light drizzle as they ascended the zig zag to the first shelter the next morning. The side streams were still raging though. However across the top they were accompanied by horizontal rain and slushy snow, and Luxmore Hut was a welcome sight. The sun came out during their descent to the control gates the next morning. A trip enjoyed by all.
The Wednesday Walkers day trips have been a Tapui farm walk including the old railway tunnel and Belmont Hill, the Waiho Walkway with lunch at the Waiho Forks Hotel, the Moeraki Walkway and along the beach to the South Kaik at times watched by basking seals, and Trig L near Palmerston. The number of people walking ranged from 12 to 32.
Coming Club Trips are Mt. Orr from Station Peak Road, and the annual Big Hut trip. Further information is available on the NOTMC website .
Our guest speaker was local mountaineer Nick Shearer, who spoke and showed photos of a N Z group’s Yangma expedition to Eastern Nepal in October last year, their aim being to climb two peaks near Mt. Kanchenjunga. They were assisted by seven Sherpa staff, and 34 local porters carrying 50kg to 125kg of gear each, some of them women.
The expedition left from Kathmandu on a 25 hour bus trip followed by a 12 day walk up a narrowing valley to base camp. Yaks were used as transport for the last section. The final village of Yangma at 4200m asl. housed about 50 people and was just two days yak travel over a pass to Tibet. Base Camp was a day further on at 4400m in a lovely alpine yak pasture.
The first mountain summit of Syao Kang, 6000m was an easy gradient though altitude was becoming an increasing hurdle. The second mountain, Chaw at 6400m proved too much of a challenge mainly because of avalanche danger, however two of the party climbed to a pass looking down into Tibet.
One of the party had serious altitude sickness and stayed at base camp, eventually being helicoptered back to Kathmandu. The rest walked out via another scenic route.
We were treated to some spectacular scenery, a glimpse of the difficult country they travelled through, and an insight into the Nepalese friendly culture.
Nepal, like a lot of emerging countries is a mix of old and new, the people using yak transport and cell phones. Politics don’t affect the mountain dwellers, though new roads are bringing the benefits as well as the adverse effects of civilisation closer. For example health treatment is becoming easier to access but so are sweetened drinks such as coca cola!