MOUNTAINEERING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 128, 26 February 1940, Page 2

MOUNTAINEERING

TE TEKO PARTY ON MT. EDGECUMBE HINTS FOR CLIMBERS At 8 a.m. on a recent Sunday a parly of ten Tc Tekoites, having acquired a motor truck and plenty of lunch, sundry cameras and binoculars, set out to scale the heights of Mt. Edgeeumbc. Having heard a good deal about the pleasures to be had in climbing Mount Edgecumbe and the splendid view to be obtained from the summit, it was a cheerful party tlyit left the truck at the, foot of the first scrub covered rise, and began to climb.. The going was by no means easy although a faint track was visible until the lower slopes of the mountain were reached. In the bush, patches of thick supple jack necessitated numerous detours and the agility of all members of the party, especially the ladies, was tested to the utmost in negotiating some of the steep slopes Several stops were made on tile way up and three hours from leaving the truck the ten mountaineers were resting on the summit. After a short stay a visit was made to the blowhole in the main centre, before crossing to the lake on the North Eastern side where lunch was demolished. Descent in Good Time. At 3 o'clock everyone returned to the top to take photos and at 3.30 p.m. the descent began. Three of the party followed the ridge on the Eastern side, while the remainder pioneered a new track to the South. Much better time was made on the way down, many places being negotiated in a slide. One of the ladies had a major calamity in contacting a sharp stake with the "sit down" portion of a pair of slacks, and it was noticed that, she evinced a desire to be last in line for the remainder of the journey. Back at Te Teko again at 5.30 p.m., a rush was made for bathing suits for a visit to the Awakeri Hot Springs, a good long soak there helping to relieve the stiffness that was becoming apparent in some members of the party. All having experienced various degrees of "ducking" in the pool, a return was made to Te Teko where tea was waiting. A weary crowd lounged about until 9 o'clock when cars and the truck were brought into use for delivering the extremely fatigued trampers to their respective homes. A perfect day.

'Do's' and 'Dont's* In conclusion, for the benefit of readers Avho may contemplate climb ing the mountain, the following may be of interest, "Do's" for moun tainecring on Mt Edgecumbe. 1. Do wear heavy boots. 2. Do wear your oldest long trouse.rs. 3. Do make small packs for all climbers. 4. Do take safety pins for mending (ask the lady mentioned above) 5. Do take plenty of tea for boiling up at the lakeside. 0. Do be prepared for a ferocious attack by ravenous mosquitoes. "DontV' 1. Don't wear shorts as they allow the mosquitoes too much scopes 2. Don't slide down stumpy hillsides. 3. Don't get 'sore' if your pants do get snagged. And above all 4. Don't let a member of the party write up an account of the trip for the "Beacon."