GUIDES NECESSARY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 77, 21 November 1931, Page 4

GUIDES NECESSARY

TONGARIRO PARK INEXPERIENCFiD PARTIES LEFT iWITHOUT GUIDES . ?. \ : POPULARISIN G WINTER SPORTS The opinion that««d.uring holiday periods, when a large number of visitors are at the Chateau, there should be an increase in the number of expert guides available, was expressed by Guides Olaf Pedersen and L. Young, of National Park, who are at present visiting Rotorua, when in conversation with a "Ppst" representative yesterday. / . Both guides were of the opinion that* if the proposed bill for the licensing of guides resulted in the provision of more qualified men to lead parties, it would serve a very valuable purpose. Under the present conditions, they stated, a large number of quite inexperienced -people were allowed to risk their lives on the mountains without any guides being available, even if they were asked for. At present, Guide Pedersen " is the only guide .available and obviously, it was pointed out, he could not look after more fhan a small proportion of the number requiring guides. Both guides emphasised the fact that while a .number of ]the alpinists who visited ihe National Park were well acquainted with the mountains and were in many eases quite capable of looking after themselves, a greater number were either novices or not sufiiciently acquainted with mountain conditions tp uhdertake long trips without expert guides. Recent Tragedy - ; Ref erring to the recent tragedy on jVIt. Ruapehu, and the loss of the party,. of Auckland students, Guide Young stated that before the departjirje pf ,the ill-fated party, requests for a guide were mad.e . by. ^evetal members of the party but no guide was available. In spite of a series of unf ortunate aqcidents, the past winter season at Tongariro had been most successful. , There had been a wonderful erowfi of . visitors, and the winter sports had been more popular tfian ever before. Skjing, in particular, was rapidly growing in favour and Guide Pedersen, who is an experienced ski jumper, stated that he was very optimistic regarding the prospects of developing the sport. Hut On Tongariro In this connection, he suggested that an accommodation hut built on Mt. Tongariro would prove very popular as it would be near the best skfing snow, on the Park and would spye the necessity of parties ujidertaking a long tramp from the Chatpau. Well up Tongariro, there was sjplendid snow for skiing and if acc.ommodation was provided adjacent to it, the popularity of the sport would be greatly enhanced. The introduction of ice skating would also do a great deal to attract Visitors, the guides considered. There was a number of suitalfie areas very pear to the Chateau where ice skating grounds could be established and jthese would provide faeilities both for night skating and ice hockey, if it could be organised.