CHALK TALK

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 278, 14 March 1989, Page 11

CHALK TALK

BY

KARL

MOTTRAM

Early in February the Ruapehu College year five students attended a leadership training skills and hiking camp on Mt Ruapehu.

Although leadership training as the prime function, cross-country hikes were an added challenge. The camp lasted four days and three nights. Day One was spent on planning and briefing after which everyone was packed, ready and eager to go by 4 pm. The Massey University hut on the Ohakune Mountain Road was reached after a short bus ride. On Day Two, after a good breakfast, they packed, cleaned the hut and carried out a survey of the proposed route. After a hearty lunch, the hike started in earnest. The group of 23 students were split into six sub-groups. Each group took a turn at commanding the entire team. This was to test leadership ability as well as capability to plan a course of action should there be an emergency. of the pre-ar-ranged "emergencies" were a leak in the cooking fuel that ruined half of the group's food and rescuing a student with compound fractures and internal injuries. The latter case was acted out with great skill by Tama Campbell on Day Three. Skillful first aid was provided by Judith Berry, Stephanie Fetzer and Karen Truscott. The group considered that the first aid was carried out in a manner that showed professional training. During the exercise each member played a valuable part and carried out the duty for which they were most skilled. Some of these duties were noting the state of the injured person' s

condition, making a map reference of the

team's location (for air rescue), and constructing a stretcher out of jackets and marker poles found on the

track. After the exercise, the poles were returned to their former locations and the group

headed down to a campsite chosen in the Whakapapaiti Valley. There they set camp and cooked the night's meals over small but effective, butane burners. On the morning of Day Four, radio messages were sent to the school on a mountain radio set. After the check-in call was made, the group set off on the last leg of the hike to the Chateau Tongariro.