SKIING PARTY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 September 1939, Page 7

SKIING PARTY

VISIT TO MT. HOLDSWORTH. NEW TRACK APPRECIATED. With the intention of enjoying what will probably be the last skiing trip of the season, a party of skiers comprised of members of the Tararua, Hutt Valley and Wairarapa Tramping clubs visited Mt. Holdsworth during the weekend. Every member of the party was heavily burdened by a large rucsac and pair of ski, and warm appreciation was expressed of the new tourist track which has' been cut to a considerable altitude on the mountainside. The new track, which ascends via Donnelly’s Camp, is four feet wide. It is of a very easy gradient and should thus prove popular with visitors to the mountain during the coming summer. It is 1o be hoped that those responsible will continue the track to the bushline of the mountain. At 7.30 p.m. on Saturday the party reached the new lan Powell ski hut at an altitude of 4,200 ft.. and were rewarded by a splendid view of the Wairarapa towns by night. Very prominent were the vapour street lights of Masterton and Carterton, and also the numerous neon and car lights. During the night a howling westerly gale arose, but by 9 a.m. on Sunday it had abated sufficiently for members of the party to put on their skis and climb several hundred feet to the Plateau. Here, the wind was again of gale force, so an excellent run was made down to the sheltered slopes of the basin, where everyone was able to put into practice the knowledge gained a fortnight ago at the Chateau Tongariri Ski School. Although the snow was of the “wet” type, and, consequently, made for slow running, some particularly fast runs were made by giving the ski a good coating of wax. Skiers have been very fortunate in having good snow and wbather conditions throughout the season, and it is worthy of mention that several were placed in the Ruapehu Ski Club’s annual championships, held recently at National Park, their experience gained on Mt. Holdsworth proving undoubtedly valuable.