Page 4 - 1982 News Clippings
P. 4
SCHOOL PUPILS VISIT THE SKI FIELDS
15th September, 1982 A bite of lunch and it taken to hospital suffering
The ‘big experience was off to hire boots, skis, from exposure also after a
of 1982’ began at 0600 etc. and lift passes. The night on the slopes. It was
hours at the school - this students and two teachers fortunate the weather was
meant rising soon after spent the afternoon getting calm or he may not have
4:00am to grad a bit of to know the feel of being been lucky enough to have
breakfast, collect final on skis and being helped come through the ordeal
few items to push into by ones who had skied and survived the rigours of
the already overflowing before. the freezing cold.
pack and off to collect Monday dawned This was an excellent
the trip leader, Pam. bright and clear and with example of what the Trip
Most of the rest of the hut chores quickly Leader had told the
party had already arrived completed it was off to students in a short chat on
and were milling about join the Chateau Ski Sunday evening on safe
trying to pack gear into the School classes for the procedures on the
mini-bus., arranging who morning. These were very mountain. It is much
went in which vehicle and much appreciated and it better to buy another ski
farewelling parents was not long comments than to lose one’s life in
Six of us departed at such as ‘ they could now trying to retrieve a
runaway ski, and this has
stop and turn’ could be
5:45am and, after a rather heard. happened so often on ski
foggy trip, we were fields.
pleased to see that as we Monday afternoon
progressed south the fog was spent practicing what The students had also
cleared. A 5-minute stretch had been learnt in the been told of the
of the legs was called for morning, many of the importance of wearing
and then it was on to group skiing the Rock suitable clothing for the
Ruapehu. Graden run while others often harsh conditions and
stayed on Hut Flat. A NEVER EVER leave
Joined the queue of helicopter was observed anyone alone as it is so
cars crawling up to the top flying quite low and we very easy to become lost if
of the Bruce Road and found they were searching the visibility reduces or
thus began the unloading for a skier missing since goes completely, as with
of packs and passengers. Sunday. White Outs.
The weather was cloudy
although reasonably calm This skier had Another very
with the odd flake of committed one of the ‘No. important rule was handed
falling snow. So while No’ rules of skiing. He had out to the students and that
drivers found parking for gone away from the is the maintenance of
the vehicles the rest set off populated ski area in one’s body temperatures,
with their loads for the 10- search of a runaway ski particularly when riding
minute climb to the Alpine and had fallen over, up on the chair lifts, when
Sports Club’s Ruapehu sustained concussion and the wind was blowing on
Hut, which accommodates lost his memory. He was our faces.
20 bodies. fortunately found and
