A Wild Weekend at Memorial Hut

Weekend Trip - Friday 25th to Sunday 27th January 2008

As we hit the motorway on Friday, the radio forecasts and news reports were full of dire warnings. A severe storm was predicted to work its way down the country with record lows expected to produce gale-force winds inland, hurricane strength at sea. Should we go? Should we stay? Let’s go was the decision - it’s better to go with a positive attitude than stay and wish we had made the attempt.
Very light traffic made for a fast trip to Ruapehu.

The road signs near the Chateau declared chains to be fitted at Salt Flat, but the Bruce Rd was free of snow and ice. We learnt later that the signs related to conditions prevailing earlier in the week. We drove on, parked the car, and walked up to Mem Hut under a clear sky and cold temperatures. The snow base to the Hut is the deepest we have seen since the early 1990s prior to the eruption cycle.

On Saturday morning the view up the mountain was promising, though a ‘fresh’ wind was blowing ... A brand new season pass needed using so away I went up the mountain. A couple of warm-up runs on the waterfall T bar then up the Knoll. By this time the unlimited visibility had reduced to 50m with flat light and the wind picking up. The run down the Knoll was best forgotten. I couldn’t tell up from down so retreated to the waterfall T for a couple more runs before joining the mob making their way down the mountain. The snow cover allowed easy skiing back to the hut pushed by the tail wind. By then if the cloud had been any lower it would have been underground. The wind was giving the hut a good thumping when in blew Wendy and Carlo. They told us that Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) was advising people to leave the mountain and the fields were now closed. The eight of us in the hut settled down with newspapers and books.

As the day wore on, the wind increased in strength. The hanging lights in the lounge bounced with each gust; chunks of ice could be heard leaving the roof and seen flying away. It seemed prudent to vacate the lounge area in case the picture window shattered or the roof lifted. We hauled the sofas to the lower ceiling area replacing them with the table-tennis table, then settled down to read, talk and storm watch from relative safety.

RAL rang at mid-afternoon asking how many spare bunks we had. A large number of day trippers were trapped on the mountain and had been herded into Lorenzo’s café for shelter. RAL was ringing around the mountain huts seeking a night’s shelter for these people (at one stage Tokoroa next to us had 80 people in their hut). We had just finished an early dinner when a snow groomer and driver arrived. The driver came in asking for food; he had been out all day helping people off the mountain and hadn’t eaten since breakfast. He went away with a full stomach and shortly afterward RAL rang to ask if we could host 22 people for the night. Wendy began making soup and toast, while we dragged out the spare mattresses and prepared for a full hut. Our ‘refugees’ were ferried to us on the back of a snow groomer, which must have been a cold ride. Many needed help over the snow drifts at the entrance to the hut. The drying room filled to capacity with wet clothing. Up for a day’s skiing, none had overnight gear.

Our guests were a disparate group, coming from China, Korea, Spain, Brazil, Germany, South Africa (the locals knew when to get off the mountain). They were fed and given hot drinks; some showered and others were supplied with dry clothes. The table-tennis table became the social centre with an international competition. The games came into their own with chess and cards being popular. Our guests were given the option of sleeping in the bunkrooms or bringing the mattresses from the rooms into the lounge and sleeping there. The lounge, being warmer, became the popular choice.

Sunday dawned fine with the winds less fierce. RAL advised they would come to collect our refugees about 10.30. Breakfast was served and, with help from the guests, dishes done and the lounge returned to normal. The groomers (3) arrived on schedule. Many good-byes, thanks and waves followed as the guests departed, in pens (rather like sheep) on the back of the groomers. The hut was cleaned, closed, and we departed close to midday. The road was closed to up traffic (as was the field) as the weather was predicted to get back to the storm conditions.

I would like to acknowledge the help given by Wendy and Carlo (the photographers), Anna, Kevin and Nick, Anthony and Tim, in making our unexpected guests as welcome and as comfortable as possible. It was quite an adventure for us all.

Ian Roberts