Spiritual Tramping Group 大自然登山队: t230

Stanton Memorial Loop Walk

The last 6 members left for the Tongariro National Park Summer Tramping 2016 finish the last day walking.

It's an interesting walking, very rough terrain, lots of massive rocks and waterfalls and most important is to recall the significance Stanton Memorial rock. Most off-track and about impossible to finish it if without the GPS information from Taupo Tramping Club.

starting from the Round The Mountain Track carpark

off-track through some very rough terrain

(photo from Jane and Eric)

distinctive bluff

(photo from Jane and Eric)

group photo

seeing waterfalls after not long walking

several times walking down to the vellay and climbing up to the ridge

several waterfalls on the way

(photo from Jane and Eric)

standing at a good lookout point

distinctive rock formation

large rocks

Thanks trampers setting up the cairn for guidence

approaching the Stanton Memorial rock

Stanton Memorial rock

Memorial plaque

having group photo in front of the Stanton Memorial rock to recall Warwick Stanton who passed this way in August 1931 aged 18 years.
The history is:

In August 1931, 14 university students set out from the Chateau Tongariro in fine weather to climb Mt Ruapehu. Blizzard conditions struck while they were at the summit and they descended into the Whakapapaiti Gorge instead of the Whakapapa Valley. The party spent a night sheltering near the rock and then split into three groups. Warwick Stanton and a companion set out to get help, but Warwick eventually succumbed to exhaustion: his body was later found many kilometres west of the Chateau and a memorial that reads ‘In proud and affectionate memory of Warwick Stanton who passed this way in August 1931. Aged 18 years’ marks this spot. The others in the party, some of whom spent three nights on the mountain, all survived.