French Ridge Hut History
Management
The hut is managed in conjunction with the Department of Conservation. Meetings are held of a steering committee twice a year to decide on work plan priorities.
French Ridge Hut 2003
History Timeline
2010 -
2009 -
2008 -
2007 -
2006 -
2005 -
2004 -
2003 -
2002 -
2001 -
2000 -
1999 - Second replacement French Rigde Hut completed with $50000 from Club funds and $25000 from the Otago Community Trust. Fabricated in the builders yard in Gore, it was then stripped down into helicopter loads from trucking into Raspberry Flat carpark. Both commercial and RNZAF helicopters flew loads into the site. The official completion date and hand over to NZAC Vice President and Project Manager, Chas Tanner, was 29th June.
1998 -
1997 -
1996 -
1995 -
1994 -
1993 -
1992 -
1991 -
1990 -
1989 -
1988 -
1987 - First management agreement signed between DoC and NZAC.
1986 -
1985 -
1984 -
1983 -
1982 -
1981 -
1980 - January 18th - Ralph Francis Larkins died after being caught in a storm high on Mt Aspiring's SW ridge. A barometer and plaque, donated by his family, are mounted on the wall of the second replacement hut as at 2010.
1979 -
1978 -
1977 -
1976 -
1975 -
1974 -
1973 - Work on new bivvy commences January. Bivvy opening held on the 31st March. Dedication by the Reverand John Brinsley.
Named the Lucas-Trotter Memorial Hut. Facilities consisted of a stainless steel bench and bunks with mattresses for 15, only with no cooking facilities, or utensils supplied.
1972 - Proposal put forward by Otago Section for bivvy replacement. Funds from Club required $1400. Assistance with funding was received from the families of the late CR Lucas and R Trotter (see 1970 below) Prefabrication assembled in a Dunedin wharf shed at the end of the year.
1971 -
1970 - Colin Ralph Lucas and Ruth Trotter died crossing the Breakaway.
1969 -
1968 -
1967 -
1966 -
1965 -
1964 -
1963 -
1962 -
1961 -
1960 -
1959 -
1958 -
1957 -
1956 -
1955 -
1954 -
1953 -
1952 -
1951 -
1950 -
1949 - Work party to clear snow and debris from the floor. Hut anchored down and the stone wall built up on the north side to protect it from the worst of the weather. Interior still to be lined, and the bunks, shelves, etc to be put in. Contents consist of a two-burner stove, two pints of petrol and plenty of cooking and eating utensils. Noted that this hut costs Club members about twice as much work and headaches as all the other huts put together.
1948 -
1947 -
1946 -
1945 -
1944 - Heavy snow storm in 1943 damaged hut. Easter work party stripped weather side of roof and found all the rafters broken and the frame very wet. New rafters fitted and the frame was stiffened by diagonal bracking. New iron added to the old iron to increase the overlap. All the felt was removed due to dampness and the ridging was hammered down on the roof peak. Hut painted and the rock wall raised to the level of the eaves. Two oregon props were fitted to the interior of the hut to take the strain of any snow on the roof.
1943 - Ventilators fitted, leaking roof soldered, windows repaired, shutters painted and repaired. conduit frames with bird-netting fitted to keep out the Keas. Hut colours green and aluminium.
1942 -
1941 - roof battons taken up and nailed on
1940 - In 1940 a 9' x 8' iron bivouac, lined internally throughout and assembled in Dunedin, was broken down and transported to Cameron Flat, then packed to Pearl Flat by Jack and Jerry Aspinall. As the track across Rough Creek had been washed
out, the material had to be unloaded, pulled across the creek on a wire, and reloaded and packed to its destination. As Jack Aspinall made a gift to the Club of two-thirds of what was already a most reasonable charge for this packing contact, it is but another addition to the imposing list of good works which leave climbers owing him for ever a debt of gratitude. Packing parties were arranged daily to get the 1600lbs of material up 2000 feet of very steep, bush-clad hillside and 1200 feet of tussock ridge, to the hut site, ready for H J Stevenson and his band of workers to erect the new French Ridge Bivvy.
NZAC Alpine
Journal June 1940, Vol VIII pages 160/240
pre1940 - First bivvy on this site - date unknown.
