HILO, Hawaii » The largest group of skiers ever to climb up Mauna Kea at one time made the arduous trip up the mountain over the weekend to enjoy skiing on the new snow which fell on the slopes Friday night.

Early Sunday morning when the skiers met on the snowy slopes there were between 35 and 40 of them present. Many of them were members of the Hawaii Ski club and their friends.

According to records kept by the club, this was the largest group that ever assembled on the mountain at one time during the skiing season.

Among those present were: Stephen Ho, Pat Pang, Paul Hiyama, Saichi Higashi, Lionel Miyamoto, Minoru Tsuda, Martin Tohara, Wally Fukuda, Gilbert Streeter, S. Matsumoto, Kaoru Sunada, Doris and Sueko Higashi, Bob Hino, Toshimitsu Imamura and gang from Hilo, Mr. and Mrs. M.S. Ramos and family of Paauilo, Charles Akiyama and three boys from Olaa, Police Lieut. and Mrs. William Seymour, and five other carloads of interested people from Hilo and the country districts.

The hikers met with the worst rainstorm that they ever encountered on Mauna Kea Saturday night when the heavy rains and thunder made the climb up to the resthouse at the 9,000-foot elevation difficult.

The hike was made from the 7,000-foot elevation, where the last gate is located and where the auto trail ends.

Leaving the cars there, the hikers climbed the rocky and at places, sandy, slopes.