I see that its snowing on Whakapapa, apparently its going to be a bad season for turoa if you believe that crackpot ken ring.
News from Ruapehu Alpine Lifts new management ~ "The past 12 months have been a busy time at Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL). The Whakapapa Licence to operate was renewed in December 2015, and that kicked off a $100 million investment plan at Mt Ruapehu’s three ski areas. An $11 million investment plan for this summer means the business has committed $21 million of new capital since the licence renewal was announced. The proposed $37 million Whakapapa gondola project is just around the corner with consents due to be lodged early next year, and the Turoa licence renewal process is progressing positively. Following the company’s most successful Life Pass campaign ever in October, RAL has big plans to transform and relaunch Happy Valley as a “snow park” concept, while cementing its place as New Zealand’s premier beginner ski and snowboard facility. “We’ve listened to our customers who said it was awkward getting to Happy Valley on the access chairlift, so to kick things off we’re replacing that chairlift with two 26 person high-speed Schindler elevators to make that transition from the carpark to snow a whole lot easier and faster,” explains Whakapapa GM, Steve McGill. RAL is also adding three brand new surface lifts into the Happy Valley Snow Park. Two of these surface lifts will feature covers to keep guests dry and sheltered while they move in style. The existing “Double Happy” lift will remain as an ideal transition for those who wish to learn to ride a chairlift before moving higher up the mountain to the brand-new Rangitira Express Quad on Whakapapa Ski Area. The addition of these new lifts is expected to eliminate queues and vastly improve guest comfort and safety. The investment plan includes over $4 million earmarked for new snow making technology at Happy Valley, Whakapapa and Turoa. Happy Valley will be the first and only ski area in New Zealand with a Techno Alpin SF210 All-Weather Snowmaking system. This state-of-the-art technology can make snow in above-zero temperatures guaranteeing that Happy Valley Snow Park will open in time for Queen’s birthday long weekend on 3 June 2017, a month earlier than usual. The snow park will feature a dedicated snow play zone with its own covered surface lift well away from the skiing and boarding public so the little ones are safe while tobogganing and building snowmen. “We’re positioning Happy Valley as the place for families to come for their first snow experience, whether that’s learning to ski with our snow school, or ripping down the slope on a sled. The bonus is we can now guarantee great snow conditions and big smiles over a longer season regardless of the weather,” said General Manager Steve McGill. Turoa die-hards don’t miss out on the snowmaking with 7 additional snowguns joining the fleet giving General Manager Chris Thrupp greater confidence heading into 2017; “The additional firepower will de-risk our exposure to the unseasonably warm weather we experienced this year. We’re confident our core trails will be up and running in record time next season”. At Whakapapa snow-lovers can look forward to almost double the snowmaking capacity next winter. This will provide early-season snow in Tennant’s Valley, Rockgarden and Turtle Run, complementing the new Doppelmayr “Delta Quad” chairlift which will replace the Waterfall T-Bar in time for the 2017 season. Importantly, the new snowmaking and chairlift will allow the grooming team at Whakapapa to create a network of “green” trails giving groups of mixed abilities the opportunity to spend the day together enjoying the upper mountain slopes and Knoll Ridge – New Zealand’s highest café. “This is an exciting period in the history of RAL as we embark on the biggest investment programme since our incorporation in 1953. With $21 million of new capital committed in the past 18 months, our 2017 pass holders have a lot to look forward to! We have carefully selected a range of investments which appeal to the changing needs of our domestic and international markets, always thoughtful of our shared role as kaitiaki of this sacred place. A range of operational excellence initiatives complement the capital works programme, and for 2017 that will mean considerable growth in employment at all 3 ski areas as we focus on lifting service levels. Investment of this scale is not just significant for the Ruapehu District, ‘New Zealand Inc.’ also benefits from the re-emergence of dual world heritage listed Tongariro National Park as a premier international destination”, says RAL CEO Ross Copland.
No exactly new news. You just have to respect this mountain. Being subservient to a Maori myth/legend/being/whatever can be a drag for us later settlers The effort to promote it as an international destination? Might work for fly fishers and trampers (hikers), maybe some fresh water yachties, amateur geologists, folk interested in the nascent sheep milk industry? Best plan is the gondola to just below the Far West Chair, no that it will improve the lot of boarders all that much but eh view on the way up will be grand and it avoid some pesky bootlenecks.
Significant money sorted and the lifts under installation is actually major news, esp to a new life-pass holder. Before it was just talk and plans. Still many of us do have major reservations about the cost/ benefits of the grand scheme, but nevertheless its underway. not sure about the '3' ski areas typo ... and no bad taste 80s yt vid this time ?
If we happen to meet up there say hello. Only reason I haven't bought the life pass, on the 2 occasions now, is my fear that the old gent will blow any time. His time not being our time. Got some pre digital images of him doing just that , taken from his old foe Taranaki somewhere. No use championing the Nth Island really. I've tried that for some years. Only other voices in the wilderness til recently were some other expats You just have to live here. Little excuse explaining why. None of the viewers here are sending the AKL housing market wild. Though things might change. It's a rich cultural mix up there at the top of the Bruce for sure. More than 2 boys for every girl in the most common nationality for sure. Wait till they all hit the slopes. As you are obviously aware there are off season escape routes. Enough of being sensible.
Hmm ok well, to Rua, most of the tourists there are insitu NZ already , not sole Ski tourists, eruptions will always come and go miss those wide open empty bc glaciers after japanese trees ... SRV, good tune pic from the greatbutoverrated, here is the only vid you wanna watch, his 1st foray; getting Booed by the snobby Swiss, the rendition of Texas Flood is ... sublime .. also Dirty Pool ; Bowie saw this and hired him, ... dammit missed gatecrashing his gig when i was a kid
Totally bizarre scenes at W'papa today. Camera was in the car. Big dump this week, but this is still early season. Media hyped it up for sure. Crikey it snows up there all winter! Bruce Road was closed at midday with the Rock Garden only open. Cars were parked a k down from the Chateaux on the way down and folks were traipsing up to catch the shutltles, to wait in a 100m queue to go down the new lift (elevator) to Happy Valley? Basic facilities must have been very stressed.
Snow quality is variable/ shite/ character building , as one expects early season. Whaka has the sharks out and only 2 upper lifts going , needs another metre, so it had a mellow Sunday crowd . Turoa fully covered and all open, big Sunday /mellow Monday. Good to see all the regulars out so happy new year 2017 season opener ~ to the Tararuas ~
You just have to be there with nuthin to do on a Weekend afternoon. Adjacent ranges? I just go to Japan.
Volcanic Triple Crown looking good, fine base at Whakapapa Miss Rua in her finest lingerie, FrontStage traverse all on
Very interesting reading on the RAL 15 year plans, its a non-profit company so they post their reports ... https://assets.ctfassets.net/zc9e1q...anagement_Plan_Whakapapa_March_2018_Final.pdf
For the first time in over 10 years I'm unlikely to get to southern lakes this season, no annual leave left. Apart from a weekend hopefully skiing Canterbury, ill be trying to explore Ruapehu again for the first time in over 15 years. Looking forward to a mix of epic days and massive disappointments... or just the latter...
Just bought my season pass currently living in Wello so looking to do the long trip pretty much every weekend. Will either celebrate or regret this decision. Haven't boarded North island yet...see how it compares.
Heading up tomorrow night for opening day Saturday. Only Happy Valley open, and the snow forecast at the start of the week has turned to r**n. Doh. Oh well, get a few hours in Saturday and work on plan B for Sunday and Monday.
I was there last week and it was dumping. Couldn't even get on to the mountain. Snow on the desert road south as well. Good to see them getting some early season snow. Hopefully our persistent highs will FCk off so we can get some.
Pappa is not looking good at the moment. The snow is very rain affected. Hopefully this will change in the next couple of weeks. It would be great if there was a lift (Tbar or poma) at Pappa and Turoa so that it was easy to go from one ski area to the other without the massive amount of driving that is currently required.
I did mention that to them when I was there but they're happy with things as they are. It would open up a whole lot more complexity if they did do that. Weather and snow allowing, you can ski across, it's not too arduous. The Kiwis like a bit of adversity anyway.
Being able to ski either ski area, from either ski area, would be great. Maybe they are concerned that everyone would want to park at Papa. Unless you are staying in Ohakune, it is much easier to drive to Papa than Turoa. Maybe they like driving everywhere and are pretending that they are green at heart.
Few people have died up in that area. It gets pretty nasty weather wise. I think it's about a 45 min traverse around.
If there were lifts each side and (some) patrolling then it should be ok. DPS Driver indicated, weather and snow allowing, that you can ski across and it's not too arduous. It would definitely open up the ski area and make Papa and Turoa the largest ski area in NZ, even ski in/ski out from the Papa side. Let's hope the clubs stay as clubs and RAL remains (sensibly) non profit and that the privateers occupy Papa village. I believe, last year, that 800K+ was spent on free shuttles to and from Papa and Turoa. How much would 2 pomas cost?
nice try, but Whakapapa is the biggest field in nz the rest is gazetted National park /world heritage backcountry, extremely dangerous deadly terrain, nasty with ice. and bluffs is that what you are after
Not difficult in the right conditions. But you would definitely not want inexperienced people attempting it without an experienced and knowledgeable guide.
Wet as in Whakapappa today. Only skied a couple of hours and decided to call it quits when I could feel my boots filling up with water. Can confirm that Aldi Inoc pants are not waterproof.
FREERIDE WORLD QUALIFIER The North Face Frontier FWQ 2* and FWQ 4* - The Remarkables, Queenstown: 2nd – 7th September Mt Olympus Freeride Open FWQ 2* - Mt Olympus, Craigieburn Range, Canterbury: 11th – 14th September Turoa FWQ 2* - Turoa, Mt Ruapehu, North Island: 26th – 29th September The junior tour dates are also at the side of each event.
Tough Snow Mistress Grade 4 related to a controlled blast Tower down https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/1060...pehu-shuts-upper-slopes-of-troa-and-whakapapa
This video shows how bad it is https://unofficialnetworks.com/2018...rlift-tower-in-half-nearly-kills-two-workers/ They are lucky the lift is still there
Today was utter ****ing chaos as Whakapapa. Blue bird brought out everybody, and given Turoa was partly closed, everyone wanted Whakas. Car park was full by 8am. Buses from Whaka village had an hour wait just for tickets. Apparantly 200m long queues from national park. And when you finally got up the mountain, the lines for the lifts were packed as well. Line for waterfall went back all the way to the Rangatira lift. Props to the i-site centre and some of the bus companies for running extra buses, and the staff for dealing with the chaos. There were a lot of frustrated and pissed off people today. A lot of reports also from people claiming its the busiest they have seen it ever. My board got trashed in the lift lines Managed a couple of runs so should try to be thankful. Even a bad day on the slopes beats being at work?
