Fine weather marks start of Winter Season at Mt Ruapehu

Crisp, clear weather welcomed visitors to Mt Ruapehu last weekend for the official opening of Whakapapa and Tūroa ski fields.

Almost 5,000 people visited the North Island ski fields over the weekend, enjoying sightseeing on the Sky Waka and welcoming the return this year of the Double Happy chairlift in Happy Valley at Whakapapa, and the Alpine Meadow beginner’s area at Tūroa.

The opening of these ski and snowboard areas adds to the beginner’s ski area at Happy Valley, which opened a couple of weeks ago.

Welcoming the start of the season, Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) Chief Executive, Jono Dean stated “it was tremendous to see the families with kids out and about over the long weekend and enjoying some beautiful conditions on the maunga, from first timers, regular skiers, through to sightseers, there was something for everyone.”

Looking forward, he added “there’s a likelihood of more snow … followed by more good snow making conditions for the remainder of this week, which will hopefully set us up to open more terrain in time for the school holidays - this will be the lower mountain chairlifts first.

“Looking further ahead there is snow forecast for the first Monday and Tuesday of the school holidays as well so it’s shaping up well.”

Dean expects that the ski season will start to get busier from now on and encourages visitors to ski mid-week if possible, to avoid crowds and take advantage of some great prices.

Image: Fine weather marks the season start at Turoa. Credit: Ben Lawrence.