Forum
Ruapehu '09
I skied Whaka Sat/Sun and Turoa yesterday. Whaka snow condition and coverage way superior to Turoa. Shame it closes earlier but can see why - need more staff to run the place and they need to get started on the new Knoll Cafe/LBC upgrade (Hope they have resource consent for the Knoll - Dave Mazey said if they didn't have it by the end of this week it would be no-go).
Strange how everyone I talked to on the chair said whaka was basically stuffed below the ts and some said it should have closed weeks ago.
Unless you are going well below the express turoa is still loaded, sure the bottom of the giant isn't pretty but neither is waterfall chair.
The glacier is still loaded as is all the west side runs, just a bit doggy if you head to far down the valleys. way better than during the school holidays.
Strange how everyone I talked to on the chair said whaka was basically stuffed below the ts and some said it should have closed weeks ago.
That show you should not listen to other people but go up and look yourself.
That show you should not listen to other people but go up and look yourself.
By gavspad 6 minutes ago.
Oh, the irony...
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*** Blinding Night ***
^^^ haha thought that would be the big cheese smilie 
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*** Blinding Night ***
Oh, the irony...
By rozboon
HaHaHaHa, my thoughts exactly...
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Wait For The Ricochet
Can someone please help a newbie out….I don’t have much experience looking at the weather report/guess and am trying to decide whether or not to head down to the mountain this weekend.
They’re claiming it’s going to be good but I know they are only guessing and have seen them get it wrong many times before, the fact the mountain is closed again today doesn’t give much encouragement…
How likely is it to be open/good this weekend? Also, is there any likelihood chains will be required on the road?
Would be annoyed if I left the good weather forecasted for Auckland to find I can’t ride one of the days down there this weekend but really want one more session before calling it quits for the season.
Any help in deciding would be greatly appreciated.
1 day mission tomorrow, and I can sleep in as the carpark won't be that full and the snow isn't going to release till later anyway.
spring is awesome
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Gaper.
frostythesnowman
Any help in deciding would be greatly appreciated.
Check out something like this:
http://www.metservice.co.nz/public/maps/rain-forecast-3-day.html [metservice.co.nz]
You can see where the rain is coming from, right now.
Move it forward to Sat/Sun and it's looking a lot more tolerable. I would say go up. I'm heading up tomorrow myself.
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Gaper.
How likely is it to be open/good this weekend?
Very likely
Also, is there any likelihood chains will be required on the road?
Very unlikely.
It's Ruapehu.... Just go....
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Wait For The Ricochet
And, No, blunt, CCS, Rob, et all. I don't need reminding about Sunday October 11....
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Wait For The Ricochet
Can someone please help a newbie out….I don’t have much experience looking at the weather report/guess and am trying to decide whether or not to head down to the mountain this weekend.
By frostythesnowman
Its gonna crank mate!!! There's a large anticyclone hovering in the Tasman thats set to make its move across the centre of the country tonight. Looks like a depression underneath NZ will start to push up from below from Saturday but unlikely to effect Ruapehu. Very few isobars across the country means little wind.
I think they (The Moutain report) have it right for this weekend. Clearing late tonight / early tomorrow and fine through to Monday.
GO go go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday
Sunday
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*** Blinding Night ***
Stay home Frosty, sounds like too much of a hassle.
Strange how everyone I talked to on the chair said whaka was basically stuffed below the ts and some said it should have closed weeks ago. By impreza50
Had all the space between the Far West and Knoll T's to play on. Plus lots of short hikes to get onto primo spring snow - Skyline Ridge, The Gut, Limelights. Just feel a bit restricted at Turoa - even if you get some good turns on Triangle/Glacier you have to cut in so early and rock hop back past the High Flyer. But not complaining - just pleased to be back skiing. Discharged from fracture clinic today (still doing physio though).
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reine de l'hiver
I don't know what your rock hopping out of the glacier is. more of the problem is the problem that is always there, no having enough speed. there is a run out to the bottom of the flyer but you'll never get the speed to make it. plus before the giant shut you could go a long way down the western boundary line valley and still get out without walking. If you know where to go go there isn't much walking at turoa, plus the glacier run is far longer than any run off the knoll t.
whaka can be great but turoa always seems to hold the snow much better late season.
sat 31 october....powder day -4 in the morning at turoa. a cold wind kept the snow fresh, approx 20 cm of dry snow...there is now more snow on the upper mtn than we have had all season...top carpark only just full ,a great day ..fresh tracks everywhere!
sat 31 october....powder day -4 in the morning at turoa. a cold wind kept the snow fresh, approx 20 cm of dry snow...there is now more snow on the upper mtn than we have had all season...top carpark only just full ,a great day ..fresh tracks everywhere!
F*ck yeah, can't make it up today but I still havea huge smile on my face from yesterday. I even got motivated and did a bit of walking for freshies (I am very lazy so this is quite a big deal).
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Gaper.
Looking up the peak (I came across a fair bit up from the cliffs), I'd have taken a better pic of my line but had too much fun on the way down to stop
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Gaper.
Had another awesome day today at Ruapehu. Did my first black run and it was sick! Thanks to CCS and Oldscool for the guided tour 
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*** Blinding Night ***
Hmmm, think I need to change my profile name. Done more riding this year than diving in the last two! Another awsome day at Turoa. Just done my 10th day of the season, and only 1 of them hasn't been a bluebird :-D Spent some time in the baby park for the first time today. No major injuries, so quite happy. Always like to end the season with something new, so I've got somewhere to start next year ;-)
Had a great weekend at turoa, was a bit icey on the ridges on sat and took ages to soften today. Had a couple of awesome runs down the glacier today, but had been tracked and a bit icey in places compared to the amazing runs on Wednesday.
now had about 17 bluebird days and 20 days total, I've been pretty lucky with the weather this year.
Had a fabulous weekend - especially first tracks on Slider on Saturday morning. Here's hoping final weekend will be another bluebird. If I take Friday off, I could make it to 30 days and that's with 10 weeks out with the broken ankle! Thank goodness for early season Mt Hutt.
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reine de l'hiver
Saturday was sicsicsic!
Still tracking freshies at the end of the day, super long runs. Speechless really. Was hurting Sunday but had another great day, did a few fun runs with Blunt and OS too. I think we gave Blunt a bit more of a taste of what's to come with this new found hobby of his
Had another awesome day today at Ruapehu. Did my first black run and it was sick! Thanks to CCS and Oldscool for the guided tour
By Blunt
You're welcome dude! and thanks to CCS as well! a good day.
Saturday was just plain off the hook. Especially out east (black hand and hamilton's) huge tracts of untracked, boot deep fresh. I was pretty much stuffed by 2pm
Yesterday was really good fun. Capped it off with a run down layback to the organ pipes. Untracked snow at 4pm on a sunday!! Mind you the walk out made me see why. Getting back up to Slider/branch line is one hell steep climb. Especially at that time of day...
Still worth it though, seemed a waste to leave all that snow untracked.
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Wait For The Ricochet
And I was quietly impressed with my snow angel too.... 
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Wait For The Ricochet
did a few fun runs with Blunt and OS too. I think we gave Blunt a bit more of a taste of what's to come with this new found hobby of his
By CCS
Yeah Girl ... you gotta lot to answer for! Just when I thought it couldn't get any better
First thing I did when I got home was check the weather for this coming weekend haha. Well, after boasting to my son about my first advance run that is 
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*** Blinding Night ***
snow angel was awesome
Yesterday was really good fun. Capped it off with a run down layback to the organ pipes. Untracked snow at 4pm on a sunday!!
Saw some people out there at that time - must have been you. Almost followed but just did the ridge instead. Had done enough walking with the climb to the top of the glacier earlier in the day. Fingers-x for this weekend.
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reine de l'hiver
snow angel was awesome
By CCS
Just before (OS) taking us out on the cat track
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*** Blinding Night ***
Most awesome weekend, like mid winter on Saturday, did a complete turnaround on Sunday for epic spring run. Up to the saddle beside the girdlestone and over the back...steep and deep, almost foor deep turns...pure gold! Knew the return leg better this time, thus didn't have the 2 hour walk out like last year - thank God for that! Right up there with the best days of the year!
it's been a while since I blogged [snow.co.nz]
Sometimes I am simply too busy riding to get the good shot, but above are some pictorial highlights... clicky clicky
Yesterday was really good fun. Capped it off with a run down layback to the organ pipes. Untracked snow at 4pm on a sunday!! Mind you the walk out made me see why. Getting back up to Slider/branch line is one hell steep climb. Especially at that time of day...
Still worth it though, seemed a waste to leave all that snow untracked.
it's always worth the walk out when you get an amazing run. I hiked a about half way up to the summit around 4 yesterday and the upper glacier still hardly had any tracks and not to much of a walk for an amazing run.
Nice photos CCS. Damn, you've had a good season....
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Wait For The Ricochet
I agree. Enjoyed reading your blog too. I've kept a blog of each of my days boarding since I starting in August but its on my harddrive not online. Interesting to me but not anyone else I'd say 
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*** Blinding Night ***
Meh. Blunt go and start a blog at wordpress.com you would be interested in just how many people are interested in your stuff. My blog has been going strong for 4 years and gets around 4,000 visits per month. It is a good way of getting your life out into the world... if you dare :-p
My blog has been going strong for 4 years and gets around 4,000 visits per month
I know, I've read it
I just read mine from start to finish and its not a bad read I guess. Alot of my original songs are out there and have been critiqued to death so I might start a blog.
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*** Blinding Night ***
My god its deserted at Turoa today - looking at the cams anyway. Its hurting my eyes 
4 days to go, 4 days to go ... work is slow ...
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*** Blinding Night ***
Meh. Blunt go and start a blog at wordpress.com you would be interested in just how many people are interested in your stuff. My blog has been going strong for 4 years and gets around 4,000 visits per month. It is a good way of getting your life out into the world... if you dare :-p
I decided on blogspot as I have used this before and already had one which I have converted to my snowboarding blog.
Check it out >>> Blunts Boarding Blog http://bluntsboarding.blogspot.com/ [bluntsboarding.blogspot.com]
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*** Blinding Night ***
Good stuff! Nice header pic
I have a blogspot too, the header image can be a bit of a biarch, so have a muck around with the resizing it. Cool stories. Mine's been a bit neglected this winter, I have to update basically from the start of the club tour! Eek that's ages ago. I started it this season to keep mother off my back... but then got ask to write a punters blog for snowco.. which I have been a bit lax with too. D'oh!
Thanks CCS. Yeah I do need to resize the header but I don't want to lose the way the blog name sits in the clear part. Was a fluke that it came out like that but is a cool effect.
I have some other pics to add but it was a bit of a rush job last night so will get onto that later.
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*** Blinding Night ***
yeah same with my header, took me ages to fiddle around, and a few turse words too...
Hey at least it is a start, and a very good one at that too. :-)
Who's doing the last hurrah this weekend?
Weather looks good, I'm there!
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Gaper.
Who's doing the last hurrah this weekend? By CCS
I am
Doing Fri, Sat, Sun. Windy as here in Welly at the moment - hope it blows over soon. Nothing worse than sitting around Ohakune on a bluebird day only to have the field closed due to wind. 12 noon Sun on Giant deck?
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reine de l'hiver
yeah same with my header, took me ages to fiddle around, and a few turse words too...
I have resized it (didn't know I could access the blogger at work - dangerous
) and it fits the page better.
Who's doing the last hurrah this weekend?
By CCS
I'm there without a doubt!!!
Weather looks good, I'm there!
By rmerry
Sure does, remember Giant cafe Sunday midday.
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*** Blinding Night ***
Nothing worse than sitting around Ohakune on a bluebird day only to have the field closed due to wind. 12 noon Sun on Giant deck?
By Jude
Maps look good for light winds.
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*** Blinding Night ***
Maps look good for light winds. By Blunt
Hope so!
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reine de l'hiver
hee hee windy in Wellie today for sure
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*** Blinding Night ***