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Ruapehu 2011
Originally posted by: brighton_pumps
less closed days i guarantee
whakapapa is hardly ever closed
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That is so true the number of times it is a howling gale at Turoa you head round to whaka to find it is calm. The valley and waterfall ts and down are all pretty shelted while turoa get hit by everything.
It's great when the vis is a bit doggy as it keep the punters way. Not often you get a Saturday with most of the mountain open and no lift que.
are there going to be season passes selling after april ?
Originally posted by: Freshieyour right the learners handle tow runs almost every dayOriginally posted by: brighton_pumps
less closed days i guarantee
whakapapa is hardly ever closed
pretty much every day the lower and middle mountain is open..so u get 3 chairs at least and a t bar
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The west is often closed, knoll closed a bit less often, rockgarden and express don't have very many closed days but lots of whiteout days.
you two sound like ST talking about coronet peak or cassina mt hutt
Originally posted by: brighton_pumps
less closed days i guarantee
and much safer if your an expert. To many rocks on Ruapehu
Originally posted by: Maciver
are there going to be season passes selling after april ?
Yes at double the price. Talk is that the rumours of volcanic eruption have slowed the sales down and they may be extending the discounted period.
Whakapapa will be more challenging to get up to when there is snow and ice on the road this season.
No Chain fitting service this year now thats going to be fun.
Originally posted by: jsims
Whakapapa will be more challenging to get up to when there is snow and ice on the road this season.
No Chain fitting service this year now thats going to be fun.
Thats no fun. Bus loads of mumptoes getting dropped at the base area while you are still getting the gears out of the car
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
why no chain fitting this year? RAL makes a killing off it
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Europe 2011 - living the dream
a plot by shuttle / bus drivers to make more dollars
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Originally posted by: Ride
why no chain fitting this year? RAL makes a killing off it
Apparently that is not the case the cost of replacing lost and broken chains, plus cost of staff resources tied up on chain restriction days and the increased numbers of 4wd and vehicles with chains no longer makes it viable.
It is going to be interesting on the days where they know a storm is coming and people get stuck up the hill.
Whakapapas chain restrictions days or even hours are far less than Turoas so I guess they know what they are doing
I only had to put the chains on once while living at Whaka last year. A few times I *should have* but 3 minute drive through a little slush from carpark 10 didn't warrant the frozen-fingered struggle with the chains(so much for the fancy $250 NZ-made 'easy fit' chains I bought last year - impossible to fit whereas the $80 repco ones take 5 minutes 
. A 4wd would be nice but the old volvo tank will have to do for a while. Besides, as I found out in Japan, a 4wd doesn't stop you for going for a Tokyo drift on ice
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reine de l'hiver
Last year was just a crap year and high freezing levels if the prediction of another 2008 winter follows through then it will certainly be interesting without chain fitters.
Especially the amount expert drivers the ski areas bring in 
Originally posted by: Jude
I only had to put the chains on once while living at Whaka last year. A few times I *should have* but 3 minute drive through a little slush from carpark 10 didn't warrant the frozen-fingered struggle with the chains(so much for the fancy $250 NZ-made 'easy fit' chains I bought last year - impossible to fit whereas the $80 repco ones take 5 minutes
Phew you should give me a call. I fit those bad boys in 3 mins flat. flick, swish and a twirl then connect. Drive 50m and re-check.
Jsims roads are a munter magnet for experts. Just like the day they made us put chains on a 4wd all the way from National Park and after the second corner on the Bruce a munter rips on by nearly losing it. I certaintly would of driven by if he put himself off the bank.
If they have days requiring chains and 4wd this season they are good. Chains are always in the boot in my car
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
Chains are a good sign - I love having to put them on, except when just after you do it they remove the sign and it was definately not required, I guess they gotta play it safe, I have seen people loose it on corners with no snow and ice, and I have seen people drive like they have chains on from the begining of Turoa mt road. I guess I must be one of those experts who thought 100km/h was fine(of course not reaching that speed) - soon they will cater for all and make it 30km/h all the way up.
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Winter is always coming!
So, since the Temporary Cafe at Knoll Ridge is getting a paint job does that mean it has approval to stay??
200
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Originally posted by: jedskiOriginally posted by: jsims
Whakapapa will be more challenging to get up to when there is snow and ice on the road this season.
No Chain fitting service this year now thats going to be fun.
All good in my book....
More parks, less 5Km/hr sloggs up & down
Wild, wild stormy day. Dusting on the hills. Winds so strong things are getting wrecked. Hopefully all this is a good sign for winter
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
hi there all
We are a couple who looking for a house/room to rent in kune this season i am from austria and my girlfriend is australian very relaxed and easy going!
Its gonna be my 4th and stephs 3rd season there would be sweet if anyone knows anything...
Cheers Pat+steph
^^ sent you a PM Pat
I say: go south pattio, probably more consistently better weather & snow, Ruapehu IS my mt but if I had a choice Queenstown/Wanaka gives you better options, but you have been there before - so you must of had bad/closed days often? But being nearby you must of had some fantastic days too?
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Winter is always coming!
Originally posted by: SD
I say: go south pattio, probably more consistently better weather & snow, Ruapehu IS my mt but if I had a choice Queenstown/Wanaka gives you better options, i]
hey the same records still spinning. Just a reminder there is another option with far more skiing options, consistently deeper snow and longer seasons year after year and the largest population/employment base of all the ski destinations in NZ. But hey maybe its better if we think NZ skiing is all ruapehu closed days and coronet hardpack/late nights on the piss
Does anyone know how long it takes to receive the pass in the mail?
^^ if it's still the same as a couple of years ago then it takes ages, will probably arrive mid June. If you've got one from last year then you just use the same pass.
Argh!
Just noticed there will be no 'Lower Mountain' passes this year! Crap!
The effect of this will be to push numpties and beginners UP the mountain, not down! I forsee hundreds of stoppages of the Express per day, and I don't even need to check where the moon will be
IMO Lower Mountain pass should have been extended to include the 'Pick. Even on the busiest weekends it barely gets used (in comparison to all the other lifts) apart from the morning rush to access the upper mountain. Push a cat track out of Ampitheatre and do some snow management around the exit to Sunset Ridge or whatever it's called and you have a pretty decent amount of terrain accessible off the 'pick that you can spread the noobs over...
good point, and with no High Flyer for them to do short laps on, the Express will just be crying out to be ridden. They need BIGGER signs for it explaining it is an advanced lift...
Originally posted by: CCS
good point, and with no High Flyer for them to do short laps on, the Express will just be crying out to be ridden. They need BIGGER signs for it explaining it is an advanced lift...
'Advanced' signs just draw punters, like moths to a flame Kiwis are drawn to stuff that's more likely to ruin them which is part of what makes this country awesome.
Needs a big sign saying 'This lift was opened by Helen Clark and only accesses significantly boring terrain' and only a handful of people will ride it
Originally posted by: rozboon
Argh!
Just noticed there will be no 'Lower Mountain' passes this year! Crap!
The effect of this will be to push numpties and beginners UP the mountain, not down! I forsee hundreds of stoppages of the Express per day, and I don't even need to check where the moon will be
IMO Lower Mountain pass should have been extended to include the 'Pick. Even on the busiest weekends it barely gets used (in comparison to all the other lifts) apart from the morning rush to access the upper mountain. Push a cat track out of Ampitheatre and do some snow management around the exit to Sunset Ridge or whatever it's called and you have a pretty decent amount of terrain accessible off the 'pick that you can spread the noobs over...
not to mention the number of times the valley t stops or has people blocking the path, gona be canage, and people will think why ride the rock garden when I can ride the express, the express run was bad enough last year I'd hate to see all the learners on it as well, they need to enforce that you have to wear your skis/board on all lifts except maybe rockgarden and parklane, that would help keep the learners down low maybe. If you have the skill to get down the express run you need to know how to get on and off lift with your board on, then number of time I see people carrying their boards fall on the icy offload ramp. Last year a guy face planted the wood because he was carrying his board.
Interesting ral has now matched cp's pricing, they do cheap season passes then charge top dollar for day passes pretty cleaver trick for those who aren't onto in in April.
Originally posted by: rozboon
Argh!
Just noticed there will be no 'Lower Mountain' passes this year! Crap!
...
I don't get this. There is still going to be a Parklane chair isn't there? When did the Winter garden and Clarrys become Upper Mountain?
Sheesh, no High Flyer, no Lower Mountain passes, excess q's for the High Noon (if they can get it up and running). And at the moment the weather seems to be back to the NE patterns rather than the snow bearing Southerlies.
And on top, I couln't afford season passes this year
Maybe Spring will rock again
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*** Blinding Night ***
Welcome to $95 day passes blunt, you could probably get a better deal down south. Without a season pass ruapehu is an expensive play to ride and this year it just got a whole lot more expensive. Only Treble cone has more expensive day passes. I guess they are just catching up with the south island in offering no lower mountain pass.
Still time to get a season pass, put it on the credit card
blunt just get a tukino season pass ..only $180 at the moment.
your vitara will make it up there sweet as.
maybe there will be less ppl on the mountain? high prices, not half price lower mountain passes..ppl might go elsewhere or flag?
if not i forsee carnage with the kook sitting next to u on giant chair tripping at the offramp
Boneyard traffic queues will be heinous..and the low freeway chute will be stacked up with snowplowers
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Originally posted by: Freshie
blunt just get a tukino season pass ..only $180 at the moment.
Yeah sure, I can just see my son frothing at the idea of using a rope tow. He can't even use a platter and wont take the time to learn.
I don't really get RALs rational behind no Lower Mountain passes.
I'm happy to see how the season pans out with the lift config changes and late opening @ Turoa combined with one price pass for the whole mountain. All the talk of a great early season with big snow dumps is awesome but the current NE's don't fill me with huge hope. Easrly days yet I know. But if the season does crank and RAL gets the lifts all up and running I'll happily wait for the late season to get the family back on the hill. Both kids need upgraded gear this year ... and my rideon mower shat itself in the weekend so there isn't much left in the kitty for skiing. Its a huge disappointment ... I'm bitter and hope its a warm wet winter - joking of course
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*** Blinding Night ***
Nah, people will be put off by a potential eruption
The giant offload might end up like the happy valley chair, so funny to watch,in maybe 5 mins last year I saw multiple people crash into each other, stand in the offload area and not get off in time so the lift had to be stopped and the lifty lift them off. I'd hate to see this all on the giant with advanced mixing with learners you have a recipe for carnage.
What is worse is if they all decide to ride the express and 6 learners block the unload area or don't get off and start going downhill, so much fun when your on the lift and it starts to go backwards because they have gone right round
^^^ haha yeah heard that one too.
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*** Blinding Night ***
Originally posted by: Freshie
Boneyard traffic queues will be heinous..and the low freeway chute will be stacked up with snowplowers
That steep hill at the bottom of the waterfalls at whaka is gona be chaos too, everyone will freak out and snowplow the whole way down then have no speed to make it back to the lift.
Not such a problem if there is snow though as there are many ways to by pass it oh and the corner half way down to the left of the waterfall t drive is going to be a traffic jam, I bet someone will cane down to make it up the hill and collect a whole lot of beginners walking round since they didn't go fast enough.
I don't see how punters are going to afford the family to go for the first time now. A bit of a have having to pay an extra 30 bucks a day per person for something you will not use...imagine the amount of punters heading to the knoll cafe just because their pass covers it. Just wait Blunt, Early June will come with hefty southerlies and we'll be pre-season playing...as long as these warm days with super heated winds eat sh1t and piss off
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
it all sounds bad.
maybe do massive offtrail rides from glacier down to alpine meadow..south east basin anyone?
dont talk to me about the happy valley chair..worst designed upload around..supposed to be easy for beginners instead its chaos.
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[
Both kids need upgraded gear this year
want or need?!
as long as it isnt too small or got big holes, they should be right with what thay got.
Im still using 11 year old boots
T7 sales for the rest of it.
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Originally posted by: ShreddingBenOriginally posted by: Freshie
That steep hill at the bottom of the waterfalls at whaka is gona be chaos too, everyone will freak out and snowplow the whole way down then have no speed to make it back to the lift.
Not such a problem if there is snow though as there are many ways to by pass it oh and the corner half way down to the left of the waterfall t drive is going to be a traffic jam, I bet someone will cane down to make it up the hill and collect a whole lot of beginners walking round since they didn't go fast enough.
Some good points. It's bad enough when theres really no need to actually turn on the lower part of the waterfall already. You are usually meters off the trail in the gnar and these still 10 people sitting infront of you as 4 more people wipeout at slow speeds when they are going in a strait line!
Much better when that single width groomer trailer is shooting off to the right.
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
*edited 02 May 2011 19:15
^^
Get it together Freshie. It's a matter of need....Just like I 'NEEDED' a few more pairs of sticks, poles, boots, couple pairs of googles, pants, a couple more jackets, e.t.c... this season
EDIT: DARN Snowco's won't quote anything right!
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
Happy Valley is the biggest mess around Freshie. They need a 4 seater, nicely padded detachable going at snails pace. Detachable chairs, less steep off-ramp and more people on the chair instead of the snow will do it wonders. Now...to get the chair to go around a corner....hmmm?
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
I've see lifts with bends in them so it can be done one quad express going the whole way would transform happy valley. The carpet lift at turoa seems to work much better, hardly ever stops and few people fall off.
Glacier down to the meadow sounds like a sick run so wana do it one day but there snow has been lacking in the last couple of years.
^^ The Glacier to the carpark is an awesome run. Just need snow and lots of it. Last did it in 2008.Least the volcanic threat has dropped.
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reine de l'hiver
*edited 03 May 2011 09:36
*edited 03 May 2011 09:35
*edited 03 May 2011 09:35
Originally posted by: Freshie
Both kids need upgraded gear this yearwant or need?!
as long as it isnt too small or got big holes, they should be right with what thay got.
Im still using 11 year old boots
T7 sales for the rest of it.
Yeah but your not a growing teenager. The groms board might still be ok but new boots will be needed.
My daughter is amping to get up there so we will ... at some stage ... after the eruption
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*** Blinding Night ***
*edited 03 May 2011 11:11
Originally posted by: jedski
Happy Valley is the biggest mess around Freshie. They need a 4 seater, nicely padded detachable going at snails pace. Detachable chairs, less steep off-ramp and more people on the chair instead of the snow will do it wonders. Now...to get the chair to go around a corner....hmmm?
Just run it up an over to the base of Meads Wall and blast the sh1t out of the current track dropping into HV (ps - NOT your idea Cass! Mine I say, mine!) so its nice and wide. Leave the mini-golf below the chair alone and its my perfect "lemonade from lemons" taking the kids skiing scenario
Actually... doesn't sound that bad!
Wow, $95!
I've already got my season pass but the Mrs was only planning on a few days. With that pricing it will be the odd half day for her and we will start saving today for next year's South Island road trip and give up on Ruapehu.
I hope the new price leads to a less crowded mountain but I fear it won't.
The positive for all this is they will probably start making some reasonable profits and will move away from the risk of having to close down.
Originally posted by: ShreddingBenOriginally posted by: Freshie
That steep hill at the bottom of the waterfalls at whaka is gona be chaos too, everyone will freak out and snowplow the whole way down then have no speed to make it back to the lift.
Not such a problem if there is snow though as there are many ways to by pass it oh and the corner half way down to the left of the waterfall t drive is going to be a traffic jam, I bet someone will cane down to make it up the hill and collect a whole lot of beginners walking round since they didn't go fast enough.
True!
Hopefully they'll do a bit of snow management and get a better runout off the Staircase and not have so many people going down Easy Way/Honeymoon.
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Wait For The Ricochet
Originally posted by: kcskier
*edited 03 May 2011 11:11Originally posted by: jedski
Happy Valley is the biggest mess around Freshie. They need a 4 seater, nicely padded detachable going at snails pace. Detachable chairs, less steep off-ramp and more people on the chair instead of the snow will do it wonders. Now...to get the chair to go around a corner....hmmm?
Just run it up an over to the base of Meads Wall and blast the sh1t out of the current track dropping into HV (ps - NOT your idea Cass! Mine I say, mine!) so its nice and wide. Leave the mini-golf below the chair alone and its my perfect "lemonade from lemons" taking the kids skiing scenario
Actually... doesn't sound that bad!
You're an ideas man kc.....
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Wait For The Ricochet
I havent seen this posted - might of missed it though:
Despite blizzard conditions on Tuesday and some very windy weather this week, progress on the High Noon Express is going well and on track. The concrete work has been completed for the 6 new tower foundations. Towers 3 & 4 have been backfilled and three other towers are scheduled to backfill soon.
All sheave assembly modifications have been completed and they are back up in the carpark ready to fly in. The Tower 8 yoke has been brought down and sent off to be galvanized.
Six of our Tower yokes, cable lifters and walkways are all at the Giant Chairlift return ready to fly back in.
All the parts we need from Austria are now on-site now and we just need some calm fine weather days to put them together. The new tower tubes are also in the country and the bases of T9A, 8A and 7A have arrived.
The weather this weekend looks good for helicopter work.
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Winter is always coming!
*edited 03 May 2011 13:48
Originally posted by: oldscool
You're an ideas man kc.....
Well I don't want to blow my own horn BUT I have been contacted by a certain unnamed ski field operator already. ....it was a little ambiguous but they want me for some sort of photo shoot, I can only presume to make sure that they have an expert associated with the idea
I don't want to say to much but if they take me up on my ideas it will revolutionize skiing on this particular field.... you wait and see OS, you'll be eating your words then wont ya!
Originally posted by: oldscool
Hopefully they'll do a bit of snow management and get a better runout off the Staircase and not have so many people going down Easy Way/Honeymoon.
To be perfectly honest its pretty bad down the waterfall area in general already let alone with more snowplough people.
Actually, on those mucky days when broken legs a no-go and delta's roped off what can you do to avoid the bottle neck(s)?
It's actually a pretty good run if you get up there early before the crowds arrive but once 10am hits it turns into chaos and the last run down is nothing but a game of dodgeball on skis.
The upper part is generally ok but that last part is terrible, was pretty funny watching everyone last year after the washout when the hill had got much steeper and there were 3 jumps at the bottom, good fun but no good for learners.
With cost of getting up to Rua, the price of accomodation and lift passes, no lower mountain passes etc I'm thinking it would be a much better bet to take the family down to The SI for our snow fun this year.
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*** Blinding Night ***
^^ NOTHING gets kids advancing like a week or 2 solid on the snow Blunt! Do it I say - take them on a roadie
Yep I reckon
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*** Blinding Night ***