Forum
Ruapehu 2012
for gavspad
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summer snowfall sunday 22 jan 2012 a good dusting...
Mt Ruapehu, Whakapapa & Turoa Ski Areas said today on Facebook:
"Wouldn't it be be awesome to have another snow season like 2011 - here's hoping. We are planning to open Turoa on Saturday 16th June and Whakapapa on Saturday 23rd June.
The relocation of the High Flyer Chairlift at Turoa is well underway. Contractors began work in early December and are currently pouring tower foundations. The lift will be ready for operation for the start of the 2012 season."
Swwwwwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeet!
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Already getting amped for this season and starting to plan out my leave and what weeks I will be spending up there
Must almost be time to start a hit-list again as well!
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IT Hack & Genuine NutJob
yeah I gotta figure out where to live and stuff this winter....
check out the giant webcam today press play and just watch the snow melt away..
webcam [mtruapehu.com]
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Winter is always coming!
bit early to be frothing over rocks and warm weather isnt it?
it's like watching the tide go in and out - something to look at
Never too early, anyway it looked cool it was white then rocks within a day.
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Winter is always coming!
that happened in august too.
^^^^
I don't remember any rocks in August unless you are talking about 2010.
For those of you on facebook.. high flyer update pictures!
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151239299485417.801931.42322565416&type=1 [facebook.com]
High Flyer Chairlift Relocation - Update
This project is progressing at a great rate and contractors are ahead of schedule. The lift has 12 towers and work commenced on tower foundations in early January. We started at the top tower and as of today foundations of towers 12 down to 5 are completed. For towers 4-2 the concrete pads are completed and boxing for the columns is being prepared. The hole for tower 1 has been excavated.
The photos in the ablum below illustrate:
#1 Completed foundation for tower 12 showing pad and column ready for backfill.
#2 Looking down the line with tower 12 foundation in the foreground. You can see the foundations for towers 11, 10 and 9. Note the top bullwheel of the Movenpick Chairlift to the right of the photo.
#3 Foundation for tower 5 with pad poured and boxing being prepared for pouring of the column.
#4 The machine has just completed excavation for tower 1 foundation. Terrain on the lower elevations, around towers 1 and 2, has more interesting vegetation and the material excavated from these foundations is contained in the white bags to minimise environmental effects on this vegetation. You will see the machine is sitting on tyres and moves on tyres to also minimise effects on the vegetation.
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IT Hack & Genuine NutJob
Good and a bad thing...good in that it will mean less hiking coming in the the backcountry, good in that we can go further afield into the back country, bad in that it will mean more muppets killing the glacier. Hope people that go out further than slack country educate themselves and have the right equipment for the back country.
Will be interesting to see how it all pans out.
Originally posted by: The Shuffler
Good and a bad thing...good in that it will mean less hiking coming in the the backcountry, good in that we can go further afield into the back country, bad in that it will mean more muppets killing the glacier. Hope people that go out further than slack country educate themselves and have the right equipment for the back country.
Will be interesting to see how it all pans out.
I've always thought the Glacier had a reputation it wasn't entirely worthy of. Sure on a good day it's bloody epic but the prevailing winds and sun mean that it's very rarely good on the main face dropping into it. And half the time the 'gut' of it has those stupid wind-moguls that are agony on the ski out.
I reckon this is a good thing, more space = more people coming down at one time = less queues, plus it means the High Flyer has become sort of a holding pond for people that are going to be queuing for the Express. Also hopefully means less people on the major runs, particularly Why Not. In spring especially it's a complete madhouse.
Also hopefully means less people on the major runs, particularly Why Not. In spring especially it's a complete madhouse.
Completely true. Usually by spring my fitness and skill levels have rebounded to the point where I can tackle the why nots. Sorry about that.
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Insert signature here
Could be the new Black Magic.
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reine de l'hiver
a light frost sunday morning 26 of feb in ohakune and now..
North Island: Tongariro and Egmont National Parks: Cloudy periods. A few showers developing this morning, some possibly heavy in the afternoon with snow possibly lowering to 1800 metres, then clearing.
start of autumn?
I think it's a bit early and things will warm up again.. just a southern chill passing through. However it is a promising sign!
February freshies?
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IT Hack & Genuine NutJob
Check Whaka cams, got dusted. Nice to see from down here. They are calling another cold one hitting right for the start of autum.
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
I saw my first chimney smoke today - on the North Shore of AKLD
to be fair the overnight temp in our garden has dropped from 22'C to 12'C in a couple of days, so it feels a bit chilly, touch of a cold snap....
hey Voltaren, there was a frost Akld Anniversary weekend when I was in Natty Park, had to scrape the old frost off the car
Did summer actually start? Anthing more than 48 hours without rain in the last six months has been a lot to ask for.
People coming off the Tongariro Crossing were saying it was snowing on Tongariro at midday we expected that at night but not the middle of the day.
No need to get excited though still 4 months to the start of the ski season and to think it was 4 months since the end of the last season
for sure, but some of us like autumn.
it's like we are halfway there
Anyone know how much Ruapehu got from Peter Jacksons crew for closing early and filming up there?
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Winter is always coming!
I'm excited as a common sh1thouse rat who just found the compost bin after just tuning up one pair of french rock trashed 'Bents. I'm going with turns in around 85 days making about May 23.
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
TOB midday yesterday
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reine de l'hiver
*Twitch*.. So it begins...
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IT Hack & Genuine NutJob
Originally posted by: SD
Anyone know how much Ruapehu got from Peter Jacksons crew for closing early and filming up there?
Be more specific please? Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, Ruapehu District Council, Department of Conservation who Ruapehu actually pay to operate up there or the Ruapehu region in general?
I know of a few who got a lot while the film crews were around which out weighed the negative impact
Originally posted by: gurutasker
*Twitch*.. So it begins...
Yea the oh great its snowing! Oh no its all melted! Yay its snowing! Oh no its melting! Why can they not open earlier? Oh no it is going to be a bad season! 
Oh and the will the Highflyer be open in time 
*edited 29 Feb 2012 19:04
Originally posted by: gavspad
Be more specific please? Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, Ruapehu District Council, Department of Conservation who Ruapehu actually pay to operate up there or the Ruapehu region in general?
I know of a few who got a lot while the film crews were around which out weighed the negative impact
If you know any of the amounts that would be good even a ball park figure I was just wondering. Thanks.
Oh and I hope they have the High Noon open in time!
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Winter is always coming!
Meteorologist on the radio this morning...
La Nina is collapsing rapidly leaving behind a Tasman sea that is colder than normal.
El Nino might be developing, combine that with cool Tasman = cold stormy winter.
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One good turn deserves another...
precisely!!the sea has apparently been cool out east for a few months which has meant no tropical cyclones for the north island, liking the weather patterns , looking forward to another full on mt ruapehu season...
"1st day of autumn" - and I got me a new (2nd hand) big board for the big days - BAM!
Ahem, autumn actually begins on the autumnal equinox. Usually 21or 22nd march.
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One good turn deserves another...
Well, got me a GoPro for this season and coming season in Canada
Now to get fancy with some editing software..
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IT Hack & Genuine NutJob
That's why I did the " " Edgehi... I love people's seasonal dictations in cubicle city
looks like the first real snow is meant to come over the weekend, snow down to 1400m.
Originally posted by: gurutasker
Now to get fancy with some editing software..
Still havn't bought me one of them. What have you found that suits the task?
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
Weekend looks NASTY!
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
Originally posted by: jedski
Still havn't bought me one of them. What have you found that suits the task?
Cameras or software?
I ended up getting a GoPro Hero2 for a camera.. figured I'd do it once and do it right. The Hero 2 has the better lens and low light performance, and wasn't a huge amount more expensive than the original. I also preferred the mounting options to that of the Contour series.
As for software, If I had a Mac it looks to be Final Cut Pro is the most common used.. but as I don't I'm looking around for something for use on Windows. Compatability with 'Twixtor' is something I'm looking for.. it's used for putting together slow motion smoothing etc.
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IT Hack & Genuine NutJob
nasty weekend and then more snow around thur next week, maybe first turns in march?...the computer models are very likely to be overstating the freezing levels, lets hope we still are getting these storms through june july..
^^*LIKE* - My turns just better not be a month later than yours like last season!
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
4 months out and the excitement of continued storms
Lets hope this is not the sign of a dry winter! Nature has a way of balancing itself out.
^^What's up with the negativity. Skiing is not 4months out for the adventurous. Skiing is more than riding groomers. Just sitting in the mountains surrounded in snow on a sunny day having lunch with ski gear grabbing just a handful of turns keeps a smile on my dial. Beats working first thing till late at night everyday...Now is the time for a
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
Yeah - come on Gav, cheer up. I would have though the occasional dusting would keep the punters coming for a little longer and it cant be all bad when you get to take the company 'car' home eh
Anyone else seeing the 62cm predicted snow for Turoa. Mayby they missed the decimal point!
http://www.metservice.com/skifields/turoa [metservice.com]
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
Erm where was the negativity? Just saying it is 4 months to go and to be quite blunt the summer has been crap and keeping the fingers crossed that we get an indian summer before the winter should start properly.
Our winter plan is in place Just keeping the fingers crossed that mother nature dont throw us a counter balance to this damp squib summer.
looking like fresh tracks in happy valley for monday, does anyone know if there is still snow in the whakapapa glacier from last season ? or did it all melt away?..some snow left on gladys at turoa but not much....and forecasts are showing warm weather for next week now so back to reality..
Staircase looks healthier than spring 2010! If it don't melt by then the fine day on Monday will mean a quick hike to make a snowball or two. Looked to of pretty much been bare on this side, Turoa looked healthier.
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
Snow down low on Mt Taranaki. I can feel it in these old bones, it's going to be an epic snow season this year.
well the weather looks ok now for the Tongariro Crossing tommorrow....Only....It looks a bit challenging with plenty of ice no doubt. Oh fun fun I will be guiding tommorrow 
Looks short lived though freezing level rapidly going back to 3000m by tommorrow night.
Get up there sunday jedski or you will probably miss it
Where is the high flyer base? Dreadlock Holiday? Thanks.
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Winter is always coming!
Winter really is coming, mountain looking nice with its winter coat.
Originally posted by: gavspad
be quite blunt the summer has been crap
Don't bring me into this argument Gav
The summer has been very average, unless your a farmer. So much grass growth this season, some farmers having to do three hay cuts instead of the normal too. I know I can't keep up and I have a very small block of land. Of course, its just natures way of allowing us to stock pile in readyness for a stormy cold winter
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*** Blinding Night ***
bluebird day at turoa, snow melting quickly but managed a few turns in march..
*edited 05 Mar 2012 21:57
Damn... first turns of the year go to?
What was it like? Spring conditions or stogy wet pow?
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IT Hack & Genuine NutJob
"variable" would be polite....early morning polished glass on the shaded aspects and windrift on crust on the fresh aspects.....crampons necessary for the up...had a few short runs above the giant , by 12 most aspects below the giant were beginning to release, spring like conditions on the down...above the express windblasted exposed ice and small drifts of soft snow..(photo taken upper freeway)