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Ruapehu 2010
Originally posted by: impreza50
If they have the ts going at whaka going by early july and the high noon is still broken I'll just go there. All the good runs are above the giant and whaka has better mid mountain runs.
You and everyone else
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reine de l'hiver
Originally posted by: JudeOriginally posted by: impreza50
If they have the ts going at whaka going by early july and the high noon is still broken I'll just go there. All the good runs are above the giant and whaka has better mid mountain runs.
You and everyone else
Get your skins on and get the first laps of Solitude and Glacier for the year?
Originally posted by: rozboon
Get your skins on and get the first laps of Solitude and Glacier for the year?
Murder on the ankle without the touring boots. Going to phone Cam now
Plus so un-ski-fit
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reine de l'hiver
yeah tell me about it, need to find a get fit quick scheme to hook into!
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I am the freedom breeder!
*edited 17 Jun 2010 14:18
Originally posted by: demoncleaner
yeah tell me about it, need to find a get fit quick scheme to hook into!
Ive been shifting the lard for the past 8 weeks now weights and running.....lots of hills in Orcland.......
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"If you see a Scotsman with a cricket bat....he's not off to play cricket...."
Originally posted by: McAulay
*edited 17 Jun 2010 14:18Originally posted by: demoncleaner
yeah tell me about it, need to find a get fit quick scheme to hook into!
Ive been shifting the lard for the past 8 weeks now weights and running.....lots of hills in Orcland.......
Ditto - esp weights as I lack strength (seen huge improvement now but I feel like a bulgarian lady wrestler:eek
Still don't feel fit enough for climbing hills. Haven't been doing much of that since I moved from hilly Wgtn to flat Petone earlier this year. Walked up to the hut a while back and while not puffing my calves felt it. Oh well, will be getting super fit on the job very soon
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reine de l'hiver
@ demoncleaner
Do you belong to Les Mills? I did one of their team training things to prepare for Canada - 2 x 45 minute sessions week for 4 weeks. Was dubious but the fitness test at the end proved it. Some sessions so intense I thought I was going to throw up (and I'm reasonably fit).
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reine de l'hiver
As the computer person that I am I usually suffer a lot early season. I've been skateboarding often but I don't think that really gets you fit enough for snowboarding :P
With you on that one!! the only thing saving my legs is the mini ramp down the road and the surf when its on.
timely topic, just went for my first hike..good to see the snow again...training or the lack of it, just get out there, walk up the biggest hill you can find..
conditions on the mtn ..still need about 50 cm of base for good cover to exist..clarys track is all go and there is good snow cover around the high flyer so that may open this weekend....saw some guys building a large kicker at the bottom of boneyards ..
working hard on getting the tower fixed..
aaaaaargh so good to slide..upper vertigo
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you gotta get up ...to get down..
^^ Nice pics bro, cheers.
Providing this rain doesnt wash away all the snow, what's the likely-hood of the high flyer being open with a terrain park for mardi gras?
it's gonna be blue sky and all lifts open bar the express
Originally posted by: voltaren
aaaaaargh so good to slide..upper vertigo
WOW
Originally posted by: CCS
it's gonna be blue sky and all lifts open bar the express
And Jumbo. Great pics Voltaren.
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reine de l'hiver
Jude - that was a 
and
I wonder if the damage to the Express will prompt them to seriously rush getting the Jumbo up and running... Somehow I doubt it though.
CCS you might be lucky....money on lucking in on the weather rather than the lifts
Either way - it's great the snow is HERE
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reine de l'hiver
Somewhere in the history of sking on Ruapehu I remember reading about a chairlift that went up the Knoll Ridge. The reason it was scraped was because the towers kept collapsing under the weight of ice.
I just wonder if the High Noon Express is going that way and if it is a sign of why a plan to build a chair up the Knoll Ridge again is a very risky plan to finance?
I am not worried either way Jude, cos I am always there.
- people ask what's the weather snow gonna be like on X day... at least Mardis Gras is not that far away, but some of the future projections they ask gets a bit out there..
Originally posted by: rozboon
I wonder if the damage to the Express will prompt them to seriously rush getting the Jumbo up and running... Somehow I doubt it though.
If they get a ton more snow, maybe. The looming school holidays a good incentive though.
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reine de l'hiver
Trust Voltaren to send the first primo pics of the season ha!
I'll be looking you up to test my fitness again sir!
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"If you see a Scotsman with a cricket bat....he's not off to play cricket...."
*edited 17 Jun 2010 16:32
Originally posted by: CCS
I am not worried either way Jude, cos I am always there.
- people ask what's the weather snow gonna be like on X day... at least Mardis Gras is not that far away, but some of the future projections they ask gets a bit out there..
True, in a previous life when I ran a backpackers in Sydney one of the guests asked me what the weather was going to be like next Thursday because they wanted to do a harbour cruise. I said 'it's always beaut in Sydney mate". It wasn't and they complained!(they were a nationality known for being a little more pendantic than others
Some of the best days I've had have been on the grotty side. Once only the Rockie open and we did laps of an unmarked gully/natural half pipe down the back of Skyline Ski Club. Can't always do it but was loaded with snow that year. Getting into it was a bit tricky which added to the fun.
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reine de l'hiver
Originally posted by: Jude
True, in a previous life when I ran a backpackers in Sydney one of the guests asked me what the weather was going to be like next Thursday because they wanted to do a harbour cruise. I said 'it's always beaut in Sydney mate". It wasn't and they complained!(they were a nationality known for being a little more pendantic than others
In other words you told a lie to give them some piece of mind and get them to spend some cash
Ken Ring always spot on with long term weather forecasts.......
(note sarcasm)
Originally posted by: raceway84
Somewhere in the history of sking on Ruapehu I remember reading about a chairlift that went up the Knoll Ridge. The reason it was scraped was because the towers kept collapsing under the weight of ice.
I just wonder if the High Noon Express is going that way and if it is a sign of why a plan to build a chair up the Knoll Ridge again is a very risky plan to finance?
I read that somewhere too. Technology has advanced a bit and I think the problem at the time may have had more to do with teh open lattice type towers and the fact that the chairs could not be brought inside i.e. they were ice catchers!
IMO the problem stems from the design being a bit off. That lift is expose in what would have to be one of the toughest places in the world for any machinery to operate. I believe that doppelmayer perhaps underestimated what the lift would be exposed to. Its my opinion that the towers plain and simple never were strong enough for the dynamic loads that 'could' be brought upon them given the climate at Rua.
Makes you wounder about the design limits on teh rest of the lift componantry though doesn't it?
All NZ feilds get ice, but, Ruapehu seems to be worse. it stands to reason that if its snowpack is some of the densest in the country (kg/m3) then the icing issues would also be more severe. Is the anyone more clued up on this one than I, I would be interested in other peoples thoughts??
Originally posted by: raceway84Originally posted by: Jude
True, in a previous life when I ran a backpackers in Sydney one of the guests asked me what the weather was going to be like next Thursday because they wanted to do a harbour cruise. I said 'it's always beaut in Sydney mate". It wasn't and they complained!(they were a nationality known for being a little more pendantic than others
In other words you told a lie to give them some piece of mind and get them to spend some cash
Ken Ring always spot on with long term weather forecasts.......
name 1 nz hill that announces on its report "come on up, its a peasoup fog, cant see hand in front of face but the 140km/h winds will clear that soon?"
ahhh the ringer... so this is a late start to the winter then huh ken?
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I am the freedom breeder!
Originally posted by: Jude
@ demoncleaner
Do you belong to Les Mills? I did one of their team training things to prepare for Canada - 2 x 45 minute sessions week for 4 weeks. Was dubious but the fitness test at the end proved it. Some sessions so intense I thought I was going to throw up (and I'm reasonably fit).
Think I have been in a gym 3 times ever maybe
Use to be able to rely on my normal youthful running around the show to stay fit, but shytes gone downhill a bit the last few years! Got the next 4 weeks off pretty much, so i'll just get out in the waves as much as pos and ride my bike everywhere instead of driving. Maybe find my weights again and get back into my stretching regime. While im at might try to stop partying so much better health and more money for gas hell, might even start eating better... fark, here we go!
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I am the freedom breeder!
Originally posted by: brighton_pumps
name 1 nz hill that announces on its report "come on up, its a peasoup fog, cant see hand in front of face but the 140km/h winds will clear that soon?"
Hmmm thats a tough one
I can think of a few
Originally posted by: demoncleaner
ahhh the ringer... so this is a late start to the winter then huh ken?
I thought winter begun on the 21st June after the solstice
Technically it is still late Autumn unless you use the calender referance of June 1st then its early winter still.
Confused yet
Originally posted by: demoncleaner
Think I have been in a gym 3 times ever maybe
Don't get carried away
Have to do the hard gym yards when age and injury bites.
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reine de l'hiver
Originally posted by: raceway84Originally posted by: Jude
In other words you told a lie to give them some piece of mind and get them to spend some cash
Ken Ring always spot on with long term weather forecasts.......
Nah, just looked up the Ken King Almanac
Didn't get a back hander harbour cruises either
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reine de l'hiver
Originally posted by: raceway84
Somewhere in the history of sking on Ruapehu I remember reading about a chairlift that went up the Knoll Ridge. The reason it was scraped was because the towers kept collapsing under the weight of ice.
I just wonder if the High Noon Express is going that way and if it is a sign of why a plan to build a chair up the Knoll Ridge again is a very risky plan to finance?
well technically the lift still exists just it was cut in half and moved but they hardly ever run the upper half of it, know where it is today?
It is strange how the high noon has far less lift towers and they are far taller than on the older lifts. The high noon towers are far taller than any of the si lifts. Maybe they shouldn't have built them so tall. Really the old t had plenty of ice problems too, just not so many people cared since it wasn't the flash fast comfy lift.
Originally posted by: JudeOriginally posted by: demoncleaner
Think I have been in a gym 3 times ever maybe
Don't get carried away
Have to do the hard gym yards when age and injury bites.
Yeah I second that..... you have to as you get older otherwise you don't get anything back from the sport.
I did 3 months of training last season and benefited heaps, longer runs and way more energy.....(Voltaren showed me up badly on that hike tho
)......
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"If you see a Scotsman with a cricket bat....he's not off to play cricket...."
The good news is that you have better endurance when older - especially shelias
But lose the speed. How many 20 year-old ultra marathon runners do you see?
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reine de l'hiver
*edited 18 Jun 2010 08:38
Originally posted by: Plankman
I believe that doppelmayer perhaps underestimated what the lift would be exposed to.
Not exactly new kids on the block though eh? (be that lifts or Ruapehu)
I'd feel a lot more comfortable if RAL confirmed that it was due to ice popping / weakening the section bolts for it to fold like that [Sorry, looked at this pic again and, well, it just folded didnt it
]
Otherwise I keep thinking about that view up the fully loaded lift and the strain that must be on the towers in that situation
Not realy relevant but as far as scary things with chair lifts have you seen this! Auto dismount? [youtube.com]
Friend who was a liftie at RAL has told me of lots of near misses - bullwheels going backwards and all that.
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reine de l'hiver
*edited 18 Jun 2010 09:30
Originally posted by: raceway84
Somewhere in the history of sking on Ruapehu I remember reading about a chairlift that went up the Knoll Ridge.
Ahh yes, the legendary 3rd chair, now the National Downhill Chair
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Wait For The Ricochet
Sorry for the web cam rant but this year RAL's positioning of the 'Papa cams is dire......3 shots of sheds and a blackout........wow outstanding.
Still stoked about the snow tho !
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"If you see a Scotsman with a cricket bat....he's not off to play cricket...."
Originally posted by: oldscool
*edited 18 Jun 2010 09:30Originally posted by: raceway84
Somewhere in the history of sking on Ruapehu I remember reading about a chairlift that went up the Knoll Ridge.
Ahh yes, the legendary 3rd chair, now the National Downhill Chair
You mean the top half of the second chair...
the third chair was going to go from top of the knoll to restfull rocks!!
Good old kiwi give it a crack attitude - imagine if they got a foot hold up to that level prior to cultural sensitivity
sh1t happens people. whistler gondola last season anyone?
anyone heard anynews on how whakapapa's preparation is going, what they are going to open with, and what lifts there is enough snow to start working on?
cheers
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I am the freedom breeder!
Hi guys
Can everyone plz recon me the best ski field for beginners .
I am looking to go to Turoa or whakapapa.
and wat is easier to learn snowboarding or skying.
Any comments appreciated .
We are group of 4, only one knows ski-intermediate level.
We are going for 3 days for rocket pass that include two group lessons & one private lesson. I am utterly confused about which ski area is better and wat shud v do ski or snowboarding.
Help! Help!
You can mix it up and go to both ski areas on the same rocket pass. I'd suggest Whakapapa for the first lesson. Happy Valley is often quite crowded, but is much more sheltered than the Alpine Meadow at Turoa. After that it depends on how comfortable you are feeling. Your instructor will probably take you out of the beginner areas on the 2nd day, and you may prefer to stick with territory you know on your last day, or try something different. It also depends on where you are planning to stay. Ohakune is closer to Turoa and National Park closer to Whakapapa. Hope that helps!
Originally posted by: lovee5
and wat is easier to learn snowboarding or skying.
I don't recommend skying. I've tried it and it hurt.
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Gaper.
Also - while happy valley can be nuts (same with Apline Meadow), it does have a chairlift and gives you a chance to practice getting on and off with skis/board on, before tackling the upper lifts.
Oh yeah, as to which to try, I reckon (and I'm prepared to get shouted at for this...) skiing is easier to learn the basics than snowboarding, but snowboarding is easier to get good at. Basic snowplough skiing will get you moving around the mountain and having fun, but to get good you need to do parallel turns which are more tricky. Once you've learned the basics of snowboarding, it doesn't get any more complicated. Just more stylish.
Here's opening day '09
[img193.imageshack.us]
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Gaper.
Hey guys thnx so much for all ur comments keep posting new recommendations plz. and we are planning to go after or before school holidays i hope its not gonna b that crowded then. So skying easier as I heard but it hurts. n any ideas abt wat slopes cud b better for starters turoa or whakapapa......
snowboarding facsinates me too.... but i shud go for skying this time. I think ...
Originally posted by: lovee5
Hey guys thnx so much for all ur comments keep posting new recommendations plz. and we are planning to go after or before school holidays i hope its not gonna b that crowded then. So skying easier as I heard but it hurts. n any ideas abt wat slopes cud b better for starters turoa or whakapapa......
I've never skied but it seems to me that when people with skis fall it's much more dramatic because they often lose a ski, one leg goes one way, the other one goes the other way.. It seems to be harder to get up again as well
But I lots of black spots all over the body after my first snowboarding sessions...
learn to sideslip a snowboard and you can go anywhere
*edited 18 Jun 2010 13:49
Originally posted by: kcskier
You mean the top half of the second chair...
the third chair was going to go from top of the knoll to restfull rocks!!
Well, yeah. Top half of the old second chair
Which became the 3rd (Knoll Ridge) chair
Which became the National Downhill chair....
And Restfull Rocks, we can but dream about what "existing use" rights that would have meant....
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Wait For The Ricochet
learn to sideslip a snowboard and you can go anywhere
Ahhh,the 'Falling Leaf' technique. My wife still does that when she's feeling tired/lazy.
Both will give you bruises the first day. Skiing you may get more success out of the first lesson, depends on how good your balance and spatial awareness is. I'd go for whichever you'd like to be doing at the start of NEXT season. Pick one and go for it. I snowboard now, but skied on a couple of family holidays when I was a kid and reckon I could go back to it when I wanted, like to teach the little one when she's big enough.
Originally posted by: lovee5
Hey guys thnx so much for all ur comments keep posting new recommendations plz. and we are planning to go after or before school holidays i hope its not gonna b that crowded then. So skying easier as I heard but it hurts. n any ideas abt wat slopes cud b better for starters turoa or whakapapa......
God I hate text speak......
As for Skiing hurting?
Everything will hurt after the second day regardless of what you try.
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Wait For The Ricochet
Originally posted by: Dive 'n' Ridelearn to sideslip a snowboard and you can go anywhere
Ahhh,the 'Falling Leaf' technique. My wife still does that when she's feeling tired/lazy.
LOL my wife still does this. She got scared once she hurt her knee. It was black for months, she's scared of turning toeside now. I will "force" her to take some lessons since it seems I'm not a good teacher
Originally posted by: atrosOriginally posted by: Dive 'n' Ridelearn to sideslip a snowboard and you can go anywhere
Ahhh,the 'Falling Leaf' technique. My wife still does that when she's feeling tired/lazy.
LOL my wife still does this. She got scared once she hurt her knee. It was black for months, she's scared of turning toeside now. I will "force" her to take some lessons since it seems I'm not a good teacher
She's had more lessons that me! I've had 3 1 hour long lessons at Cardrona 4 years ago. She had them, plus a private lesson there, plus another couple of private lessons at Ruapehu. One of my goals each year is to have a private lesson to see what technique I can improve on. But she goes for it instead! Oh well, she's off the mountain with the baby this year, so i might get a chance!
*edited 18 Jun 2010 14:22
ok feast your eyes. Remember "pre-season" 2009 went off...
here's opening day-after 2009 (sunday 21/6/09)
(why nots, excuse the poostance)
- comments I wrote that day were:
Top car park filled, and it seemed busy at times, but generally no wait or a small wait for lifts. Giant Chair open and at the Giant Cafe there were no waits for food or "facilities". Groomers worked hard all day to open up a couple of trails up top. The Express opened at 230 so by the end of the day there was top to bottom riding, yeee ha.
... and before anyone gets smart with *that* R.A.L. acronym, I though they worked bloody hard that weekend after an average opening day weatherwise the day before. Equally, our observation the following weekend at Whppa opening was top job RAL, there were massive mounds of manmade snow and lots of pushing to make trails. (if I remember rightly discussions on the forum at that time was rather positive!)
Originally posted by: Dive 'n' Ride
She's had more lessons that me! I've had 3 1 hour long lessons at Cardrona 4 years ago. She had them, plus a private lesson there, plus another couple of private lessons at Ruapehu. One of my goals each year is to have a private lesson to see what technique I can improve on. But she goes for it instead! Oh well, she's off the mountain with the baby this year, so i might get a chance!
I'm thinking of taking some lessons as well. I "lost" my teacher for this season. My mate that was teaching me and showing me where I could improve broke his ankle skateboarding...