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Ruapehu 2010
Originally posted by: Chyea
I'm sure they gave increasing the pass prices this year some thought before they lowered them.
You a bit thick or did it escape your attention they promised a prize freeze until 2012 on Adult Passes?
That means they can not legally change the prices they have sold under that price Freeze pledge. But who will complain if a pass price goes down? clever plan
Got to admire RAL for dodging any possible bullets that may come their way. The customer is allways right.
But your getting crap service and facilities! How can places run by NZSki and others get a new lift built within a year of annoucing it yet with Ruapehu they manged to annouce a 3 year plan and built one over budget that keeps falling over.
Then there is the new knoll cafe already half the cost of building new lift price over budget! Oh yea thats right one of the Board of Directors does the building work. Non profit making organistation...not if your a director syphoning the money through a legit business.
Raise the season pass prices and watch the squandering of income increase and you thought the Grimwades where bad
whens the lease run out at the ski areas? Those will be intereting times.
Originally posted by: JaffaOriginally posted by: Chyea
I'm sure they gave increasing the pass prices this year some thought before they lowered them.
You a bit thick or did it escape your attention they promised a prize freeze until 2012 on Adult Passes?
That means they can not legally change the prices they have sold under that price Freeze pledge. But who will complain if a pass price goes down? clever plan
Got to admire RAL for dodging any possible bullets that may come their way. The customer is allways right.
But your getting crap service and facilities! How can places run by NZSki and others get a new lift built within a year of annoucing it yet with Ruapehu they manged to annouce a 3 year plan and built one over budget that keeps falling over.
Then there is the new knoll cafe already half the cost of building new lift price over budget! Oh yea thats right one of the Board of Directors does the building work. Non profit making organistation...not if your a director syphoning the money through a legit business.
Raise the season pass prices and watch the squandering of income increase and you thought the Grimwades where bad
whens the lease run out at the ski areas? Those will be intereting times.
Correct me if i'm wrong but doesn't the price freeze only apply to CURRENT pass holders? Thus they could have easily charged first time purchasers $4XX if they so wish. (Note: this would have been an INCREASE from the $375 charged last year). Instead they decided to DECREASE the price to $355
In regards to the rest you may have valid points, I don't have enough info to judge for myself. But you come across as a bit of a conspiracy theorist if i'm honest....
hahaha
The powers of selling a product in times of financial hardship and global economic meltdown.
No conspiracy theory it is a known fact about the being over budget on the projects, now if they worked those into the budgets then they could claim to finish a project under budget. When was the last time you heard of a project being finished under budget?
Go look at the company financial records closely if you know what you are looking at. The place is a shambles up there needs a huge cash injection to make it look anything like a commercial ski area should.
But no they locked the prices low!
You expect anything new to be built soon? Not with season passes that low unless they are forced to.
Originally posted by: Jaffa
whens the lease run out at the ski areas? Those will be intereting times.
OH NOES! Considering the current licenses expire in 2019 for Whakapapa (with right of renewal until 2049) and 2021 for Turoa, presumably with similar right of renewal, I'm not terribly worried. Considering you'll probably be about 600 years old by then Colin I don't think you need to worry about it.
I'd be alright to pay around 600 for a season pass, but you would expect a bit more return from your money in terms of facilities if you're paying a bit more. We're lucky to have a place to ride in the NI so I'll continue to be a happy RAL'er, means I don't have to move to the lawless south
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Europe 2011 - living the dream
Originally posted by: rozboonOriginally posted by: Jaffa
whens the lease run out at the ski areas? Those will be intereting times.
OH NOES! Considering the current licenses expire in 2019 for Whakapapa (with right of renewal until 2049) and 2021 for Turoa, presumably with similar right of renewal, I'm not terribly worried. Considering you'll probably be about 600 years old by then Colin I don't think you need to worry about it.
You got a Colin fetish
You insult me comparing me to a dropkick RAL lifty to farking lazy to get out of bed in the morning with a hangover.
Everything is set in concreate is it? who are you to say the mountain wont wake up spew its goo all the area in the next 10 years farking up a ski season or two and sending the ski area into recievership? The way they are spending money they have not got up the chinese will probably take ownership
South islands got it sussed with more choice better facilities appearing quickly and more money being pumped in and to the local economys. Your head is stuck up your own arse you buy cheap and get cheap and still complain.
Wow, more snow in the forecast!
Oh jaffa, always so entertaining. Wanting more facilities for your buck is a pretty standard attitude most snow consumers have, but I think you'll find that 90% of RAL customers will still enjoy the facilities regardless of the odd hiccup. I wouldn't call that whinging really.
South Island's got it's good and bad points, like the NI, and not everyone wants to live down there. So it's not a huge stretch to understand that NI'ers want the most out of their limited options is it?
Someone said to me recently that after I ride Europe I'll wonder why I ever bothered with Turoa. Turoa is what it is, I can't deny that, but it's my home field and where I learnt to ride so I'll always enjoy it and want it to live up to it's potential. RAL gives me a place to ride, so they've got my support.
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Europe 2011 - living the dream
I'd pay $600ish for a ski pass next year no worries if they move the high flyer so it picks up off the bottom past triangle etc.
And move the jumbo t out over the other side somewhere to assist getting back from solitude etc.
That would be mint.
Do it RAL!
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Gaper.
Originally posted by: Ride
Oh jaffa, always so entertaining. Wanting more facilities for your buck is a pretty standard attitude most snow consumers have, but I think you'll find that 90% of RAL customers will still enjoy the facilities regardless of the odd hiccup. I wouldn't call that whinging really.
South Island's got it's good and bad points, like the NI, and not everyone wants to live down there. So it's not a huge stretch to understand that NI'ers want the most out of their limited options is it?
Someone said to me recently that after I ride Europe I'll wonder why I ever bothered with Turoa. Turoa is what it is, I can't deny that, but it's my home field and where I learnt to ride so I'll always enjoy it and want it to live up to it's potential. RAL gives me a place to ride, so they've got my support.
ive ridden europe about 6 separate trips, and had awespme snow and facilities but as u say, i still enjoy turoa, and its my home field
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Nothing like your home 'break'
The memories I have built up over the last 2 seasons are priceless.
You can never please everyone no matter what.
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*** Blinding Night ***
Originally posted by: merry
I'd pay $600ish for a ski pass next year
Easy answer dont buy a season pass until early May then
how many days before you get free sking?
I read the line we want better facilitys but we will still buy the cheap pass even though we can buy a later pass at twice the price.
Make you mind up are you willing to pay more or not? If yes then buy the normal season pass
Same goes for those Life Pass holders what a dumb idea that was all you did was put a little piggy bank for Stanley construction to skim off by under pricing jobs. You got cheap sking out of that as well.
Treble cone now there is a place with a nice season pass structure
Scrap season passes make everyone buy day passes then the money will be made again like in the good ideas where a pass was $800 for just one side. Add inflation thats over $2,000 per year...would you pay that?
Originally posted by: Freshie
ive ridden europe about 6 separate trips, and had awespme snow and facilities but as u say, i still enjoy turoa, and its my home field
Ruapehu has turned into a crowded one lift serves all wonder.
u had better stay away then
nothing beats a volcano for terrain though
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Originally posted by: JaffaOriginally posted by: merry
I'd pay $600ish for a ski pass next year
Easy answer dont buy a season pass until early May then ?
You forgot the bit wher he said "IF" as in
"if they move the high flyer so it picks up off the bottom past triangle etc. And move the jumbo t out over the other side somewhere to assist getting back from solitude etc."
Originally posted by: Jaffa
Same goes for those Life Pass holders what a dumb idea that was all you did was put a little piggy bank for Stanley construction to skim off by under pricing jobs. You got cheap sking out of that as well.
I sense a bit of resentment there Jaffa?
Originally posted by: Jaffa
Treble cone now there is a place with a nice season pass structure
You like it so much, why don't you fukoff down there then?
Originally posted by: Jaffa
Scrap season passes make everyone buy day passes then the money will be made again like in the good ideas where a pass was $800 for just one side. Add inflation thats over $2,000 per year...would you pay that?
I'm figuring "ideas" was supposed to read "old days"?
And, nope I wouldn't pay it. Didn't pay it back then either.....
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Wait For The Ricochet
At $2000 for a season pass I would STILL get pretty good value out of it vs. day passes... it would start to look a little silly when $2000 gets you a fairly good bit of skiing in Japan or Canada though.
whats the call for saturday..reports saying snow to 1000m.
sunday is definitely a goer, but saturday? Hmmm
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I'm thinking Sunday.
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reine de l'hiver
*edited 04 Nov 2010 19:11
Originally posted by: Jaffa
Ruapehu has turned into a crowded one lift serves all wonder.
You're forgetting about a side which we call 'WKAKA' slack country skinning legend
EDIT: Or Whaka, it's all good
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
@ Jude
Atleast there wasn't a gate! You'll be right in your tanky volvo. A guy I know once drove from here back to Auckland with one stuck in 1st gear!
High rocking in Sunday looks good.
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
jaffa you don't get it do you? cheap season passes sell, expensive ones don't. I guess you have forgotten about the TC season pass price stuff up a couple of years ago? $1500 and hardly any sold, compare that to $400 and 20,000 or so sold, while they could put them up more and many people would still buy them they are juggle between what the keen will pay and what the once family that does one trip a year will pay.
A $400 pass is worth it if you go for one week a year, but a $700 pass is not, so if they put the price up they loss out on lots of sales, so it may not make them any more money.
Ral has this thing called iwi that makes it much harder to build new lifts than the si, also cp has only replaced at lift in the exact same place and the same length, ral wants less bigger, longer lifts not just faster ones in the same place. Cardies can pretty much do what ever they want as they own the land but ral doesn't have that luxury.
Cardies and CP are the only fields that have really had big improvements in the last few years. I don't see flash express chairs going in at the remarks or TC. It has been 5 years since hutt had any major investment.
Lets see what happens with that Porters plan, they will quite likely have many of the same issues that ral has had with its chairs at whaka.
Plus express chairs may be comfy but tbars get you up the hill just as fast and keep the punters away.
Yea I get it Benny boy and yes I do remember that BUT as your mate Edgehi said they are to cheap. TC are not in the financial poo as much as RAL is currently.
I don't see flash express chairs going in at the remarks
You sure about that
Plus express chairs may be comfy but tbars get you up the hill just as fast and keep the punters away.
Strewth what was it I said about Ruapehu becoming a one lift wonder
So farking glad you tight arses live in the North Island. Keeps you away from the real stuff down south
R'tard
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Punter Extraordinaire
Where is that one lift wonder when there are 4 ts on whaka's upper mountain? Ral is more than just Turoa. TC has only just go itself out of lots of financial problems with a sale in th middle of it, yet ral is one of the few companies that has remained from the start of skiing in nz.
To bad I head south every year and next year will be no different.
Funny how Hutt, TC, Remarks and cardies up until last season only really have two chairs each where whaka has metallic objects pointing everywhere
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
There's more lifts on Whakas than just the Valley Express Jaffa, you should totally check them out
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Europe 2011 - living the dream
yeah great mountain so much great terrain gona get some more time there next season.
um..so is the mountain open, on hold, or closed?
report update damn u
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CLOSED....well no hurry to race dwn there then
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road closed due to snow at 9km on the second to last day?
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
maybe they should keep it open for another week?
apparently snow falling to 900m on desert road
alpine meadow looking more alpine than meadow this morning
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Hopefully foreacst right (so for it is) and it will clear for a primo day tomorrow. Who'd have thought, freshies on the last day
Cold here at Mangamahu.
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reine de l'hiver
Mountain clear but really just as brown as ever
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
going by the cams looks like not much fell round at whaka. would have been nice if they had opened the other side.
whats all the complaining about the new lift? time from the base area to the top has gone from 40mins to 14mins, and your fifty metres higher.
a bit harder to get going in the morning but it gets going sooner or later.
late nite wax done car loaded one last time a 4 1/2 drive for one last burn.
still doesnt match the 7 1/2 hours it takes from whangarei these guys did nxt to me in the carpark before.
be thankful for RAL, be a very very long winter without them.
Update the website RAL! Least I can wait for the report before I set off... 1 3/4 hrs from here to Kune. The road up the Wangaehu shorter but not quicker infortunately...
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reine de l'hiver
*edited 08 Nov 2010 07:30
i can see the mountain from here...looks alltime..blue skies and white snow!!
yes an update please.
as i said before meet at giant cafe 12. I havea bright green jacket, dark grey trou, blue/grey helmet and black pack.
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OPEN Yessssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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fantastic final day of the season..some cold windblown snow in the morning, slushies for the avo..
^^But it was allllllllll good.
Did the glacier run in the afternoon. A bit of a walk out, but the snow was damned good.
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Punter Extraordinaire
Anyone try the Kingswoods? Anyone see if they had Mega Fats and SMB's on offer?
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
I tried the Kingswoods. 177cm SMB and the 156. 177 sublime (156 was harder work and didn't let me 'backseat' it through the bumps and slush). And I was really skeptical - thought they would be hard to edge at 116 underfoot, too long (I'm only 165cm tall), too heavy. Was amazed! Light as a feather, tuned on a dine, cut through slush, skimmed over bumps, held edges well on the ice I venterued onto. I sooooooooooo want some for Japan.....
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reine de l'hiver
amazing day yesterday..spent the whole day shredding with "shredding ben"
sorry ben, that i was so slow in walking out of triangle
met Jude and Fat trav too.
pity they cant keep it going for another week, easily enough snow for it.
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Massive Last Day, Fresh dry Booyaa ! S.Is'ers eat yer heart out !!!
Check out TV3 Sports tonite 11.25pm, filming Turoa, spoke to the cameraman who got us dropping off Girdlestone (my logo!) 4pm, should be on the tv clip.
read on facebook that whakapapa is over for running of lifts...implying that even if there is still enough snow to ride Dec 18..they wont let u use their lifts
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Originally posted by: Freshie
read on facebook that whakapapa is over for running of lifts...implying that even if there is still enough snow to ride Dec 18..they wont let u use their lifts
Easy to misinterpret what gets written for sure.
Chairlifts open for access only if you choose to take skis/board with you and hike to the crater then you can. If there is enough snow to run down to the express drive (highley unlikely due to the river running across) you can.
What it means is they have no plans for the T-Bars to be operational at this point. Decision probably will be made a week or two out for summer sking depending on what the weather does to the snow between now and then.
I also thought they were saying you can't use your winter 10 pass to tide lifts. You have to buy a summer lift day pass. (But it's ok freshie, with a life pass you can ride free)
*tide = ride
and u too CCS
you sure about that Gavspad?ie using lift for access for skiing
You reckon there is enough snow up top for a t bar to operate?
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this is what it said:
Ski New Zealand's largest skiing area - Mt Ruapehu.
www.mtruapehu.com
Skiing & snowboarding in New Zealand at Mount Ruapehu, NZ's largest ski and snowboard area. Latest snow reports and weather conditions, view Webcams, learn to snowboard and browse ski jobs at the Whakapapa and Turoa ski resorts.
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Karl Gray Can you tell me what the story is with whakapapa reopening? For how long and is the 2010 pass valid.
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Mt Ruapehu, Whakapapa & Turoa Ski Areas Hi Karl, Whakapapa's Summer Sightseeing and Guided Crater Lake Walking Adventures are set to start on December 18th. The 2010 winter lift operational season for both Turoa & Whakapapa is now closed. We look forward to seeing you in Winter 2011.
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Ben Sandle Any chance, of the ts opening over xmas?
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Adrian Dumbleton But can u use the lift for access? ie take skis up and walk from knoll cafe?
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Had a great day riding with freshie and fattrav yesterday. I hiked to the top end of the day and what a run down it was. Untracked awesomeness up above solitude, but it was so good I dropped down way to low and spend and hour walking out over rocks. What is so quick in winter takes so long when everything is rock or soft snow on top of river, but was totally worth it.
After walking down home run it looks like it has so much potential for being used for a much more main run. most of it is only gravel and 10-20cm would cover it and so much wider than clarries.
gutted..the chairlift ride down was so slow..some groms rode down boneyard..hardly tracked to clarries and walked the final bit way before i made it down on the chair
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Originally posted by: Jude
I tried the Kingswoods. 177cm SMB and the 156. 177 sublime (156 was harder work and didn't let me 'backseat' it through the bumps and slush). And I was really skeptical - thought they would be hard to edge at 116 underfoot, too long (I'm only 165cm tall), too heavy. Was amazed! Light as a feather, tuned on a dine, cut through slush, skimmed over bumps, held edges well on the ice I venterued onto. I sooooooooooo want some for Japan.....
Arrrrghhh I should of skived off. Typical, I try all the fat skis the demo yet my two options for next season are the two I didn't try. How stiff were they, can't of been too stiff being the demo sticks? Interesting fact that they don't weigh much, hope the construction is still the same.
Like I tell everyone I talk to about ski, Rock 'em. Improves the fun aspect two fold. Even Mr Edgehi's pride and joy's have some new rocker next year
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
Originally posted by: Freshie
you sure about that Gavspad?ie using lift for access for skiing
You reckon there is enough snow up top for a t bar to operate?
For access to upper mountain area yeas. But you would not want to ride down to the Express and back up again given the track is FUBAR now.
Enough snow for a T bar to operate? Currently yes but next week who knows and next month well sorry that crystal ball broke back in August when everyone was predicting an early season close before october.
Dont forget there are two mountain streams undermining the trails by the T Bars, might look good on top but it is rotten underneath.
Holly Smokes. Kingswoods are the best value skis around. A burly well built construction for only $1250 in 177. Buy some Jude. Then ski an 8.30-3 like I do getting thumped by every bump in town...Then you'll know why I like the cafe so much
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
*edited 08 Nov 2010 21:55
Originally posted by: jedski
Holly Smokes. Kingswoods are the best value skis around. A burly well built construction for only $1250 in 177. Buy some Jude. Then ski an 8.30-3 like I do getting thumped by every bump in town...Then you'll know why I like the cafe so much
After hearing her repeatedly say that she really really liked the rockers, I saw her talking to the demo guy in the afternoon, he had the catalogue out pointing at various things. I bet shes on kingi's in Nippon.
A mate tried the rocker mens ski Jed. He was grinning ear to ear ande wouldn't shut up about them for about an hour afterwards. One thing i did note was that the nose on them were flapping about "to a point where it made me, a snow boarder, notice it" when on the slush, I asked my mate about how soft they were (expecting him to say they were super soft), and he said they felt the same as his K2's and that he didn't notice the nose flapping when riding them and, that they were smooth and fun.
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Punter Extraordinaire
*edited 08 Nov 2010 22:46
Cheers Fattrav. Oh no if they were as soft as the K2's mine would need to be made stiffened like my current KW's. If you want to see flap you should see me on Snowbird Ice...or Roz's silly stickers which flap so much you cant help but laugh.
I wouldn't be surprised if you arn't Jude considering you earn my ski bum monthly peso an hour. I don't know if i'll be able to keep up next season considering you nearly smoked me on your current rockas
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"If in doubt, straighten 'em out"
@ Jedski. I'll never smoke you (got close to your old man once - he must have been having really bad run
Asked the Alex (owner) about the stiffness - said they were 'medium'. Felt good to me - not too different to the K2s. They did flap a little but used to it from the K2s (which I'l still use for touring/icy days ). While the SMBs did feel light to ski on wondering how heavy they will be to carry - the catalogue says they weigh 1.8kg. I'm going to put fairly light bindings on - not like the brick-like Marker barons on the K2s. Sounds like I am going to buy them
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reine de l'hiver
Marker Tour? Like a Baron only light-weight, I think they come in a 10? And 12 DIN variety - plenty really.
Give some serious consideration to what binding you put on. Rockered skis, by all accounts, are not flash for touring since the contact area is much less than a regular ski. An AT binding may just mean extra weight and reduced durability in exchange for functionality you'll rarely use.
My thoughts is go for something like a Marker Squire - lightweight, pretty durable, nice and simple - if you need to go up a hill, chuck them on your back and hike it. Save the K2s for serious uphill forays. Let the Kingswoods be your lift-accessed slackcountry planks instead.
Originally posted by: rozboon
Rockered skis, by all accounts, are not flash for touring since the contact area is much less than a regular ski. An AT binding may just mean extra weight and reduced durability in exchange for functionality you'll rarely use.
What's the consideration of surface area for contact to the snow when touring?
I was considering of upgrading eventually to AT bindings on my Line Blends eventually as at the moment I'm a 1 ski quiver, and they have some fairly serious rocker in them.
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IT Hack & Genuine NutJob