Mt Ruapehu avalanche risk: High danger skiers in mountain huts could be hit by slides

Ski Patrol search an avalanche on Whakapapa last week. Luckily nobody had been caught in the slide. Photo / Mt Ruapehu

Mt Ruapehu ski operators are warning about dangerous conditions in the high slopes, saying those on the mountain are at risk of triggering avalanches.

Jono Dean, chief executive of Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, said his team have temporarily closed the mountain after an overnight dump of 20cm of snow blocked access roads up the Central North Island.

“We will open Happy Valley (beginner area) at midday today, however the upper mountain at Whakapapa remains closed due to high winds and for safety reasons,” he said.

The risk together with an overnight dump of 20cm of snow that blocked access roads up the Central North Island.

Earlier RAL put out a warning on its website that those already on the mountain need to be cautious.

“Important information to anyone staying in Ski Clubs around Iwikau, the avalanche danger is high,” RAL said.

“There is a significant avalanche cycle occurring at the moment at all elevations.”

“With this low snow level there is a very real chance of triggering avalanches around the club huts at whakapapa.”

RAL said all people staying in club huts should be very cautious and avoid all avalanche terrain when departing or accessing huts.

Due to the snowfall, RAL said its team were unable to get the road in safe condition to open to the public at present.

“The Sky Waka Gondola and upper mountain lifts are now closed for the day due to the high winds and avalanche danger,” it said.

However, skiers keen to hit the slopes should be able to get into the beginners’ area.

“The Happy Valley beginners area will open as soon as we can allow access up the road,” the operator said.

RAL chief executive Dean said his team has had staff working in safe zones only while the avalanche control work is carried out on the upper mountain.

He said there are 48 individual mountain clubs on Whakapapa, which are run under concession by the Department of Conservation.

And while it brought a risk of avalanche, the fresh dump of snow also brought the prospect of great skiing, Dean said.

“Our teams will be using today to get the ski area ready for what is looking like great skiing conditions tomorrow,” he said.

RAL warned last week that skiers ignoring warnings had triggered avalanches.

“Yesterday (Friday 11/8/23) we had an avalanche triggered by skiers/snowboarders that have ignored the closures posted by Whakapapa Ski Patrol and skied into terrain that had not yet been controlled,” RAL posted on its Facebook page.

“We found the avalanche after it had been triggered and quickly effected a search of the debris with beacons and an avalanche dog and found that luckily, nobody was caught up in it.

“We strongly urge all guests to stay within the ski area and to obey signage at all times.”

It comes after a man was half-buried by an avalanche in back country on the Remarkables, near Queenstown, earlier this month.

Rescue teams flew into the Remarkables range in the South Island earlier this month to help skiers caught in a major avalanche at 2000m. Photo / Supplied

Skier Joe O’Connor told how he had been enjoying a “mint” day skiing when he heard a “boom, like a shotgun had gone off next to me”.

“Then before I knew it, I was sliding, and I couldn’t control where I was going,” he told the NZ Mountain Safety Council (MSC).

O’Connor had been hit by a powerful avalanche - ranked three on a scale of 1 to 5 - and was pushed 100m down the slope.

O’Connor’s tumble had been witnessed by nearby expert alpinists, who immediately alerted search and rescue teams.

Rescue teams quickly mobilised and soon three helicopters flew in ski patrol teams and dogs to help the pair.

Luckily O’Connor wasn’t hurt, but called the experience an “eye opener”.

The MSC said O’Connor and his friend on the mountain had done everything right beforehand by checking in with authorities about the avalanche conditions.

Yet that just showed that anything could happen in the back country, O’Connor said.

Safety advice

For anyone heading to the back country, the Mountain Safety Council stresses people should check the forecast, get training and pack the right equipment.

Hikers and trampers can find the avalanche forecast under alerts on Plan My Walk.