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Home / Sponsored Stories

Sponsored by Visit Ruapehu

Visit Ruapehu

Skiing in summer - it's snow joke

21 Jun, 2007 05:00 PM

Sponsored by Visit Ruapehu

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It's summer - and skiers are zipping down the slopes of Mt Ruapehu.
Sound wrong? It could happen soon as operators of the mountain's ski fields - one of New Zealand's prime winter playgrounds - think an all-year-round skiing and snowboarding season is possible in the future thanks to a new high-tech snowmaking system.

"It's certainly been mentioned and identified as an opportunity," says Ross Copland, CEO of Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL). "Any decision will ultimately come down to whether there is demand for it and whether the operating costs are justified, but we know it could be done."

He says RAL's new snowmaker, the Techno Alpin SF10 All-Weather system, allows snow to be made 12 months a year. It can operate in temperatures up to 25 degrees centigrade and is the reason this year's season opened on June 3, a month earlier than normal.

"Summer snow will depend on a lot of factors including cost because with warmer temperatures the snow melts more quickly and we will need more of it. But it's not a silly idea; we've certainly talked about the possibility."

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Copland says if summer skiing is introduced it would be confined to the mountain's lower slopes in the Happy Valley field.

His comments come as RAL is about to launch another innovation on the mountain - night skiing. From July 7 the Happy Valley and Whakapapa lower slopes will be lit up between 4-9pm on Friday and Saturday nights in a move Copland says will give people more time on the snow.

A new high-speed four seater chair lift, the Rangatira Express has been installed and will give night skiiers quicker access to runs in Happy Valley and the Whakapapa lower mountain. Additional snow-making capability is also operating on RAL's third ski field at Turoa.

These changes are part of a massive investment being pumped into the mountain and the wider Ruapehu district. RAL is putting $100 million into improvements at its ski fields, while the region's tourist organisation, Visit Ruapehu, says millions more dollars are to be spent on other recreational attractions and services in coming years.

More than a million people are estimated to visit the region every year attracted not just by the snow, but a myriad of other activities including mountain biking, tramping, fishing and river adventures.

RAL has also opened other new lifts - the Delta Quad which accesses beginner and intermediate terrain on the upper mountain; three new learner conveyors in Happy Valley (two are covered by see-through gallery tunnels) and two new access elevators at Happy Valley.

It is also working on plans to install a massive $37 million, 80-seater gondola or aerial tramway: "It is really a large cable car that can take between 60 and 80 people and run in winds up to 54 knots," says Copland.

"It will be a game-changer not only for skiiers but also for those wanting to go sight-seeing up the mountain in winter and in summer. It is part of a bigger project to make the mountain a year-round resort."

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The 1.8km gondola will run from the base of Whakapapa to Delta Corner in the upper field and the company is hoping it will be operating some time in 2019.

Meanwhile other tourist attractions in the Ruapehu district are to receive an injection of funding. The Ruapehu District Council and the National Army Museum in Waiouru have signed-off on a project to spend $2.5m on the museum's entranceway which will include an i-site visitor information centre.

An estimated 150,000 people visit the museum every year.

Earlier this month the government announced it was putting aside $1.5 million for tourism infrastructure projects in the region - a figure adding to the $2m the region has already received from the government to extend the Mountains-to-Sea cycle trail from Turoa to Ohakune.

Visit Ruapehu CEO Claire McKnight says while Ruapehu has been a popular destination for many years, there is potential for providing even better experiences for New Zealanders in the region.

"It is a place where kiwis can come for a magical winter holiday away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life," she says. "You can experience a lot of excitement and adventure here - it is a wonderful place to come in winter."

McKnight says a new free shuttle service between Ohakune, National Park village and Whakapapa village is now running half hourly every day of the season.

"This all adds to the enjoyment of a visit here," she says. "We have a diverse range of dining and cafes but also many adventure activities; apart from skiing and tramping we have railcarts, museums, scenic flights, mini golf, indoor rock climbing, jetboat tours, river rafting, hot pools - and Taupo is not far away."

McKnight says the tourism industry and other "stakeholders" are working on a Ruapehu Destination Development Plan looking at opportunities for growth in the attractions on offer.

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