Ruapehu Alpine Lifts mark ‘bittersweet’ 70th birthday and Mt Hutt’s 50-hour Kiwi ski epic

Ruapehu Alpine Lifts will celebrate 70 years on the mountain this weekend. Photo / Malcolm Pullman

There are birthday celebrations and bumper crowds at a couple of Kiwi ski fields this week. While Mt Hutt marked half a century as a Canterbury ski centre on Sunday, the North Island’s Whakapapa says its 70th celebrations will be “bittersweet”.

Since their formation in September 1953, Ruapehu Alpine Lifts have welcomed over 20 million guests to the mountain. However, RAL chief executive Jono Dean said celebrations would be subdued on Friday, as Whakapapa ski field reflected on its platinum jubilee.

“Many of our guests and staff have a life-long connection to Mt Ruapehu, some third or fourth generation,” said Dean, who thanked the work of staff and dedicated ski enthusiasts throughout the last seven decades.

In that time the ski field has been the site of countless holidays, a cameo in The Lord of the Rings and even a couple of volcanic eruptions.

This weekend marks 70 years since the company was formed, following the grant of a government licence “to establish and operate chair lifts and ski tows on the Mt Ruapehu winter sports fields”.

Although lifts would not start spinning until the following year - opened by Sir Edmund Hillary - the company’s current circumstances had ski operators looking back with nostalgia.

Since the company’s financial difficulties and being placed into administration, in October last year, this year’s season was left in limbo.

A snowplough clears a path near the Sky Waka gondola base on Whakapapa ski field, on Mt Ruapehu, this month. Photo / Mac Madsen

It was only through a last-minute, one-off Government bailout in June that it was announced that Ruapehu Alpine Lifts would remain as temporary operators for the 2023 season. A long-term solution still evades the mountain.

However, despite the difficult start to their 70th year, Ruapehu Alpine lifts say there have been some silver linings to the storm clouds. In August, the mountain had record snowfalls, with the deepest snow-base anywhere on the planet.

As another early birthday present, two of the operator’s lifts were approved for maintenance over summer at Whakapapa’s sister field, Tūroa. Signs that RAL might still see a 71st birthday.

“We remain positive for a new era for snow sports and tourism on the maunga and thank all our guests and supporters for sharing 70 years of magic on Mt Ruapehu with us,” Dean said.

This weekend there would be a vintage jamboree on Saturday September 2 and free twilight skiing and sightseeing at the Sky Waka lift from 4pm to 6pm.

RAL said it would also be issuing discounted $70 day passes on Friday 1 September, to commemorate the event.

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Mt Hutt marks 50 in Methven

Nobody was doubting the longevity of skiers at Mt Hutt this weekend. The Canterbury ski field, near Methven marked its 50-year anniversary with events including a 50-hour endurance race.

Running lifts overnight, 22 registered skiers pledged to go the distance, checking in at the lift gates at least once every hour for over two days.

Around 17 were still competing come Saturday morning, as cold weather bit into the skiers’ resolve.

Poor visibility cancelled the scheduled ‘moonlight skiing’ on Sunday night but the remaining endurance racers crossed the finish line at 8pm.

For those just dropping in, there were also events such as a weekend slalom challenge and a midwinter party on Thursday.

Around 20 keen skiers were competing in the Mt Hutt 50 hour endurance competition over the weekend. Photo / George Heard