Things look all white on the mountain

By JOHN PARKER

If you want to make an omelet, you've got to crack some eggs: the storms have been bombarding Ruapehu this season - but without them, there's no snow.

From as early as April there were signs that the weather might realise the North Island snow-sporter's dream of a great season for the central plateau.

Dream has become reality. The nor'westers and southerlies which buffeted the mountain throughout this month and last have dumped huge quantities of snow.

The season is now officially a boomer, says Mike Smith, marketing manager for Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, with snow coverage surpassing every other skifield in New Zealand.

Perhaps the recent installation on Ruapehu of extensive snow-making facilities has nettled Mother Nature. Whakapapa and Turoa now boast phenomenal snow levels of around 200cm and 190cm respectively.

Smith thinks they could be the best yet, topping comparative early-season levels in the Mt Pinatubo-affected 1992 winter and the record-setting 1994 winter. "I haven't seen the mountain like this for a long time."

It's welcome news for two skifields severely tested by Ruapehu's eruptions in the mid-1990s and by some indifferent recent seasons.

However, frustration levels of skiers and boarders eager for early-season slides on the mountain have risen along with the snow. Turoa opened on June 21 and Whakapapa a week later, but until recently, fine days on the mountain have seemed as likely as spotting a moa on Queen St.

Closed fields or poor-visibility skiing - a torch is as important in the dim conditions as a pair of planks - have been sorely trying both clients and mountain staff, especially during the school holidays.

Storm winds are bad news for chairlift operation. A blizzard gust of up to 150km/h was recorded at Whakapapa's Top'o'the Bruce plaza area on July 15.

The storms also took their toll on Whakapapa's Knoll Ridge T-bar. Damage to the drive station early this month has required new parts and considerable repairs, but the lift should be in action soon.

Now that the omelet's on the plate, good weather patterns are emerging, with fine weather and cold temperatures keeping the snow crisp.

The mountain cams on the Ruapehu Alpine Lifts website are showing views of glistening sunny snowscapes guaranteed to lift the pulse of any snow-sporter. There are even photos of skiers enjoying themselves on the Chateau's snow-covered golf course.

Nearly all lifts are up and running, including Whakapapa's Far West T-bar and Turoa's Moro race T-bar.

Look forward this season to a picture-postcard mountain with top-to-bottom skiing and boarding in what could be the mother of all seasons.

Ruapehu NZ