Why joining a ski club makes sense

By CATHRIN SCHAER

A LOG FIRE, glass of mulled wine, leather upholstery and lots of glacial blondes dressed in fine angora sweaters talking about how many black runs they conquered today in upper-class British accents. That's pretty much the picture that comes to mind when most of us hear the phrase: "ski club".

But that's a popular misconception. The ski clubs of New Zealand are different affairs. The earliest were started by snow sports enthusiasts in the days before chairlifts or rope tows. For example, the Ruapehu Ski Club, the oldest club on the mountain, was founded by two pioneers of skiing in this country.

William "Bill" Mead was a railway draughtsman and Bernard Drake a railway clerk. The adventurous pair imported skis from Switzerland, along with an instruction book, and tested their equipment for the first time in July, 1913. They went on to organise the first ski club on Mt Ruapehu, a disused prison hut that was dragged up to the site by bullocks.

Eventually a small village of ski clubs began to form on the Whakapapa side of Ruapehu until the Department of Conservation ruled that no more building should take place on the mountainside for environmental reasons.

Which is why staying at a Ruapehu ski club remains one of the only ways that skiers and snowboarders can access accommodation where they're actually lodged in the snow. "You can just look out the window and see what the weather is like on the mountain today," enthuses one club member.

Today, many clubs also have lodges in Ohakune, the town that now forms the social hub of the Ruapehu ski area. And these days the scene at your average ski club is more likely to look like this: after a hard day's skiing or snowboarding, club members return to the bustling, communal lounge area to swap stories of alpine bravado before all pitching in to get the dinner made, the table laid and then afterwards, the dishes done and the place tidy.

"The 'posh' thing is simply not true," says Joseph Gabriel, president of the Ruapehu Ski Club. "In fact, the ski club is one of the greatest levelling environments there is because everyone's a volunteer and everyone has a duty to do. You could get half a dozen people doing the dishes - and all of them will be from very different walks of life."

Indeed, you're more likely to find mum, dad and the kids tucking in to a roast and sharing a nice bottle of red with the family from the next bunkroom than champagne, caviar and Nordic blondes with exotic accents.

How do local ski clubs work?

They are usually voluntary organisations with a sports club-style structure, comprising a president, treasurer, and so forth. They're basically a group of snow sports enthusiasts who collectively operate lodge-type accommodation either on Mt Ruapehu or nearby.

Memberships can number anything from 120 to 300 or more for the largest clubs.

The club members maintain the accommodation by working on buildings and by using annual subscription fees to pay for any other upkeep required.

When members stay in the lodge they also pay a nightly rate - quite often this also covers breakfast and dinner during their stay. They are usually assigned duties, which can be anything from washing the dishes to peeling potatoes, vacuuming or the unenviable task of delivering cups of tea and coffee to other members still in bed.

And how much do they cost?

Some clubs have a joining fee, which is paid once. This ranges from around $100 to $500, depending on the kind of club and the facilities. An annual subscription fee comes on top of this.

Other clubs don't have a joining fee and will only ask for an annual subscription. This ranges from around $40 for the student clubs to around $100 at mid-range clubs to $300 or more at upmarket clubs. Many have family subscriptions.

On top of this are costs for each time you stay, mostly around $20 to $30 a night a person, with lower rates for children.

Most members are also expected to participate in summer working bees at some stage. These usually last a weekend and involve jobs like painting, cleaning and other bits of renovation.

What kind of experience can I expect?

A pretty social one. It's all about communal living and you will be eating and sleeping alongside fellow club members. There's usually no TV either so you'll be forced to talk to them, too.

"We get all sorts of people - from families to students," says Liz Winstone, booking officer for the Tongariro Ski Club. "We're an Auckland-based club but we have members from towns like Tauranga and New Plymouth, too."

What are the buildings like?

Mostly accommodation is shared, either in bunkrooms or family rooms. There's usually a communal living, kitchen and dining area, and bathrooms are also mainly shared. Some clubs also have an on-site custodian or lodge manager during the winter, others may have a cook.

"Some clubs are very upmarket and some are pretty basic," says Warwick Wright, president of the Aorangi Ski Club, which has lodges in three Ruapehu locations, Ohakune, Whakapapa and Tukino.

Will I find romance or wild apres-ski action?

For after-hours partying you will either want to join one of the university clubs (for instance the Auckland University club has a room put aside for drinking games) or a ski club with a lodge in Ohakune. You won't be partying in the latter - most are still all about family dinners with a few glasses of wine - but you can certainly walk to the pub or bars from there.

It's not the ideal hunting ground for potential partners because of the family centric feel. And if you do meet someone at an Ohakune bar, you won't be bringing them back to your place because you're likely to be sharing a room with several others.

Will I get kicked out if I don't do the dishes?

"Well, we haven't struck this at all," Wright says. "But I suppose if someone was openly saying, 'get stuffed, I won't do my duties' then they'd most likely be made to feel pretty unwelcome. And I imagine we would probably not be accepting their bookings next time. Because you do have an obligation to do your [assigned] duty."

Are there any downsides?

Sharing rooms with people who snore loudly isn't fun. And sometimes if you're not feeling social, you just have to grin and bear the communal vibe. If you're up on the Whakapapa field, then staying on the mountainside can be a drag when the weather closes in and traps everyone inside.

The biggest hassle for clubs is the booking. School holidays book out fast, as do weekends - and you can expect a lot of children around those times. However, as Gabriel points out, if you go mid-week you may find yourself one of 10 adults staying in a lodge made for 70.

It all sounds good to me, how do I join?

Many ski clubs used to have waiting lists. Potential members often had to linger there for up to two years before they were accepted. Not any more. Most ski clubs now actively seek members.

Club representatives suggest the drop in numbers in recent years is because of a variety of factors, including higher expectations of ski experiences. Visitors want their beds made and meals cooked rather than do it themselves. Others include several poor snow years, the volcano's recent eruption and, for clubs which have a lodge on the Whakapapa side of the mountain only, the fact that Ohakune has become the social hub of the area.

To join you need to be "proposed" by an existing member. Most clubs will find a way of working that one out. "Even if you don't know anyone who belongs you could probably come and have a cup of coffee with me," Winstone suggests helpfully.

Hang on, how do I know which club to join?

This is a tricky one because ski clubs have different reputations. "There are about four or five much more casual ones - those are the university ones. Some of these are known as pretty sketchy holes," explains Long, laughing. "Then there are a fairly big number in the middle. They tend to be mainly family oriented or based out of a town - for example, the Rotorua Ski Club.

"Then there are a few that have been around for a long time and up until 1995 [the year of the eruption] they used to have huge waiting lists and often cost a small fortune to join. I don't know if it's necessarily correct but there's a perception that they're pretty posh and that they're filled with Remuera socialites."

Looking at the fee structure is one quick way of figuring out where you should be applying to join. Prospective members are also often invited to pre-season working parties, which will also give you a good idea of whether to join.

If you're down at the mountain anyway, many clubs will allow you to have a look before you join. "That should give you some idea of whether the place is welcoming, toffee-nosed or whether it's a bit disorganised," Wright explains.

Can non-members use the clubs?

You can ask, but at most clubs, you can't overnight unless you're accompanied by a member. Non-members also pay higher rates, anything up to around $50 a night.

However, during the summer, room rates go right down. If you're into hiking or planning a family reunion, you can find beds at a ski club for anything from $6 a night.

To find out more about ski clubs, try the New Zealand Snowsports Council, the directory it publishes, or phone (04) 499 8135.

Most Ruapehu ski clubs have a lodge on the Whakapapa skifield and members liaise closely with the customer service staff. To contact Whakapapa call (07) 892 3738.