Mt Ruapehu crews preparing Tūroa and Whakapapa skifields for winter season

Preparing the Sky Waka for the winter season are (from left) Grant Gamble, Brady Niven, Toby Milward, Rowan Greenwood and Dean Lark. Photo / Andy Hoyle

Mt Ruapehu skifield crews have been battling the elements to get ready for the 2021 ski season.

During the past few weeks, the crew at Tūroa has pulled a new High Noon Express cable up the Movenpick, across Blyth Flat, all the way up and around the High Noon Express.

With splicing complete, followed by straightening and tucking, the team will now finish a few other tasks on the High Noon lift before moving down the mountain to complete the lower lifts. The slopes will then be ready, as soon as snow allows, for the winter season at Tūroa.

"Our summer team have done an amazing job through a particularly complicated piece of work and we're proud of their commitment to doing the mahi so we all can enjoy an epic winter ahead," Tūroa ski area manager Mat Jonsson said.

The Tūroa team at work on the High Noon Express cable. Photo / Ben Lawrence

On the other side of the mountain at Whakapapa, summer maintenance work has progressed well after last year's Covid-19 interruptions.

"The biggest job was the shortening splice of the Sky Waka gondola which meant closing shop for five days last week," Whakapapa ski area manager Steve Manunui said.

"This is normal for a new lift where the cable stretches significantly over the first two years of its life. This is a highly specialised job and the 'splicer' had to come from Northern Italy, via MIQ, as an essential worker to complete the work.

"Weather forecasts for winter are looking great. Here at Whakapapa we're programmed to start our all-weather snowmaking system up from mid-April."

The Happy Valley beginner slope is scheduled to open on Saturday, June 5, and Whakapapa and Tūroa on Saturday, July 3. Snow permitting, the season will run until Monday, October 25.