Rock work for early Turoa skiing

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 283, 18 April 1989, Page 16

Rock work for early Turoa skiing

Before the winter snow falls this year trails on Turoa will have a head start thanks to rock grooming work carried out on the ski field.

A rock grooming programme drawn up by Turoa Skifields with the help of Barry Hobman of Worley Sno-Engi-neering and landscape architect Colleen Priest was presented to the Department of Conservation who approved most of the work. Turoa's Andy Chapman said through consultation and on-site meetings with DoC the programme was modified to meet a number of conservation requirements. He said the company was pleased with the final approved programme. High Noon T Bar On the High Noon T Bar several large boulders have been removed from the lift line and a couple of steps of solid rock chipped away to create a more even lift line tcrrain. Also, the T bar queue area has been leveled off. These changes are designed to allow an earlier start to the season bccause less snow will be needed for the lift to operate. Less snow grooming will be needed on the queue

area and lift line through the winter. The fill for the queue area is being taken from the ridgc behind the Giant Chairlift return station and it is this part of the programme that the need for the landscape architect is highlighted. Conservation. demands mean the landscape must follow the natural contours so removing fill must be done in such a way as to retain those contours. This will result in the ski trail leading away from the chairlift becoming wider, making skiing away from the chair much easier. Blythe Flat A short way down the mountain, at Blythe Flat, more work has been done. A trail has been cut that leads from under the Giant Chair into the bowl above and to the west of the top of the Movenpick chair. This should ease access early in the season from the top of the Giant to mid station. It

will provide an easier trail for beginners through the winter. Several boulders on Blythe Flat between the Movenpick and the Giant mid station have been removed. Here a featur" of the digger that has been used in the programme proved its worth. It is a hydraulic "thumb" attachment which means the boulders were able to be picked up and accurately placed the same way up thus minimising the effect on the landscape. Boulders and outcrops on the Jumbo T Bar are also being removed to provide a better lift line and the queue area is also being built up. An improvement to iaccess to the Jumbo queue from Blythe Flat is not practical, said Andy, because of the amount of fill that would be needed. Boneyard Just below the Giant mid station a better track is being cut to provide easier beginner access to the upper Boneyard and, further down, work has been done to make easier access to the top of the Broadbent trail. In the Bypass gully boulders are being shifted for

better skier and groomer access. Rock grooming has been carried out at the top of the Lower Boneyard. Freeway chute is to have rubble removed and boulders from above the chute to above the Winterg arden platters will allow skiers to use the natural bench that's there. Rocks from the Winterg arden ridges are being removed and smoothing work will create a better beginners' tow area at the top of the Movenpick. The track into the Giant Drive Station bowl is to be eased and the Giant queue area extended.