Ruapehu Xmas may be white

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 455, 29 September 1992, Page 3

Ruapehu Xmas may be white

A white Christmas is on the cards for Ruapehu again this year. Whakapapa Ski Area are planning to open for summer skiing on their upper slopes on Saturday 19 December. Persistent snow storms throughout the winter have left the ski area with a four-metre deep snow base - the most since records have been kept. "At present there's a groomed trail right to the

Top of the Bruce and we're confident of excellent snow coverage on the upper mountain right through spring and into the Christmas period," said Whakapapa marketing manager Scott Lee. Ruapehu Alpine Lifts plans to keep the field open for spring skiing until Sunday 15 November. Last year 7000 people skied the sloped over a 10-day period.

Whakapapa's "Summer Alpine Magic" sightseeing operation will run from 19 December until 31 January. Two chairlifts will operate to give sightseers and trampers easier access to the upper alpine environment and there will be daily guided walks to the Crater Lake. Turoa open November? Turoa Ski Resort is officially closing on Labour Monday, 26 October, de-

spite also having a record snow base of well-over three metres. Rumours abound about the possibility of the field staying open later into November, possibly at weekends, but none of the Turoa management were available for comment on this yesterday, when the Bulletin went to print. Many ski-related business people in Ohakune have commented that they would be keen to see

Turoa stay open, and are looking forward to them making a decision very soon. A Turoa staff member, who would not be named, said a decision was expected within the next eight days. Turoa was in a very different commercial position to Whakapapa which made it harder to make a decision on extending the ski season, said the staff member.