Whakapapa potential realised

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 501, 31 August 1993, Page 12

Whakapapa potential realised

Ruapehu Alpine Lifts has enjoyed a long, rich history on the slopes of Mt Ruapehu, dating back to 1953. Swiss ski instructor, Walter Haensli, pursued his dream that the mountain had the potential to be one of the world'S' finest ski fields, so applied to the Tongariro National Park Board for a licence to operate chairlifts and associated services at Whakapapa. In 1952 he was granted a 21 year licence, with a right of renewal for a further 21 years, and in September 1953, the

first prospectus of Ruapehu Alpine Lifts was realeased. Financing the development proved to be a problem, especially when the Government of the day decided not to invest with the company. Still in its infancy, RAL's first

hurdle was to raise £63,000. This was eventually achieved through subscriptions from interested people, mainly skiers, who bought into the company by way of shares and debentures. Less than a year after RAL was formed, the company installed its first lift. The Rock Garden single chairlift was opened in August 1954 by Sir Edmund Hillary and was a New Zealand first. A Swiss firm, Mueller Engineering, was contracted to supply and erect the first chairlift and

T-Bar with the equipment arriving in the countiy in May, and installed in time for the 1954 ski season. The installation of the chairlift at Whakapapa opened up a whole new world to sightseers and others who came to 'play' in the snow. The number of lifts increased during the 1950's and '60's with their method of construction and operation evolving at a rapid pace. The developments were fraught with difficulties and frustration however, due to the extreme climatic

conditons. In 1955 RAL opened its number two chairlift, the Staircase T-Bar. Almost two kilometres long, it extended from the foot of the Staircase to the top of the Knoll Ridge and promised exciting skiing opportunities. The 1956 season however, was a year of catastrophe for Ihe company, with cables sagging to the ground under the weight of half a tonne of ice in some instances. The Swiss engineers who had designed and installed the equipment for use in dry,

cold conditions had never seen anything like it. Deep trenches had to be excavated regularly near the No 2 drive station before the chairlift could operate. This problem was alleviated by building a new drive station to the rear of the old one, out of the depression at the base of the Staircase slopes. In the early 1960's the original 4n' shaped pylons were replaced with towers that could be adjusted to cope with the differences in snow depth that Ruapehu experiences from season to season.

In 1958 the Knoll Ridge section of the original No 2 chairlift was converted into a separate chairlift. In the previous season, the No 2 lift had been cut in half, to end at the top of the Waterfall. The new third chairlift was also plagued by icing problems and in 1963 was wrecked by a blizzard.

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