Behind the scenes of your fun

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 553, 13 September 1994, Page 9 (Supplement)

Behind the scenes of your fun

By

Kevin

White

Four fifty nine am and the town's asleep beneath the mountain. It' s dark, cold and quiet. The clock turns over another digit, the alarm rings. I raise myself to a level of consciousness less inviting than the one I just left. I have to accept it's time to vacate the comfort and security of my warm bed. All over town there are others engaged in the same struggle. Whilst most people are still sound asleep, dreaming of heroic exploits on the ski slopes, there are those starting work. Depending on the weather this can be from 20 to 200 people. At 6.00am the bus leaves the workshop depot for the 20-minute wind up the hill. It's still relatively dark and there' s not too much idle chatter on the bus. Without scintillating conversation, somebody turns up the radio. Most are still coming to terms with the emerging day and possibly even last night. On board are a variety of personnel. Ski patrollers, lifties, maintenance crew and their supervisors. The only jobs not represented here are the groomer drivers who started their shift eight hours earlier. We arrive in the resort carpark and I feel just a little more awake. It's strange to see the carpark totally empty — no sign of activity anywhere. There' s more wind up here and it's bitterly cold. Somewhat more invigorating than the bus. Thankfully it's only a short walk

to the office of the mountain manager, Grant McMaster . I ' m greeted with a welcome cup of coffee and settle into the warm office. Weather Forecast The mountain manager starts his day at 5:45am. Even the drive up the hill is part of the day's preparation as the road conditions are checked on the way to work. Chains will be required from the point it is necessary to engage four wheel drive. First task on arri val at the resort is to call the groomer crew already hard at work on the mountain preparing trails. From the information supplied over the radio the manager will have an idea of the snow conditions and overnight weather. While this is happening the Meteorological Service in Wellington is receiving a satellite photograph of the region. This image will assist in the preparation of the resort' s forecast for the day. By 6:20am the mountain manager will be viewing the weather data captured by computer overnight. Graphed and tabulated are the wind speed and direction as well as temperature. Using this information the mountain manager discusses the forecast with the Met Service. Despite this being essentially a "hands on job" I understand why the mountain manager has a picture window view. Here on the mountain it's not necessari ly the boardroom that commands the best views.

Once the reports are completed the manager will be out on the mountain. "The mountain is run from the mountain, not an office." No doubt all hope for the best as far as the predictions are concerned, given the fickle nature of Ruapehu's weather. Many thousands of people may adjust their schedules according to this information. If the wind rises above 30 knots during the day the lifts will have to close. Despite the available technology there are no crystal-ball guarantees. Around 6:30am the resort' s information fax will be on its way to some 240 destinations advising of road, snow and weather conditions as well as the facilities anticipated to be in operation throughout the day. Lift Clearance Every day there is an early start for two ski patrollers. Duties forthesetwo early risers include the taking of weather observations, and ensuring the safety of other staff engaged in deicing operations. One patroller will remain at his post high on the mountain so that he can respond to emergencies while the other descends preparing post holes for the day's fences, barriers and signs. By now there are more staff on the mountain all working to a schedule anticipating the arrival of the first enthusiastic customers. Maintenance staff will have started de-icing the lifts.

"Lifties" clearing ramps and chairs. Logically this process starts from the bottom up — the higher altitude lifts being the last attended. If the chair lifts have derailed overnight this has to be rectified too. T-bars have to be re-attached to the spring boxes on the cable. If left attached wind and ice build-up can see them drop to the ground and freeze themselves in ! There' s pressure to complete the loading of the T-bars, gloves have to be removed for this job, not pleasant for any length of time when it's - 10° Celsius. Ski patrol checks lifts and trails for any hazards. Only when this is completed will a lift with its associated runs be cleared for operation. The patroller will also ensure signs, fences and tower pads are all de-iced and well

placed for the prevailing conditions. By opening time the resort report will have been updated if necessary. It's important the customer has full knowledge of the product being bought when a lift ticket is purchased. As long as it is safe to operate and facilities can be provided the resort will open. It's up to the customer to decide wether or not to ski. As the first keen skiers are loading the lifts the groomers are still hard at work, fine tuning the trails for the day. It will be 10:30am or so before the groomer crews finish their shifts, some 12 - 14 hours after they started. Towards the end of the shift the Kassbohrer machines are returned to the maintenance shed where routine checks

are completed by the drivers. Any faults are reported to the maintenance staff who complete repairs. As one driver confided about the attraction of the job, "the machines are wonderful" It's easy to conclude the maintenance staff are left with a great responsibility! A Solitarv Job Possibly the only staff working completely through the night are the groomer drivers. Usually four groomers will be on duty roaming the slopes high on the mountain far from human presence. The drivers are from varied backgrounds, not necessarily with a heavy machinery background. Vital is an interest in grooming, a good temperament, an eye for fall line and level, and the ability to work in a very isolated environment. Given

these qualities it may take a driver up to three years to become a top groomer. "It's never the same, the snow the weather, everything changes. The machines are impressive, the tasks a challenge. There is artistry in the job," said one driver. The hours might not be very social but all the drivers I spoke to were enthusiastic about their jobs. Not many people get to drive eight tons of hightech machinery around isolated mountains. Ski Patrol: As the day progresses the slopes start to fill with people. The skier can be confident that the trails he is about to follow have been cleared of hazards, dangers marked and avalanche danger assessed. These are all jobs for ski patrol. Should an unlucky skier finds himself injured it'll be ski patrol who arrive with a toboggan and make the first assessment of the patient's injuries. Next stop for the patient is probably the medical centre, well equipped and staffed by one doctor and a nurse. Not a place most want to visit, but at the end of the day many will be happy the facility is there. Rescue work not only includes injured skiers, but also those reported missing by friends or relatives. Normally a search and rescue operation is initiated by the police, but it will be ski patrol out in the field. At the end of the day the patrol "sweeps" the mountain checking the slopes and taking note of any tracks leading off-piste. Hanging Out You're half way up the mountain riding a chair lift. The temperature is several degrees below zero, wind adds to the chill factor. The chair stops, you wait patiently. The patience starts to wear a bit thin after a few minutes. Somewhere at the drive station a liftie is on the phone to maintenance, but you don't yet know the chair lift is going to be out of action for the rest of the day. It" s a sure thing that after Turn to Page 11 ofthe Bulletin (experts page).