Rocks shifted, buildings stretched, bits on groomers - ready for snow at Turoa

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 585, 9 May 1995, Page 3 (Supplement)

Rocks shifted, buildings stretched, bits on groomers - ready for snow at Turoa

Rock grooming on Ruapehu will be a neverending process, thanks to the nature of the terrain, but Turoa is season-by-season improving its rock base ready for bad snow years. This summer they have improved and lengthened the access trail from the mid-station on the Giant chair to the High Flyer quad so that it needs less snow to be skiable. They have adjusted the unloading area at the top of the High Flyer, improving its angle and location to make it easier for people getting off. The summer crew have stabilised a lot of the fill and built more rock, wails at the top of the Movenpick, and fine tuned the access trail to the base area to cope with low snow years. Gelignite has been put to good use, blasting away boulders and high spots on the High Noon T Bar so that it can operate with less snow and an unloading area has been built at the top of the High Noon (until now this has been formed with snow).

The rock grooming is designed so the field can open as soon as possible. Other summer work has included flying lots of old concrete debris out of the Park, and lowering the level of the authorised car park by about a metre for better access to the medical centre and offices. The base area has received a lot of attention this summer, with a new medical centre built where the old ski instructors' rooms were previously sited (behind the information office). The centre has more beds, better facilities and generally easier access for patients. Shifted to above the new medical centre are the administration offices, leaving space for a ski school ticket office where the police office was before as well a for ski hire to expand into. The ski hire has a new layout for more storage and better customer flow. An extended range of hire equipment is PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11