Ruapehu snow base beats record year so far

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 595, 18 July 1995, Page 3

Ruapehu snow base beats record year so far

Storms through early July may have frustrated some moun tain visitors, but it augers well for a record-breaking season. Already the snow base at Whakapapa exceeds that of the same date in 1992 — the field' s record snow year. "During our biggest snow year -1992, we recorded a snow depth of 150cm on 10 July, and this year we recorded 181cm on the same day, which is very exciting," said Scott Lee. The recent spate of bad weather in the central North Island has been excellent news for skiers with Whakapapa Teaching a snow base of two metres last week. 'The snow conditions are superb following the recent snowfalls, especially for this time of year, with excellent skiing from top to bottom," said Scott Lee, Whaka-

papa' s marketing manager. The snow base on the upper field is now 2. 1 8m with 68cm recorded in Happy Valley. More than 70cm of new snow has fallen since last week. All facilities are now operating except the Far- West T Bar, which will open at the end of July. Excessive ice loads experienced on the Far West T Bar during storm cycles in June and early July mean the cable cannot be strung. Staff have started preparing the lift and will have it operating at the end of the month. A terrain park and half-pipe for snowboarders, located below Knoll Ridge is now complete, providing snowboarders with an excellent facility to practice their techniques. A half pipe on the western slopes is also near completion.