Mt Ruapehu Enjoys The Best Snow In Years

27 August, 2001

The Rock Garden Has No Rocks!!!

MT RUAPEHU ENJOYS THE BEST SNOW IN YEARS

After a week of bad weather, Mt Ruapehu awoke to clear blue skies on Sunday morning and the best snow cover since the 1995 eruptions.

Poor weather over the last seven says has frustrated customers and staff alike. However, the good news is that the bad weather has brought excellent snowfalls with it. Both Turoa and Whakapapa have received a minimum of 60cm ? 80cm of new snow on top of an already good base. Turoa now has a base of 2.5 metres and Whakapapa a base of 2.1 metres.

Mt Ruapehu Marketing Manager, Mike Smith describes conditions as the best he's seen in a number of years.

"The mountain is looking fantastic with a heap of new snow and excellent top to bottom skiing and riding on both sides. Customers will be able to rediscover runs not skied on for a number of years.

Our crews certainly had their work cut out today. We've had to de-ice every single lift on the mountain. Some t-bar cables were on the ground as a result of ice loading and high winds during the last week," Mike Smith said today.

2001 is shaping up as the best season on Mt Ruapehu since the mid 90's with an excellent spring ahead.

"We will be looking to stay open until early November and are looking forward to fantastic spring conditions," Mike Smith said.

Ends.

Enquiries:

Mike Smith, Marketing Manager

Phone 0-7-892 3413 Mobile 025-224 2100 A/h 0-7-892 3090

Kristie Penwarden DDI: (09) 979 2026 Mobile: 025 374 524 Fax: (09) 979 2099

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