Slippery start to season for skiers
Record-breaking temperatures melted the hopes of some North Island skiers early this season, but recent snow dumps mean the slopes are now ready to ride.
Mt Ruapehu had a slow start to this year waiting for the big snowfall to arrive and most skifields have been relying on snow machines.
Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, which operates the Tu¯ roa and Whakapapa skifields, said it was not immune to the impact of climate change.
‘‘We’ve had record July temperatures which has had a big impact on our snow coverage, and anything that we’ve had has been eroded,’’ Whakapapa general manager Jono Dean said.
There had been 115,307 visitors to both Whakapapa and Turoa ski areas so far this season, and ‘‘the season is now setting up for what’s likely to be a record spring season’’.
The slow start had been offset by this month’s massive snow dump.
Dean said ski days were 30 per cent down year on year but there had only been two days when the skifield was totally closed by poor weather. ‘‘With this recent storm we’re now up to the snow level of last year.’’
Victoria University Snow Sports Club treasurer David Watson said compared with other years, the season was not terrible but it was off to a late start.
The season’s real snow had only landed in the last two weeks, he said. ‘‘Skiing is going to be epic now because they have a lot of snow.’’
The club has been to Ruapehu three times this season but hadn’t yet had any ‘‘bluebird’’ days with blue skies and no wind.
‘‘The last trip that went up only had half a day of skiing due to the weather.’’
The Ski Shed owner and operator Graeme Holland said this year O¯ hakune was less busy, but every year was weather-dependent.
Those affected by the low season would be the ski operators themselves, he said. ‘‘Storm cycles don’t help, and there’s another storm on its way.
‘‘We’ll still turn over coin, and they [Mt Ruapehu] will still be turning over coin, but not as much.’’
Extreme Backpackers manager
‘‘With this recent storm we’re now up to the snow level of last year.’’
Jono Dean Whakapapa general manager
Terry Steven said the season so far hadn’t been great. Keen and regular skiers did not seem to be around as frequently this year. ‘‘The skifield hasn’t been running as much due to the weather.’’
They had hoped Ruapehu’s new gondola, the Sky Waka, would increase business but it had not been running for some days, he said.
Niwa climate scientist Gregor Macara, also a keen skier, said climate change would have a noticeable impact on the snow and ski industry.
‘‘The climate is warming and expected to continue to be warm, so generally you can expect ski seasons to continue to be poorer.’’
The operators would be well aware of the consequences of climate change and they should be planning for it.
Some skifields are already making their land available to mountain-bikers and trampers during the warmer months.
Compared with last year, skifields across the country had had to use snow generators, Macara said.
Coronet Peak received only between 20 centimetres and 25cm of natural snow this year and wouldn’t have been able to open without manmade snow.
The Remarkables and Mt Hutt skifields would have been forced to open later without snow generators, and Cardrona was also heavily reliant on the machines.
Fairlie’s Fox Peak Ski Area finally opened last Sunday but the previous year was worse – in 2018, it was only open for one weekend in September.
Stratford Mountain Club spokesperson Rob Needs said this year’s snowfall at Manganui had not been any worse than other years, and they’d had open days since Queen’s Birthday Weekend.
‘‘In the last 10 years, we had one year where we had one day operating. So we’re not disappointed with what we’ve had so far.’’