Mt Ruapehu accommodation – the WTMC Summer Lodge at Whakapapa skifield The Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering club owns and runs a lodge at the Whakapapa skifield that will be open for public accommodation during 29 December 2024 to 12 January 2025, and is ideal ‘backpacker type’ accommodation near Mt Ruapehu. More people visit Tongariro in summer … Read more
Mt Holdsworth day walk – a hiker’s point of view A video of a day walk to the summit of Mt Holdsworth in the Tararua Range from a hiker’s point of view. Includes walking time for sections of the track. There is even some snow to add to the spectacular view from the peak. The … Read more
With the demise of RAL there must be something to talk about with a positive theme. I’ll try the weather. When there is little snow on the mountain there tends to be better weather. When there is plenty of snow on the mountain there is less skiing. After returning from two weeks on the mountain … Read more
We have just returned from three days up at the lodge where two of the days were ‘bluebird’ days. We also had some Alpine Club members join us which helped fill the lodge. Despite appearances on the webcams the upper mountain has plenty of snow. Given the cold temperatures RAL has been snowmaking onto the … Read more
The mountain gods have spoken. There will be no covid problems this season, the mountain will not erupt, and the snow will continue to fall at night with intermittent periods of sunshine during the day. Car parking will be free for all if there is space. The start of the season has had an early … Read more
Our lodge has had a reasonable amount of use over summer although a bit disappointing as there could have been a lot more use and as one passerby said it looked a bit forlorn all locked up with no activity. This time of the year there has been some superb weather on the mountain as … Read more
As once described by Queen Elizabeth it has been an annus horribilis for the year. Not just this year but for a second year in a row. Trying to keep the financial situation is proving to be a headache. Although we were open during part of the ski season, we suffered the loss of income … Read more
So the ski season has ended for RAL on Labour Day. Given that there was still plenty of upper mountain snow under normal conditions the lifts would have continued to operate for a bit longer but nothing is normal this year or indeed last. The summer program for the Gondola and Cafeteria will commence on … Read more
Unlike last year lady luck was with us following the announcement that the essential part of New Zealand was to move back to level 2. That meant that we completed ski week 1 and opened again for ski week 2 and hopefully the coming school holidays. Ski week 2 was very successful with the only … Read more
It certainly is a case of deja vu after last year’s devastating lock down coincidentally about the same time of the year. We can only hope that the hard level 4 will get us out of this without too much damage. My thoughts go to all involved last year and this year to make the … Read more