Lodge Update: Our Maunga June 2021
Last weekend we had the pleasure of joining a club trip celebrating the winter solstice. A good time was had by all with a Christmas meal, great music, dancing, and lots of good fun.
The day trips on Saturday were varied but most did the Kiriwhakapapa circuit in pleasant but wettish weather. For our part we visited the upper mountain to see the state of the snow which although spectacular was thin on the ground.
What the mountain needs is for the south westerly weather to kick in. This is where the bulk of the snow comes from on the central plateau. It generally comes up the South Island west coast and misses Wellington but sweeps across to the mountain. There is one storm coming next week and here’s hoping this pattern continues, ‘cos that’s where the white stuff comes from!
Bookings are filling up. All winter spaces will be available by July 1st for bookings to the end of the season. Winter rates apply from July 2nd.
For more information on how this works go to the lodge bookings page. Even if you are not making a booking if you want to keep up to date with how things are, go to that page as this is the page with up-to-date booking information. Go to Wellington Tramping & Mountaineering website, Facilities, Ruapehu Lodge, Lodge Bookings page: https://www.wtmc.org.nz/lodgebookings
For the lodge the membership status is now frozen meaning that people can join the club during winter but the non-member rates and priority status for the lodge will remain until the end of October. So please do not hassle our booking team with excuses.
Keep the following dates in mind or better still on your calendar.
Friday 9th July to departure Sunday 25th July school holidays. There are some spaces available.
Sunday 8th August to departure Friday 13th August: ski week 1. A couple of spaces.
The weeks but not the weekends between the following dates are already booked up. Check the bookings page for these weekends availability
Sunday 13th September to departure Friday 17th September: ski week 2
Friday 1 October to Sunday 17th October: school holidays.
The first week of October school holidays is generally full, plenty of space for the second week. Check the booking page.
We now have a Lodge promotions officer and our Lodge secretary returning so what is left is still a helper for the bookings team. There is always room for those who feel that they can contribute to the running of the lodge.
And to finish. The more forgetful I get, the less I have to worry about.
Brian Goodwin
Lodge convenor