So the snow is falling and topping up unwanted slots, rocks and crevices. Pretty much on cue as it tends to fall during the first week of the school holidays.
Lifts
RAL, the lift operator, has advised which lifts will and will not be operating this season.
There will be limited lifts operating due to many staff not being able to travel from other parts of the globe. For instance, there will be 15 instructors instead of the usual 60.
The Happy Valley chair will not operate but the carpets will as with the Rangatira Chair (rock garden).
The Delta chairlift will not be operating. Valley T will not be operating. However, I have the impression that maybe the Valley T may operate if the Knoll Ridge is not operable due to weather etc.
The Sky Waka gondola will be open along with Knoll cafeteria when weather conditions will allow. The Schuss Haus will not open.
Going to the west, the T bar will only open if there is staff available to fit the required new cable, but do not hold your breath and if it does, it will be later in the season.
The West Chair gearing has been refurbished but due to lockdown could not be installed. The chair is very unlikely to open this season.
Skiier numbers and parking
There will be a restriction of skier numbers on the mountain to 4500. This will be limited by the number of available parks on the mountain. Club parks will be 400 out of 2000. Car park 1 will be chained off at the end of the day and club parks will be limited to the various single parks scattered
around the top of the village (Iwikau) and car parks number 2 and 3.
The busy days, which previously have been a shambles for those travelling to the mountain in the morning, will be limited through an app which will tell you if you should bother leaving Wellington or anywhere in the country for a day’s skiing. Simply put, you can book a park on a Wednesday and through number plate recognition, you will be allowed up the road or informed “no parks available” for the following Saturday or Sunday. Details on how this will work are on the RAL website. Whakapapa Village (Chateau area) will be restricted to 3 hour parking limit.
This should not impact on us Lodge users arriving on Fridays or Sunday afternoons as the previous conditions apply, except for not using car park 1.
Our Lodge
We are open and running, and we had good numbers for the July school holidays. Bookings are now open to the end of August. September bookings are due to open mid-August.
We had a good clean up at the start of July with an enthusiastic team and a reduced amount of bulk food carried up in unfavourable conditions. The day we returned home marked the start of snow fall and has being doing so for a number of days since. Bring it on!
Enjoy!
Brian
Lodge Convenor