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University of Auckland Snowsports Club
Skiing // Boarding Whakapapa // New Zealand |
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I heard Mt Ruapehu is building some new lifts. Where are they going to be?
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How long will it take to receive my membership confirmation?
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What's skiing and boarding like at Mt Ruapehu?
Mt Ruapehu, which includes both Whakapapa and Turoa ski fields, is New Zealand's largest ski resort. There is about 500ha of lift accessible terrain on each ski field, with a vertical drop of around 700m. Backcountry terrain is accessible on foot and via lifts. Above the lift accessed terrain the summit zone provides an additional 500m of vertical drop. Whakapapa and Turoa probably have the most varied and exciting terrain of any ski fields in New Zealand, from large open bowls, great groomed runs, backcountry terrain, steeps, bumps, terrain parks and plenty of advanced to expert terrain. The summit zone provides some of the best off-piste skiing and riding to be found anywhere!
For loads of info about Whakapapa and Turoa, see the Mt Ruapehu website.
For more info about Ruapehu and for trail maps, links to snow reports and more, see our Mountain Info section.
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No doubt, skiing and boarding is expensive. We are here to try and make it a little cheaper by providing advice on the best deals out there, and providing great accommodation on the mountain.
For lift ticket prices at Mt Ruapehu ski & board rental prices, see the Mt Ruapehu website.
If you think you will be skiing for more than about 6 or 7 days a season, the best deal for lift tickets is the Mt Ruapehu Early Purchase Season Pass, available in the month of April only.
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Where can I rent skis or snowboards?
Mt Ruapehu has great skis and boards available on the mountain at reasonable prices. If you want to hire gear in Auckland, we recommend the Snow Centre in Newmarket. They have all the latest gear at great prices, and UASC members get at 15% discount on full-priced gear.
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What should I know about lahars & other hazards?
Mt Ruapehu is one of New Zealand's most active volcanoes, last erupting throughout 1995, 1996 and 1997. It has quieted down since then, but could erupt at any time. An acidic lake fills the crater at the summit, and when the banks of the lake collapse, the water is released causing a lahar. Lahars are mud / rock / ice / water / debris flows down the mountain. They are not necssarily associated with an eruption and could occur at any time. Usual lahar flow paths are well known, and all buildings (including the club lodges) and lift lines are in "lahar safe zones," except for the loading area of the Far West T-Bar.
If you hear the volcanic emergency sirens, move immediately out of valleys to high ground, or into the lahar safe zones. The warning systems are checked regularly, usually 2 or 3 times a season.
Traveling in backcountry terrain or in the summit zone on Ruapehu also brings hazards. These areas are not patrolled by ski patrol and no avalanche control takes place. You should travel in groups, carry safety equipment such as transceivers, avalanche probes and shovels, and should have a good knowledge of the risks involved. The weather on Ruapehu can change dramatically in a very short time (i.e. from sunny blue skies to blizzard and whiteout conditions in less than an hour). You should be mindful of this when hiking and skiing in the backcountry or the summit zone.
Hazards within the main part of the ski area are usually well marked, but cliffs, waterfalls and other hazards in the advanced areas may be unmarked.
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I heard Mt Ruapehu is building some new lifts. Where are they going to be?
Exciting news! In early 2006, RAL announced a $30 million improvement programme, with new lifts at both Whakapapa and Turoa, and large new snowmaking improvements on Turoa. Full details are available on the Mt Ruapehu website.
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I'm a beginner, can you help out?
We all start somewhere! See our Beginners Corner for a little advice on a few important things. We also run organised ski and board trips to the mountain during the season to take a few more of the worries out of things, for info see the Events section
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You are joining one of the largest, most active clubs on campus. As a member, you can stay at the lodge at Whakapapa at great members rates, race in the Club Champs, come along to all our social events and parties, compete for Auckland at the Winter Games, and so much more. We'll send you regular email updates and important info to keep you in the know about what's going on up the mountain and in Auckland.
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How long will it take to receive my membership confirmation?
Again, depends on the time of year. If you join during O-Week, it can be really busy and it might take about 3 weeks to get all the forms sorted. You should usually hear from us in about a week if you join online. Remember that if you post forms to us, we don't always check the mail box every five minutes!
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Are UASC members all expert skiers and boarders?
You may think the club would be full of really good skiers and snowboarders and that you might feel out of place.
Well, not so. Over half of all new members had never skied or boarded before they joined the ski club, or ticked "beginner" on their membership form. There will always be someone at your level at the club to go skiing or boarding with.
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Can I bring a non-member friend?
Sure you can, no worries. However, members take priority over non-members at the time of booking, so non-members are not always guaranteed accommodation. Non-members must always be accompanied by a member when staying at the lodge. The member is responsible for his/her non-member friends. This is simply because we hold contact information of members, but not of non-members.
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What happens if the weather is bad and I cant ski?
If any of the Clubs ran their lodges depending on the weather at Ruapehu, we'd all be broke! Unfortunately, bad weather is bad weather, we all have to live with it. We cannot give refunds or credits if you return early from the mountain due to bad weather.
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What are the Uni Winter Games?
Commonly known just as Tourney, the New Zealand Universities Winter Games are the winter version of the annual Uni Games.
The Winter Games is organised and run by University Sport New Zealand (USNZ). Each university in New Zealand is affiliated to the New Zealand University Students Association (NZUSA) and USNZ. USNZ appoints a sports manager and an events manager who actually run the games. The Winter Games are usually held in Wanaka, about 1hr north of Queenstown in the South Island, with race events held at Cardrona or Treble Cone ski fields.
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What events are included in the Winter Games?
The usual events for the Games are slalom, giant slalom, boardercross, skiercross, slopestyle and big air. Halfpipe and cross country may also be included. Social events include the mid-week Boat Races, the Snow King & Queen comp, and the prizegiving party at the end of the week.
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Who is the committee and what do they do?
The committee is made of up sixteen members, as well as two ex officio positions and the auditor. We are all club members who give up a little time to help keep the club running smoothly and things ticking over. All of us are also students at uni, so we know how to keep things priced for students!
The committee looks after all the affairs of the club, including the upkeep of the lodge at Whakapapa. We help organise the annual University Ski & Board Sale, the Uni Winter Games team, other events.
Of course we drink a lot of beer while making crucial club decisions!
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How can I become a committee member?
Any current member of the Club can become a committee member. The Exec positions of President, AVP, RVP, Secretary and Treasurer must be filled from student members or past-student members. There are no restrictions on all other positions.
Before the Annual General Meeting, you can nominate yourself for a position or have somebody nominate you on your behalf. See the AGM page under the Events section of the website for further info. Nominations are voted on at the AGM and the committee is then elected. We also appoint new committee members during the year if a position becomes available. Email the Secretary for more info if you are interested.
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Haven't answered your question??
If we haven't answered your question, send us an email. You can also contact each committee member individually, see the Committee section of the website for contact details.
