Ruapehu ski fields face yet another consent battle

Ruapehu Alpine Lifts is limbering up for yet another consent battle – this time over moving an existing chairlift at the Turoa ski field.

The company, a not-for-profit corporate, is attempting to gain consent to shift its High Flyer chairlift further to the south east in order for the embattled High Noon Express chairlift to be lowered. In addition, two towers need to be relocated and four new ones installed.

The High Noon Express has experienced several significant breakdowns – and more than 100 cable derails – in the five years since it was installed. Its manufacturer, Austrian-Swiss company Doppelmayr, was not sufficiently prepared for the level of strain placed on the lift by the huge amounts of rime ice Ruapehu receives due to its maritime location.

“For all intents and purposes they built a lift that’s worked everywhere else in the world, but the conditions here are unique,” Turoa area manager Chris Thrupp told NBR. “So it’s a learning curve.”

Short lifts, long queues
Shortening the High Noon Express’ towers creates a cross-over problem as the lift line passes over the return station of the High Flyer.

If RAL gets consent it will shift the High Flyer in time for the 2012 season; if it doesn’t, it will simply shorten it to get it out of the way of the High Noon Express.

“For us [shortening it] is not a solution at all. It’s a short lift [already] and to make it shorter is not a lot of value for customers and us.”

However, as it’s an existing lift, the consent process could be slightly easier. Concerns usually arise about growth and the potential environmental impact from more people using the ski area, so it’s typically new lifts that are strongly opposed.

“Consents for us are just a minefield, so we never know.”

Mr Thrupp said consents for work on Ruapehu is often politically motivated more than environmentally motivated.

“It’s cultural,” he said. “The location of the ski area, being in a dual world heritage park, and it’s a culturally sensitive area, so a lot of people are interested when we do work up here.”

Sacred area
Tongariro was the first national park to be established in New Zealand and the fourth in the world. Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu were conveyed to the Crown in 1887 specifically as a protected area.

It took RAL nearly three years to gain consent for the High Noon Express lift, a process Mr Thrupp said was difficult and frustrating.

“There are a lot of people to talk to, and probably people who are not under pressure to make a decision quickly.”

RAL, for its part, doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to build relationships with Central Plateau iwi Ngati Tuwharetoa. None of its members are either shareholders or directors in the company.

In 2006 RAL announced a $30 million upgrade, with plans for the High Noon Express and two express lifts at the Whakapapa ski area, the Tennants Express and the Valley Express. It sold life passes for $3,875 each to snow users in order to raise money for the lifts.

While the High Noon Express materialised, both proposed Whakapapa lifts are still in the consent process, and the delay continues to hold Whakapapa back; now its T-bar lifts and dearth of express lift facilities make it a less attractive option than Turoa.

“The lifts are still in the consultation process,” Mr Thrupp said. “You can get frustrated.”

Meanwhile, Turoa is where the business growth is, although traditionally Whakapapa has been the busier of the two ski fields. Mr Thrupp attributed the change to increased investment; the area has the new express lift, a new café, and a greater focus on snowmaking, which eliminates the dips throughout the season.

In the meantime, the High Flyer will be closed for the 2011 season, angering many snow users who have already bought season passes. The closure of the High Flyer primarily affects snowboarders using the terrain park, as the lift is the best one to use for access to the area.

RAL will absorb the cost of moving the High Flyer, while Doppelmayr picks up the bill for fixing the High Noon Express.

Ice, ice, baby
Rime ice is a problem for Ruapehu on a level not seen elsewhere in the world.

The mountain sticks up out of the North Island and is exposed to moisture-laden air and a maritime climate.

When wind combines with temperatures around 1 to -1 degrees, any structure in the way of the wind cools down and ice forms on it rapidly. Ruapehu gets the biggest rime ice anywhere in the world.

Doppelmayr knew about the rime ice but only calculated for the static load of the ice.

When wind starts, it pulls ice from the lift and dynamic loads cause problems.

Click here to see the (highly technical) de-icing process in action, and click here to see the behind-the-scenes de-icing video.