Ski-Ing New Zealand

Canadian Ski Year Book, 1936 95 hour later a tremendous avalanche peeled 'O ff about forty-five degrees. I have recognized the side of the Monch and swept across their tha t slope from the tops of mountains fifty rou teo If they had been there nothing could miles away. An annual race is held there. The have saved them. racers come down a drop in altitude of two Until the last few years most people regarded thousand feet at something like sixty miles an jumping as the supreme development of ski-ing. hour. And sixty miles an hour on skis is equal. It is still the most spectacular.... in thrills to three hundred in a car or plane. The thrill of the Downhill is in the speed The slalom tests the ability of the ski-runner attained. In the I talian Alps is the Marmola ta, to make a<;:curate turns at high speed . .. a mountain which has one of the longest un Altogether it's a thoroughly satisfying broken snow slopes in the world, at an angle of business, ski-ing. Ski-ing • In New Zealand By L. [(. Murray, Tasman Ski Club, Timaru, New Zealand Lookin!1, towards Rudolf Glacier, a tributary of Tasman Glacier T HIS is not a historical survey of New There is ski-ing in both islands and the writer Zealand ski-ing, but a statement of the purposes to give an outline of the main centres position as it is today. The writer is indebted of the sport in the North and South Islands. to Mr. G. G. Lockwood, Secretary of the New Zealand Ski Council for the article on Arthur's THE NORTH ISLAND Pass and Mount Cheeseman; to Mr. Brian The Tongariro National Park is situated in Murphy and the Mount Cook Tourist Company the "King Country" in the centre of the North for help and photographs. Island, covering an area of over 200 square Control of Ski-ing in New Zealand:- The con miles and within its boundaries are Mount trol of ski-ing in New Zealand is guided by the Ruapehu (9,175 feet), the highest mountain in ski clubs situated in various parts of the the North Island, Mount Ngaurhoe (7,515 feet), country. The oldest and largest, the Ruapehu New Zealand's only active volcano, and Mount Ski Club, has its headquarters at Wanganui in Tongariro (6,458 feet), a volcano now almost the North Island. The various ski-ing clubs extinct. Until 1929 the only accommodation in and several tramping and mountaineering this area was a few mountain huts accessible clubs which cater for ski-ing are members of by road and track, and for those who wished to the Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand. ski, elaborate preparations had to be made and The Ski Council which controls the ski-ing of prodigious feats of packing performed. During New Zealand was set up by this body. The 1929 a private company in co-operation with council consisting of two nominated and five the Park Board constructed "The Chateau." elected members, has complete control of ski This building, now controlled by the Tourist ing except for the right of appeal to the Department,has accommodation for 300 guests, Federation. During the three years of its at an elevation of 3,700 feet, twelve miles from existence the Council has done much valuable the Main Trunk Railway and three miles from work but is at present somewhat handicapped the lower ski-ing grounds at 5,000 feet. From by lack of funds. these good ski-ing country leads up to the 96 Canadian Ski Year Book, 1936 Wkakapapa Glacier and on to the summit of grades of ski tours may be undertaken. The the mountain. Runs from the summit are snow in this terrain is liable to crust quickly excellent but have not been tried much, but after a new fall, while warm northwest winds, will undoubtedly become more popular as the liable at any time, makes running impossible, standard of ski-ing improves. Mounts but when the weather is fine and conditions Tongariro and Ngaurhoe have many large good the ski-ing is marvellous. steep snow slopes forming a veritable skiers' As in the North Island, the ski clubs of the paradise, but owing to inaccessibility have not South have their local grounds, but these are yet been exploited. However, the day will not yet fully developed. In addition, huge come when those fields will be opened up and snowfields of the South Island are not visited justly famous. at all in the winter and only by climbing parties Mount Egmont:-This mountain is one of in the summer. New Zealand's scenic wonders. An extinct On any clear winter's day in Christchurch volcanic cone, rising in solitary splendour to a the whole western horizon is closed by a chain height of 8,260 feet out of the rich dairying land of snow-clad peaks, and any visiting skier might in the province of Taranaki; its symmetry and well think himself in Paradise. Although ski beauty have earned it the title of New Zealand's ing was unthought of until 1929 there are two Fujiyama. The area within a radius of six active clubs centred in Christchurch and a miles of the summit is now the Egmont large number of unattached skiers who take National Park, much of which consists of advantage of any suitable Sundays or holidays dense bush; but above 3,500 feet belts of alpine to head for the snows. But appearances are scrub and tussock lead to the scoria slopes. rather deceptive and although the mountain Because the slopes of the mountain descend at chain, the Southern Alps, is here some fifty an angle of 30 to 35 degrees almost without a miles across and rises to nearly 8,000 feet, break to the bush level, it was long considered neither snow nor weather conditions are con unsuitable for ski-ing, but now ski clubs have sistent enough to provide unlimited sport as been formed at Hawera, Stratford and New one would expect. New Zealand's insular Plymouth, and club huts erected on the climate, like that of the British Isles, ensures a mountain, good roads making it accessible from bewildering mixture of snow, rain, sunshine, all sides. The snow on the mountain is nearly frosts and high winds, both hot and cold, even always hard and the best ski-ing months are in mid-winter; so that snow cannot be assured September, October and November. below 5,000 feet, and the extremely broken Ski-ing is also available on the Torarua nature of the country makes access difficult Ranges near Wellington and further north on and our snow-fields small and steep. the Ruahine Ranges, but owing to the rugged Two clubs are now well esfablished, with na ture of the bush clad lower slopes, are as comfortable huts on their own grounds, the yet little known outside the clubs making use Canterbury Winter Sports Club at Mount of them. Cheeseman among the highest of the foothills, and the Christchurch Ski Club at Arthur's Pass THE SOUTH ISLAND on the main divide between the provinces of In the Southern Alps, the main mountain Canterbury and Westland. system of the South Island, are many large Arthur's Pass is the main l'ass across the glaciers and snowfields all capable of providing Alps and is traversed by both railway and excellent ski-ing. The chief centre at present is motor road. On the Canterbury side is a little in the Mount Cook region. Aorangi (The settlement at about 2,200 feet from which the Cloud Piercer) rises over 12,000 feet and is . road rises through beech forest 272 miles to the surrounded by Mounts Tasman, Sefton, top of the Pass at 3,000 feet. The road is Dampier, Minarets and Elie de Beaumont, all usually covered with snow for a month or so in over 10,000 feet. This is the centre of the mid-winter and the steep slopes on the northern greatest glacier system, the Tasman Glacier, side of the Pass furnish good ski-ing at varying the longest, is 18 miles long, and close at hand heights from June to November. The Christ on the eastern side of the range are the Mueller, church Ski Club has a hut at 4,500 feet in the Hooker and the Godley . On the western side Temple Basin, facing south, which holds the are the steep but beautifitl Franz Josef and best snow. Express trains do the journey in Fox glaciers. three hours and Sunday snow excursions are The region is one of glacier ski-ing for the run weekly so long as snow lies on the Pass. So mountain sides are all too steep or too subject week-ending is possible here too, those who can to avalanches to be suitable for any save skilled take the Saturday morning off getting two full mountaineers. There are some excellent down days by travelling at night. The country is too hill runs of 2,000 to 3,000 feet while many steep and rough for very long runs, the ski-ing shorter and easier slopes provide excellent exclusively Alpine in character; but in the practice and nursery fields. The beauty and spring particularly splendid running can be had charm of this region are in the numerous ski through descents of 1,500 feet and as there are tours that may be undertaken. Good mountain no funiculars this is generally sufficient for our huts are in all the valleys and from them all week-end parties.

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