Mt.Ruapehu - Tukino side
Lostone (Dave) ascends to Mangatoetoenui glacier. Almost at 2100m after parking at the locked gate(1400m) a few k's short of Tukino skifield. Plans were all but abandoned with forecasts of gale force winds and heavy rain. Following two weeks of good fortune in the south island it was not surprising to find the weather against us for the few days in the north. A last minute decision paid off to travel a few hours to the east side of the mountain before dawn in the hope of a brief window with good conditions. The cloud was obscuring the summit on arrival and with the weather approaching from the NW it wasn't going to get any better. We managed to reach appx 2200m and play a little with ice tools before the cloud lowered further and we high-tailed it back to the car being pushed by 40+ knot winds.
Comments
-
jenny.dsouza The Ruapehu District is a four hour drive either Auckland or Wellington, but if you travel to Waitomo Caves and Rotorua if you do take that long to achieve. There is always plenty to do here, including visits to Mount Doom, where the famous Lord of the Rings was filmed, but Ruapehu is the most popular during the winter season for its largest ski area development and his most famous volcano, Whakapapa. There are three ski areas of Mt Ruapehu, Whakapapa, Turoa and Tukino. You will find there excellent skiing and boarding to suit all levels from beginner to advanced. There are groomed trails and a wide selection of areas off piste for the more intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders.
http://www.travelaustralia360.com/mount-ruapehu-skiing-new-zealand.html
28 October 2010