Turoa is on a wind exposed volcanic peak, a topic we have discussed recently. Spring is favored because odds of lift closures decline vs. winter. And it takes a while to build a base with the wind.
Australia and New Zealand 2026
- Thread starter ChrisC
- Start date
Read that reference from the 170 Project. NZ skiing has an extremely retro ambience, would appeal a lot to James and Patrick. Coronet Peak is the only place with major league snowmaking. Grooming is not as intensive as North America or the Alps. So I think it’s common to open lifts in low tide conditions, probably not unlike upstate NY when James and ChrisC were growing up.
ChrisC
Well-known member
Interesting. Wish there were more photos of the volcano.
But it just pushes me to wait for an 'Above-Average' Snow Year that becomes obvious by July/August 1st - or earlier. There is some interesting alpine expert terrain in NZ, and I want to ski it. One-and-done. Assume it's this happens 2-3x per Decade?
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But it just pushes me to wait for an 'Above-Average' Snow Year that becomes obvious by July/August 1st - or earlier. There is some interesting alpine expert terrain in NZ, and I want to ski it. One-and-done. Assume it's this happens 2-3x per Decade?
NZiSki (@nziski)
You’re carving turns over ground built by fire. That’s one of the things I love about skiing My Ruapehu, New Zealand. The mountain reminds you where it came from. Volcanic rock still pushes through the snow in places, especially early in the season. Somewhere beneath your skis is a landscape...
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ChrisC
Well-known member
By the 1980s, Mid-Atlantic, New York, and Southern New England ski areas all had at least 85-90% snowmaking coverage and 100% of lifts. And near 100% of trails for NYC metro areas. (There were some exceptions, especially further north in the Catskills/Lake Effect, but they either closed or caught up - Plattekill, Brodie, Deer Run, etc).
An old-school, natural snow trail became a 'feature' almost like a pipe or park. A novelty/marketing talking point/terrain diversity for low effort. They are narrow, not widened, sometimes gladed and opened after major storms for limited time periods. No one expects them to be on the menu often - maybe a couple of times/days/weeks per season? And typically grass and leaves as a base, not many rocks.
Often, each snowmaking trail has a turn and opens every season. Coverage was balanced with capacity. There is a plan to open everything based upon freezing temperature windows.
(Obviously, in the Adirondacks/VT/NH/ME, this is not the case. Natural snow trails are important to a footprint. And snowmaking coverage also can outstrip capacity).
Although snowmaking has continued to improve, you have seen some ski areas decide not to open snowmaking trails any longer (basically wide cut 'super' trails from the 1980s). Assume some cost-benefit analysis did not justify snowmaking glaciers/maintenance for experts:
- Hunter - Westway, Annapurna - Vail
- Killington - Devil's Fiddle, Ovation after Ski Ltd/American Ski Company
- Jay Peak - Can-Am SuperTrail? almost after they created it
- Mt. Snow - Ripcord?
- Sugarloaf - Snowfields/White Nitro? A bit of a wind-blown wasteland.
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Typical wind hammered snow like Mt. Bachelor backside, another isolated volcanic peak. Best skied in spring corn.
ChrisC
Well-known member
It appears that's stock photography from 2016.
Again, social media is generally a lie until proven otherwise. There are a lot of negative incentives preventing honest reporting: bots, AI-generated posts, influencers looking for likes/views & brand deals, and marketing departments/promoters.
The actual Turoa site reporting looks honest, but not the Facebook account of the snowboard shop.
At Whakapap, it appears most of the mountain is still not yet open for the season. Hopefully that changes.
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ChrisC
Well-known member
Received this today.
To me, it's a bit vague without facts, but a hopeful tone - which it should have for a list group titled SnowFall NZ.
Some decent snow outlook, but the issue is NZ really never established a snow base (outside of snowmaking runs?). Maybe Mt Hutt?
IDK
The North Island looks the best potentially? But it's volcano skiing. Turoa is entirely closed today; I wonder what its % operational rate is.
Assume it improves in spring, as everyone has been noting.
To me, it's a bit vague without facts, but a hopeful tone - which it should have for a list group titled SnowFall NZ.
Some decent snow outlook, but the issue is NZ really never established a snow base (outside of snowmaking runs?). Maybe Mt Hutt?
IDK
The North Island looks the best potentially? But it's volcano skiing. Turoa is entirely closed today; I wonder what its % operational rate is.
Assume it improves in spring, as everyone has been noting.
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Considering what we have seen over the past 15 years, people should really make their way to Santiago or Las Lenas this season.
Don’t I feel like a fool.
Is anything real anymore? I hate this age of social media.
ChrisC
Well-known member
A direct flight to NZ versus time/effort/transfers to Santiago—agree! Easier, cheaper.
The actual ski resorts do this all the time! And many other reputable ski businesses. It pisses me off because I thought I was looking at present conditions!
Sometimes, I look at photos and think: that's not open yet.... or that does not look like the webcam. A lot of accounts don't even use photos or video of the ski resorts they are talking about.
Yes, everything is dated today and pretends it's real time or today - but usually not.
Words, statements, photos, or videos are not sources of truth.
The crappy webcams from the late 1990s/2000s are the GOATs of snow reporting. Can't mess with them!
Sbooker complains that flights to NZ are surprisingly expensive for him. So despite the distances price might not be as different as logic would suggest.
Everyone here knows that I hate Facebook as a source of info. I resent that many skiers use FB/Instagram to post ski reports (hello, @Patrick ) vs. ski forums.
I don't look at webcams as much as I probably should in terms of real time webcams in the ski resorts.
It’s not the money. It’s the extra hassle factor in a limited time frame.
Flights to NZ are expensive - particularly Queenstown. Queenstown is about $1000 Aussie pesos return. Auckland about $700. Christchurch about $700.
Return to Santiago is only $1800. Given the distance I feel that is relatively good value. For perspective non peak season flights from Brisbane are roughly -
Tokyo $1400
Milan $2000
LA $1500
Vancouver $1500
Beijing $1400