Spring Skiing? Snow worries, mate!

When I was planning my move to New Zealand, I fully intended to hit the slopes every winter at one of the many ski areas in the various mountain ranges. Sadly, I've been here for over three years and haven't hit a single slope! But if the stars and planets align this weekend, we'll be skiing on Mt. Ruapehu!

This year has seen a banner winter for snowfall on the North Island, with a base of over four metres on the Turoa ski field on Mt. Ruapehu. (Don't let the photo above fool you, it's from 2002.) So spring skiing is going to last longer than usual this year, since four metres of snow takes a loooong time to melt.

This will be my first experience skiing on an active volcano - just in case avalanches aren't enough of a threat you can also think about lava! Of course there is usually enough warning before any significant activity, but still, it adds an extra element of uncertainty.

I can't quite remember how long it has been since I skied. As a kid, we went several times every winter (when mom and dad were paying!) and I continued to go now and then when I lived in Canada. I'd venture a guess that it's been around 5 years since I last strapped on the skis. Hopefully it's one of those skills you don't lose!

I'm sure I'll post next week with tales of my alpine adventures. Stay tuned - and if no post appears I may be nursing injuries!