Mt Ruapehu Team Refresh First Responder Skills
Mt Ruapehu, 28 June 2021: Well-honed first responder skills are crucial for the Mt Ruapehu team and they recently spent a week up the mountain refreshing their team work before the winter season gets into full swing.
About 50 patrol and lift operators, and the maintenance team, pushed through some challenging scenario drills to ensure that they’re ready for the winter season ahead.
Andy Hoyle, RAL General Manager Safety & Environment says, “A wide variety of incidents can occur on the ski areas each winter season so we aim to prepare our team to handle them all. These range from a lift evacuation through to injuries from incidents on the slopes.”
The training involved a lot of at ‘heights’ work including a tower rescue, chairlift evacuation, rope rescue and cable riding. “It’s been an epic week, lots of new skills were learnt and the teams are now prepared and confident to help if ever needed,” Andy says.
The training is held annually prior to the main ski areas opening for the winter season.
The winter season is underway at Mt Ruapehu with the Sky Waka gondola and Happy Valley beginner ski area open, and the rest of Whakapapa ski area and Tūroa scheduled to open on Saturday July 3, weather dependant.
And to add to the excitement of the winter season Mt Ruapehu has some incredible pricing for skiing and boarding, especially during the week when it’s perfect to escape the crowds. There’s also new family package pricing.
Weekday passes are just $74 per day and there’s also some great family packages where 2 adults and 2 youth can ski any day of the week for $299.
Mt Ruapehu offers the longest winter ski season in New Zealand on its two ski fields, Whakapapa and Tūroa. The season – snow permitting – runs through until Monday 25 October.
Mt Ruapehu is an easy drive from the New Zealand’s main centres of Auckland & Wellington and close to the popular holiday spots of Rotorua & Tauranga. There are two ski areas on the mountain, Whakapapa and Tūroa, including the New Zealand’s longest and most advanced gondola Sky Waka on the Whakapapa side.
www.mtruapehu.com