Ski hopes hinge on cold weather

The lower slopes of Treble Cone skifield looking bare yesterday. Photo by Mark Price.
The lower slopes of Treble Cone skifield looking bare yesterday. Photo by Mark Price.
It could be a week or more before the Treble Cone Ski Area is able to open for the first time this season.

The area's general manager, Jackie van der Voort, told the Otago Daily Times yesterday that given the lack of natural snow in the immediate forecast, she was hoping for a week of cold temperatures to enable main trails to be established using the field's snow-making system.

"We've got limited snow in both the Saddle Basin and the Home Basin.

"We need more natural snow and cold temperatures to make snow.''

The field was due to open two weeks ago but despite a good early snowfall, warm weather since had taken its toll, with a balmy 14degC recorded on the mountain one day last week.

Snow-making had only been able to resume when temperatures dropped two days ago.

"If we had had cold temperatures last week, we would be in business.''

Ms van der Voort discussed the issue with 150 of the field's almost 200 staff at a meeting in Wanaka yesterday, and considered their response was "positive''.

Guest service supervisor Danielle Allan said some of those in her group of 18 waiting to work had needed to change their living arrangements because of the delayed start to the season.

Two people being charged $250 plus expenses each per week for rental accommodation were forced to move to cheaper accommodation, she said.

However, she considered staff were still in "high spirits'' and she was not aware of anyone leaving Wanaka.

Ms van der Voort said while the field was "at the mercy of the weather'', she did not think the weather was "strange'' this year and recalled other late starts including 1987, 1989, 2011 and 2014.

One year, the field did not open until July 21.

While staff could not be paid until they started work, Ms van der Voort said the company had been doing what it could to keep spirits up.

Staff were given free admission to the Warbirds and Wheels Museum yesterday, and had been shown a free movie at the Mountain Film Festival. They had also been hosted at a barbecue, a quiz night, provided with a "Queenstown day'' and had been to dinner this week at the Wanaka Presbyterian Church.

About half the field's staff were from overseas, Ms van der Voort said.

"They're here for a good time; to enjoy the snow, enjoy the experience, to make lifelong friends, and there's a handbrake - there's no snow.

"So everyone's suffering in a different way.''

Walking rather than skiing is the only option available to anyone planning a visit to the Snow Farm on the Pisa Range.

General manager Nikki Holmes told the ODT yesterday there was too little snow for cross-country skiing, and the field was unlikely to open this week.

"It's going to be next week at the earliest.''

Ms Holmes said cross-country skiing camps for 22 10 to 16-year-olds, due to be run next week, had been put back a week.

The field had three paid staff working at present and five instructors were doing some part time work in preparation for the day the snow arrived.

"We keep watching the weather forecast and it keeps looking like we are going to get something and we get close to it and it disappears; it dissipates.''

Anyone interested could still walk - on ice, mud and patches of snow - to back country huts, she said.

mark.price@odt.co.nz

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