Snowsure: 3.8
- Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing
- Is often closed due to a lack of snow
- Occasionally suffers from a lack of snow
- Rarely suffers from a lack of snow
- Turoa is snowsure even in the poorest seasons
Visitor reviews for Turoa Ski Resort
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(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
Latest
September 15, 2012
B.A Balacka from
New Zealand
B.A Balacka from
New Zealand
Thusday 13th of Sept...best day of the season..dumping snow throughout week..bluebird day...took an hour to get up the mountain road (poor organization with the 2wd cars needing chains and blocking up traffic...seriously Turoa you can't organize a simple2way traffic flow so the cars that can move up the mountain are actually able to?...got up the mountain at 945am (and later found out the people that got their tickets at 10am got theirs for half price..) got up the 1st chair and hello..the big 6 chairlift (the only chair that can access the highest part of the mountain-there is another tee bar that has high access, but Turoa has decided it will not be used for the rest of the 2012 season...leaving only one chair to access top mountain...seriously Turoa?) de-icing leaving only 3 chairs operating on the best day of the year until 1130am...when the 6 chair finally opened-and being the only chair for top mountain access there was only 200 plus people in the queues...not cool for a weekday session...snow was epic, runs were sick...organization well below what you would expect for what is actually the best ski area in North Island, NZ...skiing is expensive plus I took the day off work....poorly run business (verging on disrespectful)..nice staff on the lifts; good people.
July 31, 2012
nickoffskiing2012
nickoffskiing2012
I have just had a legendary terrific Turoa Tuesday. There really just aren't the words-it was like a fantastic dream-something I'm sure all the other 50 or so people on the mountain would agree with. As an expat who comes back to Turoa every season from Aus, believe me when I tell you Turoa is the place to be. Please don't tell everyone though-we like the lack of queues. The staff are all so friendly and the groomers have done an awesome job with the little they had left to work with after the rain. Wooohooo!!!!
September 12, 2011
Brams from
New Zealand
Brams from
New Zealand
Ruapehu as a whole can offer all levels of crazyness from 100ft cliff drops to amature magic carpet runs. Our family and many others alike including some of our foreign brothers and sisters love and respect this mountain immensely for its unpredictable nature on bad days but also its unsurpassed beauty on good days. The variability of the market is recognised by locals as it's not only the consumers and mountain staff who suffer, it's the whole National Park area! However, the outgoing nature of most locals and seasonal workers will always ensure, even when the conditions are bad, there's still plenty of fun to be enjoyed in and around the Park. Mum and Dad have skied on Ruapehu for ever, I have been up there for 20 years and we have all witnessed it at its best and at its most deadly worst but that's all part of immersing yourself in nature and a huge motivating factor to most who pursue snow sports. So, I guess what I am really trying to say is, if you gunna let weather ruin your experiences in alpine locations, it's probably a better idea next year for you to go to the tropics and pursue a different kind of recreation.
P.S. Lifts will be upgraded over coming years, plans in the mix now.
August 29, 2011
Lee from
New Zealand
Lee from
New Zealand
Turoa has the potential to be a great ski field and has some excellent attributes. Firstly it has a wide variety of runs and caters well for all levels of skiers and snowboarders. The lifties, instructors and other workers are great, really friendly and helpful. Where Turoa fails to deliver is the facilities it offers. The lift system is antiquated and poorly managed. Often on clear days, the higher lifts do not open until the late morning or early afternoon, leading to 30 minute + queues on the other lifts whilst you look at all the great runs you can't get to! Considering that Turoa does suffer from bad weather, the cafe facilities are inadequate to cope with the number of people on the mountain although the refreshments on offer are good. Having skied for 30 years all over the world and at Turoa for the last 8 years, I find this ski field great but incredibly frustrating. It could be so much better if it was run properly.
August 12, 2011
Paul
Paul
Boarded and skied Turoa through August 11th with my wife and thoroughly enjoyed it. A bit different to Oz ski fields and the drive up the Old Mountain Rd is truly beautiful. It can get windy and wet, but it offers some great long sweeping runs with tight chutes and drop offs for any intermediate snow bunnies, plenty there for the black run punters as well. Not a huge range of runs for the beginners, but that's not a bad thing. Friendly staff, and cold beer available on the mountain, and if you're staying in Ohakune, you're in for a treat. Its a wicked little village full of nice laid back folks and a real off beat vibe, complete with funky night spots and a bizarre local radio station that refuses to tell you the right time of day!
July 20, 2011
Simon from
New Zealand
Simon from
New Zealand
Although it is true that this mountain can be badly effected by weather, several of the below reviews are extremely inaccurate. I live in Ohakune and have skied all around the world, and on a powder day on Ruapehu there is nowhere that you can find more variable and unique terrain, and yes it does get powder, you have just got to stay on the leeward slopes (powder blows across ridges onto these slopes as with many places in the world,) where it can pile up very deep, and for snowboarders there are massive wind lips to destroy, and cliff drops a plenty. The hike to the summit is one of the coolest hikes/runs in the country as well. If you are planning a trip here make it a week day and try to get here during spring (late Aug-early Oct) where the snow softens in the afternoons and the weather is more reliable.
Peace
July 03, 2011
Damo
Damo
We've just spent a weekend at Ohakune/Turoa at the start of the season.
Having boarded/skied only in Europe before this, mostly at Cervinia, plus Meribel and a few others, NZ is.... different. I like No Frills, and am an intermediate boarder, so Turoa is fine for me. When we were there they only had the lower half open (a 4-seat and 3-seat chair), but we got half-price day passes for it.
The snowboarding is ok - runs were mostly fairly narrow, and weren't too congested, but this is early season with only 1-2 car parks full and zero wait on the lifts. We had 2 blue-sky days - perfect - but the snow machines had to work hard, and spots of rock, ice and earth made it tricky sometimes.
The cafe at base had OK food - I really wanted some hot tasty cheesy pasta as is common in France/Italy, but had to settle for a packaged hot pie or cold sandwich instead. None really tasty, but $5 each, so not too pricey either.
The views - I've only skied the European Alps, so boarding on the sole snow-capped volcano in the centre of snow-free plains is a strange experience! Seeing the plains and layers of cloud below us was pretty beautiful, but also never changes! You can't really roam and travel as you can in some Alpine resorts, with that constant view wherever you are.
One thing that did stand out was the service; the ticket and rental staff were all really friendly and helpful without exception. Maybe it's because they're Kiwi, maybe it was unrushed and early in the season, but it was noted, and stood out.
September 14, 2009
MARTIN from
United Kingdom
MARTIN from
United Kingdom
Turoa and Whakapapa have potential to be good ski fields. However, the poor weather is the biggest problem and the ancient lift system is a real pain. If you can only get up at weekends then you will have the crowds to deal with. The queues for the lifts are not too bad, if all lifts are running, but if the big 6 seater is not running then the lower and mid mountain become a huge bottleneck; you can wait 30 minutes for the lift. They need to invest some money on making the mid mountain lifts more efficient and make the beginners slopes better.
All in all, not a bad place to ski and board if you get good conditions. But don't book a holiday from Oz or anywhere else in the world to come here. Chances are the mountain at Turoa will be closed due to wind or poor visibility.
June 29, 2009
Gary from
New Zealand
Gary from
New Zealand
June 16, 2009
cy from
New Zealand
cy from
New Zealand
For those international skiers coming to NZ to ski, here is what you need to know about conditions at Mt Ruapehu (Turoa and Whakapapa). Generally the weather conditions are poor, although when it's fine it is really beautiful and the scenery is amazing. For those of us who live locally we would normally plan on going based on a weather forecast.
Don't listen to anyone who thinks you get genuine powder skiing at Ruapehu. Anyone who says that is telling a lie. I have been going to Ruapehu for nearly 25 years and never had more than "boot deep" light powder. Turoa and Whakapapa are extremely exposed to winds from all directions. Whenever it is cold enough to snow with low humidity there is always a lot of wind. After a good snowfall, conditions are typically windblown with dry snow in sheltered valleys and is wind buffed on the ridge lines. Turoa and Whakapapa provide excellent grooming of the pistes so are epic for beginner and intermediate skiers. There is nothing particularly steeping at Turoa, but Whakapapa does have some good steep stuff for more advance skiers.
In Summary:
Poor weather
Excellent scenery
Superb pistes (except after rain and then a freeze)
Good snowmaking systems
Generally poor off-piste conditions.
If you want genuine powder conditions and are in the advanced category go to any of the following: Treble Cone, Mount Hutt, Ohau, Craigieburn, Broken River, Olympus and Temple Basin. They are listed in order of remoteness. During a good season you can expect knee to thigh deep dry snow 5 times a season at Craigieburn, Broken River, Olympus and Temple.
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