Skifield reopened after three avalanches

Turoa Skifield. Photo / Alan Gibson

Turoa Skifield has reopened after Mt Ruapehu was hit by three avalanches yesterday, but mountain patrollers continue to assess the slopes.

The avalanches started to come down the southwestern slope about 3pm, with one encroaching onto the Turoa skifield and forcing the closure of the upper field where around 2500 people had been skiing.

Ski patrollers and a specialised squad were called in to help with the search, and group of hikers in a risky area heading towards the summit were safely brought back down the mountain.

Turoa skifield was reopened today and operating normally, and slope assessment and risk management would be continued, said Mt Ruapehu's Turoa ski area manager Chris Thrupp.

"We manage the risk inside the ski area boundary and if we're concerned in any areas we will use explosives to release any tension in the slopes, but only within the ski area boundary."

Avalanche control work and risk was managed daily as part of the skifield's routine operation, said Mr Thrupp.

Yesterday's slip resulted from a quantity of dense, new snow sliding down the mountain amid warmer temperatures, he said.

Conditions were cloudy in the upper slopes with little wind today.

"It was fortunate yesterday that obviously it was a clear day and we could see people tramping to the summit. Potentially if they were out in the national park on their own we wouldn't have seen them and wouldn't have been able to alert them to the hazard."