SNOW CLUB TRIP #2 TO MT RUAPEHU

Massey University Albany Snow Club (MUASC) (2019/R5)

On the 13^th of September the MUASC set off for another trip to Mt Ruapehu! We stayed in the MUAC Hut on the Turoa side of the mountain. Some of us managed to get to the snow earlier that day before we made our way to the hut. One of the members also set foot on a pair of skis for the very first time!

Ready for the day on the snow we woke up early Saturday morning to head to the snow. The weather was not great however, as it was once again foggy in the morning with minimal visibility, but cleared up to be a beautiful partly cloudy day. Despite the initial poor conditions everyone had a great time and got to make the most of the spring snow. We then warmed ourselves up in front of the fireplace at the hut after a long day on the snow.

On the Saturday night we were joined again at the hut by our Palmerston North counterpart, the Massey Surf, Snow and Skate club. We had a great time meeting them and had a bit of a party that night. The next morning we awoke hopeful as the report said it would be a sunny day. To our disappointment Turoa was closed due to poor conditions, and only the beginner area was open on the Whakapapa side of the mountain. Due to the snow/rain, poor visibility, and gale force winds, it was unlikely that the rest of Whakapapa would open for skiing/boarding so we decided to head home early.

As we applied for a grant from the ASA and it was approved, the costs of travel and accommodation was greatly reduced. We are very grateful for the committee approving the grant, and for the ASAs help in getting us down there. Our next trip is in the beginning of October, where we hope to make the most of the snow before the snow season ends. The MUASC is carrying on strong and we are looking forward to take more of our Massey student to the snow on the next trip! We are also looking forward to our AGM which is coming up very soon.