The weekend with skiing

Hi,

Friday afternoon rush out of Wellington, but the traffic was surprisingly good all the way.  We left at 1730 or so and made it to Bulls about 15 minutes ahead of Mike in the Corolla.  I had Ilske in the MX5 with me.  After eating kebabs (where I met NZTE folk up for a ski trip and then when they left they were replaced by the Karori Scout leaders - I felt like I knew everyone there) we continued up to Wakapapa.

Settled into the lodge and slept well.  Toby in the bottom bunk and me and Mike in the top bunk.  Heheheh.

Next morning we were up early.  Got everyone tea in bed and then breakfast sorted.  I then dropped Mike, Yingjie and Ilske off at the Mangatepopop road end for their winter crossing of Tongariro.  It would have been just after 9am by then.  They were kitted out with ice axes and crampons and I was to meet them at the other end at 5pm.

I went back to the lodge and hauled my skis up from the day parking to the lodge.  Cajoled Toby and Alex into skiing and went to get kitted up.  As we did so, Rex and his family returned saying the conditions were awful.  This put Toby and Alex off.

So I went skiing by myself.  And I had a pants time.  The snow was awful and I had a terrifying ride on the Knoll Ridge t-bar.  I ended up suspended in mid air from the t for about a 2m section of the lift.  I was hanging on hoping it wouldn't take me much higher.  But it put me off riding that lift again.  And that was possibly the best part of the mountain,.

I went back to the lodge and read a book!

Sunday we tidied up and I went to the hot pools.  I got a private pool to myself and soaked for a while.  Great.  Back for lunch to the lodge and then took Ilske, Yingjie, Alex and Toby home.

Great weekend.  Hope it snows loads as it is pretty bad up there.

Love,
Angela