Book a ski touring trip months out and you’re hoping for a decent window.

This year, four of us from the Alpine Club got fresh snow, then two bluebird days at Tukino. One with no wind, all the way to the summit plateau. One with a little wind, still blue sky, still good snow.

[photo: Tukino lodge window framing the eastern side of Ruapehu]

The Road

Just before leaving Wellington, Don French sent a text. Five centimetres of fresh at the lodge. Getting up the road should be okay.

We stopped for a curry at Hungry Hut in Taihape first. Then we drove.

The access road had other ideas. A blizzard on the high section. A few drifts in the last kilometre. My city four-wheel drive made it to within a couple of hundred metres of the lodge and stopped.

We had been caught out. Mark had offered to rescue us. He shuttled us and all our gear up to the lodge. We’d deal with the car in the morning.

Up to the Plateau

The wind howled all night, as forecast. By breakfast it was easing.

The lodge has a huge window that frames the whole eastern side of Ruapehu. We ate looking at it. The plan was simple — head up to the plateau, find some clean lines, ski our brains out. No hurry. The weather was meant to improve through the day.

We walked across fresh snow to the bottom of the glacier, then skinned up. Slowly. Clear blue sky. The eastern side of Ruapehu to ourselves.

[photo: skinning up under blue sky]

Donuts

On the plateau we celebrated with four cream donuts. Bought at the supermarket with the weekend food.

Jake put it best:

“What’s better than donuts on the mountain? Well, beers on the deck.”

With the sugar on board we skied a line of fresh powder. Then a few more laps through the afternoon.

[photo: four donuts on the plateau]

Gravity

Not everything stayed under control.

Patrick is the king of lightweight touring. On Saturday his ski took itself for a run. We didn’t catch it on camera, but he remembers it well.

“We stopped at a place to transition back to climbing up again. Unfortunately, this place was not quite flat. And like I say, gravity always wins.”

The ski went 200 metres down the hill. It hit a rock, flipped, and stopped. Simon and I went and got it.

Would he put brakes on his skis? His answer: they’re heavy, so not keen. Maybe he’ll just be more careful.

Simon had his own moment on one of the mornings. He got a little way down the path before he noticed his helmet was still sitting on his bed. A few other bits of gear stayed behind in Wellington too. Nothing that mattered.

Back at the Lodge

We were back just before 6:00. Sun on the deck, gear spread everywhere, a couple of cold beers and a bag of chips. We couldn’t wipe the grin off our faces.

Then the evening got harder. The gas ran out partway through cooking. The fireplace needed a lot of coaxing before it finally roared. Jake made a magnificent curry anyway, and we loaded up on carbs for Sunday.

Solar on the roof kept the hot water going, which in the end mattered more than the gas.

[photo: beers on the deck]

Sunday

Sunday looked just as good. Hotter at the bottom. We started in single layers straight from the lodge.

Then the wind got up. As we climbed it freshened, and higher up it was blowing straight down the skinning line. We veered south and found sheltered bowls.

Sun-softened corn snow. Perfect slopes.

Lunch was last night’s curry in a sandwich, eaten in the snow. We took our fill of turns, then headed back to the lodge in the early afternoon to pack up and drive home.

Company

Club trips are about the people. I met a couple of other outdoor folk at the lodge and we swapped stories. Otherwise we basically had the place to ourselves.

Simon said it better than I can:

“To be able to do it in November, only four hours drive from home with 30 centimetres of fresh powder, blue skies, no wind, and great company — that’s my idea of heaven.”

It was hard to beat.

VIDEO

Trip Stats

– Duration: A weekend, based at Tukino Lodge

– Route: Tukino Lodge → bottom of the glacier → summit plateau (Saturday). Sheltered southern bowls above the lodge (Sunday)

– Highlights: Fresh powder on Saturday. Sun-softened corn on Sunday. Four cream donuts. Curry sandwiches in the snow.