Snow reports lagging

Press, 5 July 1977, Page 2

Snow reports lagging

His firm was disturbed to I find itself linked once more I with incorrect reports about , ski-ing conditions at Mount Hutt, the national manager for Seekers Telephone Answering Services, Ltd (Mr Russell Richardson) said yesterday. "Seekers is only responisible for relaying reports to ithe public about the condi-

tions on ski-fields — not for compiling the reports,” Mr Richardson said.

He was qommenting on the report in “The Press” yesterday that skiers were enticed up to Mount Hutt with promises of fine, weather and good ski-ing, only to be met with a blizzard. and little chance of ski-ing.

Seekers had told skiers inquiring about conditions that the weather was clear, and the snow was good. “We are contracted by about seven Canterbury skifields to give out information about the various fields, and we can only rely on the information that the skifields give us,” Mr Richardson said.

Most ski-fields gave out reports at least once a day. Mount Hutt gave its first report to Seekers about 7 a.m. and a later report after 9 a.m., he said.

“We are trying to get

radio transmitter contact with the ski-field at the moment, but because the field is in a valley, we will have to get a repeater on top of the mountain to relay the signals,” Mr Richardson said. “We hope to have it set up in about a month, and this should keep the information relayed to us more up to date.’ Mr Richardson said there was a telephone at the skifield, but it was an unlisted number and Seekers could call it only in emergencies. According to reports received yesterday not all the cars stuck in snow on Mount Hutt on Saturday were freed by a bulldozer or four-wheel urive vehicle. Some cars had to be left on the mountain overnight, and the occupants brought down in the ski-field company’s bus, which reached Methven about 8 p.m. after a journey of nearly six hours.