Porters plan for 1982

Press, 27 May 1981, Page 27

Porters plan for 1982

Porter Heights, comfortably the closest ski-field to Christchurch (96km away), has no intention of permanently “shelving” its announced plans to extend the existing T-bar system. The target now is for the new $350,000 lift, which will replace the two upper rope tows, to be operational for the 1982 season. According to a director of the company, Mr Graeme Thompson, there was “considerable optimism” about the scheme from shareholders at the recent annual meeting. At present a share issue of $60,000 is being floated with the additional attraction of concessional ski-ing rates.

Further finance will be raised later through another share issue andr a debenture-

type scheme. The Development Finance Corporation had indicated that it would provide up to two-thirds of the development finance, said Mr Thompson. Mr Thompson said that when the T-bar had been installed the two upper rope tows would be moved into the back basin. “The whole field will be opened out tremendously where the best ski-ing is.” Porter Heights is already a popular ski-field with Christchurch people thanks to its vertical drop of about 610 m (2000 ft and the easy 6km drive of 15 to 20min from the main road turnoff, 2km after Lake Lyndon. Others are a little wary of ski-ing there because of its "avalanche-prone" reputation, but. the safety of the field is certainly in good hands — those of the chief ski patroller, Dave McNulty. McNulty won praise for his work by a world expert on snow and weather-hazard forecasting, Mr Bengt San-

dahl, when the Utah man was in New Zealand last winter.

At present he is •in the process of completing three and a half months in Europe and North America, climbing and looking at. avalanche control programmes at several fields.

Over the summer a couple of extra avalanche control dams were placed on the field. This is meant to prevent a repeat of last year’s events when an artifically released avalanche knocked over a T-bar pylon and closed the field for two days. Mr Thompson feels that "the avalanche thing is pretty well contained,” what with the presence of McNulty, the new dams, and the resiting nearly two years ago of the upper rope tows — out of the slide path of the avalanche area.

Another development at the ski-field has been the improving of one of the “troublesome” corners on the access road. The old car

park corner has been widened and this plus a contour change is expected to make for easier motoring. New toilet facilities have been installed at a cost of about $25,000. There is a “huge” extractor system now operating. All the 1980 staff are back including Barrie Pussell, who will again direct the ski school.