Treble Cone opens summit slopes

Press, 1 June 1989, Page 32

Treble Cone opens summit slopes

High altitude ski-ing will be Treble Cone’s answer to any firm evidence of the so-called greenhouse effect around Wanaka this winter.

The long-awaited opening of the summit slopes is part of more than half of a million dollars worth of developments undertaken by the Treble Cone Ski Area during the summer.

Access to these slopes is now possible with the installation of the old bottom T-bar in the Saddle Valley Basin above the Deliverance double chairlift. Up there good ski-ing will be available on wide open intermediate slopes. “The Saddle Valley Tbar looks huge with its extra two towers and increased height to accommodate all that deep snow which falls at the higher altitude,” said the manager of field operations, Peter Thomson, as the towers for the lift line went in. One of the first 16 shareholders at Treble Cone, Mr Thomson has been keen to move into the new basin, and let skiers have a proper taste of its nice snow, for some years.

He firmly believes that the future of Treble Cone lies further up the mountain. “Within three years we anticipate there being two more chairlifts into the upper basins.”

With the relocated Tbar lift in place, Treble Cone can claim to have enterted the "big league” of Ndw Zealand ski-fields. From the top of the Saddle Valley T-bar to the base building, a mighty 660 metres of skiable verticle will be possible. Another part of the developments is the installation of electric power to the field, making for faster, more efficient lifts this year. Heating and refrigeration facilities in the base building to warm and dry boots in the equipment hire will be among the improvements. Coinciding with the opening of the Saddle Valley Basin, Treble Cone has installed an “up to the minute” weather and snow monitoring system high up on the summit slopes. It is an automatic, remote weather station providing comprehensive data on wind patterns, air temperature and snowfall — all assessed by computer in the base building.

The remote weather station will be integral to Treble Cone’s snow safety programme, one of its benefits being the quick detection of clearing weather after storms.

Treble Cone has contracted the services of Dave McNulty, New Zealand's foremost snow and mountain safety expert and the snow safety officer at Porter Heights a few seasons back.

The main instruction being issued to Treble Cone skiers this season is. by the way: "Take the Tbar to the top of the Saddle Valley and enjoy the best view imaginable, then bomb it to the base building for a treble chocolate muffin treat.”

Skiers will again be able to listen to music playing in and around the day lodges all season as well as have lessons in the "New Action" pursuits of mono ski-ing, snowboarding and mountain biking. • Treble Cone, 28km from Wanaka, doublechairlift, two T-bars, platter, fixed grip, verticle drop 660 metres. Adult lift rate: $4O. Road toll: $5. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.