While the Northern Hemisphere is enjoying long sunny days and prime beer drinking weather, weather is the Southern Hemisphere is very frosty. Winter in New Zealand kicked off to a good start with huge storms dropping deep snows all over the islands. Snow fell to sea level in the far South, something that happens not too often. Skiers are stoked!

Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand's largest ski area, opened on the weekend of June 16th but a week long storm promptly shut it down. Winds were high as was the snowfall. A meter base now blankets the volcano! When the skies finally cleared the following Tuesday skiers eagerly made their way to the mountain with eyes wide open. Only three of the nine lifts were spinning, but with access to nearly 500m of vertical skiing no one was complaining.

Skiers packed onto the two-cat-track wide run and made the most of it, zig zagging out of nowhere and cutting off as many people as they could. A couple runs off the lifts quickly led to boredom (not to mention near misses with punters made us fear for our lives) so a few of us donned our backpacks and headed upwards. Mt Ruapehu sits smack in the middle of Tongariro National Park and lifts can only bring skiers to 2200m (all in the name of environmental preservation). The volcano tops out at 2800m, that leaves 600m of prime skiing terrain above the lifts.

I hooked up with Mike, an Albertan ski guide who is spearheading an off piste guiding program at Mt Ruapehu. Lead patroller Andy, also a Canadian, joined us for a stroll up 'The Gut' and towards the summit crater. Strong warm winds during the storm left the snow hard and in some places downright icy, typical conditions at Mt Ruapehu. Because of the firm conditions skins are more of a nuisance than anything here so bootpacking is the most efficient means of travel on the volcano. In fact crampons are always more useful than skins here.

Leaving Canada on the longest day of the year and arriving in New Zealand on the shortest day is quite a shock, dark blankets the moutain here by 5pm. The short days combined with a late start meant we had to turn around before reaching the goal of the Summit Crater, but with four solid months left to the season we will get there yet. Mt Ruapehu has an enourmous amount of terrain, you can hike here all season and still not see it all. We have a long season of exploration ahead of us.......