Transportation

• Changeable weather conditions mean that the road can be restricted to vehicles with chains or 4WD. Unfortunately, our chain hire service cannot accommodate buses so please consider your transportation options.
• Information on getting to the snow can be found here or call Whakapapa Visitor Centre on 07 892 3729
• Ruapehu Alpine Lifts does not operate any transport to or from the mountain and cannot take responsibility for getting groups up the mountain roads.

Accommodation

There are numerous on- and off-mountain accommodation options for groups. Ruapehu Alpine Lifts does not run any accommodation facilities but you can find plenty of options through the following links:

• Accommodation listings on this website
• Whakapapa on-mountain accommodation
• Ruapehu regional listings
• National Park Village listings
• Ohakune listings

What to Bring

It's essential that everyone in your group, including sightseers, are properly equipped for alpine conditions. See the What to Bring page under the New to the Snow menu.

Other useful items for groups include:

• A unique identifier so you can easily spot group members on the mountain. eg: bibs, the same brightly coloured hat or a uniform jacket
• A dry change of clothes for the trip home
• Drinks and energy foods.

Booking changes

Once your booking has been confirmed, communicate any changes or cancellations to your Mt Ruapehu Schools & Groups Co-ordinator as soon as possible so we can accommodate them. Advising us of any unwanted lessons or rental equipment could mean accommodation another group who may be on standby. Minor changes can be accommodated on the day of your visit itself, but may cause delays for your group.

The Snow School prepare their staff roster a week in advance, so any lesson changes in the week prior to your visit can cause severe disruptions.

On the day

On the day of your visit itself, we have procedures in place to make the process of allocating tickets, going through rentals and getting into lessons run as smoothly as possible.

Most importantly, please ensure you are in the office collecting your tickets at least 1 hour prior to your first allocated lesson time.

The procedure differs slightly between the two ski areas.

At Turoa

Welcome to Turoa!!!!

On the morning of your visit make sure you call Customer Services (06 385 8456 ext 7670) to confirm you are coming. Remember you need to make a booking for your group at least 2 weeks in advance.

Once you arrive at the top parking lot, one of our friendly road staff will let you know where to park your bus. Please make sure the kids stay in the bus your group co-ordinator goes to the Customer Services area to meet our Schools & Groups Coordinator to collect lift tickets and get information about what to do next.

• Back in the bus, get the kids in groups no larger than 10 and attach lift tickets to jackets or pants.
• Go to the rental department to get your equipment. Remember we only store shoes behind the counter but we do have lockers available in the rental area for the kids’ and teachers’ valuables.

• Once you have your equipment, if your group is participating in any lessons reconfirm with the Schools & Groups Co-ordinator the time and place of your lessons. Make sure the students are all together and ready to go at least 10 minutes prior to the lesson.
• Remember that once you are assigned a lesson time we are not going to be able to change it due to a very busy schedule.
• Have a meeting place and time arranged for students or adults who may get separated from the group. Make sure all the kids know the name and cell phone number of the teacher/coordinator so they can be contacted in case of an emergency.
• If any of your group becomes tired or cold, get them to a shelter, give them a warm drink and put more dry clothing on them

At this time you should be ready for a great day of skiing and riding, please remember we are here for you so at anytime if you have a any questions please feel free to come and see us.

We are looking forward to seeing you here at Turoa.

At Whakapapa

Welcome to Whakapapa!

• Contact Schools & Groups (07 892 3738 ext 7703) in the morning to confirm you are coming, as instructed on your Mt Ruapehu confirmation form. Remember you need to make a booking for your group at least 2 weeks in advance.
• Park any buses in the designated bus park (on the left at the top of the road, just before the loop road) – our friendly road crew will give you directions.
• Gather your group in one area on the plaza and keep them together. Do not enter rentals. Now is a good time for a toilet stop – toilets are in Lorenz’s Bar & Café.
• Send 1, maximum 2 people to collect your tickets from the Schools & Groups Office (around the back of Customer Services, opposite the main entrance to Lorenz’s Bar & Café).
• In the meantime, group people according to lesson/lift ticket type.
• Distribute correct tickets to each person.
• A Schools & Groups Host will talk your group through the rentals process and then take you to your designate rentals outlet. Note: If your visit is for more than one day, you will be keeping your rental gear overnight.
• Note: All accompanying adults are expected to assist with general tasks during the process of getting your students through rentals and into their lessons – e.g. distributing lift tickets, collecting shoes in the shoe bags, gathering students outside rentals.
• Shoes will be kept in locked bags in the rentals department. We are only responsible for those items in the bags. There are limited locker facilities ($2 each). There are no designated areas for storing backpacks or other bags.
• After leaving rentals, ensure students having lessons are organised into their groups, with a teacher or parent for each group, and that they are at the designated meeting place at least 10 minutes before the lesson start time.
  Note: It causes severe disruption to our Snow School operation if people do not turn up to lessons on time...or at all. Therefore, there are no refunds on shortened or missed lessons.
• Have a meeting place and time arranged for students or adults who may get separated from the group. Make sure everyone in your group knows the name and cell phone number of the teacher/coordinator so they can be contacted in case of an emergency.
• If any of your group becomes tired or cold, get them to a shelter, give them a warm drink and put more dry clothing on them.

Remember we are here for you. So if you have a any questions at any time, please feel free to come and see us.