Busload of Aussie skiers inches from death

[nzlegend 1]

 Quote:

A carload of snowboarders made a quick getaway after a bus and van packed with skiers skidded into them on the steep and icy Mount Hutt access road, a witness says.
Hundreds of snow-seekers spent two hours stuck on the narrow, winding road on Saturday morning after a large passenger bus carrying Australian tourists lost control on the ice about 9am, 1km from the first chain stop.
Witness Tim Scott said the bus made a stop on a sharp left-hand corner after another vehicle had stopped and when it tried to start again it slid backwards into a mini van.
"Both of them slid into a stationwagon and the passengers of the stationwagon saw it coming and ran before it hit it."
A trail of cars went for "miles and miles" up the mountain, he said.
"If the bus had gone the other way there would have been a lot of dead people. It was on a huge cliff and there was a sheer drop so they were really lucky."
A truck was brought down from the skifield and towed the bus out, and the minivan was able to drive away, he said.
"It seemed half of Christchurch was trying to get to the fresh snow and the lucky few who got through before the crash had fresh powder to themselves for around two hours in the sun."
Mount Hutt Ski Area manager David Wilson said the bus had slid backwards on compacted snow after losing traction when it was forced to stop behind another vehicle.
Yesterday Mount Hutt management was forced to turn away skiers when the field and carparks reached capacity. Wilson said 3300 skiers and snowboarders had flocked to the field lured by reports of good snow and a fine day.

close call by all accounts, anyone who has been on that access road will attest if you go off the road you are gone for all the money in the world.

Apparently the cars were backed up all the way to the highway at the bottom of the mountain.
3300 people? the carparks all full and people were turned away? that is insane I couldnt think of anything worse that 3300 on that mountain, I dont think I wouldnt even bother, seems snowsports are getting more and more popular in NZ.

[mattlucas 0]

Good to hear that nobody was hurt

 

The road has no railings?

[nzlegend 1]

very few Toque, very few. 13 km long the access road is and it goes from about 500m to 1800meters.

Its a private road and all the owners of the Mountain over the years have probably decided its not economically viable.

[soubriquet 0]

That road is a bstard. A similar thing happened when I was there. We were all stopped on the hill When the bus in front tried to move off, the wheels spun, and it slid down the camber and into the ditch.

[sava 0]

After last year, I can understand why there'd be 3300 this weekend. They've had more snow fall in the last 3 weeks than the entire last season.

 

a) Towers run is apparently in really good shape.

Today they're opening up the south face and the saddle chutes - both of these they open usually late July/early aug for good years.

[snowboarding-sam 0]

Definitely good to hear that nobody was hurt.

 

Lots of snow - sounds good.

[BagOfCrisps 24]

So a month early, crikey. Sounds like they are in for a good season.

[Davo 1]

That road is deathly. There are some barriers at certain points, incuding one where a car was blown off by a gust of wind I think. One time coming down I saw a car that'd gone off the side and luckily grounded about 50m down the slope without rolling. The people were climbing back up the to the road no doubt wearing poop-filled pants.

 

People haul it up there as well. I remember going once with a friend of a friend who was in a big hurry. So big in fact that he somehow managed to do a 360 on the ice , bringing us miraculously to a stop in the middle of the road. A bit freaky and it was lucky we were right at the bottom of the mountain-certainly slowed him down a bit. We all looked at each other and went "F::::::::!"