Is it ok to ski on an active volcano?
Mt Ruapehu is an active volcano which last erupted on 25 September 2007 sending a lahar mudflow down Whakapapa ski area and the Whangaehu River.
Shane Buckingham is pictured on the winch snow groomer that he was operating that evening, when he saw the lahar crest the ridge in the distance at 30-40km/hr. He was able to immediately move sideways out of the valley to safety. Shane then helped in the rescue of William Pike, critically injured by an erupted ballistic rock on top of the mountain.
For more on this story, tune in to hear GNS Science Principal Scientist, Graham Leonard discuss Mt Ruapehu with RNZ's Susie Ferguson. They talk about past eruptions, volcano science, monitoring efforts and what you need to know before clipping into your skis this season.
Image credit: Graham Leonard, GNS Science