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Skiers staying at alpine huts on Whakapapa-Mt Ruapehu are being warned to be very careful as fresh snow has created a high danger of an avalanche.

Whakapapa’s team said skiers looking to hit the slopes will have to wait as an overnight dump of 20cm of snow has temporarily closed access roads up the Central North Island mountain.

And those already on the mountain also need to be cautious, the mountain operator warned.

“Important information to anyone staying in Ski Clubs around Iwikau, the avalanche danger is high,” the operator said.

“There is a significant avalanche cycle occurring at the moment at all elevations.”

“With this low snow level there is a very real chance of triggering avalanches around the club huts at whakapapa.”

The operator said all people staying in club huts should be very cautious and avoid all avalanche terrain when departing or accessing huts.

The Mt Ruapehu team said that due to the conditions, they are unable to get the road in safe condition to open to the public at present.

“The Happy Valley beginners area will open as soon as we can allow access up the road,” the operator said.

“The Sky Waka Gondola and upper mountain lifts are now closed for the day due to the high winds and avalanche danger.”

It comes after a man was half-buried by an avalanche in back country on the Remarkables, near Queenstown, earlier this month.

Rescue teams flew into the Remarkables range in the South Island earlier this month to help skiers caught in a major avalanche at 2000m. Photo / Supplied

Skier Joe O’Connor told how he had been enjoying a “mint” day skiing when he heard a “boom, like a shotgun had gone off next to me”.

“Then before I knew it, I was sliding, and I couldn’t control where I was going,” he told the NZ Mountain Safety Council (MSC).

O’Connor had been hit by a powerful avalanche - ranked three on a scale of 1 to 5 - and was pushed 100m down the slope.

O’Connor’s tumble had been witnessed by nearby expert alpinists, who immediately alerted search and rescue teams.

Rescue teams quickly mobilised and soon three helicopters flew in ski patrol teams and dogs to help the pair.

Luckily O’Connor wasn’t hurt, but called the experience an “eye opener”.

The MSC said O’Connor and his friend on the mountain had done everything right beforehand by checking in with authorities about the avalanche conditions.

Yet that just showed that anything could happen in the back country, O’Connor said.

Safety advice

For anyone heading to the back country, the Mountain Safety Council stresses people should check the forecast, get training and pack the right equipment.

Hikers and trampers can find the avalanche forecast under alerts on