Aussie snow '10

[Go Native 70]

I wouldn't consider skiing at Chamonix or Kitzbuhel the lesser choice when compared to Japan though MB! I'd love to ski in The Alps one day...Need more rich relatives to drop off the perch first though!

[Tubby Beaver 209]

What's the deal with the "Club slopes" in NZ? Do you have to pay a membership to ride?

 

Where is Papa Bear wanting to go in France? I rode the 3 Valleys a few years ago at Easter time, had a great time. Good coverage and beautiful weather.......not as good as the powder I've experinced here though.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Tubby Papa is a Franco-phile.

I think he will go ANYWHERE in France.

 

His ancestry is French (via the Norman invasion, via transport to the colonies...), he studied French until end of High School, and his best mate/best man arrived from France in middle high school with just a few words of English. When we were there 08/09 Season (just Paris) he was in HEAVEN. For me it was hell. I can not stand the rude mannerism, but he loves it. I liked it in Switzerland, Germany and Italy... but France rubbed me the wrong way.

 

Some friends of ours are talking about going...so it may be a couple trip and then decisions on where to go must be mutual. But we also have some expat-UK friends we ski holiday with who would probably be keen to be involved, but would bring their kids - same age as our two youngest...so...just at the talking stage right now. Love to hear your input and suggestion

[Tubby Beaver 209]

I think you'll find that the French outwith Paris are of a different breed.....still a little snooty but the Parisians really take the biscuit! having only been to the 3 valleys, I can only comment about that, but Courceval, Meribel and Val Thorens were brilliant. We stayed in Meribel (the upper village) and we has ski in- ski out accomodation. The connectons to get over to the 3 resorts are fantastic and easy to navigate. The snow was pretty good, it snowed a couple of times when we were there, but it WAS Easter time. Meribel has a lively Apres scene, plenty bars and restaurants as does the other main hubs (although we didn't go over to them) I think there are buses between the resorts but the mountains are huge so wasn't worth the chance of getting stuck in a different valley. Of course there are more resorts included on the lift ticket that form between the 3 main resorts, so there are plenty of choices. it was a little expensive for food and drink, but we expected that with France. Scenery was out of this world. Most days were bluebird and you could see for miles and miles, if it snowed, it tended to be at night.

[Mantas 3]

Originally Posted By: Tubby Beaver

What's the deal with the "Club slopes" in NZ? Do you have to pay a membership to ride?

Nope. All are welcome, even hairy arsed Scots .
Facilities are usually fairly primitive, rope tows ect. and the roads to the fields are diabolical. That's why they are cheap. The 'clubs' usually have limited funds. I like them though. It's a great atmosphere. It's a far cry from the commercial cash crab in Oz.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Originally Posted By: Mantas

Originally Posted By: Tubby Beaver

What's the deal with the "Club slopes" in NZ? Do you have to pay a membership to ride?

Nope. All are welcome, even hairy arsed Scots .
Facilities are usually fairly primitive, rope tows ect. and the roads to the fields are diabolical. That's why they are cheap. The 'clubs' usually have limited funds. I like them though. It's a great atmosphere. It's a far cry from the commercial cash crab in Oz.

crap!! I just shaved as well!!
Actually sounds like the regular ski hills in Scotland!! Mostly tows, facilities out of the stone age.....except for the cheap part

[Go Native 70]

Club fields in NZ are best enjoyed if you are prepared to get up out of the lifted area which is usually limited. For some lift assisted side country they are great.

[shadowtec 0]

Well I missed out on going to japan trip in 09/10. I had the money, the time off and even the tour planned and as I was about to post the money for the trip I get a phone call on Xmas eve saying I had to move house.

($#@$ happens) anyway I have a small trip at the end of the month to perisher and I hope to cook up a quick trip to NZ (dose anyone know what boarding near Christchurch is like (Mt Hutt) and can share info (places to stay, distance from the CH airport etc) that would be great

 

I been to queenstown twice (and I love the joint) but I can't get myself down there this time (flights are too expensive and I don't drive)

 

Then after that I like to start work on a japan trip at the end of the year early next

 

73

Shadowtec

[Mantas 3]

Most of all the club fields are up Christchurch way. There's loads around Arthur's Pass. Mount Hutt is about 1 1/2 hours from Christchurch. It's OK. I guess. Similar to other large commercial fields in NZ and Oz. Porter heights is the closest to Christchurch, only 1 hour.

[JA2340 16]

Originally Posted By: Mantas

Like I said before. Snow skiing in Australia is NOT a community service. It's an industry, a business and all businesses are there for one thing. To make money. They will charge the maximum price for their services that they can and if people still pay it (it gets booked out every year no matter how shite the snow is), then there's nothing you can do about it.
I'm over winging about it. Pay or don't pay. Go or don't go. Choices and options. Yes it's a rip off, but so are a lot of other things in life.

Exactly! Mantas!

I hgave decided that the price is too steep for me. I'll save my cash, and fly OS (most likely Japan again )in December/January.

As someone here mentioned, Slide in middle of the year, it HAS to be Southern Hemisphere. (I think MB mentioned there's no snow in Niseko right now), but I can hang off until the end of the year and have my snow fix.

To each their own, I guess! And ... at least one local owner of accommodation has mentioned that his costs may well exceed his income from rentals this season. (that was said before the recent dump that's going on right now)

[Tex 3]

Hi Shadow, Mt Hutt gets some good snow and has some nice steeps around abouts if that is your thing. Kinda small and can get VERY windy. They sometimes close the road up because of wind. I almost got blown off one saddle section up there many years ago. Subaru just started going side ways... not on an angle just sideways.

 

I think Methvyn is the closest place with any sort of hearbeat.

[shadowtec 0]

Thanks for that folks. I am looking around for bus services and the sort and I hope to have a better idea of what I want to do in the next week.

[blu 3]

25cm so far & still snowing - chains required.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Very good to hear that it is snowing heavily in Aus at the moment. Must say not before time!!!

 

Got a message from my friend in Thredbo - she wanted me to stay behind when the cubs left and keep her company for the week...I said no. I am now (almost) regretting that decision.

[panhead_pete 27]

Fly back

[HelperElfMissy 42]

[Slippery Jim 65]

GN: Maybe not as expensive as you think to ski Europe, especially Austria, from Japan. What I'm seeing is about Y100,000 air to Zurich/Munich/Innbruck in February or March; if you can live with pension accommodations, there seem to be loads of good deals in St Anton & Kitzbuhel.

Sorry for

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Continuing to snow in The (now) Snowy Mountains.

30cm previous 24 hrs, and snowing again today. They will need that to continue to be able to open and keep open the t-bars, but I am glad to see it finally snowing for them.

[Go Native 70]

Looks like some follow up snow next week so at least this should establish a reasonable base that will last through the remainder of the season.

[TJ OZ 0]

Good to see they have a bit more snow. I am guessing enough to top up what the snowmakers have laid down. My mate is going up next week and told me he didn't even want to take his rockhopper for fear of too much damage.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

I should upload the pic's of my (ahem) new Troop ... she is hurting. I should have taken the Luna! Ahh well....live and learn...now I got an excuse to buy the Va Va Voom

[Mintyjulep 0]

I haven't actually ever skiied at mt hutt, but I've been advised to avoid it. It experiences HUGE traffic as everyone from chch, ashburton, timaru all go to Mt Hutt. A friend who used to snowboard there hated the cat tracks as they are so icy and have a steep drop off. She also said that the out of bound areas are not clearly marked and well two people have already died in out of bound areas at Mt Hutt this season :S

 

That saddle is nasty - the prevailing wind just cuts right across it. Apparently that rd was made by a guy with a dozer who was dared to make a rd up there, it was previously inaccessible.

 

The club fields do not require membership to ski there. They simply have special fees & events for club members. They don't have chairlifts, though all have rope tows, t-bars, pommers etc. Most have groomed trails but lots of powder and off piste action.

 

The best of the club fields are probably Temple basin (you book first, put your gear on the gear lift and then do a 40 min tramp from the car park), craigieburn, broken river. I don't know much about them or where the latter two are, but temple basin is a bit further along the west coast rd from porters.

 

If you go to hanmer springs (a bit like an onsen town but with very unfriendly staff in the cafes and restaurants) there is hanmer ski area - we'll be going there for the first time at the end of this month. Hanmer is about 1.5 hours from chch and the ski area is another 20 minutes. There are loads of well priced places to stay there. Mt Lyford is also about an hour drive from Hanmer on the way to Kaikoura. Mt Lyford is pretty cool but again no chairlifts.

 

Porters is a good little field, a lot of money has been put into it and they are starting work on expanding into the valley next to it. It will probably be bigger than Mt Hutt once the expansion is finished, and it will be the first field in NZ with Gondola access! Porters is actually slightly closer to chch than Mt Hutt too.

[Jynxx 4]

Thanks for that info Minty. Sweet as.

Had a bit of practice on the t-bars last season (only had two go's on it first two seasons lol) I'm ok with it. Saves a lot of walking for sure. Defo need a car to get around while in NZ.

[Mintyjulep 0]

Yeah, ski in/out is pretty much unheard of here, well except for maybe at whakapapa, but you need to be a member of one the the clubs operating the various lodges up there.

Temple basin does have a lodge too, best for large groups though.

Cardrona has a rather nice lodge as well come to think of it, good for singles and couples.

Porters will have a village at the base of the gondola up to the field once the development is finished.

 

I have only ever used chairs and magic carpets eh, so I'm a bit terrified about about things at the club grounds like the nutcrackers - you clip a thing on your belt onto a thick wire which pulls you up the field! I tried out those platter things at Whakapapa once and felt a bit dumb for doing so as I fell over immediately.

 

I'm glad you're happy with the t-bar My fiancees mum told me about a guy falling off the t-bar at porters and sliding down the whole lift - everyone had to jump out to get out of his way so he didn't get hurt or foul them up. I can see myself doing that lol.

[Ross 4]

We went to mt Hutt in 2009 found it to be quite good but not much for beginners.I read a story on Porters about them expanding there area and possibly on snow accom in the future.That would be great.Next time we go back I think we will call in to Mt Hutt ski the day then go down to Tekapo stay there and ski Mt Dobson,Round Hill and Ohau.Ibelive Round hill & Dobson have both increased there areas.There is all so Fox peak in that area. You have a lot of choice over there Minty.