NZ skiing

[moloneb3 0]

Hey I would like to plan a skiing trip with my friends in NZ for August? I would assume that this is the peak of the season in NZ as we are in summer in Japan. Where would people recommend? Would like a place with good variety for 1 week stay. Night life would also be a plus.

 

Thanks.

[boardbaka 3]

two words or two letters even= TC (Treble Cone/ lake Wanaka)

I am very bullish as its home hill but its hard to beat has many accolades in transworld/ freeskier etc.

As for nightlife you shouldn't be disappointed and if you are you can always skip over the crown range to Queenie. Have fun wherever you decide to go!

[SirJibAlot 0]

I enjoyed Coronet peak two seasons ago. Here are a couple of snaps - keep in mind, this was July 2005 which was a particularly bad year for snow in NZ.

 

Even though it was a bad year, this place has massive snow making capabilities

 

Sunset on the snow

 

Nice shot of DoubleCone and the valley

 

-SJA

[nzlegend 1]

 Quote:

Originally posted by boardbaka:
TC
its hard to beat has many accolades in transworld/ freeskier etc.

Well actually TB Temple Basin was paid the ultimate compliment by Transworld

 Quote:

"If I had to stay in one area, on one mountain, in one place, to snowboard for the rest of my life, it would be Temple Basin. It's that good".

Powderhound said this

 Quote:

Check out what the Powder Hound Magazine had to say (Australian Issue 01, 2000 by Sam Masters) ..........

"Temple has the potential. It has got the sickest terrain. World Freeskiing tour-ranked professional Todd Windle lives and trains here during the winter. You'll see him negotiate the knife-edge ridgeline by himself with ice axe and crampons before dropping an epic descent.

Todd gave us the tour royal and, Frankly, it scared the hairs off my arse. Temple is as gnarly as you want to go. The mind-boggling amount of terrain you can see from the lodge is not even half of it. There is the back ridge as well. Temple is about hiking because the nutcrackers here don't make much of a dint in servicing the skiable terrain. Too damn big.

An American snowboarding magazine (yes, even I get stuck in the dentist with nothing better to read) rated Temple as the best resort in the world. I know where theyâre coming from. The lodge is a 45-minute walk from the carpark and once there you are isolated in a pristine alpine world. Its about deep powder, hearty lodge feeds and playing hacky in the dinning room after a hot shower has melted the aches out of your legs."

If TB has plenty of the white stuff, its a fantastic place, better than Treble Cone.
If you can make it there for week and they have good snow ( can be iffy snow) then definitely try and get there.

old threads about NZ


A season in NZ

Best places in NZ

Skiing Down under


Wanaka and TC are also good options.

Christchurch and day trips 1 1/2 drive to Mt Hutt, Porter Heights, Broken River and Craigeburn ( wicked steep terrain) is also an option.
Christchurch has plenty of night life.

Mt Hutt though quite tame does have the most consistent snow of all places, I guess it like Niseko in Japan, not that exciting terrain but consistent snow.

if you want to see Coronet Peak go to an Electrical store and look for Sharp Aquos TV's and at the moment they are all playing a HDTV Demo with 2 riders at the top of Coronet Peak, it gives you good view of the terrain and area of the top of the mountain.

[samurai 0]

Treble Cone and Temple Basin are two completely different 'types' of resorts. TC is a chair/T-bar resort. Great chair-accessed terrain.

TB is a club field. Ropes and hiking along with privacy among much sicker terrain than TC. TB has accommodation, TC does not. That article commented on Windle training there. Windle is considered one of the world's best freeskiers, he's in another league. If you're not up for the challenge, there's little point in going.

 

If you go to NZ and are an efficient rider, go to the club fields. DO NOT MISS THE CLUB FIELDS!

If you are not comfortable hanging from a harness on a rope-tow going 40km/hr up 45 degree pitches on your snowboard, stay away from club fields. Honestly, the rope up will exhaust you, then you hike, which is relaxing. Then you ride, which is ridiculous. Then you drink and cook your own food at the on-hill hostel.

[nzlegend 1]

touche Samurai about the different resort styles, but in regards to terrain there is plenty of terrain for everyone.

Beginner 25%

Intermediate50%

Advanced 25%

when I went there I was a beginner with just a couple of days riding at the start of my snowboarding career by the end of the week I rode down one of the the snake pits a series of chutes that are up 45 degrees.

 

I never made as much progress in riding as I did that week.

[samurai 0]

Ok. won't argue about the terrain variety. I just remember snowboarders (who must ride the rope sidways hanging from a harness) who weren't expert riders really getting frustrated wtih the nutcrackers. A buddy of mine, who is an expert rider, even left our group due to the pain of riding one of the ropes. He was the only boarder in our group.

 

It'll whip you into shape, but perhaps more laps will be doable at TC. I just don't see much of a benefit for beg/int riders, aside from aesthetic/atmosphere. Just a thought.

I hope to go for my third time this august. You kiwis have got the club-field thing figured out!!!

[nzlegend 1]

were a abseilling harness with the nutcracker, much more comfortable than the standard belt

[samurai 0]

we had standard alpine harnesses on. I think it was just rear-leg pain for my mate. It may not have been TB either. We also visited Cragieburn, Olympia, Broken River and another as well. They are all very different, but all have terrain as well. I can't remember which field it was that had us hanging as the rope ripped its way up a 45 degree chute with rock walls on both sides. That place also had ropes interlink and overlap each other. You would have to release your nutcracker, ski under the zipping rope and catch another without losing your speed. Chaos really. Loved it!!! I think it was the place with the cart/lift from the parking lot for your gear, then you hiked for 30-45 minutes upto the hostel/kitchen/dorms. 1000 steps? "Ewok village" I called it. about a dozen different buildings all above one another on the side of a cliff interlinked with thousands of steep stairs. Broken River???

[sweetaz 0]

hey moloney,

 

what style do you subscribe to? board/skis/tricks/jumps/mogels/colour runs?

 

If you park up in queenstown you can ride pretty much any style from a host of hills. End of august beginning of sept has historically been best snow time.

 

If you head there around the end of June you can also catch the winter fest....the biggest week and a half long party (2 weekends). It kicks off the ski season.

 

Have fun!

[nzlegend 1]

 Quote:

Originally posted by samurai:
It may not have been TB either. We also visited Cragieburn, Olympia, Broken River and another as well. They are all very different, but all have terrain as well. I can't remember which field it was that had us hanging as the rope ripped its way up a 45 degree chute with rock walls on both sides. That place also had ropes interlink and overlap each other. You would have to release your nutcracker, ski under the zipping rope and catch another without losing your speed. Chaos really.

Dont know that one,

 Quote:

Loved it!!! I think it was the place with the cart/lift from the parking lot for your gear, then you hiked for 30-45 minutes upto the hostel/kitchen/dorms. 1000 steps? "Ewok village" I called it. about a dozen different buildings all above one another on the side of a cliff interlinked with thousands of steep stairs. Broken River???

no thats Temple Basin the walk keeps the average punter away which is good.

[samurai 0]

another plus to club fields is the magic button. No lifty, no hours of operation. Just daily tickets. If you want to ski at 11pm- you can. Just press the magic yellow button to start the rope.

Tool, Beer, Blowing/falling snow. One spotlight at the peak, one light at the bottom. Heaven really...

[moloneb3 0]

Well I will be going with some friends who will be complete beginners. I am also fairly fresh to the skiing scene so hopefully this winter in Japan I can improve enough. Basically I would like some beginner and medium slopes, and judging from the threads, ones with good lift access.

 

It should be fun for beginners so they can learn without too much pain and also for the others with a little more experience to enjoy more challenging slopes. It seems like treble cone is the one to go for!!

[samurai 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by moloney:
Well I will be going with some friends who will be complete beginners. I am also fairly fresh to the skiing scene so hopefully this winter in Japan I can improve enough. Basically I would like some beginner and medium slopes, and judging from the threads, ones with good lift access.

It should be fun for beginners so they can learn without too much pain and also for the others with a little more experience to enjoy more challenging slopes. It seems like treble cone is the one to go for!!

If you are beginners and intermediates- just check out both wanaka and queenstown. both cities access reasonable terrain. Queenstown is famous for its nightlife. Wanaka is famous for nightlife on a smaller notch and better riding (tc). They are both sister cities that lay a mountain pass away from one another. Queenstown is more touristy. Wanaka is more core. Both party harder than you're ready. Queenstown may have more side-activities; (ie- jet-boating, hang-gliding, bungee jumping, etc...) Wanaka is pretty much skiers/boarders drinking till dawn, then riding (mildly) sicker terrain. Those competing on the tour and drinking on the tour because it's NZ go to Wanaka, Those who are on vacation and drink till dawn, yet want more options for the next morning go to queenstown. Nonetheless, both are 45 minutes from one another.... You should go to wanaka. Queenstown is for those who don't research where they should go... and eventually end up.

[moloneb3 0]

Thanks Sam, advice is noted. Now just gotta organise the thing, lastly any good places to stay (self catering lodges if possible).

[samurai 0]

self-catering lodges are at every club-field. otherwise, just hostels in town.

[marnix 0]

I remember Temple Basin as the place where I didn't stop because my legs were burning, but because I wasn't able to hold onto the nutcracker anymore.

TB really has some great terrain but also enough straight forward powder-8 descents.

 

TC also has some gnarly lines with some big drops.

Although I prefer TB over TC if I would have to choose 1 to stay for a week I would go to Wanaka and ski TC and Cardrona and maybe try a heli-drop or 2.