Mountains

Porters

Mt Hutt

Porters

Porters is the closest ski area to Christchurch, travelling time from the city is a little over an hour heading west on Great Alpine Highway 73. Porters offers something for everyone whether you’re learning to ski or snowboard for the first time, or if you are an expert with many seasons experience.

For beginners the Snow School offers fantastic lessons and a lift pass at a great price. The Magic Carpet lift is easy to use and promotes confidence. Once the basics are mastered, Porters have an intermediate platter with a Poma lift. For intermediate to expert skiers and snowboarders the 3 T-Bar accessed terrain is vast, from the longest run in the Southern Hemisphere, to the steepest. Porters also have a terrain park for freestyle riders.

Accommodation

Alpine lodge is a 5-minute drive down the access road from the ski area’s car park. Bunk style DBB.

Facilities

Snow School

Snow Making

Café (licenced)

The Mountain

Terrain: Beginners 30%, Intermediate 30%, Advanced 40%

Tows: 3 T-bars, 1 Magic Carpet, 1 Poma

Elevation: 1980m

Skiable Area: 700ha

Vertical: 620m

Grooming every night

Contact Information

Phone: +64 3 318 4002

Email: info@skiporters.co.nz

Web: www.skiporters.co.nz

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Mt Hutt

Mt Hutt is just over a 90-minute drive from Christchurch. Mt Hutt has one of the longest seasons in the southern hemisphere running from early June to late October. Its south facing bowl catches some of the best snow conditions.

The base facilities are clean and modern with the café offering a large selection of food and drink with Internet access available and a licenced bar upstairs. The 140metre magic carpet is ideal for beginners, while the three chairlifts give access to the rest of the mountain, which ranges form easy gentle slopes, to steep off trail, mile long, runs - explore and you will enjoy. The six-seater high-speed chair lift (summit six) will take you from the base to the summit in under six minutes. A sight seeing pass is available (return trip on summit six) to see magnificent views of the Canterbury Plains.

Accommodation

No accommodation on the mountain closest town is Methven.

Facilities

Snow School

Café - Licenced

Day care

The Mountain

Terrain: Beginner 25%, Intermediate 50%, Advanced 25%

Tows: 1 magic Carpet, 1 triple chairlift, 1 quad chairlift, 1 6 seater high speed chairlift

Elevation: 2086m

Vertical: 683m

Area: 365ha

Terrain Park: Yes

Grooming: Yes

Snowmaking: Yes

Contact Information
Phone: +64 3 302 8811
Email: service@mthutt.com
Website: www.nzski.com

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Mt Cheeseman

Mt Cheeseman is a 90-minute drive from Christchurch. The Mt Cheeseman road meanders through the dense Craigieburn forest and captures some awesome views. The ski field itself is northeast facing and always has the sun shining on it. The day lodge/café overlooks the beginner’s area and is warm and modern.

The terrain is ideal for gentle intermediate skiers or snowboarders as well as families looking to stay for a day or even a week. The beginner and intermediate groomed slopes across the mountain are gentle and enjoyable. The rest of Mt Cheeseman is accessed by ridge tow (2^nd T-bar) where you can ski a face that always has a good depth of snow or take a short walk to Tarn Basin. This is a back country area and you will need to check in with the snow safety officers before heading there.

Accommodation

Snowline Lodge – Ski-in, ski-out accommodation right on the snow

Forest Lodge – In amongst the native beech trees half way down the access road

Facilities

Snow School

Day Lodge offering food and drinks (Iicenced)

The Mountain

Terrain: Beginners 15%, Intermediates 50%, Advanced 35%

Tows: 2 T-bars, 1 Learners tow

Elevation: 1845m

Vertical: 320m

Grooming: Yes

Contact Information
Phone: + 64 3 344 3247

Snowline Lodge Phone: +64 3 318 8794
Forest Lodge Phone: +64 3 318 8716
Email: office@mtcheeseman.co.nz
Web: www.mtcheeseman.co.nz

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Broken River

Broken River is approximately a 75-minute drive from Christchurch on Great Alpine Highway 73. At the car park gear is loaded onto the goods lift while you take a 20-minute walk through the forest to the lodges. Collecting your gear you purchase your lift ticket. From the lodges you have a short walk, 5-10 minutes to the bottom of the first lift - of course this is a brilliant way to warm up!

Broken River is accessed by 3 rope tows; you will need to take along with you your own nutcracker, harness/belt and glove protectors. There is a learner’s area right beside Palmer lodge (day lodge), which offers snacks, drinks and usually a BBQ. There are 2 main bowls, Broken River and Alan’s Basin offering awesome terrain for intermediate to expert riders/skiers. The basins are sheltered from the wind and usually hold a good base of snow.

Accommodation

There are 3 levels of accommodation available.

White Star Chalet – Back Packer style

Broken River Lodge – DBB Club Style

Lyndon Lodge – Fully Catered

Facilities

Snow School

Palmer lodge – self-cooking facilities. Canteen offering snacks and drinks

The Mountain

Terrain: Beginner 5%, Intermediate 45%, Advanced 50%

Tows: 3 Rope tows, 2 learner tows

Elevation: 1820m

Vertical: 420m

Grooming: Only beginners area

Contact Information

Phone: +64 3 318 8713
Email: ski@brokenriver.co.nz
Website: www.brokenriver.co.nz

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Craigieburn

Craigieburn is approximately an 85-minute drive from Christchurch. Once at the car park you have a short 5-minute walk to the access tow. Craigieburn is known for it’s challenging skiing and snowboarding terrain. It offers everything an advanced rider could want, from big open powder bowls to narrow chutes. Craigieburn is only suitable for stronger skiers and boarders with good experience in off trail skiing.

The terrain is accessed by 3 rope tows that run at a fast pace, enabling you to get in the maximum well earned runs! Craigieburn is a vast area, so exploring will take some time. Once you have tracked out the terrain your lift pass allows you to ski across from Craigieburn to Broken River. You must advise snow safety officers before adventuring off the field. Backcountry equipment such as a transceiver, shovel and probe should be carried at all times.

Accommodation

Craigieburn offers 2 lodges Koroheke lodge and Matuhi. They are great lodges offering bunk style or private rooms as well as DBB.

Facilities

Snow School

Day Lodge: Whakamaru Lodge is next to the top tow, offering food, drinks and bathroom facilities.

The Mountain

Terrain: Beginner 0%, Intermediate 45%, Advanced 55%

Tows: 3 rope tows

Elevation: 1811m

Vertical: 500M

Terrain Park: No need for one!

Size: 2220 acres

Grooming: No

Contact Information

Phone: +64 3 318 8711

Email: ski@craigieburn.co.nz
Website: www.craigieburn.co.nz

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Mt Olympus

Mt Olympus is a 2-hour drive from Christchurch. Because it is set further back in the Alps than the other snow areas it gives you a feeling of peace and tranquility. Mt Olympus is south facing and its large bowl catches the best powder in Canterbury.

The Top hut is situated half way up the mountain. The lifts are designed for intermediate and experienced rope tow users. The terrain at Mt Olympus is amazing, with powder bowls, large bumps and big natural hits. If you are looking for something more challenging then a quick hike up to Little Alaska is a must to access some steep deep chutes and drops. Always check with snow safety officers before heading out of bounds.

Accommodation

Top hut offers bunk style DBBL. Bottom Hut is bunk style and self-catering.

Facilities

Snow School

Day Lodge/Top hut serves drinks, snacks and lunch

The Mountain

Terrain: Beginner 10%, Intermediate 55%, Advanced 35%

Tows: 3 rope tows and 1 learner tow

Elevation: 1875m

Vertical: 450m

Terrain Park: All Natural

Grooming: No

Contact Information

Phone: + 64 3 318 5840
Email: mtolympus@xtra.co.nz
Website: www.mtolympus.co.nz

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Temple Basin

Temple basin is situated on the Main Divide in Arthur’s Pass National Park. It is a 2½ -hour drive from Christchurch to the Temple Basin car park. At the car park all gear is placed on the goods lift. From there you have a 45 – 60 minute walk to the base facilities. Your best bet is to stay at least one night in the lodge to make the most of the riding.

The snow area offers some of the best terrain in New Zealand, which is spread out over 4 main basins. Temple Basin offers everything from gentle beginners slopes to extreme chutes and from powder bowls to large natural terrain parks. Temple gets its snow from westerly weather systems and being set back that bit further often means it catches snow when other areas don’t see a flake!

Accommodation

There are 2 mountain lodges offering bunk style accommodation DBB.

Facilities

Snow School

Day lodge – self catering

Canteen – Lunch, drinks and snacks

The Mountain

Terrain: Beginner 25%, Intermediate 50%, Advanced 25%

Tows: 3 rope tows

Elevation: 1923m

Vertical: 430m

Area: 320ha

Terrain Park: All natural

Grooming: No

Contact Information
Phone: +64 3 377 7788
Email: info@templebasin.co.nz
Website: www.templebasin.co.nz

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Alpure Peaks

Alpure Peaks is around 170km from Christchurch and takes around 3 hrs in traveling time. Skiing or riding at Alpure Peaks is like heli skiing but instead of using a heli you travel up in a Snowcat. You get to access the same high quality snow as a heli but it costs half the price.

Your day begins at 8.30 with a briefing at base of access road and you will be supplied with an avalanche transceiver and given full safety instructions. You board our Hagglund for the 30 minute shuttle ride up the mountain and transfer to the Snowcat which takes you to where you can start your descents. Your guide will help you with planning these, during the journey. We aim to provide as many runs as possible, given snow conditions and the speed of your group. Lunch is around midday with the final run about 3pm.

Accommodation

Farlie offers many different types of accommodation, click here to veiw the best.

Facilities

Picnic Lunches

Experienced guides

Fresh Tracks

The Mountain

Terrain: Amazing Southern Alp terrain

Tows: none but 1 Snowcat

Elevation: 2220m

Skiable Area: 2600ha

Vertical: 650m