Canterbury ski fields were pretty much unaffected by the “shakes” (in fact the day after the 1st September quake was a great blue sky powder day). We even got a good dumping of snow in Christchurch itself on a couple of occasions last year allowing some members of the department to become members of the Port Hills Ski Club! Hopefully this guide will get you started if you are planning to get some turns during your stay in Christchurch. Fingers crossed for a good helping of white fluffy stuff this season! CANTERBURY SNOW SHAKES Porters Backcountry. Photo Rob Young THE SKI FIELDS Skiing in Canterbury is a diverse affair catering for and challenging all levels of skiers. Whether its fast chairlifts and pistes on Mt Hutt, the more uncrowded chilled family friendly fields of the McKenzie District and North Canterbury, or the mellow friendliness of the “Clubbies” with on mountain accommodation, night skiing and easy back country access, there is something for everyone. For those wanting to burn more coins Heli-ski or touring options are available in a number of areas. THE WEATHER The maritime climate means that all New Zealand fields are subject to the weather gods. Many fields do not have snow-making and temperatures may not be low enough to allow those that do to utilise it. The club fields in particular rely on regular natural top ups. Furthermore in bad weather the lack of trees means there are generally no sheltered areas on the mountain and many of the fields have to close/put lifts on hold. There are always alternative activities to keep you occupied so it pays to be flexible, and the sunny bluebird powder days that follow will be epic wherever you go! THE SKI ROADS Access roads to all the ski fields are treacherous and even the easier ones can be troublesome with fresh snow. Snow Chains must always be carried and all wheel drive, 4WD and/or Low ratio cars are preferable although its possible to get up most in a 2WD as long as there is not too much snow. Hamner and Olympus can be particularly tricky and are more suited to a 4WD. PASSES All ski fields sell individual day/multiday passes. All the fields except Ohau and Mt Hutt are part of the Chill Pass group. This means you can buy a chill pass eg 7 day and ski at any of the chill group ski fields Mt Lyford (Terako face) CLUB FIELDS Club fields are a New Zealand phenomenon and there is a high concentration in the Canterbury area. Whether day tripping or staying overnight, you do not have to be a club member to enjoy the laidback inclusive nature of these fields. Many offer on mountain accommodation in the form of shared facilities, a relaxed and rustic atmosphere, and an expectation that guests will help out with cleaning/cooking tasks etc. After a big dump its not uncommon to be helping out to get the traverse lines and rope tows dug out so everyone can get out there and get some turns – and its pretty special if the roads are cut off/slow to open so no-one else can get up! With limited or no pistes these areas can make for challenging skiing when it has been a while since a decent snow fall, becoming crusty, icy and cut up. However with even a little fresh snow they are absolutely magic! These fields often provide easy back country access where there are plenty of fresh tracks to be had for those with the touring equipment, experience and skills. Porters Backcountry Photo: Rob Young NUT CRACKER/ROPE TOWS Some of the club fields use the infamous Kiwi rope tows to access their awesome terrain. They can be a quick and efficient way to get up the mountain… but are a challenge until your have mastered them. If you’re a competent snowboarder or intermediate skier you’ll get the hang of them pretty quickly, if you’re a little uneasy on your feet you may need a little more perseverance. The key word associated with these tows is humbling. Even the best skier has their moments with these tows. Snowboarders seem to find them a particular challenge (often half a day to get to grips with them), especially if they are heel side. More information on how to ride them and the equipment required (normally for hire at the fields) can be found here. http://www.powderhounds.com/NewZealand/Nutcracker-Ropetows.aspx http://www.chillout.co.nz/rope-tows-nut-crackers/ Temple Basin NORTH CANTERBURY SKIING There are two fields in the Hamner/Kaikoura/Waipara Pacific Triangle where there are the Hamner hot pools and Wairapa wineries for the “rest days” Hamner Mt Lyford MID CANTERBURY SKIING The Mid-Canterbury fields are the closest to Christchurch although closer accommodation options exist. It has the largest concentration of club fields, plus two of the commercial fields. Mt Hutt is part of the NZSKI group and sits out towards Methven, the other fields are based in the Porters/Craigieburn area except Temple Basin which is out towards Arthurs Pass. After Porters and Mt Cheeseman all the fields further west are Rope Tow Nutcrackers only. Mt Hutt Porters Cheeseman Broken River* Craigieburn* Mt Olympus* Temple Basin* * Nutcrackers only McKENZIE COUNTRY SKIING A little further from Christchurch these small commercial fields offer a more relaxed family friendly environment than the hustle and bustle of Mt Hutt, Wanaka and Queenstown resorts. One of the most scenic places to ski and snowboard in New Zealand it is spectacularly beautiful and offers a variety of smaller ski areas and some superb heli and plane skiing. Christchurch Skiing – Port Hills! Mt Dobson Roundhill Ohau MID CANTERBURY The Mid-Canterbury fields are the closest to Christchurch although closer accommodation options exist. It has the largest concentration of club fields, plus two of the commercial fields. Mt Hutt is part of the NZSKI group and sits out towards Methven, the other fields are based in the Porters/Craigieburn area except Temple Basin which is out towards Arthurs Pass. There is also Heliskiing in the area www.methvenheli.co.nz, http://www.heliski.co.nz. After Mt Cheeseman all the fields further west are Rope Tow Nutcrackers only. COMMERCIAL FIELDS Mt Hutt This is the largest commercial field in Canterbury with pistes, fast chair lifts, snow making and terrain to suit all levels. Its exposed to the wind and South Facing so can get chilly and icy but with expansive views over the Canterbury Plains to the sea it gets very busy on sunny weekends/school holidays. The snow/weather report is often glowing but be sure to check the webcam, an independent forecast, and be very suspicious of terms like “firm” (i.e. read ICE!). It does have a nickname - just insert an S somewhere between the two words. Check out the kids4free.co.nz being offered by Methven businesses and Mt Hutt if you have children under 10. Distance from Christchurch: 2 – 2.5 hours (watch for ice in the gorge) Accommodation: Methven Lifts: 1 high speed 6 seater, 1 quad chair, 1 triple chair, 1 carpet Porters Closest to Christchurch with one of the easier ski access roads it has pisted runs for beginner and intermediate accessed by 3 T- bars. With fresh snow the larger runs such as Big Mama and Bluff face open up, and there is great touring off the back (Crystal valley) Distance from Christchurch: 1-1.5hours Accommodation: Castle Hill (baches with no shops/services) , Christchurch Lifts: 3 T bars plus learner lifts Porters Backcountry. Photo Sam Grummitt MID CANTERBURY CLUB FIELDS Mt Cheeseman Mount Cheeseman is the second closest ski area to Christchurch. The ski field is a sunny east to south east basin with open rolling terrain. With great beginner and intermediate slopes, Mount Cheeseman is great for learners and families. Two T Bars give easy access to well groomed gentle terrain and the Learners Tow is located right beside the main lodge. There are plenty of touring options to find some powder stashes for those with skills (Tarn Basin). You can choose to stay up on the mountain in Snowline Lodge or alternatively Forest Lodge, which is nestled in the Beech Forest Distance from Christchurch: 1.5 hours Lifts: 2 T bars + learner tow Accommodation: On field, Castle Hill, Christchurch Broken River The terrain is a series of rolling bowls with awesome runs to challenge all levels of snowboarders and skiers beginner to expert. The surrounding basins provide superb untracked 'back country' terrain for the more adventurous including trips to Craigieburn or skiing right down to the car park. With a relatively benign access road, sheltered bowls that act as a snow magnet BR is often open when others are closed. The new inclinometer means you can avoid the 20 min pleasant warm up walk through gorgeous beach forest to get to the field, but it has meant BR has become more crowded of late. Rope tows only (and quite fast ones too). Lots of on field accommodation options and night skiing! Distance from Christchurch: 1.5 hours Lifts: 5 Rope tows Accommodation: On field, Castle Hill (baches with no shops/services), Christchurch Craigieburn This field has some of New Zealand's most challenging patrolled terrain including steep narrow chutes to wide open powder bowls. Its all off–piste, accessed by fast steep rope tows which tends to keep crowds down, and there is limited accommodation. Probably not one for the family! Distance from Christchurch: 1.5 hours Lifts: 3 rope tows Accommodation: On field, Castle Hill (baches with no shops/services), Christchurch Mt Olympus “Playground of the Gods” with south-facing slopes that trap lots of powder, no crowds and a relaxed attitude.