There are lots of great tours available on this site, which begin (or end) at a Ski area. A bit of courtesy and respect for the operations and hazards will go a long way to keeping relations with the areas positive, and the access as open as possible. This guideline was developed by the Federated…
Category: Queenstown Region
Tours in the Quenstown Area
Ben Lomond- Queenstown – East face to One Mile Creek
In early season (July) during some winters a good covering of snow falls in the Queenstown basin. In order to get snow to such low levels a southerly front from deep in the southern ocean must sweep up the country. Southland will be the first to get hit with snow, falling to sea level, followed…
Remarkables; The Grand Couloir, Queenstown
The Grand couloir is an obvious ski line leading from close to the summit of the Remarkables, down to Lake Alta. It is a reasonably popular descent, the skiing is fall line and aesthetic. At the steepest it might be a touch over 40 degrees, but the majority is in the mid to high 30s….
Mt Bonpland, Humboldt Mountains, Glenorchy
By Joel O’Rourke – Bon-what? Yeah, I said the same thing. A quick google search reveals it’s a mountain near the Routeburn Track behind Glenorchy. There is a small glacier (Bryant Glacier) that hangs above the valley and two couloir, one to the north and one to the south of the peak. Given the recent…
Somnus Couloir, Mt Somnus, Humbolt Range, Routeburn
Joel O’Rourke New Zealand’s mountains have waived goodbye to the extended sunshine and has developed a serious melancholy; the doldrums of drizzle, cloud and humidity have set in. Whilst waiting for the inevitable return of consistent good weather the forecast came through with a Saturday of partly cloudy (and no rain!) and plans came together to…
Mt Ferguson, Richardson Mountains, Glenorchy…
This route is on private land so seek permission from the Scott family at Rees Valley Station (03 442 9908) and please treat the land with respect. The Ferguson basin and valley is also used for heli skiing, during which time access may not be granted. View Larger Topographic Map Mt Ferguson is a day…
Garvie Mountains – Blue Lake Huts – Backcountry ski tour
Here is a five star ski tour in the Garvie Mountains, SE of Queenstown. The Blue Lake Huts makes a wonderful base from which to explore from. The terrain has something for everyone; steeps, rolling ridges, bluffs, lakes, chute, ice climbing. Note – this is on private land and permission is required before proceeding. View…
Eyre Mountains; Symmetry Peaks
A day ski touring trip from Queenstown with moderately easy access. I found the Eyre Mountains at this area to be very interesting topography with many options for the ski tourer. There are both shorter day trips as well as some longer ridge traverses possible. The geology is quite rugged with steeper terrain, which offers…
North Pisa Range Robrosa Hut
Another ski touring option on the North Pisa Range is to base out of the Robrosa Hut. Situated in the north branch of the Cliff Burn it is a short trip from the Snow Park. The hut is surrounded by ski lines and also offers easy access tot he east faces of the Pisa Range…
Pisa Range – Cromwell Faces
Ski Touring Cromwell Faces For some reason the Cromwell Faces are almost totally ignored as a ski touring destination. The upper reaches of the Tinwald Burn offers great ski touring terrain and some of the most consistent snow around. The eastern aspect holds snow really well and since it is off the main divide it…