Pisa Conservation Area information for ski touring – submitted by WT. The Pisa Conservation Area is unique for New Zealand ski touring. The area is massive with a network of connected valleys (or burns) making for easy, safe travel. Non-threatening terrain and good access (very atypical for alpine NZ) make the area ideal for learners…
Category: Wanaka Region
Mt Aspiring / Tititea via NW Ramp
Tricky to get this one on with conditions but if you do it will make for a memorable journey skiing the Gnarr. Was skied in firm wind pressed snow, the ice cap had a narrow ribbon of soft snow through the typical 3000m NZ sastruggi making it skiable off the summit. |After that it was firm but…
Ski area access guidelines
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…
Mt Cross from Haast Pass, backcountry ski touring with a little bush bashing..
Writing and photos by Daniel Clearwater – skied early June 2018 There we were, about to ski off a named summit on the main divide; where else in NZ can you do that without a helicopter, in a day trip? It had been grey and miserable for more than a week now. We should have…
Black Peak to Treble Cone via Poolnoon Burn – Harris Mountains
A superior ski tour from Black Peak back to Treble Cone Ski Field is via the Poolnoon Burn. This makes a good long day ski tour using Heli access from Cattle Flat, flying to the summit of Black Peak (Aspiring Helicopters -(03) 443- 7152. The cost should be around $100 mark for the one way…
Cascade Saddle – Upper Dart Glacier- Main Divide Southern Alps
From Wanaka drive out past Treble Cone Ski Area up to Raspberry Creek. Walk into Aspiring hut and hang a left up the Cascade Saddle track. Give yourself a chance by getting an early start as it’s likely to be very slow going on the upper North facing snow slopes. Enjoy the fun ski down…
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…
Ahuriri Valley, back country ski tour – Huxley Range
Early in the winter season there is often a wintry blast that comes in from the south west, drops a good layer of snow down low in the Mackenzie Basin, and into the Ahuriri Valley. In early July 2015 we managed to sneak a ski tour in, skinning up from the Birchwood road , via…
Mt Rob Roy Peak – Avalanche Glacier – Main Divide Southern Alps
Hey the other day I went for a nice day mish up Rob Roy stream, nice place and not much walking to get to the snow (2hrs). That place is worth checking, snow from 1200! From the head of Rob Roy stream head up to the saddle between homestead pk and the start of the…
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…