New Zealand 2010 Trip Plans/Thoughts/Reviews Thread
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Hey look, nature does what nature doesI'm trying to hang on for as long as I can, knowing things can change drastically in a few days.
I always allow / expect to lose some days to the weather, but at the moment the balance of possibilities is against Ruapehu.Last edited by a moderator:
geez iski
don't mention the deadly huge carnivorous plants against which there is no antidote, as well!
For ever day I haven't gone to Ruapehu because the weather was going to be awful, there is one I should have.
ok, I remember that day they got people trapped up there, that was pretty dumb, Metservice was onto that one, but I don't think anybody got more than cold.
The "wash out" has scaled back a lot. Still not flash for canterbury, boy they are having a rollercoaster season up there!Another brilliant day today, this time in the North Buchanans. Taking advantage of the fine spell of weather before the change later in the week. Again 20-30 cms of fresh all the way to the valley floor at times so some quite long runs. Started on Mt Eostre then a few on Dragons tail then a few more of Beam me up where we were able to ski to the valley floor at around 3900 ft (run vert around 2700 ft). Funny skiing over tussocks mounds with 20 cms snow on top - all good though, just a little harder work through it. Some pretty spectacluar terrain in there. Don't think I have ever got down that low on that run. Another couple on Dragons tail on the way out - all fresh lines. Magic.150 days! F%$@ dude! NIce!
Roge has nice skis. Maybe you can ask him why he skis them and add his thoughts to the fat ski thread?Well the risk of a biblical flood as forecast for the Southern Lakes seems to be ebbing....much less moisture about Friday...and the uppers are still probably cold enough to carry at least wet snow for the ski areas in Canterbury over 1800m when it gets there Saturday.
Not much fresh nice stuff in the crystal ball until Wednesday unfortunately...but it is New Zealand.Just got back from Mt. Cook. Another great day. Left Wanaka around 7:45 with a fwe others by car for the 2 hour drive to Glentanner. Started off with cloudless skies and went into the Ben Ohaus and skied Mt. Mary - crusty up top but came good lower down. Had 3 runs there, then wind started to pick up and other options weren't on so we switched to the Gammack range. Had some short but sweet runs in about 30-40cm of powder in First stream then lunch. A few more different lines, then back to Burn Baby burn for a couple to finish off. 9 runs around 6,000 vert metres.
Then as a bonus the heli we were flying in needed a service in Wanaka so a few of us got to fly back - 40 mins against a 2 hour drive - very speccy - got back just before dark.just visiting said:
Roger certainly can crank his Stöcklis. He has mates who have the Ski Connect shop from Switzerland so he gets a good deal. They are bloody heavy though!Last edited by a moderator:
golly, is Hutt jinxed?
Although the evidence for wearing helmets isn't that great, I'll keep wearing mine.
Best wishes to the poor guy.... I suppose he's traversed to the north and come down to the road.Last edited by a moderator:presume they were heading out over the Bluff to the chutes...never easy even in the best conditionsAnother car went off the Hutt access road on Tuesday around the same time as the avalanche. Was a local (wife of a guide), luckily all ok though.
Was blowing a gale today at Craigieburn but luckily no rain, wind created very tasty windbuff which was filling quick enough to cover tracks on each run. Was surprised how good the cover was, snow from the very bottom of the access road on the drive in and bottom tow was skiable.
Heliskiing yesterday in the Arrowsmiths with Methven Heli produced the goods as usual, I'd forgotton how much better the Terrain is in the Arrowsmiths vs. any of the Terrain I've heliskied in the Wanaka area.
Fingers crossed the rain passes north of the club fields.Just finished a week skiing at Cardrona and TC. Light snowfall all day at TC today, but light rain started at the base late in the afternoon. Very windy at times, and the Saddle Quad was on wind hold for most of the day. The groomed runs have enough cover to withstand a bit if rain, but the off piste areas are looking thin. Windy in Wanaka at the moment (white caps on the lake). I think there has been a downgrade on the amount of rain expected, so for those heading over soon, I would not worry too much.
6 Degrees and raining heavily in Tekapo. Coupled with the huge winds yesterday afternoon / night so much for that lovely 70cm. Maybe tuesday will produce something.
I'll be there starting Thursday, at either Cardrona or TC .
Hope to get a look at Coronet and Ohau during our stay at Wanaka
seeing i have'nt ridden there before.
Here's hoping that dumpage does eventuate and that there's a bit
more powder about and less ice.
Don't expect any dumpage.
Mountains around Queenstown/Wanaka got a bit more wet snow up high last night. My pick would be Remarks or TC.Not looking anywhere as spectacular as i was hoping
my first day is monday, do you think tc or cardrona in these conditions ?Last edited by a moderator:
Just been looking at some pictures of the water pouring off Raupehu, not to mention the rocks poking out. Baring miracles, BofSki's north island trip is heading south. Will make final call on Monday but it's a pretty forgone conclusion.
Anybody about Canterbury / Mackenzie from 23 to 31 Aug? Been to Roundhill last year, and keen to try that massive new tow - didn't fancy the hike last time.I am off to Christchurch tonight, I was planning on skiing round Methven but looking at the weather I think I will head down to Queenstown or Wanaka tomorrow and work my way back up to Methvan stopping off at Ohau.
Anybody have a clue where the best place to ski on Monday will be ??
looked at coronet this morning no new snow at the bottom desided to spend the day drinking, going to give tomorrow a crack, im thinking TC wed or thurs depending what happens
Coronet had a little new snow up high. Absolutely beautiful sunny day and I think it would have been pretty good up there today.
I made a shotty video of my week in Queenstown with the boys, for half of them it was their first time!
http://vimeo.com/14135885
I wanna go back..Last edited by a moderator:
Neslot said:
Cool vid.
I liked all the stacks around the 2min mark.Last edited by a moderator:
Just got back from touring a bit of the south island in a campervan.
Had 4 great days of powder and fresh snow following last weekends storm.
Hit up Porters on Monday, Mt Hutt on Tuesday, Mt Dobson on Wednesday and Roundhill on Thursday.
Porters was pretty good on Monday, with a bit of a traverse (1 minute) we had fresh snow on every run down. Hitched a lift up from the bottom in the back of a ute tray which was unexpected.
Mt Hutt's terrain was big and steep but it was already pretty tracked out by Tuesday. With a decent (10 minute) traverse we still scored fresh runs all the way down to the bottom lift.
Mt Dobson was our clear favourite with just a short traverse from the lift to fresh tracks all day. Excellent terrain with just a short hike. Access road was a scary drive in our van with deep snowdrifts on the road coming down.
Amazing that even on Thursday we had heaps of fresh snow up at Roundhill 4 days after the storm! The new nutcracker they put in was a bit tricky but accessed long fresh runs.
I gotta say the club fields rock. We hands down preferred them to the more commercial fields. There's barely any people and the terrain you can access is unreal.
The folks are friendly and give you great advice on where the snows the best, good hikes etc. Loved it.at ZQN on the way home for another year. Had a good last day around Triple peak in the Buchanans getti9ng above the rain layer. Was good skiing in somewhat dense new snow down to around 1700m then started to get into some breakable crust so picked up high and did more shorter runs.
Watched Southland defend Ranfurly shield - good to see.
just had a good day at Coronet had to stick to the gromers though due too bullet proof ice, has anyone been to remarks yesterday or today, just wondering what its like up there.skiied mt hutt yesterday, was pretty hard and nasty inthe morning but it softened nicely by lunchtime.
today we tried porters but there was a long line for the tbar and the cover looked pretty thin, so we decided to ship off to cheeseman, which turned out to be even thinner on the ground. one of the guys in the day lodge said they had 90mm of rain and lost 50cm of snow
We are supposed to be going to Broken River tommorow, I'm a bit worried as to what we might find!Last edited by a moderator:
Was at Coronet today doing the family thing. Had a couple of runs in the afternoon.
Classic late winter Coronet conditions with sugar on concrete up high and spring snow down low.
I really thought it would have softened a lot more.I was at porters today too, had afew good runs, real spring time boarding, but the line ups for the T-Bars were crazy long,
Would be an amazing place to be on a powder day.
Found CP to be pretty good this weekend actually, especially off the 6 seater. CP and Remarks would be my pic for the Southern Lakes for the next few days, hearing sad things about TC.Similar threads
