A Brief Stint in the Craigieburns and the Remarkables

When everybody had given up on the season the snow finally started falling and with over 30cms of new we were off to the Craigieburn Range for my one and only time riding Craigieburn this season. Huge thanks to Licence to Chill

Castle Hill and the Craigieburn Range

For the past month and a half there had been no measurable precipitation so people were starved for powder.

Everybody in Christchurch is at Craigieburn

With the snow being maritime I was at an advantage and while others fell left and right I was able to find the goods.

and we have a snowpack again

Craigieburn like many other NZ club fields uses Nut Crackers which means it’s harder to go uphill and the slopes get tracked slower.

concentrate

And there are some amazing slopes all accessed by the rope tow.

Open alpine

All within a 20 minute hike

At the end of the day I hiked along the ridge line for 30 minutes to an untracked face in the sun but when I got there it whited out. Only in NZ

Hiking into the Slackcountry

Maritime Pow

After that Pow and I took a bus down to the Otago country and stayed with our good friend Adam and rode his local haunt the Remarkables

Dropping into Wye creek

We started to head for a peak far in the range but the weather started deteriorating and one thing I have learned is when it turns head back.

No snow in lower Wye Creek

The place is a tad bit scenic

Double Cone shines in the sun

On our way back we decided to stop by the Double Cone which was still in the sun and looked like it had a tasty couloir.

Skinning up Double Cone

I think it goes?

SCORE!!!

Thank you for reading and If you enjoyed reading this and want to see more ski tours within New Zealand check out this link

Options for Other Ski Tours Tours Abroad

Japan Powder Pilgrimage

Ski Tours in Northern Norway

Exploring the Khibney Mountains of Russia

And Other Tours Abroad