New Zealand is the land of helicopters. They're involved in just about every kiwi outdoor activity. Mountain bikers, kayakers, hikers, hunters, fly-fishers, snowshoers, glacier walkers, and mountaineers all regularly use helis for access. It's only natural that skiers would see this was the transportational equivalent of peanut butter and jelly, and NZ has long had a reputation for great and (relatively) affordable heliskiing.
Kurodake have posted their opening dates for 2017.
The gondola and lift will close on the 4th of January.
The gondola re-opens on the 27th of January (the top lift will still be closed, so you'll have to buy single-ride tickets for the gondola).
The lift re-opens on the 17th of February.
There's already 2m of snow under the lift, and there have been some slides in the steeper terrain, so hopefully the gullies will fill in nicely down low for later in the season.
See you out there!
There's an awful lot to like about skiing in New Zealand. Epic terrain, empty slopes, cool locals and interesting, low-key ski areas. But there's not denying that conditions here can be tricky.
One of the most common conversations I have back in Australia is about the timing of people's ski trips here. For some reason, a lot of people end up planning their trips here in July. So let me make this really simple:
The best skiing in NZ is August and September. September typically has the most snow, but it gets pretty warm from mid September onwards, so it's hard to ski powder. August is the most reliable option for winter conditions.
Officially, the season here starts in June. Keep in mind that the club fields don't have snowmaking or grooming, so they're absolutely reliant on natural snowfall to open. Plus, rope-tows need enough snow on the tow-lines (where you get pulled up the slope) to open, so they need decent coverage to get started. Less than 50% of the last 6 seasons have opened in June. If you plan a trip here in June, there's a very good chance you'll end up sitting around in town, or skiing a strip of man-made snow down a groomer at a commercial field.
Keen followers of the Powder Project instagram account (@thepowderproject - it's good) will no doubt be wondering, "Who's that guy in the orange jacket?"
It turns out he's my brother, James. Not only is he ruggedly handsome, he's a good ski touring partner and we've done a bunch of good trips together in New Zealand and Japan. He's basically the perfect photo model. At least until we can afford pro skiers.
