New Zealand

With stunning scenery and world class terrain, New Zealand has plenty to offer skiers looking for something a little bit different. With options from hut based touring in the glaciated valleys amongst New Zealand’s highest mountains to tiny local ski hills with unique communities and outstanding terrain, Canterbury has all the ingredients for an awesome backcountry adventure.

This is authentic, local skiing and boarding in one of the most beautiful landscapes on earth. This isn’t the world of massive corporate mega-resorts. It’s a place where New Zealander’s love of mountains and DIY attitude have produced communities of passionate and friendly locals with access to some amazing mountains. It’s not set up for international visitors, but we’ve been skiing and guiding here for years. We’ll figure out the weather, find the best snow, sort out the logistics (helicopters/ski-planes/hut bookings etc.), ski area roads, crazy infrastructure and conditions.

With so many options for backcountry riding, we're your guide to the best terrain for your level and style.

NZ's conditions are fickle, but it's always good somewhere. Tap into our local knowledge to find the best snow.

Explore New Zealand’s biggest mountains, with epic touring in some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere.

Meet the locals, use their barbecues, sample their brews, and get the most out of your New Zealand trip.

How it works

We do all our guiding in NZ in partnership with two local companies. They give us the support and logistical muscle to operate safely in some serious mountains, and help us stay small and nimble so we can move around as the conditions require:

Anna Keeling Guiding oversees our operations in the Craigieburn Range and Arthur’s Pass areas. The undisputed matriarch of the Craigieburns, Anna has serious history in these hills and literally sets the standards for guiding in New Zealand and the US.

As one of the biggest and oldest guiding companies in NZ, Alpine Guides (AGL) hold the logistical fort in Mount Cook Village. AGL have mastered just about every imaginable combination of skiing, climbing, mountaineering, hut trips, helicopters, ski-planes, and winter camping. Working alongside this crew gives us access to some of the best guiding knowledge and resources anywhere.

We offer two kinds of trips:

Hut trips, where we head into the big mountains (usually by air - helicopter or ski-plane) to stay in a hut and go touring. These trips are generally based out of Mt Cook Village. The weather can often shut down any skiing around the huts, so we usually plan to spend part of these trips touring from huts (based on good weather) and the rest of the time skiing in smaller, more sheltered mountain ranges, including the Craigieburn Range.

Base camp trips, where we stay in local AirBnB style accommodation and make day trips to go touring. We’ll make a plan each morning, head out to wherever the conditions are best, and then come home to relax each night.

There’s limited on-mountain accommodation in NZ, and the weather is fickle. Staying low and driving to ski or board each day gives us much more flexibility and helps us make the most of the conditions.

explore New Zealand’s best skiing and boarding with us:

Featured

10 DAY BIG MOUNTAIN HUT TRIP PLUS - bookings closed for 2026

This is the big one. Ten days gives us time to line up a proper weather window for a hut trip in and around New Zealand’s biggest mountians, and plenty of time to explore some of the other great backcountry touring around Canterbury. If you’re looking for a longer hut trip (up to seven days), or you want to explore the club fields and the high mountains, this trip is for you.

7 DAY HIGH COUNTRY HUT TRIP - bookings closed for 2026

Join us for hut based ski and splitboard touring in Aoraki-Mt Cook National Park. New Zealand has an extensive network of backcountry huts for hikers, hunters, climbers and - in winter - skiers. These huts extend into New Zealand’s highest mountains, providing access to epic ski and splitboard touring. Ride alpine faces amidst glaciers, craggy peaks, and incredible views. These huts are at higher elevations than most ski areas, providing access to good quality snow and massive terrain.

5 DAY CRAIGIEBURN RANGE BACKSTAGE PASS BASE CAMP TRIP - bookings closed for 2026

This is your all access pass to the Craigieburn Range, home to awesome backcountry touring, rad small ski areas, and local ski culture that’s a blast from the past in all the right ways.

We’ll stay in AirBnB style accommodation in Castle Hill Village, within striking distance of six small ski areas and an entire mountain range of epic backcountry touring. Five days gives us time to explore, and gives you a real shot at some of the most prized objectives along the range. Whether it’s bagging peaks, first tracks in some steep chutes, or putting turns into basins that will be the envy of everyone in the valley, this is the way to do it.