Backcountry Guided Tours
Typical Backcountry Guided Day
Clients will generally start their day by meeting the Guide at one of Ski Area Base facilities around about 09:00am. Over a coffee or tea they will review the planned route, get their first formal safety briefing and become familiar with the safety equipment they will need to complete the mission ahead. After this introduction they will make their way with their guide to the top of the lifts where they will then exit the ski area boundary. From here the backcountry experience begins, an average day on all of our trips generally consists of skiing or riding over 1000 vertical meters, some hiking/skinning, a gourmet lunch with fantastic views and a Mt Ruapehu experience one will never forget.
As guides it is our personal mission to safety put you into some of the best possible skiing or riding conditions Mt Ruapehu has to offer on any given day!!!
We have four main trips to choose from:
Tukino/Summit Plateau Traverse
This is New Zealand’s best one day ski or board tour, it offers an abundance of moderate to advanced slope options depending on your ability. You get to cross and ski or ride up to three of the Mt Ruapehu’s glaciated snowfields with lunch is served overlooking Mt Ruapehu’s infamous Crater Lake! The final push down towards the eastern side of Mt Ruapehu can provide up to 1200m of uninterrupted skiing or riding with almost a 180° choice of aspects to find the best snow on the day. As part of the package a pickup will drop you back to your desired location at the end of the day. The Tukino/Summit Plateau Traverse is priced at $495 for the first person and $100 for every person after that to a maximum of four persons, pickup is included in the price.
Whakapapa/Turoa Traverse
The Hauhungatahi Wilderness Area in between Turoa and Whakapapa is vast and provides some of our most famous volcanic skiing and riding terrain on Mt Ruapehu. The traverse starts from 2300m and has very minimal climbing (short hikes in strategic locations); you have the option of either one way with a pick up or there and back again. Your guide will choose some of the best skiing and riding lines that provide a safe un-crowded experience and you have the option of skiing and riding as much vertical meters as your body can handle. The Whakapapa/Turoa Traverse is priced at $375 for the first person and $100 for every person after that to a maximum of four persons.
Lift Accessed Backcountry Guiding
Both Turoa and Whakapapa have vast areas of Terrain which are considered Lift Accessed Backcountry Areas, where you can ski or ride in the backcountry all day long whilst using the lifts to access these areas. Our Guides can maximise your time and experience in this terrain with safety at the top of the list, they know where all the hidden stashes of powder are several days after the last storm and generally when the best snow exists in these areas the Backcountry Avalanche hazard is at its most dangerous. The Lift Accessed Backcountry Guiding is priced at $375 for the first person and $100 for every person after that to a maximum of four persons.
Crater Lake Excursion
This trip will let you experience the Crater Lake area and ski or ride some fantastic terrain on the way. Again there are several different routes we can take you depending on your ability, fitness levels and of course the weather. The Crater Lake Excursion is priced at $375 for the first person and $100 for every person after that to a maximum of four persons.
