Backcountry Guiding
Join a backcountry adventure with qualified guides and find out what real skiing and boarding on Mt Ruapehu has to offer. This new service will be operating from 21 July this year.
“To be bound to one slope, even one mountain, by a lift may be convenient but it robs us of the greatest pleasure that skiing can give, that is to travel through the wide wintery country”.
Hans Gmoser – Founder of CMH and Heliski pioneer.
This season we are offering guided trips into the backcountry every open day from both Turoa and Whakapapa Ski Areas. These trips will be led by internationally qualified guides and safety will be the priority at all times. All safety related equipment and a gourmet lunch will be supplied so all you need to bring is a smile, camera and appropriate ski/board equipment and clothing.
Trips start from just $125 pp. To book just come to the customer services desks at either Whakapapa or Turoa. A non-refundable $100 deposit will be required to secure a booking. If the mountain is closed or a trip unable to proceed then a refund will be given. A minimum number of 2 people is required for each adventure. Maximum number of 10 people – contact us, we can make anything possible!
Trip Options (we can design a trip to suit any requirements)
Crater Lake Basin Experience
Duration: 5 hours return
Ability: strong intermediate to advanced skiers and boarders.
Cost: $165 per person – including lunch
Description: This trip begins with meeting your guide at either the Giant Café or the Knoll Ridge Café and then it’s off to do a warm-up run. This is important as it allows your guide to assess your skiing or boarding ability in order to tailor the day appropriately.
Backcountry Adventure
Duration: 4 hours return
Ability: strong intermediate to advanced expert
Cost: $125 per person – including lunch
Description: Based on the conditions of the day, this experience is one you will not forget and involves exploring the fringes of the Ski Area Boundary seeking out the best conditions to be had on the day. Don’t waste your time on the mountain looking for the good snow – let our guides take you there straight away.
Two Mountain Traverse
Duration: 5 hours (either return or via shuttle)
Ability: Advanced to expert skiers and boarders
Cost: $165 per person – including lunch and shuttle
Description: Join a guide at Whakapapa or Turoa and make your way to the opposite ski area via the crater lake basin or explore massive amounts of terrain on the way. This trip can really cover some ground so a high level of fitness is required. Enjoy some of the hundreds of hectares of open country between the two ski areas and finish the day off with a drink on the café deck before being driven back to your car at your start point.
Safety
Travel in the backcountry during the winter months can be a hazardous activity and safety is the number one priority. All clients will be supplied with avalanche rescue beacons and given a training session on avalanche rescue techniques. Our guides are trained to international standards and all have extensive experience on Mt. Ruapehu and the world’s mountain regions. They use this knowledge and experience to make informed decisions to manage the risks of backcountry travel at all times. As with any activity in the alpine environment, each trip will be subject to conditions on the day and may not include all items listed in the above descriptions. All guides are trained and equipped to manage any emergency that could eventuate and carry first aid supplies and two-way radios.
Our Guides
All guided trips are overseen by our head guides, who all have large mountain resumes including ski patrolling, mountain guiding, alpine cliff rescue and personal recreation with a cumulative experience of more than 70 years in the mountains.
Mike Adolph, Head Guide – Whakapapa
Mike is an ACMG (Canada) qualified alpine guide and assistant ski guide who manages his own outdoor education centre in Alberta, Canada. Mike is one exam away from completing his international mountain guiding qualification and has climbed and skied extensively in Canada and NZ. Mike commutes between Canada and NZ to keep his feet in the snow.
Andy Hoyle, Guide - Whakapapa
Andy is working through the NZ Mountain Guides Association ski guide qualifications and works full-time at Mt Ruapehu as the Safety Services Manager at Whakapapa. Andy oversees the summer guiding programme at the same time as managing his own rock-climbing business on and around Mt Ruapehu.
Hans Hjelde, Head Guide – Turoa
Hans has been travelling between Turoa (New Zealand) and Snowbasin (Utah) for 8 years now and has extensive Ski Mountianeering and Ski Patrolling experience. He now specialises in the Snow Safety and Guiding operations and intimately knows every square meter inside and outside the boundaries of both ski areas. Hans recently spent a month in the Himalaya as an Avalanche Mitigation Consutant, he is fantastic as a guide and specialises in finding the best quality snow.
Murray Brown, Guide - Turoa
Murray Brown - Better known as Muz to locals, was the Snow Safety Officer at Turoa for 8 years and has a massive knowledge of snow conditions on Ruapehu. Murray Ski Patrolled full time for 15 years at Turoa and has also spent time in the Banff region of Canada patrolling at Sunshine Village. Muz has named several areas inside and outside the Ski Area Boundary and knows the mountain like the back of his hand. He is an epic storyteller that can relate stories to most of the areas he’s named.
Further Information
 | Backcountry Guiding Frequently Asked Questions Adobe Acrobat Document: 12.6 KB, 2 seconds @ 56kbps |
If you have any specific questions about some of our trips, wish to customise a trip or are curious about the current backcountry conditions please email Mike at bcguide@mtruapehu.com. For bookings please contact our customer services departments on 07 892 3738 for Whakapapa or 06 385 8456 for Turoa.
