Take it to the next level
Development programmes

Expert instructors, a supportive environment, and a whānau feel. Our development programmes are a step up in commitment, on a path to becoming a more competent or expert skier or snowboarder. Development programmes run at Whakapapa, and are tailored to the needs of both junior and adult riders.

All our development programmes for the 2023 season have now run.

Join Tūroa holiday crew

A school holiday programme that runs five days (Monday to Friday) both weeks of the September / October New Zealand school holidays, at Tūroa Ski Area.

The Tūroa Holiday Crew is open to skiers aged 6-16 years, and snowboarders aged 8-12 years. School aged children are allocated to a group based on age and ability, and supported in a fun, safe, and positive environment, created by their qualified instructor.

9am – 3pm, across all five days. Ability levels from 1-3 in the first week, and 1-5 in the second week.

Please check here: https://www.mtruapehu.com/ski-ability to see what ability level your child is.

Children need to bring their own lunch, must own a Mt Ruapehu ski or snowboard pass, and have their own equipment.

Join Whakapapa holiday crew

Much like the school holiday programme that runs at Tūroa, the Whakapapa Holiday Crew also runs five days (Monday to Friday) both weeks of the September / October New Zealand school holidays, at Whakapapa Ski Area.

Also open to skiers aged 6-16 years, but also to snowboarders aged from 8 years up to 16 years. School aged children are allocated to a group based on age and ability, and supported in a fun, safe, and positive environment, created by their qualified instructor.

Whakapapa will also run a High Performance Holiday Crew this school holidays, for advanced skiers aged 6-16 years, aiming to further their technique. This is a great opportunity to work towards a competitive or performance goal.
9am – 3pm, across all five days. Ability levels from 1-6 both weeks of the school holidays.

Please check here: https://www.mtruapehu.com/ski-ability to see what ability level your child is.

Children need to bring their own lunch, must own a Mt Ruapehu ski or snowboard pass, and have their own equipment.

Join academy

An academy programme for absolute beginners to all mountain rippers. Our youth academy runs across 5 weekends, alternating between two groups, or across a whole 10 weeks. Kids are matched with an experienced instructor, based on age and ability, to build solid techniques, and have a whole lot of fun, over the course of the season.

Open to skiers aged 6-16, and snowboarders aged 8-16, the Academy programme runs 6 hours per day on mountain.

Join high performance squad

The High Performance Squad (previously known as the Development Squad) is designed for those riders working towards higher, more competitive goals.
The squad will be more focused, aiming to further their technique and performance at every opportunity. It's a great opportunity to work and train towards a competitive goal in the future, and an awesome stepping stone towards joining Team Ruapehu.
If you are looking for a more focused step up from Academy then this is the programme for you!

Join development weekends

Our Adult Development Weekends are an awesome programme for anyone who would like to progress their skiing to the next level over the course of the season.
We aim to have groups from beginner levels, to all-mountain skiers. You will ski with one of our highly qualified instructors and create a perfect learning environment to achieve group goals, improve your technique and keep ahead of our younger shredders.

Join development weeks

This week long programme is designed for your personal development alongside some fun, social, activities. This programme is the perfect way to break bad habits and increase your confidence on the snow.

Open to women aged 16 and over for all ability levels between 1-6. 20 hours on snow coaching over the course of 5 days.