Private Guiding - Ski or Mountaineering
Private Backcountry Skiing
Customise a private day or several days with up to 5 people. An additional day of touring will introduce you to the great sport of ski/snowboard touring or expand on previous avalanche training. If you are interested in the Haute Route but have not toured before, we suggest you take a shakedown day out with a guide. Your guide will find you the best skiing in the range.
Ski touring between ski areas is definitely an option! AKG offers private multi-day tours. In big seasons, it may be possible to ski right to the valley.
Ski Mountaineering:
We love climbing and skiing off local peaks when conditions are right. Contact us if you’d like to work on ski mountaineering skills, rope work, and crevasse rescue. We have the knowledge and skills to help you learn a sport that requires more gear and judgement than what is required for backcountry skiing and riding.
Ski Mountaineering & Mountaineering
Arthur’s Pass National Park contains Temple Basin ski area (a club field). Although it’s not quite NZ’s oldest ski area, Temple does maintain a rusticity not seen at many other places. From the summit of Arthur’s Pass, a steep bush track leads to the lodges and three ski lifts. Fortunately the goods lift carries skis and equipment for you as you hike the trail 1.5-2 hours to the base area. Temple Basin bridges the frontcountry/backcountry paradigm with elegance. Short hikes take you to riding paradise and the many chutes and steeps of Bill’s Basin.
Across the highway from Temple is spectacular Mt Rolleston and it’s lower neighbor, Mt Philistine. Both offer superb ski mountaineering. Many Canterbury ski mountaineers have cut their teeth on the “Otira Slide” on the northwest side of both mountains. Most years it’s possible to skin from within 45 minutes of the highway. Skiing from the summit is an option on both peaks as is leaving the skis to ‘tag’ the summit followed by an easier run lower on the mountain.
While Mt Philistine and Rolleston are high peaks within easy access of the highway, smaller peaks – Avalanche Peak or Mt Bealey – offer good skiing when conditions permit. Behind Philistine and Rolleston, the Waimakariri col and Mt Armstrong are in reach from the Upper Waimak Falls hut. A guide can be hired for the ascent in classic guided style or you can hire an instructor to show you the ’ropes’ in ski mountaineering.
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