the Mountain

• Our terrain goes from a sublime beginner-intermediate t-bar, with 140m vertical, to our nut-cracker rope tow which is about 300m of fall line skiing (think Treble Cone front side steepness).
• Ski season is usually mid-June to early-October.
• Last few years we have been the 1st field to open in the North Island.
• We are low lying ** (1260m lower mtn) and being on Mt. Taranaki we have rain events which can put pay to our mid and lower mtn snowpack (either washing it away, or turning our pack isothermal).
• So, Mt Taranaki = lots of precip (2nd wettest in NZ) = also ice climbers mecca!
• Too steep for snow touring here - crampons and serious alpine (and experience!) if you want to venture away from the ski area.

** the car park at Turoa is basically the same elevation as the top of our field!

• Lower mountain is an alpine tussock meadow (mowed), so only needs 20-30cm of cover and we are into it, which is why we open early!
• Our snowpack can come and go during the season - hence we can’t guarantee consistent operation throughout the season; more like the local surf conditions; 'when it's on' you have to get here before it goes!
• Prices - $45 for a day pass.
• Club membership has benefits;  access to family season pass = $100 (with 2 working bees, otherwise $200), access to one of the best NZ alpine club lodges (10yrs old, sleeps 33).
• No-frills friendly atmosphere.

• We are the opposite of commercial (eg not that convenient, but a well earned day of exercise and skiing).
• You have to walk in with your gear (25-30min; goods lift halfway), good alpine footwear essential; good warm up for the walk in = less chance of injury!
• Modest tuck shop - our pies are a treat!
• NO ski hire on-mountain! NO lessons!
• We have the only fully sealed access road to a club field car park. Safe road - a slide off the road is just gonna ding your car into the fauna on the side of the road!
• Road to car park is well gritted and well maintained (by local council contractor).
• We advise you carry chains, you will require chains on 2WD on occasion.
• 4WD car with road tyres is plenty here most of the time. 
• We are never crowded, so a good place to learn snowboarding, getting used to riding a tbar etc.
• Snowboarders definitely like our natural half pipes that abound throughout the area.
• We are a surfing dominated province, so we are dominated by snowboarders here.
• Good warm up for Ruapehu and other ski areas (our lower mountain is a bit of a yoyo area, being small, so can't offer big expansive skiing like Turoa or Whakapapa; however our upper mountain is pretty expansive in it's own right; especially when access is open to both sides of the top-tow!).