Broken River Cheeseman Craigieburn Hanmer Springs Mt Olympus Temple Basin

Ski & Board Rental

Grooming

On-Mtn Accom

Instruction

Night Skiing

Snack Shop/Canteen

Alcohol Available

Ski/Board Repairs

Terrain

Beginner: 0%, Int: 55%, Adv: 45%

Lifts

3 Ropetows

Skiable Area

290 Hectares

Lift-Accessed Vertical

501m

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Accessed off the Great Alpine Highway SH73, Craigieburn Valley Ski Club (CVSC) is a skiers and snowboarders’ untamed paradise. The 6km beech clad access road is as scenic as it is easy to navigate. A 2WD with chains can drive all the way to the car park most days. Unlike nearby fields it is a 5 minute walk to the ticket office and a gentle stroll from there to the tow.

Skiing & Riding

CVSC is the place to start your club field adventure. With a vertical drop of over 500m Craigieburn is a big ski field. A few runs here will test most skiers. Consisting of two large basins that traverse a range of intermediate and advanced terrain from wide open powder bowls to steep and technical chutes.

The terrain is steeper, more challenging and also more rewarding than most other NZ ski fields and equal to some of the best in the world. We offer some of the most easily accessed gnarly terrain anywhere. Some great hiking opens up so much more for those up to a bit of side country adventuring.

CVSC receives snow from most storm systems, but when a westerly storm hits grab your fat skis.

Craigieburn is the only mountain in New Zealand to offer inbound tree skiing.

Facilities

The 3 rope tows are easy to master but a little rope tow experience is a definite advantage.

The lunch hut or Whakamaru day lodge sits on a knife-edge ridge overlooking Middle Basin and Hamilton Peak, providing possibly one of the finest views of any alpine building in New Zealand. Lunch and drinks can be purchased there.

Accommodation

Koroheke, the main accommodation hut, is nestled amongst the beech forest and only a 3min walk from the access tow. It offers bunkroom accommodation, private twin share rooms and family specific rooms. Koroheke also contains a large dining room and a well-stocked bar upstairs with amazing views of Middle Basin. Relax, eat, drink, and enjoy the surroundings!

Book Accommodation at Craigieburn

WHAT ARE THE CLUBBIES?

Welcome to laid back, affordable, fine grained skiing and snowboarding, barrel-aged to perfection, without the onesies. Sans grippers. New Zealand’s club fields are to sliding in the alpine what Steve McQueen is to cinema. Forget chairlifts. Think woven twine, hardened steel, hardwood timber and No.8 wire. The Clubbies primarily utilise ropetows as a means of upward transport (with a few T-Bars thrown in for good measure), time tested and proven for their low cost, low maintenance and efficiency in moving alpinists to higher elevations. The vibe is unique. You won’t find anything like it anywhere on Earth. Far from the sterile atmosphere you’ll likely experience at most commercial ski areas, The Clubbies emit warmth (it doesn’t affect the snow) and a welcoming vibe. They offer lasting companionship with other like-minded souls, superb skiing and riding (which takes days to get tracked out) and on-mountain lodging - a rarity in the ski areas of New Zealand. The Clubbies are ski clubs (though most definitely open to the public) run by passionate locals who, rather than see soaring profits, would rather feel the rush of the wind in their hair and white stuff sliding beneath their planks.

LOCATION

The Clubbies are nestled in the Southern Alps, between 1.5-2hrs drive west of Christchurch City - New Zealand’s second largest city (that’s not saying much though). Hanging out in the skinny country that we call home, The Clubbies benefit from snow storms from all directions, though prevalently it comes from the west.

Terrain

The Clubbies cater for every type of skier and rider - first timers that have never seen the white stuff in the flesh before, hardened vets who like to point it, huck it, drop it and send it, and everyone in between. The learners’ facilities and terrain on offer at The Clubbies will ensure swift development of beginners looking to progress in the sport while intermediate terrain provides the stimulation and challenge sought by those who have stepped up a level from the days of pizza, fries and falling leaves. And the advanced terrain? Extreme skier and all-time skiing legend Glen Plake visited a few of The Clubbies some years ago and was quietly impressed. Next thing we knew, extreme skiers and riders from all corners started to rock up for their share of the gnar. So, let’s just say that for some of the more challenging runs lurking within The Clubbies deepest darkest, steepest and snarliest corners, you’ll want to wear an extra pair of underpants.