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: 30%, Int: 50%, Adv: 20%

Lifts

1 Poma, 1 Ropetow, 1 Fixed Grip Tow

Skiable Area

30 Hectares

Lift-Accessed Vertical

150m

prev next

Hanmer Springs Ski Area offers NZ grass roots skiing at its best! The fun, super affordable and relaxed culture of the club-run mountain sets it worlds apart from the slick, corporate options of today. It's their belief that a day on the snow is about who you're with, where you are and not how hot your gear is!

Hanmer Springs Ski Area are just 17km from the alpine resort town of Hanmer Springs. From the top of the field there are great views of the surrounding mountains of St James and Molesworth Stations and the distant peaks of the Nelson Lakes National Park.

Skiing + Riding

There are a variety of groomed runs and off piste to choose from for all ages and stages of skill. Slopes can be viewed from the lounge in the Day Lodge so spectators don’t miss out and the beginner’s area is right beside it with excellent open terrain for kids. This is an ideal snowy option for a weekend away with family or a group of friends with cruisy, fun runs for everyone.

Facilities

The car park is at the base of the huts and it’s just a short walk to the tows. There are three lifts - a long poma (forecast to open during the season), a nutcracker rope tow and the learners area has a fixed grip rope tow. If you have never used a nutcracker before, Hanmer Springs is a good place to start !

The Shirtfront rope tow accesses groomed intermediate and off piste runs and provides a great access point for the large Bordeaux Basin which can either be access by the Poma or can be skied via traverse, hike and touring.

The day lodge is warm, self cater, space shared by all day and overnight visitors. Our deck with BBQ makes for a great sunny day lunch spot and stargazing after dinner.

There are no queues so you can get in as many runs as your body can handle and the tows operate until you want to stop!

Accommodation

The cosy on-mountain accommodation is backpacker style and is self catering, so don’t forget to take supplies!

There are four family rooms which have one double bed and three to five single bunk beds each plus four bunkrooms which each can sleep up to nine people. In total the accommodation can house 64 people.

Waking up in a family room and watching the dawn light up the snowclad inland Kaikoura range is a fantastic experience!

Most rooms have north facing windows and all have heaters provided. The showers and toilets are also in this building which makes it easier for after ski warming up!

Book Accommodation at Hanmer Springs

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.