This is the big one. Ten days gives us time to line up a proper weather window for a hut trip in and around New Zealand’s biggest mountians, and plenty of time to explore some of the other great backcountry touring around Canterbury. If you’re looking for a longer hut trip (up to seven days), or you want to explore the club fields and the high mountains, this trip is for you.
Join us for hut based ski and splitboard touring in Aoraki-Mt Cook National Park. New Zealand has an extensive network of backcountry huts for hikers, hunters, climbers and - in winter - skiers. These huts extend into New Zealand’s highest mountains, providing access to epic ski and splitboard touring. Ride alpine faces amidst glaciers, craggy peaks, and incredible views. These huts are at higher elevations than most ski areas, providing access to good quality snow and massive terrain.
This is your all access pass to the Craigieburn Range, home to awesome backcountry touring, rad small ski areas, and local ski culture that’s a blast from the past in all the right ways.
We’ll stay in AirBnB style accommodation in Castle Hill Village, within striking distance of six small ski areas and an entire mountain range of epic backcountry touring. Five days gives us time to explore, and gives you a real shot at some of the most prized objectives along the range. Whether it’s bagging peaks, first tracks in some steep chutes, or putting turns into basins that will be the envy of everyone in the valley, this is the way to do it.
It’s simple: We meet you in the morning on day 1. You get in the van. On day 10, we take you to your next hotel/airport/whatever. You get out of the van.
In between, we go wherever it takes and do whatever it takes to ski and board great snow in great terrain. That means plenty of hiking with the occasional lift thrown in for good measure. On the way, we stay, eat, and relax in local inns, pensions, onsens, restaurants, and izakayas. You won’t see many of the tourist spots, but we promise you won’t hold that against us.
Join us for five days of backcountry touring from our home base in Higashikawa. At the foot of the Daisetsuzan mountains, this sleepy town is the ideal location for access to Hokkaido’s best backcountry - that’s why we’re there! Each day we’ll head to one of the amazing local ski spots and each night we’ll eat and relax in one of the many excellent local restaurants and izakayas.
You’ll stay in local AirBnB style accommodation (no endless packing and unpacking) with room to relax in your own space. Comfort, amazing local food, and unforgettable riding.
Long enough to see the real Hokkaido backcountry, short enough that you won’t need to put your kids in a orphanage. Focusing our time on the backcountry in Central Hokkaido, we’ll stay, eat and ski where the locals do. Small groups and flexible itineraries allow us to make the most of the weather and conditions.
Expect to hike for most of your turns, with the occasional lift mixed in to speed up access or make the most of a storm day. Five days is a perfect amount of time to see some of Hokkaido’s best kept secrets without blowing out your budget or your quads.
