While they might not be as plentiful as in winter, there are still a lot of options for snow-seekers in summer. Our New Zealand and Canada resort manager Andrew has done seasons in Australia and the South Island of NZ.
He’s decided to spend the last nine summers riding Mt Ruapehu on the North Island. There’s got to be some good reasons to spend almost a decade in one resort so let’s check in and see what they are.
Why Ride Mt Ruapehu
Everyone will defend their local resort to the bitter end. So when you’re reading local resort reports, make sure that you understand where the review is coming from.
I’m from the East Coast of Canada originally. So despite being here for 9 winters, it’s hard to call Mt Ruapehu my local. I have to put in a lot of effort and about 30 hours of travel to get here. Here’s why it’s a no-brainer for me to keep coming back here year after year.
The Terrain
Mt Ruapehu offers the first and second largest ski resorts in NZ. It has the highest vertical drops in both NZ and OZ, all on a single season pass. The two resorts are situated on opposite sides of an active volcano. This means you get the best of both worlds. Head to Whakapapa on the north side if you want to catch the sun early and ride some slush. Or, stick to Turoa on the south side for crispy winter conditions. You can also do a really cool ski tour between both resorts. Make sure you check out the crater lake on the summit on the way across.
The volcanic terrain has been carved out by thousands of years of volcanic activity, which makes for some wild gullies and chutes. There are also wide open faces to let your speed run. This place is so wild compared to anything you see elsewhere. Living at other southern hemisphere resorts I found the parks to be next level, but when it snowed and you wanted to explore the terrain could be limited. Not here though; we’ve got over 1000 acres of some of the best freeride terrain in the world.
Ease of Access
Getting to any resorts in the southern hemisphere is much harder than expected. There are gnarly mountain roads and high snow lines. Living in Wanaka and Jindabyne (OZ) each day started with a 40-60 minute drive depending on the roads and where you wanted to ski. Plus ,the NZ roads often involve a lengthy section of gravel road. Turoa, on the other hand, sits a mere 17 km’s away from our lodge and is paved the whole way up the mountain road. An average trip will take around 24 minutes if you believe Google maps, but I have clocked in in just under 12 in the trusty twin turbo Subaru.
It’s still summertime
Doing winters year round would be a bit rough if it was a full on Canadian winter, complete with -20 temperatures and snow to shovel out of your driveway. Here, while it’s winter on the mountain, it’s not very wintery in town. This means that a whole heap of summer activities are still on the cards. Ohakune and the surrounding area offers some great bike trails and we can be surfing in just 1.5 hours, both activities being a go all winter long.
There’s also the potential for post riding BBQ’s in the backyard for most of the season. When the weather on the mountain gets out of hand, it’s super relaxing to take some time off snow! When the storms have passed, you are left with a renewed desire to ride, and usually a heap of new snow.
The People
Most resorts you travel to are huge international destinations, which does mean a cool crew of like-minded people from around the world. While that can be great, I love Ohakune for the full-on Kiwi experience. Ohakune has yet to blow up as a big ski town and we are set in the middle of farm country. As a result, you get a really cool mix of folks from all walks of life. Head into the bar at 5 pm after riding and you will most likely find;
- A few Kiwis from the nearest city who have skipped work for the day to come ride,
- A carrot farmer who left his muddy boots at the door and is rocking his socks,
- An elderly couple who look too old to ski but still shred harder than you.
- A crew of ski season workers going hard in their work uniforms,
Kiwis are the most welcoming people I have ever met, so if you strike up a few conversations you are going to end up with;
- A place to crash next time you head into the city,
- A sample of Ohakune’s finest carrots
- A dinner invite
- A hangover from sending it with your mates who will still make it to work the next day like a bunch of champs.
Nothing but genuine humans in this part of the world.
If this sounds like your kind of place you should check out all the course offerings we have here in NZ, there’s not many better places to spend a summer.