{"id":17724,"date":"2016-09-02T08:20:32","date_gmt":"2016-09-02T08:20:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.tickettoridegroup.com\/?p=17724"},"modified":"2025-10-17T18:43:18","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T18:43:18","slug":"mt-ruapehu-epic-terrain-all-summer-long","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tickettoridegroup.com\/blog\/mt-ruapehu-epic-terrain-all-summer-long\/","title":{"rendered":"Mt Ruapehu, Epic Terrain all Summer Long"},"content":{"rendered":"

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With all the different options for snowboard courses in New Zealand it\u2019s a big call figuring out which one is the right course for you. We checked in with our NZ Resort Manager, Andrew, who has been coming to NZ to ride for 10 years and has put in time at all the resorts in the country, to see why he chooses to call Mt Ruapehu his home base.<\/p>\n

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The first year I came to NZ Ruapehu was not even on my radar, I had originally moved to Wanaka to ride the South Island resorts. Now don\u2019t get me wrong, the South Island has a lot of good things going on for it, Wanaka is beautiful and it has some next level terrain parks. You will have fun riding there but the terrain just does not compare to what Mt Ruapehu has to offer, the mountain itself is what keeps me coming back year after year.<\/p>\n

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Lets start with the facts, Mt Ruapehu offers NZ\u2019s two largest ski areas, Whakapapa weighs in at 550 hectares and Turoa is a close second place at 500 hectares. Turoa also boasts the largest vertical drop in Australasia at 722m, the deepest snow pack in the country and the longest season in the southern hemisphere most years. Your season pass here is good for both resorts so you have unlimited access to what is by far the most riding in the country.<\/p>\n

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Natural Halfpipes.<\/p>\n

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As this mountain is an active volcano the forces of nature have forged some pretty unique terrain, some of the most entertaining has got to be the deep surf like gullies formed over the millennia by lava flows and lahars. At Turoa duck into the \u201cWhy Not\u2019s\u201d or the \u201cOrgan Pipes\u201d for some large east facing walls that tend to gather snow and avoid the sun for crisp conditions and good slashes. Its pretty much natural halfpipes the whole way down. If you\u2019re at Whakapapa take a look into the \u201cWaterfall Gully\u201d or \u201cBlack Magic\u201d for the same sort of terrain. If there has not been much snow go check out \u201cThe Boneyard\u201d or \u201c Lower Freeway\u201d for some of the same style turns after the sun has softened things up.<\/p>\n

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Chutes<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re looking for similar terrain but like it tight and gnarly there are endless chutes to point it through. Look right on the High Noon Express at Turoa and you will see all the lines through \u201c The fingers\u201d and \u201c The Keyhole\u201d. These are a great place to start as there are lots of wide open run outs to help you dump speed on the exit. If your feeling really gnarly your can go poke around \u201cWorlds End\u201d off the Nga Waiheke chair but we strongly recommend having a good look from the bottom before you drop as lots of these end in mandatory cliffs that can take the unsuspecting rider off guard.<\/p>\n

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Wide open Bowls<\/p>\n

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If your feeling like toning things down a notch or you want to work on some crazy carving (Check out the video below for inspiration) then Turoa has you covered. Head on up to the very cleverly named \u201c Big Bowl or Little Bowl\u201d for some wide opened groomers or take a rip down \u201cBread Run\u201d for a very lengthy top to bottom cruiser lap with some big banks on the sides. This terrain is perfect for some high speed turns or a mellow cruise after a big night out. If you\u2019re at Whakapapa be sure to head up the Knoll Ridge T and do a few euro carves down through \u201c The Gut\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Parks<\/p>\n

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The boys in the park crew at Turoa have been doing an excellent job providing parks for all abilities from first timer to seasoned pro. Start your day off on the winter garden park to get warmed up on the small park which even has a drag lift right next to it, perfect for dialing in new tricks and getting warmed up. Once your firing hop on the high noon for the one of the most entertaining park laps out there. Head down \u201c Vertigo\u201d and blast off a few side hits on your way to the upper rail line stomp your tricks and then cruise more side hits through the waterfall gully or if the snow is good you can blast a few big cliff drops in \u201cThe Fingers\u201d. This will spit you right out at the main park where you can choose either the medium or large slopestyle line or keep it mellow in the \u201cTurtle Ally\u201d park. If your not feeling the jumps you can do a lap through the rollercoaster XL rail park. All of these lines finish up at the XL jump for one last hit and then your right back at the bottom of the chair. You can get 4 of these laps an hour for 7 hours a day and after a few days of this you will be amazed at how far your park riding has come.<\/p>\n

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Side Country<\/p>\n

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If you have brushed up on your avalanche skills and the report is good grab your transceivers and your mates to go check out some of the epic side country options available just out of bounds or a quick hike away. \u201cThe Glacier\u201d at Turoa is always full of pockets of snow and gives you an epic top to bottom run, dropping you back in bounds at the bottom of the Nga Waiheke for easy access back to the top. Head out the opposite direction and you can jump out past \u201c Solitude\u201d for a lap through some massive gullies all the way down past \u201cHome Run\u201d to the base, this is hands down the best lap to finish an epic day. Whakapapa is home to the impressive looking \u201c Pinnacles\u201d where a quick hike can give you some of the gnarliest terrain in New Zealand. If you\u2019re not that sure of your avalanche safety skills there is still lots of similar terrain for you in bounds where Ski Patrol will be able to bail you out. Check out \u201c The Triangle\u201d at Turoa or \u201cAmphitheater\u201d on the Whakapapa side.<\/p>\n

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The best part of riding here year after year is the place is always changing depending on the level of the snow pack, you never know what the place is going to look like after the latest dump. Storms here are pretty wild as its not uncommon to end up with the better part of a meter of snow after a big event. While that perfect day might not happen every time you head up I can still say that in 20 back to back winters around the globe, the deepest day of my life was at Turoa. I\u2019m hoping you can score the goods while you\u2019re here too.<\/p>\n

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-Andrew<\/p>\n

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Want to get involved in a summer shred season? Check out all of our course offering at Mt Ruapehu:<\/p>\n

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