After a busy winter ski patrolling at Cardrona Alpine resort, IFMGA Mountain Guide Gaz went away with regular ski touring clients Duncan and Bernie, and this time instead of to Tasman Saddle region, went to Plateau Hut, below Aoraki Mt Cook for a grande ski tour with classic big mountain vistas and great corn skiing.
2024 winter is here, and nice cold temps have prevailed so far early season. Not much precipitation as of yet, but early days.
Gary is ski patrolling up at Cardrona Alpine Resort again for the season.
He has a ski tour planned with the usual suspects from Auckland in Late October, and today has had return client Matt booking in a climbing refresher week early November…..
ski touring good times . This year the same crew looking to try and ski tour the mighty west coast….. fingers crossed…
Mountain Guide Gary Dickson and his team of three have just returned from a ski tour based out of Tasman saddle Hut at the head of the Tasman Glacier . A week of great weather, good snow and great banter.
Early September had Mountain Guide Gary heading with two clients up to the head of the Tasman Glacier for ski touring. New snow had recently arrived and they flew in by helicopter on a clearing Southerly, to be based at Tasman Saddle hut for a few days.
Take Photos, leave excellent ski tracks…..10-15cm of powder over a glacier base of hundreds of meters…
Shall we repeat? of course…..
Just back from a week of magnificent ski touring at the head of the Fox Glacier, based out of Pioneer hut 2400m , with a young, enthusiastic couple from Nelson. Wow , what a great settled week of weather.
Skinning back to Pioneer hut 2400m, Fox Glacier after ski touring for the day. What a spectacular home for a week!
Descending at the end of the ski tour to Chancellor Hut perched beautifully above the Fox Glacier hard ice
Ski touring locally off the back of Treble Cone and Cardrona is looking good as the snow is there and the storms have put the snow down. A reasonable cover of snow has been good for the ski fields and also the back country ski touring conditions. The weather forecast this coming week is for great sunniness and excellent local ski touring.
Recently on the Treble Cone back country – new storm snow brewing…
Recent ski touring off the back of Treble Cone ski field
What has been happening?
Today, for a few hours, the Alpinism and Ski team were out developing ski legs fangin around some fresh( 10-15) at Cardies. The weather came and went – great test of the Oakley and Smith goggles, and neck gaiter in the wintery conditions – might have even got some vitamin D!! 🙂
Bring on winter ….. Yeah……
Getting the ski legs for the 2020 ski touring season – Cardrona fresh
On the 19th of September, Gary and Iris will arrive back from Switzerland to their Wanaka , NZ base . Ski touring is on the agenda. Late winter /spring is a superb time to take your winter ski fitness, and enjoy the warmer temps and more stable and stronger snow to go ski touring based out of the NZ alpine huts in the middle of awesome glaciated terrain. Come join us…..
Glacier Ski touring in New Zealand
Magnificent glacier features to ski around, explore, photograph, experience….
Ski touring in New Zealand, skiing amoungst the ice towers on the Tasman Glacier.
Back country ski touring amoungst very “cool” terrain
As snow lovers in New Zealand had started the best winter in a long time, we enjoyed an amazing run of summer weather in Europe and particularly lots of good climbing in Switzerland. Interested? again in July/August 2016 and don’t hesitate to ask!
Presently, ski touring is still on in the Southern Alps and masses of snow are left for some good ski touring fun out there, as long as those crazy Spring winds would settle somewhat! soon!
Gary can be booked again as a mountain guide this coming NZ summer. Top quality mountaineering instruction courses right here in NZ, Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud. From now on, he will offer his guiding service under the concession and sms of Alpine Guides in Mt Cook-Aoraki. Our guided trekking excursions are now part of the past, but we can give you tips and advice anytime for free.
The Alpinism studio-cottage is available again for your independent holidays here in Wanaka, be it action packed or relaxing or mixed.
Enjoy whatever you do and stay safe.
Wanaka base of Alpinism & Ski
Back in Wanaka, fresh snow has arrived with our return and all around it is as beautiful as ever. The first ski day for Iris has come and gone and chief mountain guide Gaz is preparing for a week of rope rescue course with the experts of the industry. As the present storm goes through, we are catching up with the latest Climber, Forest & Bird and Fish & Game mags. In Wanaka, the Wanakafest addicts are already busy preparing for the event late October, (24-27th) should you have spare time and/or cash to help, get in touch through www.wanakafest.co.nz
Ski touring is on our immediate alpinism activity menu and so are the soft recreational trekking excursions. Just ask if you are interested.