Mt Hutt Ski Area By Ability
Mt Hutt ski resort is consistently voted New Zealand’s best ski resort. Receiving more snow than other resorts and offering an incredible level of customer service, my trip to Mt Hutt was one to remember. Its location in the Southern Alps with scenic views across Canterbury is special and its rugged terrain makes it a fantastic resort to explore. Let’s look a little deeper into the terrain at Mt Hutt and have a look at what is available for each ability level.
Mt Hutt Ski Resort
MT HUTT OVERVIEW
Mt Hutt ski resort has a good range of terrain with interesting off-piste, terrain parks and well-maintained groomers. Mt Hutt is a large bowl with the majority of runs leading back down to the base lodge, although some do run lower. This makes it a great place for families or groups travelling with different ability levels. Mt Hutt receives around 4m of snow each winter and supplements this with extensive snow cannon coverage. When the conditions are good at Mt Hutt, everything is a go with chutes and steeps to keep the most hardened snowboarders entertained. In lean snow years, there may be a lack of coverage on the off-piste terrain but the resort does a great job of keeping the pistes covered and building terrain parks. There is a total of 40km of pistes at Mt Hutt with the majority of trails aimed towards intermediate riders. There are no trees at Mt Hutt which can leave you feeling exposed on those bad weather days.
BEGINNERS TERRAIN AT MT HUTT
Not known for its beginner terrain Mt Hutt may not be the first choice for New Zealand ski-lessons. Uniquely, Mt Hutt offers free skiing to anyone under 10 which makes it a fantastic option for families. In regards to terrain, there is a beginner area ‘Skiwiland’ at the base which is serviced by a slow magic carpet. This is a pretty decent gradient for those first-turns and not too intimidating. When the confidence is flowing beginners can head to the Quad Chair and enjoy two winding greens; Inside Leg and Highway 72 that lead back to the base. The more adventurous can head to the Summit Six where you will be met with stunning views and Morning Glory, a mellow blue that leads to Lower Fascination.
Mt Hutt has its own ski school that offers ski and snowboard lessons to groups and privates.
INTERMEDIATE TERRAIN AT MT HUTT
Mt Hutt is a mountain that can really grow confidence in intermediate riders. There really is nowhere inbounds that you couldn’t explore and there are plenty of runs to keep you interested. Mt Hutt has some great groomed terrain where it is possible to push those speeds and enjoy the views. Intermediates will want to head straight to the Summit Six chair where Upper Fascination is popular. Those with a sense of adventure will want to take Virgin Mile. Virgin Mile not only offers panoramic views across Canterbury but there are a number of opportunities to drop into interesting black runs; Platter Splatter, Hydro Slide and High and Low Dive.
If freestyle is more your thing then intermediates will enjoy the progression park and the features alongside Highway 72. Both parks have a nice flow and provide incremental difficulty that will have you shredding the large park in no time.
MT HUTT PISTE MAP
Mt Hutt Ski Resort Piste Map
ADVANCED TERRAIN MT HUTT
Mt Hutt has a high proportion of black graded terrain and its South Face area is home to some challenging Black Diamonds. This makes Mt Hutt a great resort to visit as an advanced skier or snowboarder. Some of the best terrain requires a hike or a long traverse but this is ok as it means these areas are less crowded. The Towers was our favourite area at Mt Hutt as there are a number of interesting chutes and routes back down into the resort. Advanced skiers and snowboarders may also like the terrain at The Bluffs and out of the resort down Rakaia Saddle Chutes.
Mt Hutt offers some great off-piste terrain but that isn’t all it has to offer. Mt Hutt has a pretty good terrain park set up with a really nice progression throughout the different parks. There is a large park under the quad chair that advanced freestyle snowboarders will enjoy.
GET IN TOUCH
As always, thanks for reading this post but now it is time to hear from you! Have you visited Mt Hutt? I would love to hear about your experiences in the comments… Which run was your favourite? Do you think the resort is best suited to advanced or intermediate skiers and snowboarders?
