The Remarkables Ski Resort Guide
The Remarkables ski resort on the outskirts of Queenstown is one of two resorts in the town. Set in the Remarkables mountain range and with views back towards Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu it is an awesome setting for skiing and snowboarding on New Zealand’s South Island. Despite not receiving high amounts of annual snowfall The Remarkables is the go-to resort for locals to explore off-piste and with easy access hiking earning your turns is how you make the most out of a trip to The Remarks.
Curvey Basin Chair At The Remarkables Ski Area
THE REMARKABLES FIRST IMPRESSIONS
As you approach Remarks the first thing you see is the modern lodge at the base of the resort. Entering this area and heading up the stairs to the lifts you will pass everything you need from a ski resort. There are ski-hire, retail and ticket offices on the ground floor with a large restaurant on the upper floor. The lodge has some pretty great views so be sure to get a seat outside for lunch or your coffee break.
Heading out the doors of the lodge and onto the slopes, you are met by the purpose-built beginner’s area, serviced by a covered magic carpet. You will also see the Curvey Basin chair, a fast six-seater lift that takes snowboarders from the base area to the top of the resort. Everything at The Remarks seems ultra-modern from the lodge to the lifts.
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THE REMARKABLES SKI RESORT
Similar to other New Zealand ski resorts don’t be put off by the mountain stats. A vertical drop of just over 350m and a small amount of skiable terrain doesn’t really paint the right picture. The fun at The Remarks is found outside of the pistes within short hikes of the chairlifts. Whether taking The Lookout hike from Shadow Basin before dropping down into some chutes or heading up Curvey Headwall you will find adventure at The Remarks.
If hiking isn’t for you then don’t write The Remarks off yet. The Remarks Parks are some of the best in New Zealand, ranging from a beginner’s hike park with ride-on boxes up to huge kickers and rail features. That’s not even mentioning The Stash, which unfortunately was closed during our extended visit. The Stash is a terrain park that is left year-round with features made from wood. All of the terrain parks can be found at the top of the Sugar Bowl Chairlift. This is a popular area so expect bottlenecks at the lift line on busy days.
Freestyle is massive at The Remarkables and its terrain parks draw a huge crowd. There are often park clinics running which can be a great way to progress your riding. In Queenstown, The Remarkables is the place to go for freestyle snowboarding with Coronet Peak not offering anywhere the same level of terrain parks.
First-time skiers or snowboarders will find the beginner’s area serviced by magic carpets and the Alta Chairlift a good place to learn. That being said, during peak weeks The Remarkables is a popular area and the learning slopes can become crowded.
The highest lift point at The Remarks is 1943m so it tends to keep the snow in good condition. The runs at The Remarkables are split fairly evenly between beginners, intermediate and advanced pistes with a 30:40:30 ratio. When you consider the runs that are possible outside of the pisted trails this increases the runs available for advanced riders at The Remarks.
View from the top of The Remarks
If you want to make the most of the pistes at The Remarkables consider booking onto Remarkables ‘First Tracks’ program which grants you access to the lifts for one hour before the resort opens.
THE REMARKABLES FOR BEGINNERS
Beginner skiers and snowboarders will enjoy The Remarkables as once turning you have the opportunity to explore away from the base area. Most peoples first lift as a beginner at The Remarks is Alta chair. Alta chair offers a couple of options for new skiers with Turquoise Run leading back to Alta chair with alternatives leading to the Sugar Bowl.
Sugar Bowl is home to Remarks Parks, but beginners don’t threat you are here for Casterway a long green trail that will give you the change to hone those turns.
THE REMARKABLES FOR INTERMEDIATES
Remarks is a great mountain for intermediate skiers and snowboarders with plenty of long blue trails to explore. A particular favourite is Calypso at the top of Shadow Basin as it draws less crowds than the runs on Curvey Basin.
Intermediates looking to push away from the blues will find some good red trails such as Fall Line, although be wary as Fall Line can attract accidental skiers from Casterway who have taken a wrong turn.
If you are looking to push your off-piste then the traverse into Shady Lady and even the blacks of Homeward Run make fairly mellow off-piste outings.
THE REMARKABLES FOR ADVANCED
Getting away from the trails is the aim of the game for advanced skiers and snowboarders at The Remarkables. In the right conditions, The Remarks has some fantastic short hikes that lead into more challenging terrain.
From the top of Shadow Basin Chair head into the Chutes where Elevator and Escalator lead down towards Lake Alta. Alternatively, traverse into Shadow Basin where the bowl provides plenty of decent options.
THE REMARKS PARKS
Freestyle snowboarding at The Remarks is huge. The Sugar Bowl chair accesses the terrain parks with access to The Stash and the main Remarks Parks possible from this chair. The Remarkables has a short hike pike above the Sugar Bowl chairlift which is great for practicing those initial tricks before taking them to bigger features.
THE REMARKABLES PISTE MAP
The Remarkables trail map shows three distinct areas of the resort; Curvey Basin, Shadow Basin, and Sugar Bowl. Each area of The Remarks is different and offers a unique experience.
Curvey Basin is where the main resort runs lie and you will find some extensive blue terrain. In addition, the base of Curvey basin is home to the beginner’s area where you will find The Remarkable ski lessons. Shadow Basin is where you will find the advanced terrain at The Remarkables with some really interesting trails. A favourite of ours is Homewards Run at Remarks where you can ride back down to the car park. Sugar Bowl is the third area at The Remarkables and this is home to the freestyle terrain.
The Remarkables Piste Map
LIFTS AT THE REMARKABLES
There are four chairlifts at The Remarkables and a few ground lifts.
The Curvey Basin chair is a fast six-seater chairlift that heads from the base of the resort to some interesting blue terrain. It is possible to hike from the top of Curvey Basin chair to some decent off-piste trails.
Also at the base, you will find Alta chair which only really serves The Remarkables beginner runs.
Shadow Basin chair is fairly slow but accesses The Remarkables advanced trails and some of the more interesting sections of the resort. Shadow Basin opens up hikes to Escalator, the LookOut, and Homeward Runs.
Sugar Bowl express is the lift that accesses The Remarks Parks area. From Sugar Bowl Express you can ride through the Small, Medium, or Large terrain parks.
THE REMARKABLES SNOW RECORD
The Remarkables is not blessed with an impressive snow record and relies heavily on snow-making to ensure resort runs are well-covered. A measly 3-4m of snow can be expected throughout the season at The Remarks so don't dust off your powder board just yet. When it does snow, be sure to make the most of all that off-piste terrain.
THE REMARKABLES SEASON DATES
The ski season at The Remarkables ski resort runs between June - October conditions depending. The best time to visit is between mid-July to early Sept when you will find the best snow coverage.
THE REMARKABLES LIFT TICKETS
The most cost-effective way to enjoy a snowboarding trip to The Remarkables is to purchase the 3 Peak Season Pass. The Three Peak season pass offers access to both Queenstown resorts of The Remarks and Coronet Peak as well as Mt Hutt near Christchurch. If bought in advance the 3-peak pass will cost $699 NZD for unlimited winter access.
Alternatively, you can pay by the day however expect to pay upwards of $100NZD per day. For the latest lift pass prices click here.
THE REMARKABLES OFF-PISTE
The Remarkables has some of the best resort slackcountry or off-piste in New Zealand with easily accessible off-piste from each chairlift. Short hikes and traverses will take you to some interesting off-piste terrain.
SHADOW BASIN
Shadow Basin chair is popular on powder days as it provides access to the Shadow Basin and the Chutes at The Remarkables. The Chutes are a short hike from the top of Shadow Basin chair and you can access Elevator and Escalator from this point. The Chutes are great runs that head down towards Lake Alta, snowboarders beware of your exit route as it can be a long walk out.
Alternatively from Shadow Basin chair you can take the traverse along The Highway which takes you to Shadow Basin Bowl. The Bowl is great in fresh snow and there are multiple routes down to the base of the chair.
In good conditions it is possible to traverse over to Homeward Run which will lead you back to the road. From the road you can catch the free shuttle bus which will return you to the lodge at the base of the resort.
CURVEY BASIN
Curvey Basin is the main express chair at The Remarkables and opens up hiking options above the chair. Short hikes are possible to 1900m with a choice of runs towards Lake Alta or Back into the resort.
SUGAR BOWL
Sugar Bowl at The Remarkables is best known for its terrain parks, however there are some nice hikes into the off-piste available in this area of the resort. From the top of the chair take Water Race Trail, where you will be able to hike towards Anzac Trail. This area of the resort has some of the more challenging runs such as the Gallipoli chutes.
SKI TOURING/SPLITBOARDING
Uphill touring is possible at The Remarks with the main uphill route running from the base of Curvey Basin past the Alta chair and towards Lake Alta. From here you can head into the Remarkables Backcountry. It is important to know. that if you are outside of the ski area boundary The Remarkables will not send Ski Patrol to your aid, instead dial 111. Stay Safe.
TRAVEL TO THE REMARKABLES
Getting To New Zealand
With most international flights operating into Christchurch, this may be your best access point to the South Island. If you can, we would highly recommend flights into Queenstown as firstly you have direct access from Queenstown to the resorts of The Remarkables and Coronet Peak, but equally importantly it is one of the most scenic airports in the world. Flying into Queenstown is something we will not forget in a hurry.
Where is The Remarkables?
The Remarkables ski resort is on New Zealand’s South Island in the Remarkables mountain range. The resort is a short drive from the major tourist hotspot of Queenstown and is within 40 -60 minutes of Queenstown international airport.
Accessing The Remarkables
The Remarkables is a 45-minute drive from Queenstown and if possible driving is the best option. The road can experience delays if there has been fresh snow and chains need to be carried at all times. The upper road from just before Car Park 4 is not tarmacked so can be a bit bumpy.
If you don’t have the option to drive then buses do run from various downtown Queenstown locations but we thought the prices were fairly steep. Hitching or rideshare is possible.
THE REMARKABLES ACCOMMODATION
On our trip, we made the most of the freedom camping regulations in New Zealand and hired a van for most of the trip. The freedom camping site at Kawarau Bridge is a decent location but comes with some restrictions. You can stay on this site for a maximum of 4 days per month. If you are in a van you may have to stump up for a campground. We did spend some time staying in an Air BnB at the end of the trip. The location was excellent and we would highly recommend it. You can find it here
Most people stay in downtown Queenstown which has accommodations ranging from hostels to more deluxe apartments on the Lake. One benefit of staying in Queenstown is that you also have the option to ski at the nearby Coronet Peak area.
THE REMARKABLES PROS
Offers more for the advanced rider than nearby Coronet Peak
The Remarks Parks are well maintained and offer great progression
Great beginners area with magic carpets, not rope tows
The view from the lookout hike across Lake Wakatipu is incredible
The Remarkables off-piste offers easy hiking to some nice chutes
Part of the 3 Peak Pass
Close proximity to Queenstown means there is plenty to keep you busy away from the slopes
THE REMARKABLES CONS
The Stash terrain park wasn’t open during my extended visit
The access road is not great and can have long cues after fresh snow
Limited pistes mean you could get bored if you're not prepared to hike
Crowds during peak weeks especially around the beginner’s area and Sugar Bowl Chairlift
THE REMARKABLES ACTIVITIES
Being only 45 minutes from Queenstown opens up lots of opportunities for those bad weather days. If the lifts are closed at Remarks why not head over to Coronet Peak to see the other Queenstown mountain? If a day in Queenstown is more for you, then consider taking the Shotover jet boat, a bungee jump, or any of the other amazing Queenstown activities.
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THE REMARKABLES GALLERY
THE REMARKABLES FREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS
Can You Drive Up To The Remarkables?
Yes, the road up to the Remarkables is long and winding but it is a great drive to take. Be aware that on days during or after a snowfall it is likely that you will be required to carry or use snow chains. Depending on conditions the drive from the base car park at The Remarkables should take around 20-40 minutes.
Is Coronet Peak or The Remarkables Better?
Well… that is just going to be an opinion. Both The Remarkables and Coronet Peak ski resorts have a lot to offer and one of the best things about Queenstown is that you can ride them both on the same day. The Remarkables has a better terrain park and off-piste in our opinion, whereas the pistes at Coronet Peak are better and offer night skiing.
Why Is It Called The Remarkables?
The Remarkables ski resort takes its name from the New Zealand mountain range The Remarkables. The Remarkables mountain range is found on New Zealand's South Island.
How Much Does It Cost To Ski In Queenstown?
Ski Passes in Queenstown are not cheap and will cost over $120NZD per day. You can make some pretty good savings if you intend to purchase tickets for a few days and buy in advance.