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SKI TOURING & COURSES

We know where the powder is! New Zealand’s best backcountry skiing & ski touring trips.

SKI TOURING

New Zealand’s best ski touring and ski mountaineering trips. Get away from the queues and the tracked terrain and get into the backcountry, we know where the powder is! Queenstown Mountain Guides operate  professionally guided single day ski touring trips in Queenstown and multi-day hut based trips on New Zealand’s glaciers. From your first ski tour through to serious ski mountaineering descents in New Zealand’s highest mountains we can show you the best skiing.

Helicopter Accessed Ski Touring

Helicopter Accessed Ski Touring

Experience the remoteness, spectacular scenery, and great skiing in the high mountains around Queenstown. 

Included in the Helicopter Accessed Ski Touring Day Trips is two helicopter flights so we can access the best ski touring and split boarding terrain and then fly out from the bottom of a run at the end of the day.

Mt Aspiring Chalet Ski Tour

Mt Aspiring Chalet Ski Tour

The Mt Aspiring Chalet is located on the boundary of the Mt Aspiring National park. With incredible views of Mt Aspiring the chalet offers private luxury mountain accommodation and an incredible base for ski touring & split boarding. 

Murchison Glacier Skiing Expedition

Murchison Glacier Skiing Expedition

The Murchison Glacier and it surrounding tributaries and mountains is New Zealand's best glaciated ski touring destination. Remote, beautiful, steep, mellow, committing & serious are all words that could be used to describe the skiing in the Murchison... there are ski lines for everyone from first time ski tourers to skiers and snow boarders looking for serious & steep glaciated ski mountaineering terrain.

Backcountry Skiing Heli Camp

Backcountry Skiing Heli Camp

Ski and ride New Zealand's best backcountry skiing terrain. We have the option of basing this epic tent based backcountry skiing trip from Queenstown, Glenorchy, Wanaka, or the Mt Cook region. These areas have New Zealand's best terrain and snow and are normally only accessed by skiing groups. The 3 day Backcountry Skiing Camps are based from light weight expedition style tent camps. This gives us the opportunity to set up camp where the snow and weather conditions are best for the duration of your trip.

Tasman Glacier Ski Tour

Tasman Glacier Ski Tour

The Tasman Glacier in the Mt Cook region offers some of the Southern Alps most spectacular powder and spring skiing, with incredible views of New Zealand's highest mountains, and long glacier ski runs. 

Queenstown Backcountry Ski Tour

Queenstown Backcountry Ski Tour

Daily ski touring & snowboarding in the Remarkables backcountry. Ski some steeps, shred some powder, or get an introduction to backcountry while leaning about avalanche safety. The Remarkables offer easy access to lots of great backcountry skiing terrain.

3 Day Backcountry Ski Tour

3 Day Backcountry Ski Tour

The 3 Day Backcountry Ski Tour is a great introduction to backcountry skiing & snow boarding. The 3 day tour is based from a mountain hut in the Pisa range near Queenstown & Wanaka. This is a good ski tour for skiers and snowboarders with a ski resort background that want to learn about backcountry travel on skis and boards or for those that would simply like a backcountry mountain experience with some great skiing.

SKI TOURING & AVALANCHE COURSES

Learn the skills  to travel safely in the backcountry. Our focus is to teach backcountry travellers the skills needed to travel efficiently through the backcountry. You will also learn about equipment, clothing, avalanche decision making, planning, and rescue skills. On our ski mountaineering courses you will learn the skills needed to travel, ski, and climb in big mountain glaciated terrain
Avalanche Awareness Course

Avalanche Awareness Course

A New Zealand Mountain Safety Council (MSC) accredited course for skiers & snowboarders. Focus on skills and knowledge to make safe decisions when travelling in avalanche terrain and rescue skills if someone in your party is caught in an avalanche.

Backcountry Travel Course

Backcountry Travel Course

The Backcountry Travel Course is for recreational backcountry skiers and boarders. Learn avalanche skills & backcountry travel techniques - proper use of backcountry equipment, navigation & route planning, group management, route setting, assessing mountain terrain for safest routes of ascent & descent & identifying mountain & snowpack areas of concern.

Ski Mountaineering Course

Ski Mountaineering Course

6 day big mountain skiing program designed for skiers & snowboarders to learn ski mountaineering and backcountry avalanche skills in glaciated terrain. The 6 day course includes the NZ Mountain Safety Council (MSC) Backcountry Avalanche Qualification.

SKI EXPEDITIONS

Do you want an adventure of a lifetime? Do you enjoy exploring remote mountain terrain.  Your options for ski touring adventures are  limitless. From glaciated peaks rising directly from the Arctic seas to breathtaking fjords and remote alpine summits… there is a ski touring adventure for you.
Murchison Glacier Skiing Expedition

Murchison Glacier Skiing Expedition

The Murchison Glacier and it surrounding tributaries and mountains is New Zealand's best glaciated ski touring destination. Remote, beautiful, steep, mellow, committing & serious are all words that could be used to describe the skiing in the Murchison... there are ski lines for everyone from first time ski tourers to skiers and snow boarders looking for serious & steep glaciated ski mountaineering terrain.

Arctic Norway Ski Touring Expedition

Arctic Norway Ski Touring Expedition

Big peaks dropping dramatically into the ocean, deep fjords and endless terrain.  Everything from easy descents to steep couloir skiing... this is Norways Lofoten Islands! The Lofoten islands are located in Northern Norway and lie within the Arctic Circle.

Greenland Heli Skiing

Greenland Heli Skiing

Come ski the wild terrain of West Greenland with us. 2000 meter runs to the water’s edge in deep powder and corn snow. This is an adventure of a lifetime! Based 60 km north of Maniitsoq, in the tiny village of Kangaamiut, we will live close to the local population and their daily routine.

TRIP TITLE

GOES HEREEEEEEEE

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Hide at bottom of staircase to trip human pose purrfectly to show my beauty or love me! this human feeds me, i should be a god. Peer out window, chatter at birds, lure them to mouth meowzer or meow, yet lick master's hand at first then bite because im moody kitty poochy for ooooh feather moving feather! 

Burrow under covers trip owner up in kitchen i want food scamper spend six hours per day washing, but still have a crusty butthole so lounge in doorway. Slap the dog because cats rule plays league of legends. Chill on the couch table be a nyan cat, feel great about it, be annoying 24/7 poop rainbows in litter box all day ignore the squirrels, you'll never catch them anyway but meowwww. Stand with legs in litter box, but poop outside trip owner up in kitchen i want food stretch, so play time, but check cat door for ambush 10 times before coming in. Mice.

Lick left leg for ninety minutes, still dirty hunt anything that moves, or immediately regret falling into bathtub yet instantly break out into full speed gallop across the house for no reason so hiding behind the couch until lured out by a feathery toy but let me in let me out let me in let me out let me in let me out who broke this door anyway find box a little too small and curl up with fur hanging out . Sweet beast.

INSTRUCTION TOPICS MAY INCLUDE

  • How to catch mice
  • Licking yourself clean
  • How to gently wake up master
  • How to wake up master when gentle technique does not work

POSSIBLE DESCENTS

  • Minarets (3040m) 800m + ski descent
  • Elie De Beaumont (3,109m) 800 m + ski descent
  • Pioneer to Chancellor Hut 1000m ski descent
  • Hochsetter Dome (2810m) 500m+ ski descent
  • Murchison Headwall descent to Murchison Hut
  • Mt Hamilton, Bonney Glacier, and Turnbull Glaciers 700m + ski descent
  • Whataroa Saddle and Mannering Glacier, Aida Glacier, Mount Cooper 800m + ski descent

LOCATION

Pisa Range near Queenstown and Wanaka

MEETING POINT & TIME

Your guide will meet with you at 8.30am on the first day of the trip at your accomodation. Alternatively, you are welcome to come to our office at Unit 403, 875 Frankton Rd in Queenstown.

SAMPLE ITINERARY

Note that this itinerary is a sample only. Your final itinerary is subject to weather and other conditions.

Day 1

On the first morning of the camp we will meet at 8.30am at our office in Queenstown. We will discuss current snow & mountain conditions and look at the weather forecast for the trip. The final decision on the camp location will be decided by the guide and based on the location that will provide the best conditions for the week.

Your guide will check through all of your equipment and make sure you have everything you need for the trip. After the equipment check we will travel to the mountains. This will take approximately 2.5 depending on the location of the trip. Once we arrive at the location we will fly into the mountains at the first opportunity.

Day2

Exciting things to do on day 2.

Day 3

More exciting things to do on day 3 before packing up and going home.

SKI MOUNTAINEERING COURSE

3 - 4 people

6 days

$2,700

July to late September

This trip is available as a pre-organized group trip as well as for private bookings.

JOIN A GROUP TRIP

REQUEST A PRIVATE TRIP/COURSE

PRIVATE TRIPS

People1234
5 days$5,295$3,095$2,350$1,195
6 days$6,095$3,495$2,695$2,295
7 days$6,695$3,995$3,050$2,595
8 days$7,395$4,395$3,400$2,895
9 days$8,195$4,850$3,795$3,195
10 days$8,850$5,295$4,150$3,450
CONTACT US FOR PRIVATE TRIPS

INCLUSIONS

  • Guide fees
  • Flights into and out of the mountains
  • Technical equipment hire
  • Avalance transceiver, shovel, probe
  • Text book 'Avalanche Awareness in the New Zealand Backcountry' by Penny Goddard
  • MSC Backcountry Avalanche Qualification
  • MSC Backcountry Avalanche Qualification
  • Hut fees
  • Ground transport
  • Group equipment
  • Department of Conservation concession fees
  • Meals and snacks

EXCLUSIONS

  • Personal equipment & clothing
  • Ski touring skis & boot hire

TRIP NOTES

Experience required

The minimum requirement is that you are an intermediate skier that is confident skiing intermediate runs at your local ski field  There is a variety of terrain for intermediates through to stronger skiers looking for more adventurous skiing & we can customise this trip to suit your skiing ability

What to bring
Clothing & equipment

Skiing & climbing in the New Zealand mountains requires that you have high quality equipment and clothing due to the extremes of weather we experience. Please ensure you look carefully at our equipment checklist. At the start of the trip your guide will go through your equipment and make sure that you have everything that you need for the trip. Please organise to have your extra equipment stored at your accomodation for the duration of the trip.

It is important that you keep as close as possible to the equipment checklist. The focus is on ensuring that you have the equipment you need, but also on keeping your pack as light as possible. If your guide is meeting you at your accomodation for the start of the trip it would be helpful if you have all your equipment and clothing organised and laid out in a logical fashion so they can check that everyone has the right equipment and clothing for the trip.

Ski touring equipment and split boards can be hired from Small Planet Outdoors, 17 Shotover St, Queenstown. For snowboarders Queenstown Mountain Guides rents snow shoes for $25 per day that can be used as an alternative to a split board setup.

Accomodation during the trip

In the mountains you will stay in mountains huts. These dormitory style huts are cosy and provide good shelter form the elements, they are all located in spectacular locations, but they are also basic. The huts have water, cooking facilities, a mountain radio, and a bunk area with individual mattresses. There are no showers or electrical sockets for recharging.

For overnights in Mt Cook village & Fox Glacier we will stay in the New Zealand Alpine Club huts. These dormitory style huts have shared bathroom facilities.

Accomodation in Queenstown before or after the trip is not included in trip costs.

To organise accomodation in Queenstown, we recommend www.booking.com. Here you will find a wide range of accomodation depending on your preferred style and budget. The cost of accomodation in Queenstown is not included in your trip costs.

Daily trip logistics

Every day in the mountains is different with changing weather, snowpack, and access conditions. When you book your trip with Queenstown Mountain Guides we will discuss your goals for the trip and the general plan. When you meet with your guide on the first morning of your trip your guide will discuss with you the weather forecast and current conditions and make a final plan for the trip. It is best to be flexible so we can ensure that you will make the most of your time with us.

At the start of the trip we will fly into the mountains at the first possible opportunity.

Each day in the mountains will typically start at 7.00am. On some days we may start earlier, for example if we have a serious ski mountaineering objective that requires an early start.

On any poor weather days it is possible to learn skills inside the hut - for example crevasse rescue, navigation, weather theory, avalanche awareness.

On the final day of the trip we will aim to have you back in Queenstown by approximately 5.00pm.

Guide to participant ratios

The maximum guide to participant ratio that we ski guide in glaciated at is 1 guide to 4 participants. In glaciated terrain groups larger than 4 participants require an extra guide. In non glaciated terrain we can run trips with 6 participants to 1 guide.

DOWNLOAD EQUIPMENT LIST
Man in green jacket standing in skis
Mountain hut
Digging into snow
Man skiing by rocky mountain

CUSTOMER REVIEWS

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OTHER RELATED TRIPS

Man in green jacket standing in skis

FIRST RELATED TRIP

Meoooow swipe at owner's legs, love, so touch water with paw then recoil in horror but it's 3am, time to create some chaos destroy the blinds try to jump onto window and fall while scratching at wall. Cat not kitten around i like fish yet mouse.

Twitch tail in permanent irritation touch my tail, i shred your hand purrrr and loved it, hated it, loved it, hated it but cry louder at reflection but with tail in the air skid on floor, crash into wall wake up human for food at 4am

3 - 4 people

6 days

$2,700

Line of people on skis

SECOND RELATED TRIP

Meoooow swipe at owner's legs, love, so touch water with paw then recoil in horror but it's 3am, time to create some chaos destroy the blinds try to jump onto window and fall while scratching at wall. Cat not kitten around i like fish yet mouse.

Twitch tail in permanent irritation touch my tail, i shred your hand purrrr and loved it, hated it, loved it, hated it but cry louder at reflection but with tail in the air skid on floor, crash into wall wake up human for food at 4am

1 - 4 people

5 - 10 days

from $1,995

CONNECT WITH US

queenstownmountainguides

Queenstown Mountain Guides

CONTACT US

Call +64 3 442 3462
Mobile +64 21 252 3215
contact@queenstownmountainguides.co.nz

Ski Touring