QUEENSTOWN BACKCOUNTRY SKI TOUR

Ride some steeps, shred some powder, or get an introduction to the backcountry while learning about avalanche safety.

Queenstown Mountain Guides run daily guided backcountry ski touring & snowboarding trips in the Remarkables backcountry. Our daily trips access the vast basins of the Doolans ski touring area immediately behind the Remarkables ski resort. This area offers some of the best easily accessed backcountry ski touring in New Zealand.

Our backcountry trips are run by professionally qualified backcountry ski guides with in depth knowledge of the local terrain & conditions. Safety is our number one priority.

This is a great day out on any day and is especially epic on a powder day. There is so much untouched terrain behind these ski areas with no tracks! When you ski or ride with a guide you get the benefit of local knowledge & safety, our local ski guides are knowledgeable and fun.

Our Queenstown ski touring & split boarding trips allow you to ski & ride some steeps, shred some powder, or get an introduction to the backcountry while learning about avalanche safety. No previous ski touring experience is needed you just need to be an intermediate skier or rider and be able to ski off piste.

As well as being Queenstown’s only professionally qualified IFMGA Mountain & Ski Guiding operation our guides have the best knowledge of the local terrain. All of our ski guides are professionally qualified and working in the industry. They know the backcountry – if they are not ski touring guiding you will find them guiding heli-skiing or working in the ski patrol and avalanche industry.

LOCATION

Queenstown Remarkables Ski Resort

MEETING POINT & TIME

8:00am at the Remarkables Ski Field Base area. Meet near the Kea Club at the bottom of the magic carpet in the learners area. We recommend leaving Queenstown no later than 7.00am to ensure getting a carpark at the ski field.

TRIP DURATION

Approximately 8 hours

BAD WEATHER POLICY

If we cannot operate the trip because of bad weather we will operate the trip on the next good weather day.

OUR DAY

Meet your guide at Remarkables ski field. After an introduction we will head into the backcountry for the day. The day will be customised to suit your experience, goals, and fitness. As part of the day we will start with an avalanche transceiver and safety briefing before heading into the backcountry. This is a good chance to brush up on your small party avalanche rescue skills. You are welcome to ski as much or as little as you like. It is normal to do about 3 or 4 climbs and down hill powder runs exploring the backcountry.

QUEENSTOWN BACKCOUNTRY SKI TOUR



1 to 5 people



1 day



From $350



Late June to October

BOOK A PRIVATE TRIP

INCLUSIONS

Guide fees
Avalanche transceiver, shovel, probe
Group Equipment

EXCLUSIONS

Personal equipment & clothing
Ski touring skis & boot hire
Lift access fees if applicable
Lunch & snacks

TRIP NOTES

Experience required

As a minimum you should be an intermediate skier/boarder. You should be able to comfortably ski/ride blue runs at your local ski field and also have some experience skiing/riding black runs. Off piste skiing/riding experience is preferred but not essential.
You should be able to ski/ride with a light backpack. This is so you can carry avalanche safety equipment, warm clothing, and your own food and water for the day.
You should have a good level of aerobic fitness.
You do not need any previous ski touring or split boarding experience and you will be shown how to use the equipment at the start of the day.

What to bring

Food and snacks and enough water for the day. The amount of water you will require will depend on your personal hydration habits. As a guideline we recommend a minimum of 1 litre of water.
A pack large enough to carry avalanche equipment as well as your spare clothing, food, and water.
Warm clothing, windproof jacket and pants, warm gloves, sunglasses or goggles, and sunscreen.
Ski touring equipment, split boarding set up, or board and snow shoes. See below for equipment hire.
We highly recommend ski touring or split boarding crampons for ski touring in New Zealand. These are especially useful if youn are a split boarder.

Clothing & equipment

Skiing 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.

Queenstown Mountain guides provides participants avalanche rescue equipment as part of the cost of the trip.

The cost of renting ski touring and splitboarding equipment is not included in the trip costs. 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 $20 per day that can be used as an alternative to a split board setup.

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.