New Zealand Ski Fields: The Remarkables Review

Ideal for: Beginners, Learners, Families and Snowboarders
Snow: Lots of wind blown, buried rocks abound off piste

The Remarkables, sister ski area to Coronet Peak - directly across the Wakatipu Basin - could not be more different! Whereas Coronet Peak is a very low, rolling, tussock covered mountain, The Remarkables is very high (Base building is the same height as the top of Coronet peak!) and is solid rock.

Two quads and one double chairlift access excellent terrain for Beginners and Intermediates, who love "Remarks". Probably the best teaching and learning mountain in New Zealand, with every type of terrain easily accessible right up to expert level.

An extremely professional operation with all of nzski.com's resources and experience behind it.

Snowmaking operations ensures good coverage on the excellent learners chairlift and huge beginners area. Tentative and nervous skiers will enjoy The Remarkables as both Alta and Sugar Bowl chairs have many very easy runs to clock up the miles on.

Upper level skiers and experts have some excellent skiing available directly off the Shadow Basin Quad chairlift - some of it requires a traverse - including the mind snappingly good Homeward Bound run which descends well below the ski area proper. Because Homeward faces north it is only open with good snow coverage, and then ski shuttle buses run continuously to return skiers to the Shadow Basin chairlift.

The Sugar Bowl is just about flat except for one steepish 80 metre drop at the end which can be skied around on a very flat trail for learners!

The terrain you can hike to reasonably easily (10-20 minutes) is outstanding! The Alta Chutes which progress from mild to suicidal will challenge the world's best skiers and entertain advanced skiers of all types. The aforementioned Gallipoli Chutes are the site of an extreme skiing contest held each year, mainly because they are easily viewed from the main mountain - not because they're the most extreme.

The Toilet Bowl (named for the sewage ponds below that service the base building) is a great open bowl which re-connects with the beginners slopes and offers outstanding powder skiing after a southerly fall. Hiking up to it takes about 15 minutes from the top of Sugar Bowl.

For the adventurous and very fit, the skiing in the Doolans Basin and Wye Creek Basin is outstanding and occasionally used by heliski companies. With a set of skins and secura-fixes the advanced skier will spend many solitary hours enjoying the absolute isolation in either location. Persons heading into the back country MUST check in with Ski Patrol to establish the avalanche risk and fill out the Intentions Book.

The Remarkables is seldom crowded and kids 10 and under ski for free which makes a far smaller dent in the pockets of families with small children! It is often referred to as "The Country Club" by staff who would rather fight than switch!

Expect outstanding service by the well trained staff.

The access road can be scary - the road cost as much to build as all the ski area facilities added together! Two wheel drives are inadvisable unless the road is described as "Clean, clear and chains not required" - better yet, take the bus. Four wheel drives will have no problems unless the road becomes treacherous - in which case even 4WDs will require chains!

The weather can be extremely good, in fact the sun at The Remarkables is so intense that some sunglasses (even good ones!) won't be dark enough during the very bright days! Make sure you take lots of sun screen and apply it liberally every hour or so.

Incoming fronts or heavy winds can cause conditions to deteriorate quickly, with plunging temperatures and horizontal snow and ice blasts - becoming nightmarish in the space of less than an hour. Ensure that your ski bag contains equipment to handle both extremes of weather.

Snowboarders will revel in the conditions at Remarks - much softer snow than Coronet peak and more of it too, plus big rocks to jump off, wind lips to use and a smallish terrain park to explore.

Good powder days are few and far between at Remarks due to its altitude and usual strong winds during snow falls. However, when it is good, it's so good you'll hurt your face from smiling too hard for too long!