Essential Travel Ski Guides

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Travel to Mount Hutt with ski insurance from Essential Travel

Perched high above sea level on the eastern region of the Southern Alps range, Mount Hutt is one of New Zealand’s best known winter resorts, offering a diverse range of ski slopes and spectacular views of snow-capped mountain peaks and the Pacific Ocean. Mount Hutt is renowned for its dry, light powder and in 1990 it became the first ski resort in Australasia to host a World Cup racing contest.

Mount Hutt is conveniently located just 62 miles from the vibrant ‘Garden City’ of Christchurch, with the drive to the ski field taking just over an hour. The resort is suitable for advanced or inexperienced skiers and is perfect for family groups, with excellent childcare facilities and beginner tuition available at the resort.

Mount Hutt encompasses a wide range of ski trails, with plenty of beginner trails and a heart-stopping collection of black diamond runs interspersed with a generous dose of easy-going intermediate terrain. Additionally, snowboarders will be delighted with the resort’s wide-open bowls, two half-pipes and exciting terrain park. A system of nine, varied ski lifts provide transportation to the ski trails at Mount Hutt Resort.

While no accommodation is available at the ski resort itself, there are plenty of options to choose from at the small town of Methven, located a short drive from the resort, while the city of Christchurch offers apartments, bed and breakfasts, motels, cottages, hotels, holiday homes, farm stays and backpacker lodges. Facilities at Mount Hutt are comprehensive, with the ski resort encompassing a cafeteria, retail and rental shops, repair centre, first aid services, ski school and a lively brasserie and bar that provides entertainment after a day on the slopes.

Nearby Methven is a laid-back, friendly rural town offering an array of restaurants, pubs and bars as well as several enticing arts and crafts stores, and it is a great place to relax after a day on the slopes. For alternative skiing, seven other ski fields are located in the Canterbury region, all within a 2-hour drive of Christchurch, so in the unlikely event that you tire of the trails or views at Mount Hutt, there are plenty of other options to explore within easy driving distance of the resort.

Mount Hutt has an outstandingly long ski season, usually beginning around late May and running all the way through to late October. The resort receives an abundance of dry, powdery snow and there are snow-making machines on hand to ensure optimal slope conditions.

Skiing in Mount Hutt

Mount Hutt is one of New Zealand’s most impressive and popular skiing destinations, encompassing a wide variety of trails for beginner, intermediate and advanced skiers. Located within an hour’s drive of Christchurch, the resort offers convenient access from the city. Mount Hutt is renowned for its fine, dry snow, long ski season and spectacular views over the sandy shores of the Pacific Ocean and the surrounding mountains of the Southern Alps.

With a summit elevation of 6,807 feet above sea level, the slopes at Mount Hutt are generally blanketed with a luxurious covering of deep, powdery snow. The 900-acre ski area encompasses roughly 25 per cent of trails suitable for novices, 50 per cent intermediate trails and 25 per cent advanced and expert trails. Beginners have the run of several gentle, wide-open trails on which to find their feet, while advanced skiers looking for thrills should try out the black diamonds on the mountain’s south face. The longest trail at the resort comes in at just over one mile, providing a good run for long-distance enthusiasts. The slopes are serviced by a system of nine ski lifts made up of one quad, one triple chair, three T-bars, two platters and two beginners’ lifts.

During off-slope hours, visitors to Mount Hutt have the option of hanging out at the resort’s fully licensed bar and brasserie, or exploring the entertainment and recreation options at the nearby town of Methven.

While there is no skiing accommodation available at Mount Hutt itself, a variety of hotels, motels, lodges, apartments, cottages, home stays and bed and breakfasts are located in both Methven and Christchurch. Skiing and other facilities at Mount Hutt are excellent including: a tuition centre; repair, rental and retail shops; first aid and medical amenities; a children’s centre; and a comprehensive base complex with a bar and restaurant.

Mount Hutt has a significantly longer winter season than most resorts in New Zealand, offering skiing from roughly late May to late October. The resort can be accessed from either Christchurch or Methven, with self-drive being the quickest and most convenient option of reaching the resort.

Transportation to Mount Hutt

Mount Hutt is located inside the eastern rim of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, just 62 miles from the city of Christchurch and a 30-minute drive from the quaint country town of Methven. Transportation options to the resort include self-drive or shuttle bus services from either Christchurch or Methven.

If you choose to hire a car from Christchurch, the drive is likely to take you approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes. The seven-mile access road to Mount Hutt can be frightening – be prepared for a steep pass with strong winds, sheer drops and few safety barriers; you must carry chains at all times.

If you intend on skiing at Mount Hutt and are arriving in New Zealand via air transportation, you are most likely to land at Christchurch International Airport. The airport receives flights from a number of Australasian, Asian and American destinations as well as a number of connecting flights. Taxis and buses provide transportation into Christchurch, from where you can arrange alternative transportation to Mount Hutt.

Shuttle bus services run by a number of independent tour operators make daily trips between Mount Hutt and Methven, and between Mount Hutt and Christchurch.

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