Mount Hutt Trip

A couple of weeks ago, we found out that Tim had won an all expenses paid weekend trip to Mount Hutt skifield in Canterbury though the Met Service website. So after work on Thursday, we headed to Wellington Airport and flew to Christchurch where we picked up a very new (124km on the clock) and shiny hire car and drove to our hotel in Methven.

The next day we headed up the narrow and windy dirt road to the skifield. The car wasn't particulary shiny anymore. High winds meant that the summit chair lift wasn't open so we made the most of the lower lifts until later in the day when the wind dropped and the big lift opened. It was worth the wait though as we were first on the untouched upper slopes.

Snowline is now just below the car park.

Heading up the summit chair lift

Private slopes

View west to the Southern Alps

The actual Mount Hutt summit from the top of the summit chair lift.

The next day was calm and clear and we hit the slopes hard. It was a bit icy to begin with but soon softened into good spring skiing. We even took part in an altitude experiment for the University of Otago, earning ourselves a free hot chocolate!

Looking over the Canterbury Plains from the top of the skifield, the braided Rakaia River, the Banks Peninsular and Lake Ellesmere (the largest lake in NZ) visible.

Looking down on Rakaia Gorge

On Sunday, with our two days lift passes used up, we decided to head to one of our favourite places, Castle Hill, for a very sunny days bouldering before heading back to Christchurch and flying home to Wellington.

Mount Hutt (on the river) from near Methven

Rakaia Gorge

Spittle Hill

Helen smearing tentatively up the classic 'Like Liquid'

Moonscape boulder in Quantum Field

Shiny car