Mt Hutt 'all systems go' for 40th season opening

Immaculately groomed slopes and a genuinely warm welcome await avid skiers and snowboarders when Canterbury’s Mt Hutt opens this Saturday (June 15) as it celebrates 40 years of fun in the snow.

Heavy natural snowfalls from early May onwards, complemented by tactical bouts of snowmaking, have delivered a base of 70cm at the top of the mountain and 50cm at the base building, ensuring all main trails accessed by the Summit 6 and Quad chairlifts will be open for loyal Cantabrians and visitors from day one.

Mt Hutt Ski Area Manager James McKenzie said the current snow pack served as the “perfect” base for future snowfalls and further snowmaking.

“When it comes to early season snow coverage we couldn’t have wished for more, and we can’t wait to fire up the lifts and get our 40th season underway,” he said.

“Our grooming team has been working flat out to create the super-wide trails that Mt Hutt is famous for, and the snow quality on the groomed surface is nothing short of world class. We can already imagine the mile-wide grins on the faces of our guests arriving back at the lift after their first run down the fresh cord.

“Off-trail opportunities are deceptively limited due to firm snow conditions, but the weekend forecast hints at the possibility of further snow so we’ll be watching that very closely and keeping our fingers crossed that mother nature will deliver.”

On Saturday, the first pass holders through the gates at the Quad and Summit 6 chairs will receive coveted ‘First On The Lift’ T-shirts, and celebratory bubbles from Queenstown’s Amisfield winery will be handed out to all those arriving early.

Base building facilities open will include the retail shop, rentals, Sky High café  and licensed bar, Hutt Base which serves coffee and is a licensed bar, and Hubers Hutt restaurant. The Snowsports School and Skiwiland Early Childhood Centre will also open.

The Mini Terrain Park will open on Saturday with two lines comprising easy and intermediate features.

First Tracks will start from Saturday June 22 enabling guests to enjoy empty slopes and fresh cord from 8am on Saturdays and Sundays subject to weather conditions.

For the second year running the hugely popular 10-and-under Kids4Free promotion will run at Methven and Mt Hutt, where kids 10 and under receive free lift passes. Families with younger children will also benefit from the re-vamped Early Childhood Centre that can now cater for littlies from 3 months to five years old.

For up-to-date snow conditions and information on facilities open from June 15 go to www.nzski.com . For more information on the Kids4Free campaign, go to www.kids4free.co.nz