Australia and NZ 2024

S

Sbooker

Well-known member
The first snowfall has happened in both countries. Still a while until some sticks though.
I'm equipped with a Mountain Collective pass that gives me some days at Remarkables and Coronet Peak near Queenstown on the south island of New Zealand and a couple of days at Mt Buller in Victoria Australia. The best time for me to ski is after football season finishes in the last week of August so it will likely be spring conditions. I may yet forget the MC days and go to Mt Ruapehu on the north island of NZ.

Don't suppose anyone on this board is heading south over your summer? @Patrick
 
We are at very high end parks in Namibia and Botswana in June. We are more on our own in South Africa July 1-9.
 
Tony Crocker said:
We are at very high end parks in Namibia and Botswana in June. We are more on our own in South Africa July 1-9.
Click to expand...
If there is snow at Tiffindell will you burn a day? Africa on your hill list would be cool.

Edit. Kinda related. I have recently been telling myself to be less one dimensional and do more holidays that don’t involve snow. But those powder days in France last month have put an end to those thoughts.
With limited holiday time each year I’m picking most of it will be to countries with mountains. The other travel can wait until I’m retired.
 
Tiffendell closed during COVID and has not reopened. We hope to get to Afriski in Lesotho, which was not open last year but says they will be this year. Afriski is a 5 hour drive from Johannesburg on mostly decent roads. Tiffindell is 7 hours from Durban or 9 from Johannesburg on more difficult roads according to Jimmy Petterson.
 
Sbooker said:
The first snowfall has happened in both countries. Still a while until some sticks though.
I'm equipped with a Mountain Collective pass that gives me some days at Remarkables and Coronet Peak near Queenstown on the south island of New Zealand and a couple of days at Mt Buller in Victoria Australia. The best time for me to ski is after football season finishes in the last week of August so it will likely be spring conditions. I may yet forget the MC days and go to Mt Ruapehu on the north island of NZ.

Don't suppose anyone on this board is heading south over your summer? @Patrick
Click to expand...
I got the Ikon for next season, so there is a Southern Hemisphere option that can't be ruled out. The calendar is pretty filled up with concerts and one wedding all in August (2, 10, 31), but it would be a short trip. New Zealand was a vague idea last Summer prior to my elbow dislocation.

edit: regarding Australia, although I have an Ikon, I would definitely return to Hotham clearly my favorite Australian ski area.
 
Last edited:
I saw that Cerro Cetedral / Bariloche received about 4-8 ft over the last few days. So much snow that they are opening for this weekend.

IMG_6077.jpeg

IMG_6078.jpeg


The PowderQuest guys been posting

IMG_6076.jpeg



Without snowmaking, they will need more over the months.

Las Lenas does not look great. Nor Portillo. More like dusting, but it’s a region to watch.


I’d love to ski NZ, but wait till snow.
 
ChrisC said:
Seeing if there is a way to combine Catedral/Bariloche with Las Lenas.
Click to expand...
12+ hours by road, not sure if served by bus. I'll bet if flying that you're likely backtracking via Buenos Aires.
ChrisC said:
Las Lenas does not look great. Nor Portillo. More like dusting, but it’s a region to watch.
Click to expand...
Likely minimal relationship. Latitudes 41 vs. 35 for Catedral vs. Las Lenas would be Snowbasin vs. Arizona Snowbowl in the US.

Combining Catedral with other Argentine lake district areas plus Chillan/Corralco makes more sense for both logistics and likely snowfall correlation.

There's no question Las Lenas should be ChrisC's #1 South America priority for terrain, but the recent storm is not really relevant. And if the El Nino reverses to la Nina over the next few months, that will be bad news for the northern resorts.
 
Tony Crocker said:
Combining Catedral with other Argentine lake district areas plus Chillan/Corralco makes more sense for both logistics and likely snowfall correlation.

There's no question Las Lenas should be ChrisC's #1 South America priority for terrain, but the recent storm is not really relevant. And if the El Nino reverses to la Nina over the next few months, that will be bad news for the northern resorts.
Click to expand...
Even Chillan and Catedral is big stretch far distance wise.

Catedral connects well with La Hoya (Esquel) and Cerre Bayo (Villa La Augostura) are somewhat close to Bariloche. On my two trips to Bariloche (2008 and/or 2010) and Chapelco and Pucon (Chile).
 
Tony Crocker said:
12+ hours by road, not sure if served by bus. I'll bet if flying that you're likely backtracking via Buenos Aires.

Likely minimal relationship. Latitudes 41 vs. 35 for Catedral vs. Las Lenas would be Snowbasin vs. Arizona Snowbowl in the US.

Combining Catedral with other Argentine lake district areas plus Chillan/Corralco makes more sense for both logistics and likely snowfall correlation.

There's no question Las Lenas should be ChrisC's #1 South America priority for terrain, but the recent storm is not really relevant. And if the El Nino reverses to la Nina over the next few months, that will be bad news for the northern resorts.
Click to expand...

There are direct flights from Bariloche and Mendoza - relatively cheap, $100.

I would do a triangle itinerary: Buenos Aires to Bariloche to Mendoza to Buenos Aires. This likely involves a car rental from Mendoza to Las Lenas. However, I would not mind a little time (half a day?) in Mendoza - maybe stop at a winery. It is the capital of Malbec.

Keep watching - will not book anything till there is snow on the ground/decent base.

1715368096921.png

OR

1715368142545.png
 
Last edited:
ChrisC said:
This likely involves a car rental from Mendoza to Las Lenas. However, I would not mind a little time (half a day?) in Mendoza - maybe stop at a winery. It is the capital of Malbec.
Click to expand...
Still a long drive at 345km, especially the last isolated part.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top