| FIRST IMPRESSIONS - CRAIGIEBURN VALLEY |
8 July 2002 |
|
The car park is only 2 minutes from the bottom lift... oh and the ski area is huge! Imagine the Saulire Cable car in Courchevel being replaced by three rope tows, one above the other. But with all the terrain that is accessible from the Saulire or everything you can ski in the Alpine from the Peak Chair in Whistler! This place has the most skiable area in New Zealand - probably the southern Hemisphere - all of it within a few minutes walk of either the top or bottom of the lifts.
Words and Pictures from Tom Greenall - Natives Resort Reporter
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Friends
in Whistler, Verbier and Chamonix told me I should go to Craigieburn
if ever I visited New Zealand. I now know why. 
The
access is easy, a gently meandering track through the trees - OK
it does cross some steep slopes but doesn't climb them.
The
area consists of wide open bowls, long steep faces that go from
to bottom. And steeps - more steeps than Squaw Valley. Even a little
bit of tree skiing! The lifts are rope tows, riding being accomplished
with a tow belt and nutcracker system - they are powered by diesel
tractors. The bottom and middle tow by one and the top on a separate
system.To take a break there is a newly constructed Day Lodge, perched
on the ridge between the two main bowls to give wonderful panoramic
views over the skiing and beyond. 
When
I arrived there were but five other cars in the car park. This number
did not increase over the day, it decreased when the Kea decided
to eat one! The day began overcast, giving way to heavy snow and
finally bright sunshine. I was lucky and skied more than 10,000
vertical feet of fresh snow; some windblown hardpack, some crust
and lots of powder! 
This
place is an undiscovered gem and an under-used resource. On my tour
of New Zealand ski areas I doubt if I shall find a rival area. I
know this will become a firm favourite of mine. 
