Coronet Peak Ski Area

The Stats:

Elevation: 1649m
Vertical: 462m
Skiable Area: 280ha
Terrain: Beginner 25%, Intermediate 45%, Advanced 30% (including Back Bowls)

Where:

Closest ski area to Queenstown, about 25 mins drive (18km)

What's "The Peak" really like?

More terrain than on most mountains five times the size with a myriad of different ways "down". Even those of us who have skied The Peak season after season, can still find new fun runs and surprises.

It's the 3rd steepest ski area in NZ averaging 27 degrees of pitch. Mostly intermediate and advanced terrain although the beginners slopes have been extended to increase capacity. Previous seasons have occassionally seen 'standing room only' on the beginner slopes. Coronet can suffer from 'Loud Powder' and in springtime due to its low altitude (the base building is at 1200m), it can melt and re-freeze so good edges are pretty handy! The extensive snowmaking system improves every year in both volume/coverage and quality, in fact there are over 200 fully automated guns which means that coverage is extended over virtually the whole mountain. Powder at Coronet tends to be on the heavyish side, seldom getting more than 30cm of fresh at a time. You want to get there early on powder days as the locals will utilizing their First Tracks (8-9am) passes for sure. The off-piste is extensive and wicked! There is night skiing mid July to mid Sept which is also great fun.

New for 2010:

2008 & 2009 saw very exciting developments, particularly regarding radically increased snowmaking capabilities with over 200 automated snow guns, and the successful opening of the Michael Wyatt building. New for 2010 is a significant upgrade of the 'Big Easy' novice area which includes a new state-of-the-art quad chairlift. The Meadows double chairlift at Coronet Peak will be replaced with a new Leitner-Poma detachable quad chairlift which, for a number of reasons, will be the first of its kind to be installed in the Southern Hemisphere. The existing novice terrain is to be re-graded with a new link back to the lift and an additional beginner area will be created adjacent to the existing Magic Carpet conveyor lift.

The new express quad chair includes a range of safety features, including an automatic loading carpet that takes skiers and riders to the load point making it super simple to get onto the chair. A first in the Southern Hemisphere, it also features an automated safety bar which descends over passengers as the chair leaves the lift terminal and rises prior to disembarking at the top. There is also a "kid stop" mechanism designed to ensure very young skiers don't slip underneath the bar - it comes up between their legs to keep them in place.

The new chairlift terminals will be located in approximately the same place but capacity will increase to a maximum of 2000 passengers per hour. The existing chair moves up to 1200 per hour.

Also new for '10 will be direct to lift technology using a fully re-usable radio frequency. This will replace the paper ticket system. You load up your online account each time you visit (year on year) and use one card to give you access to lifts as well as most of NZSKI's products. For more info on this exciting new development check out www.nzski.com/mypass.

www.nzski.com