Coronet Peak Queenstown New Zealand to open

Coronet Peak Queenstown New Zealand to is to open on man made snow on Thursday.

Thursday means Coronet Peak will be open in June and will be the 2nd ski field to open with snow on the ground in New Zealand. Many visitors who are here in Queenstown leave on Sat which is the major change over day so this would give the current lot snow seekers 2 days of skiing or snow boarding before they leave town. Then the next bunch of keen skiers and snow boarders arrives given the ash does not disrupt the situation.

This has certainly been a testing time for many in Queenstown, visitors, ski area workers, retailers, petrol stations and just about everybody has been affected by the lack of snow. The snow making system at Coronet Peak has certainly been tested as this would be the first year with the new and fully automated system that there has been no natural snow to work with and build on. It’s all man made snow. A soon as it got cold enough bingo!

I will look forward to seeing you up there at Coronet Peak and lets hope the cold temps
continue and fingers crossed for a real snow storm too!

Mt Hutt opens and snow for Coronet Peak Queenstown on the way

Mt Hutt opened today, the first ski field in New Zealand to do so this season. Finally, it’s been a long wait for many. Coronet Peak in Queenstown will be hard on it heels as a front comes in late today and is set to deliver a small amount of natural snow but most importantly the cold temperatures return so the awesome power of 200+ automated snow guns can rip into action and get us all on snow.

Queenstown wants it, needs it. Snow on the ground is an important economic driver for this small town and its sister city Wanaka during the winter months.

Snow on the Ground 2009

Actually its really important that all the ski areas in New Zealand have good winters….when the North Island fields have good snow they are a breeding ground for many New Zealanders first snow experience and this feeds people into the South Island ski areas over the following years. With snow on the ground all over NZ it creates a great image in the offshore markets, particularly Aussie that coming to NZ for a snow experience is the place to be not swanning off to snorkel on some tropical island.

In a way Queenstown is lucky in the fact that it is considered by many to be a Green Valley skiing destination. This means that (usually) the snow is up on the mountains and sits around the 1000m mark (depending on the aspect) while below that the valley is green grass which means there is plethora of alternate activities to enjoy on your skiing vacation.

The Weather Forecast is looking pretty good for us this week with a front carrying some snow later today followed by cold southerlies thru to the weeks end. This means snow making.

Remember to make the most out of your skiing vacation in Queenstown and book me for your private ski lessons

Snow, Snow where for art though thou lovely snow?

Bugger, I was wrong! The front that may have given us enough snow to open Queenstown's Coronet Peak just didn't eventuate and I was not making turns today.....just as well I am not a betting man!

Even though the snow has not arrived I am not getting desperate ....... yet. Mother nature always balances itself out so the snow will come. It's just a matter of when. So will the cold temperatures. traditonally it always gets colder after the shortest day, that's 2moro. The coldest day in Queenstown almost without fail, is the same day that the Queenstown winter festival Mardi Gras falls on so lets hope history works in our favor. On the positive side when it does get cold at least all the reservoirs are full so they should be able to crank out tonnes of snow.

Now is a great time to be getting the ski fitness up and working on specific muscle groups. Here is a great video so you can work on some exercises at home and be much better off when that snow finally gets here.

Got your own skis or snowboard? Are they tuned and ready to rip? Or are they how you left them at the end of last season? Get them sorted before you head to the snow. If you are on the snow for 2 weeks get them tuned at least once while you are on your vacation in Queenstown, preferably twice. It's amazing how fast man made snow makes a set of once sharp edges blunt. After I get a tune, 6 runs on man made snow I run a diamond stone over the edge to help keep them honed!

Check the bindings din setting is correct. Check that your boots toes are not overly worn. Get them checked out if you are not sure......better safe than sorry.

When you do get on the snow for your first day, savor it! It's easy to forget the fantastic location you are in and why you are really there. Take 30 seconds at the top of the chair before you head down the run and enjoy the view. This is a great thing to do on each and every run......allows the mind to clear and focus to the situation at hand.

Right start thinking SNOW.....seriously!

Remember to book me for your private ski lesson this winter if you want the opportunity to take the next step on snow.

Fingers crossed for snow in Queesntown over the weekend

We are still waiting for the magic white stuff arrive in Queenstown. Even the snow making machines have been feeling a little redundant over the last weeks as the temps have just not been cold enough very often to crank out the goodness. Lots of temp inversion......cold air trapped in the valleys and warm air up high. It may be about to change over the weekend with a warm wet storm coming in from the north and colliding with a cold southerly airstream that luck is going to produce what we desperately need......snow. I' m not really much of a betting man but if I had to put a wager on it we will be making turns on snow on Monday here in Queenstown!! Big call but optimism reigns in my world.

Just picked up my new ride for this winter, a set of Salomon Tornado Ti. They look fantastic and I hope my comments above prove correct so I can get ripping them soon. Check out out head into any good sports shop but particularly R&R sports in Queenstown.

Skiing Queenstown NZ ..... the countdown is on!

Summer is long gone, autumn is almost over and winter is knocking on the door. Loudly in fact.

Over the last week Queenstown has seen some very wintery weather with snow falling to quite low levels. Coronet Peak picked up some snow and snowmaking is looking like it will be switched to full automatic in the next few days as the temperatures look to be cold and good for snow making.
The Remarkables also picked up plenty too and I am sure between now and when the Remarkables opens for the season(18th June) they will pick up plenty more. I am due to be making turns on the snow at Coronet Peak on the 4th June (CP's opening date) if all goes to plan weather wise which is looking pretty good right now.

Do you want to improve your skiing? Do you want to be able to ski more difficult terrain? Do you want to learn how to ski? Do you want to ski faster (and stay in control)? Do you want to get more fun out of your skiing?

Come and spend some time with me – I am an internationally qualified ski instructor and ex-trainer/examiner for the New Zealand Snow Sports Alliance. Over the winter skiing months here in Queenstown (June – September) I am available to instruct you and aid your enjoyment in the pastime of skiing at either Coronet Peak or the Remarkables Ski Areas for the 2010 winter. Come ski with me and sharpen up your act!

Private ski lessons are the way forward as they will maximize your time the best and allow you to get the most out of your time on snow. If you want private ski lessons with me make sure to book in now. (I am already booked out for the first 2 weeks of the Aussie school holidays in late June/early July) Please use my online booking form.

This is the first of regular posts that will be coming out each week over the winter so be sure to keep reading if you want the heads up for the slope conditions, ski tips, Salomon ski equipment and lots of other stuff.