The Best Backcountry Skiing Routes in Treble Cone

The meadows is the name given to the area about the Chutes, Its possible to just play around in here and not enter the Chutes. If you head skiers left toward the boundary fence then you can enter back onto the piste....

Gun Barrel begins just as you start the Saddle Track. Drop into the left and you will see a very obvious half pipe. It's great fun for ripping turns and playing around....

This hike starts from where the Saddle Track meets Pete's Treat. There is a gate to the left which leads up a ridgeline. Up here is access to Hidden Valley and the top part of Sun Dance....

Out of all the ski resorts within the Southern Alps of New Zealand it seems that Treble Cone is the most well known. Being that it is based out of the Otago area and just outside of the town of Wanaka this area sees a lot of traffic....

Cloud Nine is basically the wide area in the middle of the saddle. There are endless options in here for ripping around. The top section is a little steep but is very wide....

Crags is a very short and very narrow gully that sits above Shooter. It has one steep section through a rocky outcrop which can be loaded with snow on a good day....

Bullet is great for big fast turns as it is one of the wider gullies in the saddle. As with all of them, it collects snow making it a great choice on a powder day....

Shooter sits skier's right of Super pipe but it's a very different run. Although the gradient is much the same, the depth of the gully is a lot shallower which makes it very playful and it's loaded with natural side hits of varying difficulty....

Super pipe is great if you want a steeper run. The walls are a lot steeper especially on skier's right which means there are many features to jump off. It's a longer run than Bullet as it ends up in another very steep section called Daves Ditch....

This is an amazing area - on a powder day and early season this is the spot to go. Head along the saddle track, past the hut and drop in skier's left....

Hidden Valley, as the name suggests, is not easy to find and is more one for the locals. Take the Home Basin chair and then the cat track to the Saddle....

There is a gate on looker's right of the saddle chairlift this is the start point for the hike to the summit. On a busy day there will be a good boot pack here....

Indicator Chutes are reached by dropping in from the Saddle Track. There are signs along the track marking each area but they aren't pistes, think more like inbounds sidecountry. The Indicator Chutes area is great for getting a few early laps in, the top section is a lot steeper than powder bowl and there are more features for jumping off....

The Matukituki Basin is another gem. It has very playful terrain and stunning views up the Matukituki river. It's only skiable when there has been a good dump of snow, so be careful in here if its low tide,as the run back to the Home Basin can be tricky....

Powder bowl is reached by dropping in from the Saddle Track. There are signs along the track marking each area but they aren't pistes; think more like inbounds sidecountry. Powder Bowl area is great for getting a few early laps in - the top section is a series of mini chutes that collect a lot of snow then all the chutes meet in a wide area perfect for just ripping some high-speed turns....

Mine shaft runs directly under the Saddle Chair. At the top there are a lot of options, so just follow the good snow. To enter the main gully stay skiers left of the chair - it is steep and narrow but a lot of fun....

The summit is a must do when skiing Treble Cone. The best views are from here; you can see for miles in every direction and the highlight is the magnificent mountain of Black Peak....

You can get a good look at the drop off for this line while on the saddle chair, just look to your left as you leave the bottom station. This line is a series of cliffs that are well known in NZ....

Hollywood Bowl sits above the Motutapu chutes. If you chose to ski in here then you are committed to skiing all the way to the valley floor. The bowl itself acts like a mitt and catches a lot of snow - its wide and steep in places and you can pick from a range of terrain....

The 'Chutes' are a controlled part of Treble Cone. They are reached by going left off the Saddle chairlift, where you will find a boundary fence which has gates all along it....