Treble Cone Ski Field

Situated near Wanaka, Treble Cone ski resort is the only town in the Southern Hemisphere featured in National Geographic’s World’s 25 Best Ski Towns.

The ski fields of Treble Cone Ski Resort are undoubtedly some of New Zealand’s finest, and several powder-longing skiers frequent the slopes every season.

Since its establishment in 1968, the Ski Fields of Treble Cone Ski Resort has been voted the Best New Zealand Ski Resort twice. The region is well known for having produced some of New Zealand's only international skiers ever to compete in the Olympics.

Treble Cone Ski Field has continually been upgrading its facilities to cater to for the increasing amount of both local skiers as well as international tourists.

Ski Information for Treble Cone

The largest ski resort in South Island, Treble Cone or ‘TC’ is popular for its steep and challenging off-piste terrain that offer astounding views of Lake Wanaka and Mt. Aspiring.

Aside from its 550-hectare skiing terrain, it also has the steepest and longest vertical drop in Queenstown Southern Lakes District.

The ski resort is just 35 minutes away from the lively town of Wanaka and 90 minutes away from Queenstown. The resort is located on top of a 7 kilometers access road; although the path is unpaved, it is suitable for cars, motorhomes and even coaches.

Skiable Terrain in Treble Cone

Standing proud at 2,088m, Treble Cone receives an average of 5.5 meters of quality snow annually. Skiing in Treble Cone is mostly suited for intermediate skiers. The skiable terrain is comprised of four basins, all accessible by the resort’s 4 efficiently planned lifts.

Home Basin, serviced by a 6-person chairlift, is located at the base area of the resort and offers numerous trails for beginners. A 100-meter walk from the top station of the Home Basin Express is the Matukituki Basin viewpoint and the gateway to an excellent backcountry terrain.

A quad chair services the Saddle Basin and the extreme terrain of Motatapu Basin. From the Saddle Basin quad top station, freeriders and advanced skiers can reach the Treble Cone Summit, the Summit Ridges and the Towers by hiking or by a helicopter ride.

Saddle Basin is the best spot for snowboarders and freeriders. Around the Bullet trail, plenty of rails, jumps and enjoyable natural half-pipes await beginners to advanced snowboarders. For deeper snow and steeper slopes, another option is the Upper High Street trails or the legendary Gun Barrel where the yearly TC banked slaloms are held.

Treble Cone Skiable Terrain for Beginners

Treble Cone ski resort attracts a lot of first timers and families with its kid-friendly beginner’s area and free beginner lift access. The resort’s skiing school called the Snow Sports School also offers complete packages and private lessons for kids and first timers.

All of the beginner trails are located at the Home Basin. A magic carpet welcomes first timers and takes them to the wide and gentle slopes of the Nice ‘n’ Easy Platter. The resort also features a new Jazz Kids' Fun Trail with jumps, bumps and thrills that will keep children entertained.

Accessed from the top of Volkswagen Express, the 3.2km long Easy Rider trail is perfect for training beginner skiers and snowboarders with the encouraging and breathtaking views of the Southern Alps and Lake Wanaka.

Treble Cone Skiable Terrain for Intermediate Skiers

Almost half of the skiable terrain in Treble Cone is dedicated to intermediate skiers. Most of the legendary red runs are located at the Saddle Basin, un-groomed and made up of gullies and ridges. The blue Upper High Street trail starting from the top of the Saddle Quad Lift all the way down to the base area gives skiers a whopping 4.5km leg burn. The Matukituki and Home Basin has several steep intermediate off-piste trails too including the Powder Bowl and the chutes above it.

Treble Cone Skiable Terrain for Expert Skiers

Several challenging and consistently groomed trails are available for expert skiing in Treble Cone. There are several un-groomed tracks in the Home Basin including the steep and narrow Upper Gun Barrel and Indicator Chutes.

Saddle Basin has some black off-piste trails filled with moguls and big rock drops. For a more exhilarating experience, turn right at the top of the Saddle Quad Lift and head to Motatapu Basin. The expert only terrain is home to NZ’s steepest and most difficult trails including some black and double diamonds near the Holly Bowl.