Ōhau Snow Fields
It is a 20 minute drive from Lake Ōhau Lodge to the Snow Fields. Most people drive themselves, sometimes hiring chains from the Lodge at the bottom of the road if they don't have a 4WD or chains are required that day. There is also a bus that leaves every morning from the Lodge at 9.15am and only returns at the end of the day. From the 9.6km access road, the views up the valley to Aoraki Mount Cook and overlooking Lake Ōhau are spectacular with snatched glimpses of the snow field now and again before opening up to the full panorama on arrival at the car park.
From the car park it is a quick walk to the ticket office and Day Lodge and once you're all set to go a gentle slide down to the start of the chair lift or platter slope. For beginners the snow mat is right there. Arranging a lesson is a good idea to start off with and there is plenty of good rental gear.
The mountain caters for all abilities. The double chair lift and the wide flat slopes at the top of the mountain enables most intermediates to cruise down the Boulevard very comfortably. There is some great hiking around the tops for the more adventurous accessing the best powder snow and the views from there are really magnificent and definitely worth the effort.
At the end of a great day in the mountains, there is nothing better than knowing you're only 20 minutes from a hot spa with a gluhwein in your hand or a cold beer in the bar. Back to friendly staff, no thinking about what you're going to cook that night and a very reasonably priced holiday. You will leave relaxed and revived!
Download the Ohau Snow Fields Trail Map
| Length of season | 21st June - 28th September 2025 (subject to change see Snow Reports for latest information) | |
| Terrain Grading | Beginner 20%, Intermediate 50%, Advanced 30% |
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| Mt Sutton Altitude | 2000m | Ridge altitude 1925m |
| Highest Lift | 1825m | Base facilities 1500m |
| Lift Base | 1425m | Vertical drop 400m |
| Area of Snow Fields | From top of Chairlift From top of Mt Sutton |
125ha 600ha |
| Lifts | 1 Chairlift (double) - 795 skiers/hour 1 Platter - 400 skiers/hour 1 Snow Mat - 1,100 skiers/hour |
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| Operating Hours | 9 am to 4 pm are the scheduled lift operating hours and are subject to weather conditions. | |
| Snow Making | We have a "state of the art" Techno Alpin snowmaking system incorporating 4kms of trench, 1.5m deep over the mountain. We have installed 30 Techno Alpin guns, 23 lances and 7 fan guns and of these 4 of these are TF10s. The snow making covers 2 main top to bottom runs, via Top Flat , Boulevard and the Towers, Shirt Front and both learners’ slopes. | |
| Snow School |
Friendly instructors offering skiing/snowboarding instruction and mountain awareness programmes. No pre bookings are taken. You are best to be at the Ticket Office at 9am to be allocated early lessons. 1 hr group lessons start every half hour from 9.30. Private lessons offered. Register your children in the school holidays for the Mountain Goats beginners programme and lessons half price. |
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| Snow Hire & Repairs | 220 sets of predominantly Salomon skis. Salomon Boots. 40 Burton Snowboards with soft bindings. | |
| Hospitality Facilities | Day Lodge with log burner, big tables, cafeteria with good food, espresso coffee and souvenir shop | |
| Terrain Park | We have 2 Terrain Parks - 1 for beginners and 1 for intermediate/advanced with lots of features. A new PB400W, winch cat has been purchased to assist with Terrain Park construction. | |
| Visitor Safety |
Safety at Ohau Snow Fields. We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable experience at Ohau Snow Fields and to help you do that we have a few tipsfor staying safe on the mountain. Safety is everyone's responsibility and in an alpine environment weather and snow conditions can change rapidly, please equip yourself appropriately for changeable alpine conditions and the the Sow Report before travelling to Ohau Snow Fields. New Zealand Snow Safety Code. When skiing or riding please follow the NZ Snow Safety Responsibility Code. Know your limits: Ride to your ability, control and speed. Be aware of conditions and take a lesson. Find your space: Stop where you can be seen. Give others room. Look ahead. Protect yourself: Obey all signs. Tired, take a rest. Wear a helmet. Visitor Safety Information. Ohau Snow Fields Health & Safety Visitors book is available at the Ticket Office for all visitors to review. Road Safety: The snow field is located 15 minutes' drive from Lake Ohau Lodge via a 9.6km long unsealed access road. Due to the alpine nature of our access road, we require that snow chains are always carried in your vehicle, in the event of a weather change. A chain fitting area is located at the bottom of our access road. Road status, including chain requirements will be updated daily on the Snow Report. A bus service operates from the Lodge daily. Please see Lodge Reception for tickets. Hazards & Obstacles: Hazards and obstacles both man-made and natural exist on the mountain, please be aware of your surroundings. We may use signage, fencing and rope lines to provide a visual warning. Over snow vehicles may be encountered on the slopes at any time, please be aware and give them space. Signage & Trails: Maps and signage are placed to help you safely navigate Ohau Snow Fields. Trail difficulty ratings are relative to each ski areas specific terrain. See our Trail Map for trail ratings. Please do not enter closed areas. Race training regularly takes place on "Towers" trail, please use extra care when crossing racing lanes & respect closures. Lift Safety: If you are unsure how to safely use a lift, please see one of our Lift Operators. Loading. Remove pole straps from wrists. Remove backpacks and hold in lap. Remove back foot from snowboard binding. Keep ski tips up as you depart the loading station. Riding. Use the safety bar. Do not swing or bounce the chair. Never jump from the chair. Unloading. Check for loose clothing or bags that could get caught. Keep tips upas you enter the loading station. Ski/slide off chair without pushing off the chair. Backcountry Access: Ohau Snow Fields does not conduct avalanche control or provide Ski Patrol outside of the ski area boundary. Before leaving the ski area boundary, please unsure you understand the risks involved in backcountry travel, carry the appropriate equipment, check local weather and avalanche conditions and forecasts and always travel in a group. Please sign out of the ski area with Ski Patrol at the top of the lift. A single chairlift ride can be purchased from the Ticket Office. Uphill access is permitted during operational hours on "The Boulevard" only. Please keep to the outside of the groomed trail. Ski Patrol: Ski Patrol monitors our mountain constantly and can be approached for assistance at any time. In the event of an accident or injury, stay on the scene and get another person to contact Ski Patrol. This can be done by notifying a staff member or calling Lodge Reception on (03) 4389885. Report an incident: We strive for our Ohau Snow Fields to be fun and safe for everyone. If you experience an incident or hazard please let one of our friendly staff members know as soon as possible. Alternatively you can report a concern to us at [email protected], please include your full name, contact details, time and date of incident, brief details of incident/hazard or event. |
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| Snow Reports and Bookings |
ohau.co.nz/snow-report/ Lake Ōhau Lodge Phone +64 3 438 9885 |
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| Postal Address | Ōhau Snow Fields and Lake Ōhau Lodge PO Box 51, TWIZEL 7944 New Zealand |
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