 |
Event Calendar |
Snow Shoeing
The finest accessible snowshoeing terrain is to be found on the Pisa Range in Otago, on the South Island. There are daily direct international flights into Queenstown’s international airport with a wide range of accommodation available there or in nearby Wanaka. Queenstown’s reputation as the adrenalin capital of the Southern Hemisphere is well-deserved and the visitor is able to select from a wide range of adventurous activities to complement their snowshoeing trip.
A network of backcountry trails and huts allow adventurers the prospect of extended mountain journeys and the highest point of the range, Mt. Pisa at 1,964m (6,444ft), are easily within reach of a fit and capable party. ,,
To meet the increasing popularity of snowshoeing in NZ, a network of snowshoe routes is being developed this season using a European style of signage within the Snow Farm boundaries, offering the option of tours from a couple of hours to overnight expeditions. Here too, the competitive snowshoe enthusiast can engage in snowshoe biathlon as the sport goes from strength to strength in NZ.
However, it is the attraction of the unpatrolled terrain outside of the Snow Farm, which is the biggest draw for any experienced snowshoe enthusiast. This rolling terrain holds the key for snowshoeing here, rarely reaching the critical angles for avalanches and with few objectively dangerous terrain features, the possibilities for ascents and descents in snowshoes are limited only by the imagination.
On the journey to reach Mt Pisa, snow shoers can be reminded of the arctic tundra of Scandinavia or the Grampian Cairngorm in Scotland. The schist tor summits on these block mountains, typical of Central Otago, are the remnants of New Zealand’s original peneplain landscape upthrust by tectonic plate collision. It is a treeless alpine environment in white ermine powder, beneath which alpine plant communities struggle to maintain their existence in the harsh winter conditions.
Yet, they aren’t the only evidence of nature here, as chamois, goats, wild pigs, hare, rabbit, hedgehogs and wild cats roam freely. Gold miners left their marks here too, somehow managing to retain a toehold in the frozen land while sifting the underlying alluvial deposits for the mother lode.
The initial descent is into the headwater area of the Roaring Meg stream, itself named after another gold-mining pioneer, before ascending the slopes above the headwaters. The terrain allows the line to reflect the conditions underfoot, with the freedom to improvise and explore the possibilities. The defining features are the water courses, acting like handrails to the ridges thrown down from the high plateau.
An overnight stay in a backcountry hut extends the time spent here, with accommodation options to suit all budgets. An early start rewards the diligent, as the finite winter light holds the prospect of time for photography and an unforced descent. As with all good ascents, the first view of the summit is denied until it has been earned through commitment to the challenge. The parade of false summits falls away as the vista unfolds, north to Mt. Cook, west to Mt. Aspiring – the southern Matterhorn, east to the Old Man Range, then finally south to the Remarkables. There is time to linger and savor the moment before being drawn back down to the rewards of shelter, food and company, perhaps a local appellation vin chaud at the hut or the Nordic center?
The changeable maritime climate, snow conditions ranging from powder to refrozen snow/ice, and the prospect of committing yourself in this environment combine to provide the challenge, while the spectacular 360 degree mountain panoramas of the South Island, the environmental aesthetic and that sense of immense personal satisfaction are the ultimate reward.
Snow Farm NZ http://www.snowfarmnz.com run guided snowshoe tours exploring the ecology, geology and transhumance of the Pisa Range.
For back country snow shoe tours on the pisa and other areas contact http://www.aspiringguides.com/
The finest accessible snowshoeing terrain is to be found on the Pisa Range in Otago, on the South Island. There are daily direct international flights into Queenstown’s international airport with a wide range of accommodation available there or in nearby Wanaka. Queenstown’s reputation as the adrenalin capital of the Southern Hemisphere is well-deserved and the visitor is able to select from a wide range of adventurous activities to complement their snowshoeing trip.
A network of backcountry trails and huts allow adventurers the prospect of extended mountain journeys and the highest point of the range, Mt. Pisa at 1,964m (6,444ft), are easily within reach of a fit and capable party. ,,
To meet the increasing popularity of snowshoeing in NZ, a network of snowshoe routes is being developed this season using a European style of signage within the Snow Farm boundaries, offering the option of tours from a couple of hours to overnight expeditions. Here too, the competitive snowshoe enthusiast can engage in snowshoe biathlon as the sport goes from strength to strength in NZ.
However, it is the attraction of the unpatrolled terrain outside of the Snow Farm, which is the biggest draw for any experienced snowshoe enthusiast. This rolling terrain holds the key for snowshoeing here, rarely reaching the critical angles for avalanches and with few objectively dangerous terrain features, the possibilities for ascents and descents in snowshoes are limited only by the imagination.
On the journey to reach Mt Pisa, snow shoers can be reminded of the arctic tundra of Scandinavia or the Grampian Cairngorm in Scotland. The schist tor summits on these block mountains, typical of Central Otago, are the remnants of New Zealand’s original peneplain landscape upthrust by tectonic plate collision. It is a treeless alpine environment in white ermine powder, beneath which alpine plant communities struggle to maintain their existence in the harsh winter conditions.
Yet, they aren’t the only evidence of nature here, as chamois, goats, wild pigs, hare, rabbit, hedgehogs and wild cats roam freely. Gold miners left their marks here too, somehow managing to retain a toehold in the frozen land while sifting the underlying alluvial deposits for the mother lode.
The initial descent is into the headwater area of the Roaring Meg stream, itself named after another gold-mining pioneer, before ascending the slopes above the headwaters. The terrain allows the line to reflect the conditions underfoot, with the freedom to improvise and explore the possibilities. The defining features are the water courses, acting like handrails to the ridges thrown down from the high plateau.
An overnight stay in a backcountry hut extends the time spent here, with accommodation options to suit all budgets. An early start rewards the diligent, as the finite winter light holds the prospect of time for photography and an unforced descent. As with all good ascents, the first view of the summit is denied until it has been earned through commitment to the challenge. The parade of false summits falls away as the vista unfolds, north to Mt. Cook, west to Mt. Aspiring – the southern Matterhorn, east to the Old Man Range, then finally south to the Remarkables. There is time to linger and savor the moment before being drawn back down to the rewards of shelter, food and company, perhaps a local appellation vin chaud at the hut or the Nordic center?
The changeable maritime climate, snow conditions ranging from powder to refrozen snow/ice, and the prospect of committing yourself in this environment combine to provide the challenge, while the spectacular 360 degree mountain panoramas of the South Island, the environmental aesthetic and that sense of immense personal satisfaction are the ultimate reward.
Snow Farm NZ http://www.snowfarmnz.com run guided snowshoe tours exploring the ecology, geology and transhumance of the Pisa Range.
For back country snow shoe tours on the pisa and other areas contact http://www.aspiringguides.com/
| Copyright Waiorau Snow Farm © | Site Map | Web design New Zealand by Acclipse |
|
