If you are under 25 then you may love this place. If, however, you are older or simply not very fit then stay well away from Temple Basin.

Reality sinks in well before on even attempts to use the 1940's lifts. There is no road to the ski field. Instead, walking from the highway is required. It is an uphill walk of close to one hour. I run regularly, yet it took me this long. I had to carry my skiing equipment due to the goods lift not working.

The ski field itself is substandard. There is No grooming nor a genuine beginners area. Getting from one lift to the next requires walking. The lifts are rope-tows. While they are easier to use at Temple Basin than Craigieburn Valley, they are well and truly dated. The rates are very high for a skiing experience requiring walking uphill to get to the snow and then having the lifts that they do.

I was there for there days. Not all lifts were always operating. At one stage only one was so it actually got crowded.

On the plus side, the onfield accommodation was good.
See our video here

Temple is a pretty unique experience in NZ. You have to work pretty hard for your turns here, hiking in from the road (though the goods lift hauls your gear for you), and then there are rope tows but... really, most people are hiking again from the top of tows.

HOWEVER all this effort gets you absolutely sick lines through some of the most interesting terrain around, affordable on field accomodation, and the effort to get here is a great "filter", so you won't be battling crowds. Both lodges only sleep about a hundred people, and it's a mission for a day trip, so there is a pretty hard limit on how many people you're likely to see.

It's a place that really suits a decent length stay. The terrain really rewards exploration, and there is heaps of it, even without considering the backcountry / slackcountry access. If you catch a storm, they chuck on the lights and have nightskiing as well off the main tow. Once you're there the (modest, bunkroom) accomodation is ski in, ski out, there's a good bar, the food is hot and plentiful, and the people are friendly.

There is some nominally beginner / intermediate terrain, but, honestly, it's not a great place to learn, and those people are probably better off somewhere with a chairlift and groomers. It IS however an excellent place for advanced riders to take their skiing to another level, or for people to dip a toe into backcountry in a semi-controlled environment.

One word of advice. Club fields are light on the infrastructure (ie, signage, maps, marked trails), so to get the best out of the mountain, ask people where to go. The staff and regulars are all helpful folks, and are as likely to invite you to tag along with them as to point you in the right direction.

Actually, a second word of advice for newcomers to the club fields. Bring a good backpack your skis / board can be carried on. Hiking is a big part of the experience here and a good pack helps a lot.

I'd encourage any advanced riders to give this place a nudge and see if it's for you. You might never want to leave.
See our video here

Temple is by far my favourite field!

It's true you have to work for everything but that only makes it more rewarding and keeps the latte sippers out. The rope tows are an interesting experience but I've come to prefer them to chairlifts. A queue at temple consists of 5 or so people. Bills Basin, a short traverse and hike from the top of downhill tow, provides hours of entertainment with awesome terrain to suit an advanced beginner to a pro. Feeling like a hike head up Mt. Temple for some gnarly shoots. Take a shovel and build a kicker! You won't find red tape at temple, it's an awesome relaxed atmosphere that I haven't experienced at any other field.

If the uni students are up head down to their lodge for some intense partying.

When it comes to walking up hills and hiking I am very unfit and detest it but it's always worth it for temple. So if you think it sounds like too much hard work head up there and check it out, be prepared to push yourself but it will be worth it.

If there is one field to go to in the canterbury region THIS IS IT!
See our video here

The earn your turns ethos starts from the road or from town in our case when we decided not to risk leaving the car in the infamous Temple Basin carpark. It's the one carpark in the country that is notorious for having your car broken into while you go skiing...not cool.

Anyway, depending on the condition of the path and how fast you are, you end up walking for a good half hour to an hour before you get to the top...top of the path but the base of the mountain so to speak. Then you pick up your skis from the goods lift and wander over to the first tow. Then onwards and upwards. Another hike traverse gets you to the upper tow and the goods. This last tow is basically your main access point to the temple. Everything you see and the sun touches around here is on. But you have to hike to it.

There's a reason they run freeski comps here and people come back here religiously because the terrain can be awesome and when the snow is there too, well party on! Sun hits here in the arvo so you get to enjoy the spectacular views across the valley whilst earning or enjoying your turns. Quite a few hidden hikes around the back or side too so spend the time and have a chat to patrol.
See our video here

Awesome field, intense terrain and good snow. The terrain at this field is unmatched by any field in Canterbury. There are also heaps of good mellow slopes.

The lodge is comfortable and warm and the people are very chilled and friendly. Completely different feeling to the bigger snow resorts full of grumpy posers.

If you want an actually relaxing, adventurous and chilled out trip I would definitely recommend Temple.

Be prepared for some good hiking. Don't come to this field expecting to be lazy and sit on your bum on a chairlift, because it won't happen. You have to earn your runs, but it is fully worth it, this just makes them better.

The field is very uncrowded, when there is a fresh snow there are fresh tracks for days. There is a real backcountry feel which is unmatchable by any bigger ski resort.
See our video here

Temple Basin is fantastic, every visit is an adventure. The info on this site sums it up pretty well.

Although skiing here requires a bit of effort, I have found it to more than pay off with uncrowded back country-style terrain and sick natural features.

The mellow Cassidy tow is also perfect for keen beginners or if you are new to the whole nutcracker thing.

Plan to stay for at least one night so you can enjoy a decent feed and a few brews with your new mates. And because one day will only scratch the surface of this unique gem.

On my first visit my friends and I were welcomed by the friendly crew who were happy to help us find our way around.

Since then I have returned many times to push myself just that bit further on the slopes and to bask in the comfort and scenery of the temple lodge.

Spring is great because you don't have to rely on grooming to keep it soft, but if you can make it within a few days of a snowfall it may just be the best riding of your life.

Although it's a bit of a trek from the road to the field, the lodge is serviced by a goods lift so take as many pairs of skis and boxes of beer as you like!
See our video here