Mt Hutt New Zealand

Mt Hutt Ski Field in New Zealand is a premier ski resort, and combined with the town of Methven, is a great destination if you head there on weekdays for a laid-back and inexpensive ski holiday. Mt Hutt Ski Field is a place where you can experience some lovely thigh burn considering the substantial vertical drop (by NZ standards). The vertical combined with the steep pitch lends itself well to racing and earns Mount Hutt the title of the “capital of speed”.

Pros and Cons of Mount Hutt

Pros

• Mt Hutt Ski Field is a good all-rounder when it comes to terrain for all ability levels.
• Whilst the skiing related costs are comparable to other commercial ski resorts in NZ, staying in Methven makes for a cheap New Zealand ski holiday.
• On fine days, the views from Mount Hutt are nothing short of extraordinary. You can see right across the Canterbury Plains to the Pacific. Over the back of the mountain there are amazing views of the snow-covered Southern Alps which seem to go on forever.
• Mt Hutt is popular with families due to good children’s facilities and kids 10 and under ski for free.

Cons

• Mt Hutt aka Mt Shut is rather exposed and the ski field closes more than most other NZ ski fields due to weather factors.
• Like elsewhere in New Zealand: variable snow quality; challenging access road; and no on-mountain accommodation.

Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective

• In addition to kids skiing for free (under 11), Mount Hutt is on the Ikon Pass and season passes are incredibly cheap, so half of Christchurch turns up on the weekends, and major lift queues can ensue, and the car parking reaches capacity early.

Mt Hutt Ski Field Terrain

The Mt Hutt skiing terrain is brilliant for beginners and intermediates, and in addition to the speedy groomers, the 365 hectares of treeless terrain also provides an infinite number of off-piste lines for advanced riders. The terrain around the periphery of the Mt Hutt ski field in particular is lots of fun and powder hounds will have a ball after a fresh dump of snow. The ski field isn't crowded on weekdays, but powder hounds will need to be assertive as the freshies won’t last for hours and hours.

The lift infrastructure copes very well with the lack of traffic on weekdays, whilst on weekends there can be lift queues.

Mount Hutt Snow and Weather

Mt Hutt receives 4 metres of snowfall on average per season, which is impressive relative to some other NZ commercial ski resorts, but like its New Zealand counterparts the snow conditions can be incredibly variable. Anything is possible including dry powder, mashed potatoes, cement, slush or ice.

One of the shortcomings of the Mt Hutt Ski Field is that it sits on the edge of the mountain range and is exposed to cold and strong southerly winds. Mt Hutt has unaffectionately been called Mt Shut because the ski area and the steep windy access road are at the mercy of the weather gods. Bring a book, hang out in the Blue Pub or find other non-skiing activities in Methven, as there’s a reasonable chance that the resort will be closed for at least one day during your stay. Or if it’s open, not all lifts may be operating.

Poor weather results in the resort being fully closed 14 days per season on average, but because Mt Hutt has such a long season, the positive spin is that it has more “open” days per season than other resorts. And of course, bad weather is often accompanied by snowfall, and the geographical features of Mt Hutt means that it catches the snow like a baseball glove. Powder hounds are happy for the resort to be closed sometimes if it means more snow!

Where is Mt Hutt?

Within the Southern Alps, Mt Hutt is near Methven in the Canterbury region of the South Island. It is located only 1.5 hours by car from Christchurch, New Zealand.

The road up to Mt Hutt can be pretty daunting for people who don’t have much familiarity with mountain driving or putting on chains. As an alternative mode of transport, regular shuttle buses operate between Methven and Mt Hutt.

Mt Hutt Accommodation

There is no Mt Hutt accommodation on-mountain, but there is plenty of Methven accommodation. Methven is a beautiful country town full of character (and characters) about 30 minutes away.