The Remarkables Ski Field NZ

The Remarkables Ski Field near Queenstown New Zealand sits in the famous mountain range of the same name. In relation to the scenery, The Remarkables New Zealand are true to their name. They are one of the most photographed mountain ranges in the world due to the spectacular jagged shapes and the steep rise above the shores of Lake Wakatipu. The Remarkables ski field itself is also quite scenic.

Pros & Cons of The Remarkables Queenstown

Pros

• The Remarkables ski field has very good terrain parks.
• It is an ideal place to learn to ski or snowboard.
• It’s very family oriented.
• The day lodge is modern and convenient and offers lovely views. The facilities and services are well developed, particularly in comparison to many of the small NZ ski fields.
• A little hike up to a lookout (for strong intermediate and advanced riders) provides amazing views across to Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu.
• The Remarkables ski field offers some nice hike-to terrain.
• The Remarkables ski field has lots of things going for it in its own right, however its proximity to the amazing ski town of Queenstown is one of its huge pros.
• Along with Coronet, The Remarkables is on the Ikon Pass.
• The access road is mostly paved, so relative to many other New Zealand ski fields, the drive up is pretty easy.

Cons

• Lift tickets are rather pricey.
• As is common to most New Zealand ski fields: 
  • no on-mountain accommodation so a daily commute is required  
  • inconsistency with regards to the snow quality
  • small terrain size so variety in lift-accessed terrain is lacking
  • lack of trees so there’s potential for impaired visibility in foul weather

Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective

• The Queenstown ski fields have better weather than some of the more northern ski fields, but snow doesn’t fall from blue skies so they generally get less snowfall.
• The main bowl faces the sun, so it’s rather nice for beginners to enjoy the lovely sunshine, but north facing slopes aren’t so great for snow quality.
• Weekends in particular can be incredibly busy. The lifts cope OK, whilst the day lodge is often heaving.

The Remarkables Ski and Snowboard Terrain

The Remarkables ski field, or the “Remarks” as some of the locals call it, is a reasonably small Queenstown ski resort with 385 hectares of terrain and a 468 metre vertical drop (1,475 – 1,943m). The Remarkables Queenstown has 4 chair lifts (2 super speedy 6-seaters, 2 slow quad chairs) and 4 magic carpets.

The official trail stats are 30% beginner, 40% intermediate and 30% black. In reality, The Remarkables ski terrain is very well suited to first timers, it's OK for other beginners and intermediates with only limited groomers for cruising, and there are some advanced slopes and steep chutes for expert riders who don’t mind going for a hike.

The Remarkables Ski Field has carved itself a niche in the freestylers market. The terrain parks are very impressive and provide a variety of opportunities for shredders.

The Remarkables Snow and Weather

The annual snowfall is not that remarkable at only 3.7 metres, so powder hounds have to be lucky to score a big powder day. And thankfully there are lots of snowmaking guns to supplement the Remarkables snow cover.

The ski area is made of up three bowls and the main one is particularly sunny and sheltered from the wind and wild weather, so the resort is less inclined to have closed days compared to other NZ ski resorts further north.

Where is The Remarkables Queenstown?

The Remarkables ski field is located within The Remarkables mountain range on the South Island of New Zealand. It is a 35-45 minute drive from the town of Queenstown to The Remarkables ski resort. If you are not familiar with driving in the snow, the road up to the resort might be a little daunting as the top part is unsealed, and there are many areas with drop-offs along the side of the road. A less harrowing alternative may be to catch one of the regular shuttle buses that connect Queenstown and the ski field.

The Remarkables Accommodation

There is no on-mountain accommodation at The Remarkables. Most skiers and snowboarders stay in Queenstown accommodation and commute each day. Queenstown has a huge range of accommodation options, with something to suit all tastes and budgets. The town has resort hotels, motels, lodges, B and Bs, and lots of backpacker hostels.

Facilities

The facilities at The Remarkables ski resort are mostly contained within one building at the base of the ski area. This day lodge houses the ski school, a retail shop, ski and snowboard hire, and a huge cafeteria. The indoor eating area provides easy views of the beginners’ area as well as amazing vistas across the valley and surrounding mountains. The outdoor decks provide even better views!