The Remarkables Ski Area

Reached by a long, winding access road up the flank of the Remarkables range, this ski area sits in a cluster of high, sun-catching bowls hemmed by dramatic serrated peaks. Its layout of gentle valley floors rising to steeper headwalls makes it feel naturally tiered, with easy terrain and a strong learner focus low down and increasingly serious skiing as you climb and hike. Because its bowls face the sun and sit sheltered from the worst wind, snow quality is often kinder here than on exposed Coronet Peak across the valley. The mountain has invested heavily in progression parks, making it a magnet for families and freestyle riders alike. Beyond the lifts lies a genuine backcountry, and that mix of accessible and adventurous is its defining trait.

Go for a mountain that grows with you: superb beginner and family terrain and well-built parks at its core, with lift-accessed hiking into steep chutes and open backcountry for those ready to push on. It suits families, park riders and intermediates especially, while strong skiers value the ridge-hikes to genuinely challenging lines. The sheltered, sunny bowls and Queenstown base round out an appealing all-round package.

Set high and cupped in sun-facing bowls, The Remarkables tends to hold snow more evenly than the region's windier fields, its enclosed terrain trapping and preserving cover. The season opens with firm, bright groomers, deepens through midwinter when the higher basins and hiked chutes fill in, and finishes with warm, soft spring skiing in the sunny lower bowls. Storms deliver the powder that opens the backcountry gates, while the sheltered aspect keeps the core terrain skiable through changeable weather.