What’s new now that TC has new owners?

Early starts. One advantage of having to get up early to secure a car park is seeing the sunrise. Leaving Wanaka at the earliest time ever, we got to witness the magical time when the sun kisses the tops of the peaks, and turns them pink and then orange.

The car parks are almost full by the time we arrive at 8.30am. School holidays are supposed to be over, but we learnt the private schools have an extra week. It appears all the Kiwi skiers drive their own cars up, and there are very few bus loads, so although the car parks are full, it doesn’t reflect the total skier numbers. 

  

We think we have 30 minutes for a coffee before the lifts run, but they now start loading at 8.30am.  A wave of enthusiasm carries us along and we are skiing excellent packed snow in the Saddle Basin before 9am.

Untracked snow sweeps invitingly from the summit slopes.  After warming up on the smooth and cold groomers, I joined the line of pilgrims on the 20-minute hike to the top. There might have been 30 of us on the summit plateau enjoying the sunshine and superlative views. Rounds of applause followed when more extreme adventurers made spectacular jumps off the summit rocks.

The locals are back.  When TC put their prices up massively a few years ago many locals protested by going to Cardies. Now, with the same prices and season passes allowing skiing at both resorts, many locals are back at TC.  It is good to catch up with old friends.

On Friday my prayers had been answered and Saddleback had been groomed.  A narrow groom to be honest but it opened up the basin and got many skiers off Raffills Run.  Too good to be true of course when on Saturday it hadn’t had any regrooming done and the crowds really would have appreciated it. And on Sunday Saddleback was groomed but not South Ridge….

After the last big snowfall the whole mountain is now covered in snow and you can ski anywhere. There are even new ski tracks down the Sundance Run above the car park. The lower part has plenty of exposed tussock and Spaniard Grass.

Everyday cars were backed up and parked down as far down as Pub Corner.

But despite this, lift queues are never longer than a few minutes.  The Panda is back at Seventh Corner Corner. A kea watched over us at lunchtime. There are more ski tourers out in the backcountry carving lines down the face of Gottleib’s Peak.  TC is in great shape.