Mount Hutt, New Zealand

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Mount Hutt

Mount Hutt rises to the west of the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand, above the braided upper reaches of the Rakaia River, and 80 kilometres west of Christchurch. Its summit is 2190 metres above sea level.

[edit] Skifield

The ski field in July 2007.

The mountain is home to a commercial alpine ski area with the largest skiable area in the South Island (3.65 square kilometres), and a vertical height of 683 metres.

It caters for a wide range of skiers, with a "magic carpet" lift for beginners, good intermediate and advanced runs, and access to large off-piste areas. The most advanced runs on the mountain are through the rock formations at the top of the field known as "The Towers", and the South Face.

The snow season is from June to October. Mount Hutt prides itself on and historically has been the first ski-field in the Southern Hemisphere to open at the beginning of each season. However, its steep thirteen kilometre access road is prone to closure in poor weather.

Mt Hutt's facilities include a high-speed six seater chair, a quad chair, triple chair and magic carpet.

Since there is no accommodation on the mountain, most visitors stay in the nearby small, friendly town of Methven, just a 35 minute drive to the mountain. The city of Christchurch is just over an hour's drive away.

Mt Hutt is managed by Southern Alpine Recreation Ltd along with Coronet Peak and The Remarkables in Queenstown.