Lifts & Terrain
Porters features great learner and intermediate slopes, but also terrain to challenge the professionals. The terrain at the base is very gentle and is suitable for beginners and intermediates. Higher up the mountain the terrain becomes steeper.
The resort is not large, but the vertical drop is impressive. It’s certainly not like Europe, but by New Zealand standards it’s pretty good. If conditions are optimal you can ride some of the terrain outside the resort boundaries down to the road, providing even more vertical.
Lifts and lift ticketsIn addition to three t-bars that run up the valley, there is also a platter lift and a magic carpet at the base of the resort.
The lift tickets seem expensive considering the limited lift infrastructure, but when you compare Porters to the club fields the lift ticket prices seem quite reasonable. Added to that, Porters has lots of deals to make it very affordable. They have arrangements with some of the local accommodation places, and have 2 for 1 tickets on Mondays. Another economical way to purchase lift tickets is by using the
Chill pass which is also valid at 10 other mountains.
For first-timers an adult lift ticket is only $45 per day, and there are great deals for novices using the
Porters passport package which consists of lift tickets, lessons and equipment hire. Those who complete the 4 day program are then entitled to a free seasons pass.
The best thing about Porters lift tickets is that if the weather or conditions are a bit questionable, you can still go up to the mountain and give it a try. If you’re not happy with the conditions by 10:30am you can get a voucher for a lift ticket on another day.
Snow ConditionsPorters is slightly more protected from the weather than some of the neighbouring ski areas.Like other NZ resorts Porters can sometimes be shut due to wind and lack of visibility. However when other ski fields are closed, Porters sometimes has the advantage that it can at least keep the beginners area and the terrain park open.
The snow can be unreliable, so depending upon the season the natural snow cover can be somewhat lacking on the expert runs. On the other areas, the addition of snow-making facilities has significantly improved the snow cover.
Nightly grooming is performed on many of the slopes including some of the steep runs.
For the BeginnerThere is some great user-friendly beginner terrain that is wide and gentle. The magic carpet and platter lift are easy to ride.
Intermediate Ski TerrainA substantial proportion of the terrain is rated as blue so there’s plenty to choose from off T1 and T3.
For the Family/KidsPorters is family-friendly and absolutely ideal for families considering the terrain and the pricing structure. The size and design of the resort makes it easy for families to keep track of each other, and the terrain park will keep the kids entertained for hours.
Parks and Pipes“The Community Park” has marked hits of differing levels of difficulty, but it could broadly be termed an intermediates terrain park, suitable for children as well as the young at heart.
The park has evolved dramatically over recent years and some good design and summer grooming has formed three terraces. Combined with snowmaking facilities, the park is fully operational even when there is a limited snow base.
The terrain park is incredibly well located adjacent to T1. Even if the weather’s not great, the terrain park has a high likelihood of being open.
Advanced Ski and Snowboard TerrainThere are lots of lines for the advanced skier and snowboarder on Headwall, Julian’s bowl, McNulty’s Basin and the lower component of Big Mama.
Expert Skiing TerrainLegendary runs at Porters are off Bluff Face (skiers left) and Big Mama (skiers right). The latter is a super long run and is awesome with fresh powder. Unfortunately sometimes these runs suffer from snow cover that is a little thin.
Easily accessed beyond the boundaries of the resort is more great terrain. A traverse across to Crystal Valley opens up plenty of lines which can be skied down to the road. The shuttle buses that operate until 1:30pm can then take you back up to the lifts.
To get to Powder Bowl beyond Big Mama requires a bit of a hike. The sugar bowl is also worthwhile and you can traverse back to the lifts or you can continue down to the road if there’s adequate cover and get the shuttle bus back up.
All these out-of-bounds area are avalanche prone so check the avalanche risk with ski patrol before going, and take the appropriate safety gear.
For the PowderhoundThis is New Zealand, so it’s just a case of luck as to whether you strike a powder day.