This beast of a mountain is accessed via a bush bashing 4wd trail through lower slope forest. Hanmer springs ski area is run by the amuri ski club, founded in 1957. The roundhill ski area was very small and sat atop a smooth topped dome a little round hill with perfect beginner terrain that was incredibly popular with families. Avalanche courses where skiings as good as it gets. Rope tow harness with nut cracker package rope tow gear. Here is a short guide on how to ride the tow safely and easily. The access tow is toeside for natural riders, and the main upper tow is heelside. Several of the club field rope tows are powered by tractors that have had their back ends removed. Nutcracker ropetows are a common form of lift at new zealand club fields. Loading a nut cracker rope tow at craigieburn new zealand. Christchurch canterbury, skiing in new zealand things. For our nz made rope tow harness and nut cracker combo click here. General use tow rope or winch extension strap for offroad use. The rope tow is a unique lift system in new zealand that is used at four of the ski selwyn six mountains.
Nutcracker a ski trip made in new zealand duration. The tows are easy to master but a little rope tow experience is a definite advantage. The selwyn district is home to six unique and character ski areas catering to a range of abilities and ages. The concept is simple, your nutcracker is attached to your harness or belt by a. Guide to safe loading and towing for light vehicles. Grab your own new zealand made nut cracker and score first tracks on the good ol kiwi rope tows 250mm long, nickel coated steel. Seeking the best heavy duty tow ropes with durable and functional quality, you wont be disappointed on dhgate nz site. See powderhounds for information on how to ride a nutcracker in nz, the equipment required. If you havent ridden a rope tow before wed be happy to help you learn, but please arrive the day before your course to get comfortable with this lift system. The nutcracker rope tow involves attaching a harness to your hips and clamping onto a rope with a nutcracker metal clamp to get up a mountain.
You can stay in the club fields for lift accessed backcountry style patrolled terrain via a nutcracker rope tow or you can take to the skies to find your fresh tracks. It is the more affordable option on the volcano with the two nutcracker rope tows and cat skiing pay per cat ride. The most vertical of any lift in new zealand, at 643m, is a less scary claim, and. Strops, straps, rope, ratchett, recovery strap, snatch strap, recovery rope, nylon, braidline, polypropylene, snatch master.
Published on jun 5, 2018 if you find yourself exploring the club skifields hidden away in nz youll find most of them have the rope tow and nut cracker set ups. Black diamond safaris, methven 2020 localgymsandfitness. From the top of the main tow there is a tremendous variety of rolling terrain and steep chutes to choose from, mostly intermediate to advanced. Small but significant, the nutcracker rope tow harness signifies quality and dedication to accessing the outdoors comfortably and with less hassle. Currently 2 nutcracker rope tows, 1 tbar, 1 learners rope tow.
Hire the gear you need to hit the classic new zealand rope tows and explore the backcountry. These are available from the ticket office, or you can use your own climbing harness or belt and purchase a nutcracker device at the ticket office. Tow and farm provides total pasture management solutions, whether you are a dairy farmer, hobby farmer or contractor. Shop online for handles, ropes and wake gear from torpedo7. Tow and farm is a wholly owned subsidiary of metalform, established by the easton family in 1961 and remains a family owned business. It can take a few tries to master and most people will have the hang of. They can be a little tricky on a board when they ice up and you dont pay attention.
The rope tow nutcracker harness reduces the hassle and increases the comfort of rope tows. Ski and board new zealands hidden gems for less this. On average, seven people a year are killed and 45 seriously injured in crashes involving a light vehicle towing a trailer the word trailer includes caravans, as well as boat, horse and garden trailers. Six of the best backcountry adventures in new zealand. This nutcracker is ideal for the smaller ski fields that dont have chair lifts. Here, chris explains how to use the nutcracker, the lift system used in the community run ski club fields of nz. New zealand offers some killer off piste terrain for the hardy skier and boarder looking for some backcountry snow adventure from heli skiing to ski touring.
Christmas comes but once a year, and for the royal new zealand ballet, christmas 2018 will be extra special, as we stage a national tour of the nutcracker for the first time since 2010. The rope tow nutcracker harness has been developed after years of skiing. The ski selwyn six blog written in association with licence to chill. How to use the nutcracker and other commentary the blackmail. Simple rope tows used without a nutcracker are limited in distance because they cannot have intermediate supports, and the grade of a rope tow is largely limited by passenger grip strength another style is identical to the basic tow rope, but a number of approximately 1 foot metal handles are attached firmly to the rope. They basically consist of a moving rope that passes through a series of pulleys, and skiers fix themselves to the rope with a metal contraption that is connected to a harness around the hips. Nutcracker rope tow nz gnomes alpine sports gnomes. Harnesses with nutcrackers are available for free in a bin at the bottom of the access tow, however the club recommends bringing your own for maximum comfort.
Unlike australia, with just 5 main ones to choose from, nz has lots of ski fields. Access to the field is by helicopter from a site close to glenorchy. Youll find the first rope tow just a short walk from the onmountain accommodation, car park and ticket office. Here seth from craigieburn explains an easy way to use them. The legendary nutcracker rope tow is a surface tow unique to new zealand club ski areas, and while taking some technique to master, does have many benefits in speed, capacity and. The ignition is turned over in the morning and voila, the cable is moving and you hook yourself on.
Prepare by holding the nutcracker in an open position with your hand thats furthest from the rope if skiing, or with your uphill hand if snowboarding. The first blue shadow product was born after years of skiing new zealands unique club ski fields. Tow price includes nutcracker or towbelt which are both required for our surface tows. Chairlifts are fun, but theres something super fulfilling about getting the hang of a rope tow at one of new zealands favourite club fields. The harness comes complete with everything ready to go.
Some previous experience using a nutcracker rope tow. They range from the modern with multimillion dollar facilities like the remarkables or whakapa to humble nutcracker rope. Check out all of the ski fields in new zealand in this complete list of the new zealand ski fields and ski areas in the country. Tow prices we have three high speed nutcracker rope tows servicing 350 acres of inbounds terrain and hundreds of acres more slackcountry and backcountry terrain. Heavy duty tow ropes nz buy new heavy duty tow ropes.
Flexibility of a heavy duty forged hook on one end and a sewn loop on the other. Ps this is the tow where i ran my leg between the pully and the tow rope and got a fing enormous bruise. Blue shadow rope tow nutcracker harness home facebook. The only accommodation available is a 10person hut equipped with a wood fire and gas stove. Many tows have a safety trip wire running up the lenght of the tow between the up and downhaul ropes. If the club wants to speed up the rope, you just shift the tractor into high gear. Offering festive enchantment for all ages, this is a christmas gift for all the family. See more of blue shadow rope tow nutcracker harness on facebook. Timersmixin nz we have a few nonprofit club fields where they service the whole mountain by rope tows, and they are honestly better than chairlifts if youve got a bit of upper body strength. I drive the rope tows in the ski areas of roundhill, broken river and craigiburn.
I drive the rope tow s in the ski areas of roundhill, broken river and craigiburn. Heritage express rope tow roundhill the heritage express rope tow at roundhill is billed as the worlds fastest rope tow which, for anyone who has ever struggled to ride a nutcracker tow, is a scary concept in itself. Cheap word ropes also have the strength to get through tough tests by our expert inspectors. If you find yourself exploring the club skifields hidden away in nz youll find most of them have the rope tow and nut cracker set ups. Save yourself the pain of queuing on powder days whilst others score your stash. Without having to unclip or unbind, two more rope tows take you all the way to the ridgeline. The field has a single 750m nutcrackerstyle rope tow, installed in 1996, powered by an old ford tractor. Getting the snow in new zealand wagner custom skis. Blue shadow rope tow nutcracker harness, rapahoe, new zealand. You can get on and off wherever you want on the rope, if you just want to lap the chutes or a cliff drop all day nonprofit so no park or even groomers some fields. The nutcracker clamps onto the rope running up the hill and you are pulled up with it.
The safety systems of nutcracker rope tows in new zealand vary depending on the ski area. Roundhill ski field nz roundhill ski field in new zealand used to be aptly named. This wire is then attached to several trip boxes on many of the posts on the way up the tow in even intervals. Elevation is 1769m, vertical is 310m, terrain is 52ha. Nutcracker ropetows nz nutcracker ropetows are typically used at some of the new zealand club fields and some of the smaller commercial ski fields. The rope tow is a unique lift system in new zealand that is used at four of the. This summer, norwegian crow lene travelled to australia and new zealand with the bastard crow chris booth to ski at the bottom of the earth. Because every time i latch onto the rope tow im reminded of why ive made skiing such a big part of my life. Heavy duty tow strops handling equipment canterbury. The ski areas are all a short driving distance from christchurch and welcome all skiers and snowboarders. New zealand nut cracker archive teton gravity research. Nutcracker ropetows are typically used at some of the new zealand club fields and some of the smaller commercial ski fields.
The rope tow nutcracker harness has been developed after years of skiing and snowboarding on canterburys club ski fields. We provide numerous coil rope online in organised classifications, which engaging your trip effectively. Harnesses, leather gloves, and glove protectors can be purchased at the lodge if required. Check out our nutcracker rope tow equipment including nutcrackers, belts, harnesses, carabiners, gloves and glove savers. Heritage express rope tow, 1440m long with 632m vertical rise at roundhill ski area, lake tekapo, new zealand. To meet your ideal pilates rope exercises on sale, just. How to ride a nut cracker rope tow skisnowboard youtube. Rope tow ski and snowboard harness climbing, skiing, caving gear made in nz.