Treble Cone - You may want to Google a lift map?

OK. Today is Wed 14th, but the blog is about last Wed, when I skied at Treble Cone.


First, I found the piece of paper about the lady & dog. She's Clare Stirrat, & he's Hugo!


The day before I'd got some 165 GS's from Jonny & Phil at Green Toad, so I was able to get up the road pronto.

Towards the end of the valley there was a dirt road up to the ski field - I think it took about 20 min, & a few 4x4s zoomed past on the straighter bits.

I got a full day pass, as the sun was out & there
looked to be enough skiing to keep me busy.

I got chatting to a Kiwi on the 6-man chair, & he suggested Main Street for the 1st, but I headed to the far R & did Ridge Run instead.
I skied for about an hour making my way across the bowl & skiing all the blues (which are rated intermediate in NZ). I did a couple of blacks as well.
The photo is the view at the junction to Camel & Main Street (I fink?), & that's Lake Wanaka.

I then skied along the Saddle Track & onto Pete's Treat which runs down to the other (4-man) chair.


The weird thing about Treble Cone is the whole area is served by only 2 chairs - one up the front bowl 'Home Basin' & one up the back bowl 'Saddle Basin'. But there were loads of blacks dropping
into chutes & gulleys, & blues over the ridges & saddles. Apparently, because it's a 'skiers' area
there are never any queues? It would never happen in the Alps!


I spent the rest of the rest of the morning over the back, chatting to kids from Cambridge (UK), a few locals, & Barry from Dublin (who took the 1 of me standing at the start to Cloud Nine). I left him having a beer at the table at the top & dropped down, intending to follow Cloud Nine to the bottom of the chair again, but there were crossed sticks, rocks & tufty grass 1/2 way down so I went R to Mineshaft rather than climb 100m back up to Saddleback (we downhill skiers are inclined to be lazy! !)

This turned out to be a BAD move, as while looking downhill at the moguls in the chute in order to choose the next few turns, I sailed up the uphill side of another, rotated R in the air & landed on the R hip. OW.

However, that turned out to be a minor problem, as the next thing was me sliding down Mineshaft, on my back, head first :-O

I flipped over to get the skis downhill, paused briefly, pinged into another mogul, & lost a plank. Swiftly followed by another trip downhill, on my back, head first
- again.

Anyway (as you prob guessed by the fact that I'm still here to tell the tale), I flipped over again & managed to stop.

I thought I'd have to climb back up for the ski, & said a naughty word, but a bloke skied up & said it was below me & hung around while I floundered down some more bumps on 1 ski.

The wipe-out must've looked a bit scary, as no-one on the lift above cheered ;-). Maybe because everyone there appreciates how tricky mogulled chutes are?

Back on the chair, I had a shufti as to how far I'd slid - it'd felt like forever!

It was only about 50m, though!

Anyway, back at the top, Barry was still partaking of a beer, so I warned him about Cloud Nine & went off down High Street & Main Street to the cafe for lunch, which was delish!


Back on the slopes I went back over the back to finish off the runs there, doing the rest of the blues & a mega black called Superpipe. Brill. The best fun I'd had all day, & one to look out for if you ever go to Treble Cone :-))


After that fun, I skied back across again & finished the day skiing a few on the south side of the 6-man before calling it a day.


Just as I was leaving the car park, I caught sight of a couple with their thumbs out, so I packed them & their skis in, & gave them a lift back to Wanaka. I think they were my 6th or 7th hikers?
No names, but she was from Edinburgh & he was from somewhere in England - I was busy concentrating on the dirt road down the mountain, so wasn't taking a right lot of notice ;-)



Given the hip was a bit sore, I got it checked out by a Physio (Shaun) in Wanaka, who said he didn't think there was any damage to the joint, but that I had a big bruise on the glute. He suggested I got it X-Rayed in Queenstown the next day. While I was waiting for my appointment I took these pics of the 3 big willows on the lake front. They were awesome.


I set off in the twilight, taking SH34 & SH6 via Cromwell (where I'd been for a swim last time!) & nearly ran over a possum down the Karawau gorge! They're weird looking!


I checked into Nomads, brewed up, & hit the sack, as I planned to be at the Medical Centre bright & early to get checked out.

So, that was last Wednesday, & things here in Invercargill are getting exciting prior to today's 2nd game - I'm in the kilt already & there are loads of blue faces about :-))
OAO