Temple Basin
“Ski the weird one”
What is Temple Basin?
Located in Arthers Pass, Temple Basin welcomes visitors to its ski in, ski out lodge. As one of the oldest club run ski areas in New Zealand, established in 1929, Temple Basin offers easy access to the surrounding peaks. This makes it renowned for extreme skiing and snowboarding in the country. Additionally, Temple Basin, situated on the Main Divide of the Southern Alps, is the proud home of the New Zealand Snow Safety Institute. This institute provides courses for riders, hikers, and mountaineers in premier alpine terrain. If you're interested in staying at our lodge in Temple Basin during the season, be sure to check out the ‘Events’ tab above. You can also find event pages on Facebook or sign up for our mailing list to stay updated.
Temple Basin Ski Club
The facilities and tow lifts on the mountain are operated by our sister club, Temple Basin Ski Club Incorporated, their website and more information on Temple Basin can be found here
Backcountry Skiing
Temple has some of the best terrain in the world, but please be safe. Get a group together, talk to ski patrol, ensure you have the skills, equipment and knowledge to be safe. The club does not encourage going out of terrain boundaries and you do so at your own risk.
FAQ
Do I need to know how to ski to come up Temple Basin? - Temple Basin is tricky for beginners as there are no groomed slopes and only rope tows. However, we do run a learners event early season to get you started, and there is always fun to be had up da basin!
Yeah, yeah, what about the skiing? - my glorious CUSSC frother, rejoice. Your choices include the cheapest season pass IN NZ ($180) or a member day pass for only $40! Temple basin runs on rope tows, so nutcracker hire is also available for free for members. A large selection of regular ski/snowboard gear can be hired, but most club members own their own.
Tell me more about this lodge? - Ahh, the CUSSC lodge. A (mostly) waterproof, 50 bunk, fully insulated, double glazed ski lodge with a view across the valley directly at Mt Rolly. Complete with hot showers, flushing toilets, a recently renovated drying room, kitchen, freshly painted dining room, dedicated dance floor, bad boiiii speaker system, disco lights - I mean I could continue but I don’t need to. You’re eating right out of my hand.
To use our lodge outside of a CUSSC event, you can book into it through the Temple Basin website! Non-catered for our lodge, or you can splash out and stay up at Top Lodge.
What do I need to bring? - For an event weekend: Sleeping bag, appropriate (ideally) hiking or walking shoes, a towel, toiletries, raincoat, dance moves, clothes to hang out in including something WARM to wear, any personal meds, maybe a torch, any personal protection you feel you might need, and something spicy to wear on the D-floor.
Rodger boss, anything else I should know about gear? - funny you should ask, try to have all your stuff in a duffel style bag or tramping pack. Drop it at the goods lift on Saturday and bribe a committee or TBSC member to send it up the hill for you. A tramping bag is good just in case goods lift decides not to run, otherwise all you need for the walk is a drink bottle and spare layer.
Should I bring togs and a towel? - Yep, for the thermal hot pools of course!
SOCIALS
Can’t get enough of the us? Wanna a taste of what’s in store for the club this year, or keen to check out our past events? Have a geez at the socials below.. We even have a LinkedIn!
SPONSERSHIP
CUSSC is a proud sponsor of Protect Our Winters. & the Kea Conservation Trust. Check them out!
