Touring the Pisas
I was lucky enough to embark on my first New Zealand ski tour in the Pisa Range. Snow conditions were thin, but there were still fun pockets to be found, and we were determined to find them!
We set off after work on Friday afternoon towards Kirtleburn Hut, intending to scout some terrain for the following day. The clouds rolled in just before sunset, and faced with increasing snowfall, we gave up on scouting and headed straight for the hut for a cozy night. There is something so homely about being in a backcountry hut with the snow falling on the roof and getting to meet fellow ski tourers with differing experiences and tales of adventure to tell.
Saturday was off to a slow start as we waited for the sun to hit the new snow, which had created a solid 'dust on crust' experience for us. In the meantime, we tucked into some tasty freeze dried Real Meals breakfasts to fuel us up for the day ahead!
After breakfast, we headed directly up the ridge towards Mt. Pisa, which provided stunning views across Mt. Aspiring National Park. Upon reaching the top, I was challenged with a few meters of rime bouldering to reach the 'official summit' and tick off another peak for my Mountains for Mental Health mission.
Lunchtime in the mountains calls for something special, and we were more than ready to oblige. Out came our culinary masterpiece – a charcuteski board. There's nothing like fancy cheese in the mountains to make any day great!
Once our stomachs were full, we decided it was time to dig a pit on the eastern aspects that looked a little enticing. Before skiing any backcountry line, it's important to check the snowpack and ensure you know what you're dropping into. There are a few different ways to do this depending on conditions; for us, an ECT (extended column test) provided the most in-depth information.
We decided that despite the snowpack seeming reasonably solid, the persistent weak layer combined with a large array of sharks were enough to deter us from the more technical slopes. There was much fun to be had on the slopes before heading back out, and some fresh turns with a view of Aspiring in the background made the day!
Overall, the Pisas are a great place to get into backcountry ski touring, with mellow slopes providing a fun experience for any level, beautiful views, opportunities to test the snowpack, and some very fun terrain if you desire!
Beautiful photos by Dylan Arthur