The annual 'Wanakite Snowkiting Freeride' is on the calandar for the last week in August, from the 28-31st, so keep this one aside if your keen to try some snowkiting at New Zealands premier snowkite spot 'The Snow Farm', Cardrona Valley Rd. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more details...

All access is from the main carpark, make sure you go to the office first & pay your access fee (usually $20)
The terrain we mainly kite from is directly out front of the main building. Everyone needs to be aware that we can't just go anywhere....staying off the roads that cut into the hills is vital for continued access... it's pretty obvious as these have low wire fences running along them.

The Snowfarm welcomes kiting, lets work with them as they are working towards better access for us :wink:

Tim 8)

Last weekend four of us decided to get an early snowkite session in in Wanaka. Myself, John Thyne, Sam the Pom, & Genis the Spanish. Forecast- Galeforce winds ALL weekend!!!....oh shit! plus a bit of fresh pow pow at some point.....good enough for us I thought

We arrived very late Thursday night, the updated forecast for Friday was 120km/hr winds NW, the snow from Tues...was rained on:-(

We headed up to Snowfarm early, about 10ish....the snow was thin, & the wind was strong 20-30knots....I wasn't that keen to get out of the van even, but we new we had to test the conditions, you don't come all this way to sit on your ass when its blowing. John (who's always keen) was first in his gear, the other two followed....then me.

Once we got across to the next hill which is a bit higher, straight in front of the main carpark, it was obvious the snow was OK, softening nicely in the very windy but sunny NW day. We all rigged small kites...I was now very excited, cool sounds blasting on my ipod, I new what we were in for
John was up on his small Sabre, then me on a 7m Ozone Lite, the other guys soon followed....This was fun, but hardcore kiting on 10-20cm of crusty snow covering tussock, I must of hit 50km/hr ripping up & down hills, even boosting on the 7m was ok (takes a bit of wind that 7m) top gust for the day..61km/hr (official Snowfarm weather data) a hardcore first day of the season....

It rained during the night in Wanaka... was not that cold either, I didn't think the snow that was forecast had come, so we just mooched round till after lunch, then decided to head for the hill.

We could not have been more wrong......At least 10-20cm of freshies at Snowfarm, a cool 10-20 knot wind prevailed SW....talk about move quickly...I pumped the 7m, the wind dropped back though....got out my trusty lightwind landboarding weapon the 7.7 Twister...powered, kiting straight out of the carpark jumping & landing well below, then kited across to the setup hill & up to the top....the wind now gusted up, I was way overpowered...time to get the small kite, so headed back to the van, grabbed the 7m & my 11m Rev (just in case).
After a bit of fanging around on the 7m, I wan't more power....up goes the 11m, now we're talkin! :-p
Classic afternoon of great wind & fresh snow, nice big jumps with the odd double kiteloop- just cause your hanging there in the air.... It was dark by the time we returned to the van.

Sunday, we were up the hill nice & early....more fresh snow, light SW, so rigged big & waited with a bit of grovelling mixed in...soon it swung West, 10knots, then 15-20....later up to 45km/hr.....anyway, very windy for an 11m, but having way to much fun to go smaller as the others did...we found natural quarter pipes to rip through, some wind drifts up to waist deep....later I found some really fun things to jump off...yee harrr.....yes people we're talking the best snowkiting I've struck in the last seven years of going to the Snowfarm

It was a late trip getting home as we stayed their all day... Mary Lee who owns the land has now given clarity on protocol...here tis

Rock up to the main building, down the hall to get your 'trail pass', this will cost you $10 for the day
Sign in...they need to know who's out there
Get a 'trail map'...you need to know where you can & can't go

Pick a windy day & your guaranteed a fun time, any wind direction works.

Pics coming....

Tim 8)

damn, if only I'd known :cry:

can u take a pic of the trail map?

Thanks a heap Tim. Just the info i needed.

Regarding Doofus' request for a trail map. Not the best photo but you might be able to work it out.



Main Street
Accessible from the "front door" of the lodge - no hassle skiing. The area has been designed to give the first timer an experience that they will enjoy regardless of their sporting abilities or age. It is flat and wide enough that the learner will not be intimidated by experienced skiers. For the expert it is ideal for technique practice.

Mary's Trail
Designed with the beginner in mind. This 1 km trail is virtually flat, leaving south of the lodge and returning to the lodge. One km in length.

John's Trail
Open when the car testing is finished. An ideal trail for beginners - handy to the lodge.

Whoop-ity doo Trail
If you're chicken hearted leave this one to the experts. Lots of hills and great fun once you have mastered the techniques required for hills. Situated just below Mary's Trail. One km in length.

The Highlander
Perfected slopes for the first time skier. Next step from Marys Trail. 1.5 km in length.

Merino Glen
Close to the lodge this longer trail is designed to extend the distance a skier can ski without venturing too far from the lodge. 5km in length.

D9 Express
A 1.5 km loop from the lodge - starts at the door. On to the entrance of Hanging Valley and back via a new route that is just below the Whoop-ity- doo trail.

Musterers flat
6.0 km from base and return. Picnic by the river or perfect your technique around the 1.2 km trail. Musterers flat is two kilometres from the base and gives the skier a sense of adventure. In summer it hosts some of the Pisa Range's native bogs and wetlands. Groomed only in heavy snow years.

The River Run & Loop
12 kms in length the loop runs through the picturesque Meg River valley. The Meadow Warming hut 3.8 kms from the lodge is situated to catch the sun. A great resting place, overnight hut, or stop off point to make yourself a cup of tea. In good weather return via the Loop and enjoy the contrasting views of the Alps.

Express route
Express Route to and from the River run and the Loop. This is the most direct route to and from the lodge.

Hind Retreat and Stag Vale
Hind retreat is an enclosed valley that comes off the start of Stag Vale. Spend time in the peaceful sheltered valleys. Use Stag Vale as an alternative return route back to the base area. Remember if you are tired or the weather changes return to the lodge through the River Valley, as it is the shortest route to the lodge.

Top Beat
Spectacular views of Mt Aspiring, Lakes Hawea and Wanaka can be seen from this trail as it winds up the Hill to the Kirsty Burn Hut. Follow the Kirsty Burn Trail back to the Loop for variation. Day skiers planning trips to the Kirsty Burn hut are advised to set out early as it is not permitted to start on the Top Beat or the Kirsty Burn after 2pm. NB trail is groomed only when weather conditions are settled.

Kirsty Burn Trail
A sheltered route to the Kirsty hut and forming a loop with Top Beat to make 10kms. NB Top Beat and Kirsty Burn are groomed only when the weather is settled. Skiers are advised to ask at the lodge office before setting out.

Hanging Valley trail
A wilderness experience. The splendour of the Meg River enhanced by the rocks, along with the sense of isolation on this 14km trail has the skier believing they are on another mountain. The trail system on the dark side of the valley has commanding views of the sunny sides - the nesting ground of the black back gulls normally associated with seaside resorts. 14 km in length.

2006
A variation on Hanging Valley. A short one km loop - add on when skiing the D 9 Express. A fun roller coaster with lots of ups and downs. Accessed from the Hanging Valley trail, it makes a great variation.

Road to No Where
Not for the faint hearted - experts only. Ski the steep and the deep. Excellent training for the expert skier.

Sprint track

In keeping with the European trends we have developed our very own sprint track. The track leaves from the lodge and returns to the lodge. Perfect for spectators and competitors alike. Situated above Marys trail.

Back Country Skiing
Snow Farm is the gateway to back country skiing on the Pisa Range. Skiers venturing into the backcountry from the groomed trails are responsibe for themselves. Snow Farm does not patrol the backcountry. Skiers should be equipped to cope with bad weather should it eventuate and have a knowledge of winter mountain conditions. Skiers ski off the groomed trails at their own risk.

I am going to be down in Wanaka the week before this event. Does anyone down there teach snow-kiting/hire gear. I am a pretty crap snow boarder but experienced at flying a kite....

Andrej the flying dutchman is running the ozone snow kiting school in Wanaka this year. Sounds like there has been plenty of riding all ready too!

His contact details are:

Ph 021 025 70105
Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Cheers

DK

Hey Zenon...
The 'trail map' you've put up is for the cross country tracks. The one we'll be getting is yet to be seen, Mary did say they'll have one there soon...
If you look where it says 'carpark' we drop off from there...off the bottom of that map.
Put a a few pics up from the other week on my website.
Cheers, Tim 8)

Okay, I think I have this image upload thing figured out. So this is a google earth image of snowfarm. The road ends at the carpark and the kiting area is just opposite the base building. Green area is the freestyle/beginners area. Its fairly flat and easy to get to. The blue area is accessible to intermediate and advanced riders and once you get over on the east side there's unlimited backcountry. Just remember if anything happens you'll be walking back. Note the area not outlines is full of tracks and trails. These are the roads maintained by Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground who do winter vehicle testing. Car manufacturers pay butt loads of money to test their next edition cars up here. They are VERY concerned about safety and security. STAY OFF the tracks or you could become a hood ornament on the latest offering from Toyota. Also, if you have a camera on you-DO NOT break it out if you see some wicked looking machine.
DO stop in to the base building and pay the access fee. It's only $10-$15 and will help us all maintain good relations. If you aren't sure about anything, just ask. Very nice folks up there.

Hi guys

I just got an email from Remi Meum, he is in Australia and he is keen to come to South Island for snowkiting. As I don't know any conditions down there can somebody tell me which spot is the best right now? I appreciate your help and have a good time at the snowkiting nationals!

Regards


Tomas

I've been on email with Remi. We can look after him if he gets over here. Chasta is coming out around the 15th so getting the 2 of them together should be entertaining. Snowfarm is the main spot. We run snowkite camps and lessons there. See www.snowkitesurf.com
Best in anything westerly wind but when it gets more S- SW we go down to the Nokamai range near kingston or Wye Creek via the Remarkables. Access to both is more of a mission and you should have full touring gear. I'm a heli boarding guide too so organizing heli trips is SWEET! Come on down. I have 5 cms sitting outside my door so there's bound to be heaps out there and plenty of wind for the next few days.

Hey Uncle Jon,

Is this you?

Cheers Shane A

Yea that's us. We're everywhere! Still dumping bigtime down here and it looks like the east coast is getting a hammering. get out there in those paddocks boys!

Yep, even Nelson got a dusting last night on the hills above town.

Greg "helicopter boy" Michat from Nelson says you guys are pretty set up down that way. Willl be down there towards end of August, will have to catch up with you all so you can point me in the right direction.

cheers S

Myself and a few others have returned from wanaka.

Friday apparently saw some riding from the dunedin guys that came over. and saturday saw about 12 peps out on the snow. Was good fun. We had a massive powder base. The hill side was like 1 foot deep super soft powder and other parts were at least waist high all powder...

Great riding. Had good winds as well. not ideal but enough for most to have a ride.

Get down there. 15 dollars for a days riding is pretty good. 55ish a night which includes a meal if you decide to go and stay at snowfarm which isnt a bad idea.

Joe

Finally, some pix of the June 6-7-8 Wanaka/Snowfarm trip by John, Tim, Ganis, & Sam. We went against all the odds - the weather forecast was for gale force winds and snow! What we got was three days of epic snow kiting: day 1 norwest 20-30knots; day 2 fresh snow & souwest 10-15 knots; day 3 fresh snow & westerly 20-30 knots. Challenging but awesome.

quick and dirty edit of last weekend...



going again this weekend

me going uphill on a 4m pepper2 means it was windy!!

Never thought I'd say this Craig, but which one were you??

Looked good!

Shane A

haha whatever!

there are two big Craigs on that vid, both on skis, the one who can ski is me and one who can't is Craig Hansen.

put up a bigger kite later and got some nice air, that wee blue 4m was a bit too small.

I've got black ski boots, Craig H. has grey ones.

The guy on the snowboard is young William.

Yes it was fun.... hope for some more tomorrow!



Craig

Not a pretty sight! The weather that is. Good luck this weekend.

phew, made it home.

biiig weekend of kiting, 5hrs saturday and maybe 3 today, both days ok powered on 7.7 twister, 8 hornet and 8m pepper2

how many dirty old kite van tugs does it take to pull a mitsi wagon out of a snow bank? at least 5, oops...

no real damage, and probably long overdue!!

pics and vid to come (of the offroad action too, thanks Will! grrrr)

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I am heading down south on the 15th August for a bit of skiing and kite skiing. I have booked the car on the ferry from Wellington and have room if anyone is interested in a mission down south. I will be heading to Queenstown/Wanaka area and hoping to stop off at a few places on the way. The plan is to head back on the ferry on the 31st but everything before that time is dependent on weather, snow and wind.

I have been kite surfing for over a year now and am feeling pretty solid on the water. have also spent 6 seasons teaching skiing but never combined the 2 passions. Pretty excited about trying though!

If anyone has any ideas about spots on the way down to Wanaka I am interested to find out more.

cheers

love the clouds in this pic

8) craig

Southern Snow Riders have a lodge which we used for our snowkite camps which is available on an accommodation only basis during the week of Wannakite for $35 a night. Transport up snowfarm is available for $35 each day if you want to flag bringing or renting a car. Call Scott at 03 443 5445 or 021 0611 316. Great Lodge, super nice guys who can teach you a few things about snowboarding and who are mad converts to the snowkite revolution. [/img]

Check out the video Chasta made during our recent snowkite camps. Pretty amazing as he shot some of this himself-of himself riding. The guy is a legend and a honor to be able to try to keep up with. We're hoping to get him back in September. Enjoy...

here's my vid of Sunday.

I was too busy kiting to take much more than that.



Craig 8)

Here's my GPS tracks of Sunday ala Google Earth - Tim Stockman &amp; Mark Seddon went first, and I joined them in summitting Mt Pisa at 1900m. It took ~3hrs to cover the 16km round trip in ~10 to 15knots NW &amp; sunshine all the way - not to mention hectares of beautiful untracked snow - we weren't in any hurry. Fantastic.





Here's a couple of Tim's cell phone video's of the trip





John

well it sucks to be back is all i will say

the vid of out time there is at

www.vimeo.com/1665048

its about 14mins sorry if i offend any of the gay community with my dry wit.

D

PS Cheers Tim ya legend

Hey Tim and John,

Nice job on summiting Mt Pisa. When I got your txt I had no idea where Mt Pisa was - I was at the Cadrona pub having a cold one.
Nice effort boys.

Pretty sure the wind kicked in more as soon as I deflated my kite.
Would of been good to join you, but a sprained ankle sucks. Especially on the tracked out snow. Dropped down into the valley earlier when the wind was still a little light for some untouched goodness, very nice!
But it was a mission getting back up to the launch area - 20+ kiteloops later.

Count me in for the next Wanakite.

Cheers Shane A