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Mount Potts (2,184 metres) is a mountain in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is located in the Hakatere Conservation Park.
Until 2011, the area was operated as an exclusive skifield. Unlike normal resorts, there were no fixed ski tows or chairlifts. Instead, vertical transport was provided by snowcats and helicopter. The ski area covered 660 hectares and included, "steep faces, chutes, rocks to drop off, cornices, wide open powder bowls and gullies".Description of the terrain from area website
/ref> Now, Mount Potts is a popular destination for
Mount Potts (2,184 metres) is a mountain in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is located in the Hakatere Conservation Park.
Until 2011, the area was operated as an exclusive skifield. Unlike normal resorts, there were no fixed ski tows or chairlifts. Instead, vertical transport was provided by snowcats and helicopter. The ski area covered 660 hectares and included, "steep faces, chutes, rocks to drop off, cornices, wide open powder bowls and gullies"./ref> Now, Mount Potts is a popular destination for
backcountry skiing
Backcountry skiing ( US), also called off-piste (Europe), alpine touring, freeriding or out-of-area, is skiing in the backcountry on unmarked or unpatrolled areas either inside or outside a ski resort's boundaries. This contrasts with alpine s ...
because there is easy access to the snow via the old road. Nearby Mount Sunday, the setting of Edoras
Rohan is a fictional kingdom of Men (Middle-earth), Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy setting of Middle-earth. Known for its horsemen, the Rohirrim, Rohan provides its ally Gondor with cavalry. Its territory is mainly grassland. The Rohirrim ca ...
in ''The Lord Of The Rings
''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book ''The Hobbit'' but eventually d ...
'', is also a tourist attraction.
Mount Potts is an hour's drive from Methven, and two hours' drive from Christchurch
Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...
.
Climate
See also
*Heliskiing
Heli-skiing is off-trail, downhill skiing or snowboarding where the skier reaches the top of the mountain by helicopter, instead of a ski lift.
History
In the late 1950s, helicopters were used in Alaska and Europe to access remote terrain. The ...
* Snowcat
A snowcat (a portmanteau of snow and caterpillar) is an enclosed-cab, truck-sized, fully tracked vehicle designed to travel over snow. Major manufacturers are PistenBully (Germany), Prinoth (Italy), and Tucker (United States).
Snow groomer ...
* Mount Sunday
References
External links
*http://www.mtpotts.co.nz/ Potts {{Ski-resort-stub