Treble Cone

Treble Cone is the South Island's joint-largest ski area at 550 hectares, set high above Lake Wānaka with the longest vertical drop in the Southern Lakes region at 700 metres. The ski field spans 1,260m to 1,960m across four distinct basins — Home, Saddle, Matukituki and Summit Slopes — with 40 runs graded 10% beginner, 45% intermediate, 30% advanced and 15% expert. The longest groomed run stretches over 4km, delivering some of the most sustained descents available at any New Zealand resort.

The mountain's reputation is built on its off-piste and freeride terrain, particularly in Saddle Basin and the Motatapu Chutes — patrolled inbounds zones that offer challenging natural halfpipes, rocky chutes, cliff drops and open powder faces within the secured ski area boundary. The quality of this terrain has drawn international recognition: the Austrian national ski team has used Treble Cone as an off-season training base, and the resort has been voted New Zealand's best ski area at the World Ski Awards.

For intermediate skiers, the long groomed trails off both the Home Basin and Saddle Basin chairlifts deliver leg-burning vertical with consistent pitch and wide fall lines. The transition between groomed and ungroomed terrain is well suited to riders looking to progress into off-piste skiing, with natural features that build confidence without committing to full expert lines.

Treble Cone is the sister resort to Cardrona, both operated by RealNZ. A combined dual-mountain pass covers both resorts, giving access to over 1,100 hectares of terrain across two distinctly different mountains — Treble Cone's steep, natural terrain and Cardrona's wide groomed slopes and terrain parks.