TL;DR
Cardrona Alpine Resort and Treble Cone have launched a new app that includes New Zealand's first phone-based lift pass - no RFID card required. Skiers can now walk from the car park to the lift gates with just their phone. The Mountains App also brings live snow reports, trail maps, webcams, run tracking, and seasonal leaderboard challenges.
Cardrona and Treble Cone are the first ski areas in New Zealand to let skiers use their phone as a lift pass.
The two Wānaka-based resorts have launched the Mountains App ahead of the 2026 season, bringing with it a suite of on-mountain tools and - its headline feature - a phone-based lift pass that replaces the physical RFID card entirely.
Skiers who purchase a pass through the app will receive an email with activation instructions. Once the pass is toggled on, lift gates will scan it automatically - no need to take the phone out of a pocket, provided it is kept at chest height on the left side.
"Having your phone get you through the gates is a genuine game-changer - it's something our guests have been asking for, and we're stoked to be the first ski area in New Zealand to make it happen," said Laura Hedley, Chief Mountains Officer at Cardrona and Treble Cone.
What else the app does
Beyond the pass functionality, the Mountains App covers most of what a skier needs to manage a day on the mountain: live snow reports, trail maps, lift and car park status, webcams, and conditions updates. Pass purchases can also be handled through the app directly.
Run tracking is built in, with daily stats visible under each user's activity tab. Skiers who enable activity tracking and set their visibility to public are automatically entered into seasonal challenges - a competitive layer that lets skiers compare vertical metres accumulated across the season. Current challenges include the Cardrona Crown and the TC Crown, both awarded to whoever racks up the most vertical at their respective resort over the full season. Prizes are on offer for the leaders.
The dead phone problem
The obvious concern with a phone-dependent pass system is battery life, and Cardrona and Treble Cone have addressed it directly. Power banks are available for hire at multiple locations across both mountains - the Atrium, ticket offices, Captains Café, and slopeside at Cardrona, and at the main café at the base of Treble Cone. The first three minutes are free, with hire running at NZD 3.50 per hour or NZD 15 per day, capped at NZD 45.
The Mountains App is available on both iPhone and Android. Physical cards remain necessary for group lessons and rentals.
About the author
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
