- P1
Grade 1 650 metres Immediately to the north of the Craigieburn Valley ski area is Middle Basin – a well-known “back basin” for Craigieburn skiers, and clearly visible from the new Craigieburn lunch hut. Check at the information board that the basin is open, and ride the rope tows to the top. There are chutes between rock outcrops that descend steeply at first, or else continue along the ridge to a saddle at the head of the basin. The skiing continues down to reach the skifield access road at a prominent bend at 1200m elevation. A 1km walk with 100m height gain takes you back to the lowest rope tow to repeat the whole process, which you’ll be keen to do a few times after a good powder dump. A good fitness work-out, and one of Canterbury’s best lift-accessed back basins. North Middle Basin is separated from the main basin by a rocky ridge. Go beyond the saddle mentioned above, an 800 metre walk or skin NE along the ridge, to access these slopes from near grid ref 047888.