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Whakapapa Ski Resort Guide

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Whakapapa Resort Guide

The Whakapapa resort summary is: Whakapapa has 14 lifts within its 445 Hectares of terrain that is suitable for all levels, including terrain park enthusiasts. Find location, trail maps and piste maps covering the mountains 675m of vertical range and surrounding area. There are 30 trail at Whakapapa.

Video by:Mt Ruapehu

Whakapapa Resort Guide

The Whakapapa resort summary is: Whakapapa has 14 lifts within its 445 Hectares of terrain that is suitable for all levels, including terrain park enthusiasts. Find location, trail maps and piste maps covering the mountains 675m of vertical range and surrounding area. There are 30 trail at Whakapapa.

Vertical:

Top: 2300m
Arrow
675m
Bot: 1625m

Best for:

Beginners level skier
Beginners/
Intermediates

Trails:

30
30%
45%
25%

Hectares of Ski:

445
Snowmaking:10%

Whakapapa Lifts:

  • drag lift icon7
  • ski lift icon7
  • cablecar icon—
Total lifts = 14
Live in resort, and can update this information? Become a resort manager
Whakapapa Resort GuidePhoto credit: Sarah Milicich

Visiting Whakapapa

Helpful resort information to assist planning your trip to Whakapapa.

  • Season opens
    5 Jun 2021
  • Season closes
    25 Oct 2021
  • Accommodation
    available (2)
  • Restaurants | Bars
    4 | —
  • Nearest Airport
    Taupo
  • Nearest Train Station
    National Park Village
  • Tourist Office Website
    https://www.mtruapehu.com/whakapapa
  • Tourist Office Phone
    +6478924000

Whakapapa Features

The terrain at Whakapapa includes::

  • Halfpipes
    1
  • Terrain Parks
    2
  • X-Country
    —
  • Ski Hire
    —

What's it like at Whakapapa resort?

Whakapapa (New Zealand's largest ski area since joining with Turoa Ski Resort) is part of Tongariro National Park, New Zealand's oldest National Park and a World Heritage area. Whakapapa is operated under a license issued by the Department of Conservation and is owned and run by Ruapehu Alpine Lifts Ltd. There are 43 trails at Whakapapa with terrain for all ability levels, including off-piste expert terrain. The ski area can be broken into three: Happy Valley (a self contained beginners area), the east side (where the majority of lifts and services are located) and the west side (highlighted by the lift accessed back-country terrain). The nearest airport to Whakapapa is in Wellington.

Piste Map

Latest photos from Whakapapa. View all photos at the Whakapapa gallery page.

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    Explore Whakapapa Location Map

    Interactive Whakapapa trail map and piste map. View the piste and trails as well as the surrounding terrain and mountain contours for backcountry action. Find and compare nearby resorts by clicking on the resort markers.

    Whakapapa Live Weather

    ResortSnow DepthTemp. (°C)Wind (km/h)Weather
    Top Lift: 0.7 m
    -5
    40
    		light snow
    Middle Lift: 
    -3
    40
    		light snow
    Bottom Lift: 0.5 m
    -1
    35
    		light snow

    When's the snowiest month to visit Whakapapa?

    AugustAverage: 3.5 snow days per week
    The snowiest week in Whakapapa is week 1 of August. There are typically 3.5 snowy days during this week with 31 cm of snowfall. Check out the Whakapapa Snow History graphs below.

    What's the snow currently like in Whakapapa?

    A summary of the current snow conditions in Whakapapa. View more information on the Whakapapa detailed snow report page.

    Last 7 Days Snow Accumulation
    • Piste Condition
      Packed powder or groomed snow
    • Off-piste Condition
      —
    Whakapapa snow depths: updated 02 August 2021
    Upper snow depth:
    		72 cm
    Lower snow depth:
    		46 cm

    Visitor Reviews of Whakapapa

    Overall: 3.3 Based on 39 votes and 54 reviews

    • Snowsure 3.1
    • Variety of pistes 3.9
    • Off-piste 4.1
    • Scenery 4.2
    • Apres-Ski 2.6
    • Vote

    Bayley from New Zealand writes:

    This mountain is one of a kind with the funniest people that arrive to the awesome terrain that can turn on.

    This mountain is highly demanding but from skiing in other countries I must say I have had some of the best snow of all time, understanding where the snow is coming from is very key to skiing dry and rewarding pow.

    Both sides of Ruapehu needs to be skied to sunlight / snow direction / wind direction and of course not following the crowds, if all align I can ensure you one of a kind skiing experience.

    If you are skiing to experience the goods, try and ski with groups and with transceivers, Pinnacles can turn on early morning or arvo.

    Enjoy and take the experience in.

    Read 53 more reviews of Whakapapa or submit your own

    Resorts close to Whakapapa

    Discover ski resorts near Whakapapa. Click below to view there ski resort guides.