View source for Mount Hutt

{{Short description|Mountain and ski field in the South Island of New Zealand}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}

[[Image:Mt Hutt.jpg|thumb|Mount Hutt]]
{{maplink|text=Location in Canterbury|frame=yes|type=shape-inverse|stroke-opacity=0|zoom=6|id=Q657004|type2=point|id2=Q692322|title2=Mount Hutt|marker2=mountain|frame-width=250|frame-height=300}}
'''Mount Hutt''' ({{langx|mi|Ōpuke}}) is a mountain located to the west of the [[Canterbury Plains]] in the [[South Island]] of New Zealand. It rises above the braided upper reaches of the [[Rakaia River]],<ref name="Rakaia Meaning">{{Cite web|title=Rakaia River|url=https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/ti-kouka-whenua/rakaia-river/|website=[[Christchurch City Libraries]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref> and is located {{convert|80|km|abbr=on}} west of [[Christchurch]]. Its summit is 2190 metres above sea level.

==Toponymy==
Mount Hutt was named by the [[Canterbury Association]] surveyor [[Joseph Thomas (surveyor)|Joseph Thomas]] after [[John Hutt]], an early member of the Association.<ref name=Blain>{{cite book | pages = 47–48 | last=Blain | first=Rev. Michael | title=The Canterbury Association (1848–1852): A Study of Its Members’ Connections | year=2007  | publisher=Project Canterbury | location=Christchurch | url= http://anglicanhistory.org/nz/blain_canterbury2007.pdf | access-date= 20 March 2013}}</ref> The New Zealand [[Ministry for Culture and Heritage]] gives a translation of "place of the hill" for the Māori name ''Ōpuke''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/maori-language-week/1000-maori-place-names|title=1000 Māori place names|publisher=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage|date=6 August 2019}}</ref>

==Ski field==
===History===
A proposal for a ski field on Mount Hutt was floated by the Methven Lions Club in the late 1960s. However, there were concerns that providing an access road would prove too difficult. A local resident and heavy machinery contractor, Doug Hood, proved that a road access could be created when he drove a bulldozer up a ridge in 1971, forming a track that is the basis of the current access road. Financing of a ski field development then began. An Austrian ski instructor, Willy Huber, built a hut on the mountain and took snow measurements to demonstrate that a ski field was viable. A full access road was created by Doug Hood, and by the winter of 1973, there was a rope tow operating on the slopes, with a T-bar in service by 1974. The  Mt. Hutt Ski and Alpine Tourist Company was registered in 1972 to raise funds for further development. The constitution of the company stated that at least 75% of the shareholding should be locally-based. Financing of further development of the ski field remained difficult. An Auckland-based company, bought a controlling interest in the company, but was then taken over by Japanese investors through the Victoria USA Company. By 1984, their interests in the Mount Hutt ski field had been bought by the [[Mount Cook Group|Mount Cook tourism]] company, owned by [[Air New Zealand]].<ref>{{cite Q|Q134724956|page=3}}</ref> 

By 2000, Air New Zealand owned three South Island ski areas: [[Coronet Peak]], [[The Remarkables]] and Mount Hutt - collectively known as nzski.com. In 2002, [[Air New Zealand]] sold its NZSki subsidiary for [[NZD]] 27 million to joint venture [[Southern Alpine Resort Recreation Limited]], comprising [[NZSki]] management, [[Millbrook Resort]] developer [[Graham Smolenski]], [[Tourism Milford]] Ltd and [[Trojan Holdings]] Ltd.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 May 2002 |title=Travel and Resort News Press Releases |url=http://www.boardtheworld.com/templates/btw/page/page_html_standard.php?secID=99&riID=475 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002150819/http://www.boardtheworld.com/templates/btw/page/page_html_standard.php?secID=99&riID=475 |archive-date=2 October 2011 |website=Boardtheworld.com}}</ref>

===Operations ===
The mountain is home to a commercial alpine [[ski area]] offering 3.65 square kilometres of skiable terrain and a vertical of 683 metres. The ski field is owned and operated by [[NZSki]], along with Coronet Peak and The Remarkables in [[Queenstown, New Zealand|Queenstown]].<ref name="About Mt Hutt">{{cite web|author=nzski|title=About Mt Hutt|url=http://www.nzski.com/mthutt/about.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005002303/http://www.nzski.com/mthutt/about.jsp|archive-date=5 October 2013|access-date=26 October 2012}}</ref>

It caters for a wide range of skier and snowboarder abilities, with two surface/conveyor lifts, a high-speed six seater chairlift, a high-speed eight seater chairlift and a fixed-grip three seater chairlift. The lift infrastructure provides access to a wide range of beginner, intermediate and advanced runs, access to large off-piste areas and several terrain parks. The most advanced runs on the mountain are through the rock formations at the top of the field known as "The Towers", and the South Face.{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}

The snow season is from June to October. Mount Hutt is known for being the first ski field in the Southern Hemisphere to open at the beginning of each season. On 12 August 2010, winds of up to 200&nbsp;km/h struck the ski area, resulting in its closure along with the access road, and stranding 1200 people on the mountain overnight, where they were accommodated in the ski-field's base buildings. The road was reopened the following day.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/skiing/news/article.cfm?c_id=481&objectid=10665745 | title=Skiers freed as Mt Hutt road reopens | author=Elizabeth Binning | author2=Edward Gay | author3=Jarrod Booker | author4=Edward Rooney | newspaper=[[The New Zealand Herald]] | date = 13 August 2010 | access-date = 18 August 2010 }}</ref>

There is no accommodation on the mountain, but visitors can stay in the nearby town of [[Methven, New Zealand|Methven]], a 35-minute drive to the mountain.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mt Hutt Accommodation - Hotel, Apartments, Lodges |url=https://www.powderhounds.com/NewZealand/MtHutt/Accommodation.aspx |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=www.powderhounds.com}}</ref> The larger town of [[Ashburton, New Zealand|Ashburton]] is 55 minutes away. The city of [[Christchurch]] is one hour 45 minutes drive away.

In 2020, the Zionist Federation of New Zealand lobbied the ski-field to remove a commemorative plaque to one of its founders, Willi Huber, a former member of the [[Waffen-SS]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com)|title=New Zealanders demand removal of German Nazi's name from ski run {{!}} DW {{!}} 11 September 2020|url=https://www.dw.com/en/new-zealand-nazi-mt-hutt-willi-huber/a-54890397|access-date=17 September 2020|website=DW.COM|language=en-GB}}</ref> The Federation also lobbied for the renaming of a ski trail and alpine restaurant that were named after Huber.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|date=24 August 2020|title=Mt Hutt ski field petitioned to remove former Nazi soldier Willi Huber's name|language=en-NZ|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12359094|access-date=17 September 2020|issn=1170-0777}}</ref> NZSki have renamed the ski trail and restaurant.<ref>{{Cite web|date=24 March 2021|title=Mt Hutt steps out from Nazi shadow, mostly|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300261451/mt-hutt-steps-out-from-nazi-shadow-mostly|access-date=24 March 2021|website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en}}</ref> 

=== Awards ===
The World Ski Awards website has recognised Mount Hutt with the award of New Zealand's Best Ski Resort for ten consecutive years from 2015 to 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Ski Awards: New Zealand's Best Ski Resort |url=https://worldskiawards.com/award/new-zealand-best-ski-resort |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250425202220/https://worldskiawards.com/award/new-zealand-best-ski-resort |archive-date=25 April 2025 |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=World Ski Awards |language=en}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="140" caption="Mount Hutt">
File:Mt Hutt3.jpg|Mt Hutt ski centre
File:Mt Hutt6.jpg|Top of Summit Six chairlift
File:Mt Hutt, NZ1.jpg|Base of ski area
File:Chairlift Mt Hutt, NZ.jpg|Chairlift over Mount Hutt
File:Mt Hutt4.jpg|Access road to Mount Hutt
File:Southern Alps from Mt Hutt, NZ2.jpg|Southern Alps from summit
File:Mt Hutt pano Stevage.jpg|Ski area from base
</gallery>

== Climate ==
Mount Hutt in the [[Köppen climate classification|Koppen-Geiger Classification System]], is a Tundra Climate (ET). Mount Hutt features a cold enough temperature for skifields. Below is a climate of Mount Hutt Skifield:

{{Weather box
| width = auto
| metric first = y
| single line = y
| collapsed = Y
| location = Mt Hutt Skifield, elevation {{convert|1600|m|ft|abbr=on}} (1980–1990)
| Jan high C = 13.4
| Feb high C = 13.4
| Mar high C = 11.3
| Apr high C = 9.6
| May high C = 6.2
| Jun high C = 3.3
| Jul high C = 1.6
| Aug high C = 2.4
| Sep high C = 4.6
| Oct high C = 6.9
| Nov high C = 9.6
| Dec high C = 11.5
| year high C = 
| Jan mean C = 9.4
| Feb mean C = 9.2
| Mar mean C = 7.3
| Apr mean C = 5.4
| May mean C = 2.4
| Jun mean C = 0.1
| Jul mean C = -1.5
| Aug mean C = -0.8
| Sep mean C = 1.2
| Oct mean C = 3.2
| Nov mean C = 5.6
| Dec mean C = 7.5
| year mean C = 
| Jan low C = 5.1
| Feb low C = 5.0
| Mar low C = 3.4
| Apr low C = 1.2
| May low C = -1.3
| Jun low C = -3.1
| Jul low C = -4.6
| Aug low C = -4.1
| Sep low C = -2.3
| Oct low C = -0.4
| Nov low C = 1.8
| Dec low C = 3.5
| year low C = 
| source = NIWA <ref name=" ">{{cite web
|url = https://cliflo.niwa.co.nz/
|title = CliFlo -The National Climate Database (Agent number: 4677)
|publisher = NIWA
|access-date = 29 Jul 2024}}</ref>
}}

==Fauna==
During the summer months four species of Alpine grasshoppers can be found within the ski field boundary. They include ''[[Sigaus villosus]]'' which can be found along the ridgelines, ''Brachaspis nivalis'' which lives on the rocky [[scree]], ''[[Sigaus australis]]'' and ''Paprides nitidus'' which both live in the alpine tussocklands.<ref name="Bigelow">{{cite book |author=R. S. Bigelow |title=The Grasshoppers of New Zealand, their Taxonomy and Distribution |publisher=University of Canterbury |year=1967 |location=Christchurch}}</ref>

Mount Hutt is the [[Type (biology)|type locality]] for the endemic moth ''[[Orocrambus aethonellus]].<ref name="Dugdale1988">{{Cite Q|Q45083134|pages=146}}</ref>''

== Conservation areas ==
There are several conservation areas located on or near Mt Hutt, including the Awa Awa Rata Reserve, Pudding Hill Scenic Reserve, and the Redcliffe Conservation Area.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Awa Awa Rata Reserve |url=https://midcanterbury.co.nz/location/awa-awa-rata-reserve |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=Experience Mid Canterbury}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pudding Hill Stream Route |url=https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/canterbury/places/mount-hutt-area/things-to-do/pudding-hill-stream-route/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=www.doc.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mount Hutt area |url=https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/canterbury/places/mount-hutt-area/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=www.doc.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|Mount Hutt}}
*[https://www.mthutt.co.nz/ The Mt Hutt ski area website]
* [http://nzski.com The nzski.com website]
* [https://archive.today/20130222233001/http://www.0800snow.co.nz/new_zealand_ski_fields/mount_hutt_review.asp 0800Snow Review on Mt Hutt]
*[https://www.mthutt.co.nz/weather-report/ Mt Hutt Webcams and Weather Report]
* [http://www.onthesnow.co.nz/new-zealand/mt-hutt-ski-area/ski-resort.html]

{{Coord|43|28|S|171|32|E|region:NZ_type:mountain|display=title}}
{{Ski areas and resorts in New Zealand}}
{{Ashburton District, New Zealand}}

[[Category:Mountains of the Canterbury Region|Hutt]]
[[Category:Ski areas and resorts in the Canterbury Region|Hutt]]