Two of New Zealand’s most popular ski resorts have entered the smartphone era. Cardrona Alpine Resort and Treble Cone have launched their brand new do-it-all Mountains App to streamline the experience for their skiers and snowboarders. The app brings with it live snow reports, trail maps, lift and parking updates, mountain webcams, and condition updates all in one place. Users can also purchase lift passes, track runs, and can participate in community challenges.
But perhaps the most important feature of the app is New Zealand’s first phone lift passes. App users will no longer need physical RFID cards, allowing them to walk from the lot to the lifts with only their phones. With the app, skiers can ditch waiting in lines for passes and can get right to skiing. Skiers who want to use the Mountain App will receive an email with instructions for activating their ticket, and then can toggle on their pass in the app.
Users who have their phone on their left side at chest height will not need to take their phone out of their pockets. Scanning gates will automatically pick up passes if they are activated.
“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,” Cardrona and Treble Cone Chief Mountains Officer Laura Hedley said in a Travel Weekly article.
The Mountains App helps Cardrona and Treble Cone skiers engage with each other on the mountain. Seasonal challenges allow for friendly competition between skiers, with a leaderboard that lets skiers view their position. Some of the app’s current challenges include the Cardrona Crown for the skier who accumulates the most vertical meters at Cardrona across the season, as well as the TC Crown, awarded for the same feat at Treble Cone. For the crowned skiers, prizes will be awarded.
Skiers who turn on the app’s tracking activities and have activity visibility set to public will automatically be entered into challenges. Daily stats can be found in the skier’s profile under the activity tab.
“We’ve always wanted to make the mountain experience as seamless and fun as possible, from the moment guests start planning their day to the moment they head home,” Hedley said in the article.
If phones run out of battery, power banks are available to hire on the mountain. They can be found at the Atrium, the ticket offices, Captains Café, and slopeside at Cardrona and in the main café area at the base of Treble Cone. The first three minutes of use are free, followed by NZD 3.50 (USD 2.01) per hour or NZD 15 (USD 8.60) per day, with a maximum charge of NZD 45 (USD 25.79).
The Mountain App is available on both iPhone and Android. Guests will still need physical cards for group lessons and rentals.
