Description

The challenging part of this tour is not the actual ski tour but getting up the Macauley Valley.

It’s a long slog with some sketchy river crossing but when I went up there we actually drove up in a 4wd SUV before arriving at the Macauley Hut.

This area is know for good ascents of Mount Sibbald but is much more popular for hunting and is a great location to blend cultures.

Though for ski touring it is most popular for Sibbald there is also a really nice ski tour up lower Tindall Stream as this route we will focus on. Leaving Tekapo and heading driving along the Eastern Shores of Lake Tekapo you will soon have to cross over the Macauley River towards a small settlement known as Lilybank.

From here stick on the Western side of said river and start making your way up the valley for numerous kilometres before arriving at the hut where it will be your base of operations. Leaving from the Macauley Hut start heading up the main stream directly west of on its Northern Edge.

Follow the relative flats of the stream until its steeper headwalls where you now need to climb up the southern slopes which is relatively easy before arriving in the flats of Tindall Basin.

Being that this area is relatively straightforeword make your way northeast over to the main ridge and gain elevation all the way to the summit of point 2124.

From here you will have an awesome view of the surrounding terrain and other potential ski tours in the area. Once it is time to descend just follow your ascent route or just ride fall line until retracing your steeper climbing route up into Tindall Basin.

Once at the base of the stream just keep heading down until back at the hut.

This is the perfect ski tour to explore the area for other potential missions if the weather cooperates which it didn’t for us.

For more pictures and the full story check out this link https://www.whereiskylemiller.com/new-zealand/macaulay-valley/