Soho Basin in the summer. Image Credit: Cardrona Alpine Resort.

New Zealand — Cardrona Alpine Resort made a lot of major moves last year. The opening of the Soho Basin expansion made Cardrona the largest ski resort in New Zealand. While they haven’t been as busy as last offseason, work continues on various improvements.

Cardrona has given guests a few updates regarding projects this offseason. Regarding Soho Basin, redesigned runs and a snowmaking basin will be added. This will allow for more reliable conditions and earlier openings.

In terms of redesigned runs, one example is Snow Farmer. Last winter, guests used the summer road to ski down, which wasn’t the route’s intended purpose. This upcoming winter will see a defined piste, meaning it’s easier to get down on it.

Last month, Cardrona showed work on various projects. Work continues on a new snowmaking dam/pond, which will greatly increase their snowmaking capacity. A new pumphouse is being added, which will allow for snowmaking in Soho Basin. Third, upgrades are being made to the base area.

The latest update came this week, showing tweaks Rad Smith made to the original map. More defined runs now exist in Soho Basin. The one new trail name I’m seeing is Splash Mountain. Not to be confused with the now rethemed log flume ride at Disney, this run is near the lower Soho Express lift line. You can also see how the runs like Pioneers and Snow Farmers have been reshaped for a more consistent shredding experience.

About Cardrona Alpine Resort

Situated outside of Queenstown, Cardrona is The Shire’s largest ski resort. Cardrona features 47 pistes across 615 hectares (1,520 acres) of skiable terrain. It features 11 lifts, including a chondola.

Cardrona’s 2025 expansion features 150 hectares (371 acres) of new inbounds terrain. This includes intermediate, advanced, and expert trails and chutes. It’s serviced by a Doppelmayr detachable high-speed six-pack chairlift. The chairlift’s 75 carriers can haul up 3,000 people per hour. It has a length of 1,237 meters (4,058 feet) and a vertical rise of 379 meters (1,243 feet). This terrain pod is accessible by either going on the McDougall’s or the Captain’s lifts.

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The tentative schedule for Cardrona this upcoming season is from June 13 to October 11.

The 2025 Cardrona trail map. Image Credit: Cardrona Alpine Resort/Rad Smith.

Image/Video Credits: Cardrona Alpine Resort

Born and raised in New Hampshire, Ian Wood became passionate about the ski industry while learning to ski at Mt. Sunapee. In high school, he became a ski patroller at Proctor Ski Area. He travelled out...