Cardrona & Treble Cone's Carpooling Tips

Whether you’re a skier wanting to save some money on your commute up the mountain, a boarder figuring out how to get up here, or a spectator looking to inch your way into the snow sport world, you should try carpooling. Read our five helpful tips on cracking the carpool... you may be surprised at how it can transform your mountain commute.

The hitchhiker's guide to the mountain:

The first port of call for hitchhiking is to download the Snow Riders app or find info on their website. It’s the most effective way to find your mountain ride, as the app is entirely focused on getting people to the snow. It’s equally for people looking for a ride and drivers looking for passengers.

Thumbs up for hitching:

If you’re old school, stick your thumb out at one of our hitching spots along the mountain road. We have designated spots at the bottom of the mountains with signage and free shuttles to pick you up from the bottom of both Cardrona and Treble Cone. At the end of the day, we have a marked area at the top of both mountains to help you hitch a ride back down.

Chip in:

Fuel costs an arm and a leg these days, so why not take it in turns with your mates for who drives up? It means you’re not taking out a small mortgage every week to get your snow fix, and you’re also switching up who drives. If you don't want to give over the wheel, ask your carpoolers to chip in some fuel money or to grab you a coffee and lunch from one of our yum cafès and restaurants. There’s no greater way to say ‘cheers for the lift’ than gifting someone a full tummy.

Make friends:

We really hope that one day someone messages us saying they met their husband or wife carpooling up our mountain roads. Though we can dream, we’re not saying you’ll meet the love of your life each time you carpool, but you might meet some like-minded people who’ll hype you up for the day ahead. You might even expand your mountain crew so that you can hit the slopes like this:

Relax on the bus:

Get to the top of the mountain with no faff by booking onto one of our buses. We’ll drop you right outside the main base building. It’s perfect for those without a car or a license or if you just want to sit back and relax. We have return buses running from Queenstown to both Cardrona and Treble Cone, while our buses from Wānaka will take you to Cardrona.

We hope that this has inspired you to get social when traveling to see us. Let us know your carpooling stories; we love to hear about your good times!