Book Mt Olympus 2026
Mt Olympus 2026 — Ski Week Bookings
Welcome to the booking page for the 2026 winter season. Whether you're a member, an affiliated club member, a student, or visiting for the first time — this is the place to plan your stay.
Season opens Sunday 26 July 2026 • Season closes Saturday 10 October 2026
🎓 Students & affiliated club members
If you're a student or a member of an affiliated club, you'll need a discount code to access your rate when booking.
📧 Please email bookings@mtolympus.co.nz to apply for your code before you book.
Get started
First time at Mt Olympus?
Mt Olympus is a club ski field with rope tows only — no chairlifts. Accommodation is in our alpine lodge with shared bunkrooms, communal meals, and a famously friendly atmosphere. The mountain is run by club members, volunteers, and employed on-field winter staff, and visitors are warmly welcomed throughout the season.
Bookings cover accommodation starting with dinner on arrival, then bed, breakfast, and lunch for the period of your stay. Lunch on arrival day is optional and added separately. Skiing can be purchased separately, or a season pass or chill pass can be used. Most weeks start Sunday and run through to Friday, with weekends booked separately.
2026 Ski Week & Event Calendar
Use the calendar below to find a week or weekend that suits. Each event has its own character — from family-focused weeks like School Bunkers to social weeks like Dogtuckers, freeride events, and classic spring skiing.
| Event | Dates | About |
|---|---|---|
| ⛸ Pre-Season | ||
| Ice Skating — Staveley ⛸🎿 | Sun 19 Jul1 day | A relaxed preseason social evening on the last weekend of the school holidays — a great way to reconnect before the mountain opens. Open to members and non-members with friends and family welcome. From 5pm. |
| 🎿 Season Open & Events | ||
| Opening Day 🎿 | Sun 26 Jul1 day | The official start of the Mt Olympus season — dust off the legs and reconnect with the mountain community. |
| Outdoor Ed & Avalanche Courses | Sun 26 Jul – Fri 31 Jul6 days | A skills-focused week with school outdoor education groups and professionally delivered avalanche training. Visitors welcome to join the hill alongside the training activity — often a great early-season window for cold, dry snow. |
| Weekend | Fri 31 Jul – Sun 2 Augweekend | An open weekend with the hill to yourselves between Outdoor Ed and Dogtuckers. 🎿 Arrive Friday evening for first tracks Saturday morning. |
| Dogtuckers Week | Sun 2 Aug – Fri 7 Aug6 days | R18 — Traditionally the gathering week for the classic Dogtuckers crew, mostly aged 50+ with a strong Australian presence and plenty of long-standing Olympus regulars. Younger honorary Dogtuckers welcome, with plenty of friendly banter and some memorable après. |
| Curling Weekend 🥌 | Fri 7 Aug – Sun 9 Augweekend | A highlight social weekend centred around curling on the tarn, open to everyone regardless of skiing ability. Helicopter access from Bottom Hut expected to be available at cost. 🥌 Arrive Friday evening — best seats at the lodge fire are always claimed the night before. |
| Truants / WrinkleFreedom Week | Sun 9 Aug – Fri 14 Aug6 days | Originally Wrinkle Free Week from the student years, evolved into Wrinkle Freedom Week — families, returning crews, aunts, uncles, and old friends. A great week for families choosing real-life mountain learning over classrooms. |
| Normal Weekend | Fri 14 Aug – Sun 16 Augweekend | There is never really a normal weekend at Mt Olympus — expect a classic mix of members, visitors, families, and surprises. 🎿 Arrive Friday as WrinkleFreedom winds down and make the lodge your own. |
| School Bunkers Week | Sun 16 Aug – Fri 21 Aug6 days | Extremely popular with local families and usually fills very quickly. A lively, family-focused week built around younger children and school-age skiers. |
| Weekend | Fri 21 Aug – Sun 23 Augweekend | An open weekend between School Bunkers and Alibi — relaxed, uncrowded, perfectly mid-season. 🎿 School Bunkers has cleared out and Alibi hasn't arrived yet — one of the most peaceful Friday nights of the season. |
| Alibi Conference Week | Sun 23 Aug – Fri 28 Aug6 days | A convenient week to attend a very important alpine conference that just happens to take place on the slopes of Mt Olympus. Popular with professionals and visiting crews from NZ and Australia. |
| Weekend | Fri 28 Aug – Sun 30 Augweekend | A rare completely open weekend — the hill between events, unhurried, all yours before the freeride crews take over Monday. 🎿 One of the best-kept secret weekends of the season — fills quietly and early. |
| Uni Break Period | Sun 30 Aug – Wed 2 Sep4 days | R18 — Traditionally a lively student-aligned window with strong attendance from tertiary crews and young professionals. Open to all ages — expect an energetic lodge atmosphere. |
| Chilax Period | Wed 2 Sep – Fri 4 Sep3 days | A relaxed crossover window with mostly adult members and very few younger kids around. Cruisy laps, long catch-ups, classic easygoing lodge atmosphere. |
| Club Champs Weekend 🏆 | Fri 4 Sep – Sun 6 Sepweekend | The key racing weekend of the season, with priority accommodation for members before remaining bunks open to others. 🏆 Racers: arrive Friday. Scope the course, get your legs under you, wake up Saturday ready to compete. |
| GRITT Camp | Mon 7 Sep – Tue 8 Sep2 days | A short, focused visit from the GRITT crew with freeride training and terrain development sessions. Open to others on the hill — great opportunity to watch developing freeride skills in action. |
| Junior Freeride — JFT Dates TBC | Window: 9–13 Sep~5 days | A youth-focused freeride competition bringing strong energy to the mountain. The 2-day event falls within this window — exact dates subject to confirmation. Official event marketing will confirm scheduling. |
| MOFO — Mt Olympus Freeride Open | Mon 14 Sep – Wed 16 Sep3 days | R18 — High-quality freeride competition and terrain use alongside the wider freeride community. A great time to visit and experience the mountain at its most technical and dynamic. |
| The Great Escape | Wed 16 Sep – Fri 18 Sep3 days | A shorter midweek window before the school holiday rush — ideal for families wanting a quieter alpine visit. |
| Weekend | Fri 18 Sep – Sun 20 Sepweekend | A spring weekend between Great Escape and Spring Week — the mountain in September is a different beast, and a very good one. 🌅 Friday sunset from the lodge in September is something else. |
| Spring Week 🌸 | Sun 20 Sep – Fri 25 Sep6 days | Classic Mt Olympus spring skiing — longer daylight, softer afternoon snow, the chance of warm corn or fresh cold surprises. |
| 🧒 Junior & Student Weeks | ||
| Weekend | Fri 25 Sep – Sun 27 Sepweekend | The last open weekend before school holidays take over — spring snow, long light, no crowds. 🌸 Final chance for a peaceful Mt Olympus weekend until October. |
| Junior Break 🧒 Alcohol-free | Sun 27 Sep – Wed 30 Sep4 days | A dedicated alcohol-free event for 13–18 year olds, accompanied by parents or helpers. Priority booking to this age group — if capacity remains, open to all ages. The bar is closed; snacks, coffees, and normal lodge life continue as usual. |
| Ara Break 🎓 | Wed 30 Sep – Sat 3 Oct4 days | A flexible holiday period suited to tertiary students and families with older teenagers. Normal lodge operations, all ages welcome. Not an alcohol-free event. Children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. |
| 🏁 Season Close | ||
| Final Frontier | Sun 4 Oct – Fri 9 Oct6 days | One of the most flexible late-season windows. Many families book shorter stays to match weather and introduce younger skiers to rope tow terrain in softer spring snow. Access often easier; top car park may open depending on conditions. |
| Closing Day 🏔 | Sat 10 Oct1 day | The final celebration of the season — one last run before summer returns. The traditional Final Feast usually takes place around this time — booking essential. |
2026 School & University Holiday Reference
Use this to cross-reference event timing against key holiday windows for schools and Canterbury universities.
| Holiday / Break | Starts | Ends | Relevance to Mt Olympus Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ School Term 3 | Mon 20 Jul | Fri 18 Sep | Families in school — school group bookings, School Bunkers, and Jr Freeride all fall within this window. |
| NZ School Holidays (Term 3 Break) | Sat 26 Sep | Sun 11 Oct | Peak family window. Junior Break, Ara Break, Final Frontier, and Closing Day all fall within. Best family booking period. |
| UC Mid-Semester Break | Sat 22 Aug | Sun 6 Sep | University students free. Club Champs, Uni Break, and Chilax align well for tertiary visitors. |
| Ara Institute — Mid-Semester Break | Sat 22 Aug | Sun 6 Sep | Ara students generally follow a similar schedule to UC. Confirm with Ara for exact 2026 dates. |
| NZ Public Holiday — Matariki | Fri 10 Jul | Fri 10 Jul | Falls just before season open — a great long-weekend opportunity to plan ahead. |
🎟 Save more — buy a Season Pass
Booking accommodation? Save big by adding a season pass — buy now and save, save, save.
It even lets you ski on those terrible weather days just for that one glorious Pow Pow run when the sun peeks out — no guilt about paying for a full day pass!
📋 Make your booking
You can either use the external booking link or use the embedded form below. We highly recommend using a desktop computer to complete your booking.
Once you've completed your booking, now is a great time to purchase some Mt Olympus Merch.
Member booking instructions
If you're a club member booking with a discount code, expand the section below for step-by-step instructions on applying your code in Checkfront.
📖 Step-by-step Checkfront booking instructions for members, students, or affiliated members with a discount code
Please read carefully to ensure your discount is applied correctly — otherwise you will have to pay full price!
The booking system is based on booking nights of stay which are then discounted by the number of work party days you have completed.
Please note: dates and prices featured in the images below may not be current.
- Go to the bookings page or the booking form above. Have your membership number ready to use.
Found in your email subject: (Mt Olympus, 2026 Booking for Members is now open! Your Discount code is attached.) - Select accommodation and head straight to the blue Book Now button as pictured below.
- Click 'Book Now'
- Check the dates are correct.
Please note, the displayed prices have increased for this year. - Check the Guest Type is correct — this always defaults to Senior, so if you are booking for any other type of guest, you must FIRST set this to zero, then select the correct guest type (Senior, Junior, U10 or Student).
- Click 'Apply Promo or Voucher'
- Enter your member number and click 'Apply'
- View the total and ensure it says 'Code Applied'
- Click 'Continue'
- View your booking and confirm your discount has been applied to the total. Ski passes are added by default; lunch is optional.
- To add lunch for arrival day, click 'Lunch', carefully select the correct date (e.g. 2 Aug to 2 Aug), and click 'Add to Booking'. Lunch is charged at a set rate without any discount.
- If you have purchased a Mt Olympus Season Pass, Chill Pass, Ski Sale lift pass, or are booking for an Under 10, click the 'Day Ski Pass' option to remove it.
(Forgot to order your season pass using your discount? Click here) - Click 'Remove' and then 'Update'
- Check the booking shows the Ski Pass is not selected with a zero balance. Repeat for the Arrival Day Ski Pass.
- To add another person (use the correct member code that matches their name), click 'Add to Booking' then select Accommodation > See Listings > Book Now (as before).
- Select the guest type (again zero the Senior option if booking for a Junior or U10), enter the member number, hit 'Apply' then 'Continue'.
- Follow the same process for adding lunch on arrival day or removing pre-purchased ski passes. If booking for any other Guest Type, the Day Ski Pass and Arrival Day Ski Pass need to be edited to zero out the Senior option and select the appropriate Guest Type.
- Made a mistake? Select 'Clear All' and start again. Once happy, add your details and the names of all guests. These are cross-referenced to ensure the correct discounts are applied to the correct members.
- Add your payment details and approve the booking. An automatic confirmation email will be sent through with all booking details.
Good Luck!
The Mt O Bookings Team
"Bottom Hut and shelter trees, circa 1990. The original road alignment once passed up the left-hand side of the hut before later closure and tree removal."
A slice of Mt Olympus history lives in every trip up the hill.
As we work toward the club's centenary history project, we'll soon be collecting member stories, memories, and old photos. Keep an eye out for upcoming newsletters and requests for contributions.