Written by Mari Henderson
Mt Olympus
Backing up the momentum from last year’s camp, the 2025 Mt Olympus Gritt Camp kicked off strong. With several top-ups the weekend prior and cold temps keeping things fresh, the snow was in stellar condition. We were welcomed by a bluebird day, and some groms brimming with energy, bringing the stoke levels right from the start.
We eased into things with some cruisy laps in the upper mountain to find our feet before hiking up to Little Alaska, where the kids showed us all how it’s done in big mountain terrain. After an epic lunch, the energy ramped up again, and so did the backflips. The afternoon turned into a jump session, with groms spinning, flipping, and working on their style on the jumps.
Day two arrived after a gusty night that left the slopes a little firmer than the first day. Perfect for some extra warm-up laps and a chance to dial in edging skills. Not long into the morning, the weather rolled in and the snow gods delivered. With clouds and fresh flakes filling the basin, it set the scene for some valuable avalanche safety training.
Sure enough, after lunch the storm had set in properly, and the face shots were on. With flakes still falling thick, we lapped the slopes again and again and in classic kiwi fashion the stoke was through the roof! We wrapped up the day with some well-deserved prizes, celebrating the effort, progression, and good vibes everyone brought to the camp.
Broken River
The 2025 Broken River Camp kicked off with stormy weather, which made for an apprehensive start. The day prior, wind and rain had given the ski field a little too much attention, so on arrival, everyone came in with flexible expectations about what we might find. Safe to say, we were all very pleasantly surprised.
After an extra warm-up walk to Palmer Lodge, we were greeted by sunshine and perfect spring corn waiting to be harvested. The wind and rain had groomed the slopes to perfection. For the clubbies who rarely get the luxury of skiing groomers, it was an awesome chance to really lay down the GS turns and see how close we could get to the snow.
By lunchtime, the toastie machines were stacked, fuelling the coaches up for the afternoon jump session. The kids went off, with some landing their very first flips, while others locked in 360s, flat spins, and a range of other tricks. The progression was epic, a great mixture of rock drops, tussock transfers and kickers to play around on. The afternoon/evening closed with a Q&A in the lodge discussing everything from sponsorship to media, comps and filming.
Day two showed up with blue skies and sunshine that even the local keas were enjoying. Just like day one, the snow softened early, ready to be carved up. The morning kicked off with a gnarlom session which involved a techy course weaving down the main tow, mixing in rock drops, tussock gaps, and some carving challenges.
In the afternoon, we shifted into an avalanche session. Some groups got their first hands-on experience with transceivers, while the more experienced led a full retrieval down the steeps of Margo’s Gulch. Much like at Olympus, the camp wrapped up with a prizegiving and a celebration of everyone’s efforts which was a fitting end to another epic day in the mountains.
With the 2025 Gritt Camp in the books, we would like to thank the sponsors who without this wouldn't be possible. A special shout out to Arc'teryx, POC, Snow Sports NZ, Selwyn, Inspire Foundation for your support!
We would also like to thank the crew, coaches, ski fields and stoked-up groms who made it two very special weekends. The combination of bluebird freeride lines, storm laps, skill-building, and plenty of laughs set the tone for another season of growth and progression. Stay tuned for what comes next and we will see you next year!
25 days ago