Now, going to school on snow should be easier for other South Island schools.
The Pisa Alpine Charitable Trust has designed its new, 36-bed Musterer’s Hut to be the perfect skifield classroom. The build also frees up space in three other backcountry huts for other groups.
The Musterer’s Hut will open for thousands of youthful snow adventurers in July.
Snow Farm Trust chairman Samuel Belk, known as "Q", said the Snow Farm hosts about 36 schools from around the South Island each year, with some groups booking for four nights and five days.
At the end of March, Snow Farm hut bookings were already 88% booked for July and August, including more than 1000 bed nights for schools.
Mr Belk said the Snow Farm had been running out of room in its existing three huts for school groups wanting to learn about nordic skiing, alpine ecology, weather, snow dynamics, snow caving and other things.
"We just couldn’t accommodate the schools as well as the demand from families and the community groups.
"Teachers like it here because students get off the phone because there is no reception ... I used to work for an outdoor school in the US, so I am very aware you want to get attention. If you want to describe, demonstrate and do, this is the perfect place to do it," Mr Belk said.
Pisa Alpine Charitable Trust trustee Mary Lee and her husband John (86) were Cardrona Valley skifield entrepreneurs in the 1980s.
Mrs Lee credited her husband for identifying the Musterer’s Hut site back in the 1980s.
However, for various reasons, three other huts were built first: the 20-bed Meadow Hut, the 7-bed Bob Lee Hut and the 6-bed Daisy Lee Hut.
The Musterer’s Hut sits on a site overlooking the Tranquility wetland and Kirtle Burn, about 4.5km from the Snow Farm base, and close to both the Meadow and Bob Lee huts.
It can be divided in two by a sliding partition.
Each section is self-sufficient, with its own cooking facilities, common area and bunkrooms.
One section sleeps 12, the other 24. It can also be used as one big facility.
The roof went on last week and despite supply chain issues, building company Breen Construction was on schedule and within budget for completion in time for the ceremonial opening on July 8, Mrs Lee said.
Bookings opened yesterday.
