Mount Hutt rises to the west of the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand, above the braided upper reaches of the Rakaia River, and 50 miles west of Christchurch. Its summit is 7185 feet above sea level. The mountain is home to a commercial alpine ski area offering 1.4 square miles of skiable terrain and a vertical of 2240 feet. The ski field is owned and operated by NZSki. It caters to a wide range of skier and snowboarder abilities, with two surface/conveyor lifts, a high-speed six-seater chairlift, a high-speed eight-seater chairlift, and a fixed-grip three-seater chairlift. The lift infrastructure provides access to a wide range of beginner, intermediate and advanced runs, access to large off-piste areas, and several terrain parks. The most advanced runs on the mountain are through the rock formations at the top of the field known as "The Towers", and the South Face. The snow season is from June to October. Mount Hutt prides itself on being the first ski field in the Southern Hemisphere to open at the beginning of each season.