Desert Alpine Club

Find good lines, good people, and an amazing vibe at the Desert Alpine Club (DAC) - an incredibly unique experience where human ingenuity, friendship and a touch of alcohol combine to make for a cocktail of magic memories on snow.

HELPING YOU ENJOY YOUR ALPINE EXPERIENCE

DAC is run by passionate clubbies, who rather than see soaring profits, prefer the rush of the wind in their hair and white stuff sliding beneath their planks. Our gender and age diverse committee focuses on three core areas.

Providing the best possible lodge facilities
Bestowing that quintessential alpine atmosphere
Maintaining our exceptional value for money

Lodge facilities

Our modern lodge accommodates up to 32 people in 10 separate bunkrooms. Families normally enjoy their own room. It has a 5.5-kilowatt solar panel system with battery storage to power the lodge at night, backed up by two diesel generators. It uses rainwater and melted snow for its water supply. It features a:

Well equipped kitchen with two large commercial gas stoves
Comfortable dining and living areas, with downstairs kids play area.
Good showers
10 Bunkrooms for accommodation, with 2-6 beds per room
Radiator heating thought out the lodge with a social fireplace in the lounge
Drying room
Friendly, smoke free environment
Sheltered car parking, just beside our lodge entry, awesome for unpacking the car on those windy nights.

Lodge Life/Atmosphere

The club functions as more of a community or an extended family rather than just a bunch of individuals staying in a disconnected commercial hostel. Members work, ski, board and socialise together, united in their enjoyment of this unique slice of New Zealand ski club alpine culture.

DAC has a welcoming and inclusive environment. Everyone has a role to play in ensuring the lodge runs efficiently day-to-day. With a 'many hands make light work' approach, duties such as meal preparation and cleaning are rostered daily and shared by members and non-members alike.

Value for Money

Because none of us like a little inconvenience like cost to getting in the way of spending as many days as possible on snow each winter we aim to keep the good times affordable for all members, particularly families. To help achieve this the committee operates smarter without compromising on facilities. The club has recently installed the largest solar system on the mountain, which keeps the lights on and the lodge warm, without burning diesel in our generators (there’re no power lines to Tukino).

We have very competitive prices for both Members and Non-Members alike.

MEMBERSHIP

Members enjoy discounted accommodation and ski passes plus the knowledge of being a part owner of the lodge and Skifield assets.

New members who embrace our culture of pitching in and collectively sharing the rewards are welcome to join the club

Work Parties are a part of the club culture and are an ideal way to not only contribute to the club but are also a great way to catch up with like-minded people over that snow drought period known as Summer. The Club asks that each adult member completes one weekend work party per year.

For members, we also have a range of budget ex-rental ski equipment, which can be used free of charge.

For more information about Desert Alpine Club Membership, including joining the club, please click here.

NON-MEmbers

Non-members are very welcome to stay and enjoy the vibe, in fact this is the very best way to try-out staying at the lodge and make some new skiing buddies at the same time. Although a word of caution, after your first stay at DAC it’s very likely you’ll be wanting to become a member.

Click here to go to the Desert Alpine Club home page.