page_title: Treble Cone
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Treble Cone / History
caption_attribution_description: English: The first base lodge at Treble Cone (cira 1976)
context_page_description: Treble Cone is the closest ski area to Wanaka, New Zealand.
  Treble Cone is the largest ski area in the South Island, boasting the longest vertical rise in the Queenstown Southern Lakes District. Treble Cone is most known for its views over Lake Wanaka and Mount Aspiring/Tititea and its intermediate to advanced terrain. The skifield is the off-season training ground for the national ski team of Austria.
context_section_description: Founded by Murray Raffills (Raffills Ridge namesake) and Ralph Markby in 1968, Treble Cone started out as a small club field being managed by local ski enthusiasts.
  In 1975 Treble Cone was listed as a public company to raise funds for a high standard road, modest base building and ski hire facilities, constructed over the summer and opened in 1976. Development continued throughout the '80s and early '90s with the mountains first double chair installed in the Home Basin in 1983, the installation of a T-Bar in the Saddle Basin in 1989 and the first permanent snowmaking facilities installed in 1991.
  Treble Cone received its next major upgrade in 1995/96 with the installation of New Zealand's first high speed, detachable 6-seater chairlift in the Home Basin. The pre-existing double chair was relocated to the Saddle Basin to further improve access to the famed terrain. In the same period, major extensions to the base building took place, a new car parking area was developed and a snowmaking pond was installed.
  Earthworks dominated development in the 2000s (summers of 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011), improving the beginner and intermediate terrain in the Home and Saddle Basin and access to the Saddle Basin.
  In 2005. Treble Cone saw a new fixed grip quad chairlift in the Saddle Basin and Ski Patrol hut at the top of the Six Seater. In 2006 and again in 2007, further investment increase snowmaking facilities across the Home Basin.
  Along with Cardrona Ski Area, Treble Cone updated its sales and ticketing systems in 2011/12, enabling the launch of OnePassNZ (a shared lift pass initiative). The new RFID ticketing system also allowed guest with pre-paid passes to ski straight to the gate as well as track vertical and number of runs skied.
caption: The first base lodge at Treble Cone (cira 1976)
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