'Winter is coming!' You can feel it in the air. Australia may not be the first place people think of when it comes to snow but last year's ski season was one of the best we have ever had. This year only needs to be half as good to be stunning.
Lots of Australians head overseas each year to ski in America and Europe, giving up a chunk of summer in search of snow, ice and wintery weather. Hey guys, I've got news for you - it snows in Australia too.
For the past three decades, give or take a couple of years, David and I have packed up the family and headed to the Snowy Mountains for a week or two each winter looking for our own dose of teeth-chatteringly cold weather. Back in the bad old days, before the invention of snow-making it was something of a hit and miss affair. Some years were great and some years we packed the bikes and tennis racquets. Snowmaking has changed all that. Now, even in years when mother nature refuses to co-operate, there is always a good blanket of ski-able powder to wake up to in the mornings.
The NSW ski fields consist of four resorts; Thredbo, Perisher Blue, Charlotte Pass and Mt Selwyn.
For anyone contemplating a snow holiday I've put together a few tips on which resort to choose. I hope you find it useful.
Thredbo
Thredbo has the highest lifted point and the longest runs in Australia, with 5.9 km of uninterrupted downhill skiing from the top of Karels T-bar to the bottom of Friday Flat. There is no shortage of challenging slopes. Thredbo has the steepest, most difficult terrain of all the resorts and, on the first few runs of the day, that famous Thredbo ice. If you are planning to tackle the harder runs on Crackenback Mountain early in the day, sharpen your edges first.
Beginners and intermediates haven't been forgotten. Friday Flat is a purpose built area for beginners. Then once you have your ski legs there is a great set of easy/intermediate trails serviced by the Cruiser chair higher up on the mountain.
The Cruiser Trails are my favourites, easy enough to enjoy and usually with some of the best snow on the mountain. They get a bit crowded around 10 a.m. when the lesson groups arrive and again in the early afternoon but they're almost deserted around lunch time and late in the afternoon. By 4 p.m it is not unusual to feel like you have the mountain to yourself, especially if you stay to the far right-hand-side after getting off the lift. Here the Valley View and Ballroom trails are marked on the maps as blue (intermediate) but they are great runs and not at all difficult.
Do yourself a favour though if you are a beginner or early intermediate don't try to ski back down from Cruiser via High Noon - either take the traverse to the village or catch the chair down. High Noon can get steep and icy and it attracts crowds of testosterone-fuelled snow-boarders who go much too fast.
The Village -
Built in the style of a European alpine village, with its large number of restaurants and bars Thredbo is the place to be if you want to party into the night. The accommodation varies from hotel rooms to apartments and lodges and there is plenty of day and overnight parking. Much of the accommodation is within easy walk of the main lift terminals but for the rest there are several free shuttle bus routes around the village. Plenty of properties offer ski-in/ski out accommodation.
As well as skiing and boarding, Thredbo offers limited night skiing, snow-shoeing and cross-country trails.
Lift Prices -
1 day - $115 (adult) $66 (17 & under)
5 day - $407 (adult ) $219 (17 & under)
There are also combination tickets for lift & lessons and lift & equipment rental as well as discounts for early bird purchases and late start tickets. For the full range of winter prices - click here
2015 Season Pass - The big news this season is the link-up between Thredbo Resort and The Mountain Collective in Nth America. The Mountain Collective includes AltaSnowbird (UT), Aspen/Snowmas (CO), Jackson Hole (WY), Mammoth (CA), SquawValley/Alpine Meadows (CA) and Whistler Blackcomb (BC). Purchase a Season Pass (on sale up to 31 May) and you'll receive 50% off Day Passes at Thredbo's new partner resorts. See here for details.
Runs -
16% Beginner
67% Intermediate
17% Advanced
Thredbo has 14 lifts.
Trail Map - click here
Perisher Blue
Perisher has 47 lifts and a skiable area of more than 12 square kms. The main ski field is connected to smaller fields at Blue Cow, Guthega and Smiggins Holes, making Perisher Blue the largest skiing and boarding resort in Australia. Lift tickets are valid across the resort. Perisher is great for families and singles alike, with gentle slopes for the kids as well as plenty of advanced runs for adults. Like Thredbo it offers limited night skiing, cross country and snow shoeing.
There are so many runs at Perisher it is hard to pick a favourite but I have a soft spot for the Pretty Valley Run. Between the main Front Valley runs and North Perisher, the gentle Pretty Valley run meanders through the trees; a great excuse to slow down and admire how lovely Australia can be in winter.
The Village -
Accommodation styles vary from hotel rooms to apartments and lodge style. Located above the snow line, Perisher has a number of ski-in/ski-out properties. Many of the lodges provide their own shuttle buses to the main lift terminal but if your accommodation is not well-located you need to check because there is no village shuttle bus.
The biggest drawback of Perisher is the lack of village transportation. You can find yourself doing a lot of walking. Hans Oversnow provides transport to and from most of the lodges, but it's a slow way to get down to the main village in the mornings. Hans doesn't seem to have a website - I'm not sure he knows it's the 21 century yet - but you can find his contact details here.
Hans Oversnow Cat
There is free day parking at the main Perisher terminal as well as Smiggin Holes and Guthega but overnight parking is strictly limited. Snow conditions can block the roads in, especially to Guthega. the best way in is to leave your car at Bullock’s Flat and take the Skitube Alpine Railway direct to either Perisher or Blue Cow.
Lift Prices -
The price of lift tickets at Perisher vary enormously according to the package you take, when you ski and whether you need a ski-tube ticket. They are however, generally comparable with the prices at Thredbo. For a full range of tickets and prices - click here
2015 Season Pass -
The new Perisher Freedom Pass gives access to resorts across the U.S. including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Park City. For details click - here
Runs -
22% Beginner
60% Intermediate
18% Advanced
Perisher has 47 lifts including 12 rope tows, J-Bars and Ski carpets.
Trail Map - click here
Charlotte Pass
Australia's highest resort, Charlotte Pass is small and family friendly - ideal for beginners and families with young children. The kids will love being surrounded by snow, and parents will love the safe environment and gentle slopes.
Charlotte offers hotel room style accommodation as well as private lodges with views across the ski field. Completely snowbound for most of the season, Charlotte is only accessible by over-snow transport. Leave the car at Bullock’s flat, take the Skitube to Perisher Valley and catch a snowcat from there.
Lift Prices -
1 day - $103 (adult) $62 (13 & under)
5 day - $460 (adult) $294 (2014 season)
For the full range of prices click - here
Runs -
8 Beginner runs
7 Intermediate runs
9 Advanced runs
Charlotte has 1 chair lift, 1 T-bar and 2 poma lifts.
Trail Map - click here and scroll down
Mt Selwyn
A considerable distance from the other Snowy Mountains fields, Mt Selwyn is a day resort only with no overnight accommodation. Skiers can stay at one of several nearby towns. Mt Selwyn is a small, family-oriented ski field that markets itself as a budget destination. As well as skiing and boarding, it offers cross-country, snow-shoeing and two snow tubing lifts.
Lift Prices -
1 day - $66 (adult) $35 (15 & under)
5 day - $251 (adult) $132 (15
For the full range of prices click - here
Runs -
40% easiest terrain
48% more difficult terrain
12% most difficult terrain
Charlotte has 10 lifts and 1 snow tube lift.
Trail Map - click here
Staying at Jindabyne
Jindabyne is a small town about half an hour by road from both Thredbo and Perisher. It has lots of ski accommodation which is generally cheaper than staying at the resorts. The road to Thredbo gets cleared fairly quickly after snow falls making it accessible in all but the worst weather. Perisher can be a bit more tricky but most days it is possible to drive all the way to the resort, provided you have a 4WD or carry chains. Alternatively, drive to Bullock's Flat and take the ski-tube to Perisher.
What is the Skitube?
The Skitube is an alpine railway, purpose built for skiers and boarders, which runs from Bullocks Flat, about 20 kms from Jindabyne, to Perisher Valley and Blue Cow Mountain. The trip to Perisher Valley takes about ten minutes and then another seven minutes on to Blue Cow. There is plenty of free day and overnight parking.
What Gear Do I Need?
Equipment and clothing hire is available at all ski fields, except Blue Cow, as well as at Bullocks Flat Skitube Terminal and nearby towns such as Jindabyne and Cooma. My own experience is that you will get better quality and prices if you hire your gear at Jindabyne rather than if you wait until you arrive at the resort. The downside to this is that if you have a problem you have to drive to Jindabyne to resolve it. We generally hire any gear we need at Jindabyne Sports and we've been pretty happy with it over the years.
Getting Started!
All resorts offer lesson packages for both skiers and boarders ranging from rank beginner to advanced.
When to Go?
The official season runs from Friday 5 June to early October. Try to avoid the first or last couple of weeks when the snow cover can range from unreliable to non-existent. Both Thredbo and Perisher have extensive snow-making capabilities but the resorts can't make snow unless the overnight temperature is cold enough.
Most of the Perisher runs are higher than those in Thredbo making Perisher a better bet when conditions are poor but bear in mind that many of the lifts, especially at Perisher, can be closed down even before the end of the season if there aren't enough people around.
Location and How Do I Get There?
The Snowy Mountains are accessible by car and coach. All the ski resorts are inside the boundaries of Kosciuszko National Park which has a daily entrance fee of $27 per car in winter. If you plan on visiting for more than a few days it is worth considering a yearly pass.
Chains are not generally required to access Thredbo or Bullocks Flat but if you intend to drive through to Perisher Blue then you will need to hire them unless you are in a 4WD. We always play it safe and have chains in the car even if we are only headed to Thredbo.
The drive from Sydney takes about five and a half hours and from Canberra two and a half. Coach services operate from Sydney, Canberra and Cooma to both Perisher and Thredbo with specialised ski and snowboard packages from Sydney and one-day ski and snowboard tours from Canberra. A shuttle service operates from both Cooma and Adaminaby to the Mt Selwyn fields.
Wildlife Spotting
For an up-close encounter with a kangaroo, head down to Tom Groggin or Geehi on the Alpine Way between Thredbo and Khancoban if the road is open or try your luck in the early evening at Thredbo Diggings. For many years there was a resident wombat which lived near the Village Green in Thredbo but I haven't seen him for a while.
If you're lucky you might see emus on the Alpine Way between Jindabyne and Thredbo. Look for them near the sign warning of 'emus' in the area.
Here's hoping for a bumper season! You will find more photos and blog posts at http://thetravellinglindfields.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Skiing. Just scroll through the first one.
Thredbo Village after snow.
The view from the top of Thredbo
Kangaroos at Tom Groggin