Perisher Resort, Australia, Report: Perfect Winter Conditions After the Storm

A perfect bluebird day on Sunday after the blizzard had dropped 67cm at Perisher. | Image: Julia Schneemann

Report from August 30 & 31

After the latest storm, Australian resorts saw between 40 and 70 centimeters (16-28 inches) of snow, setting resorts up perfectly for spring. With Australian spring starting officially on September 1, last weekend was officially the last winter weekend. However, conditions at Perisher felt more like mid-winter. The snow was chalky, abundant, and windblown—so you had to find your stashes. As every snowstorm that hits Australian resorts starts with the obligatory rainfall, there were some frozen patches at exposed and thus wind-prone areas, so you had to hunt for the bowls. All the groomed runs skied excellently, but off-piste, you had to know where to go to find the good stuff.

Making my way to Guthega .. it was a lot of pushing due to head-on winds. | Image: Julia Schneemann

Saturday was windy, so most chairlifts were on wind-hold for large chunks of the day. Guthega’s Freedom Chair was one of them, but thankfully, there are the trusty Blue Calf and Blue Cow T-bars that will keep running no matter what. Also, the Carpark Double Chair was running, so you could cover the same terrain, except you had longer queues.

Usually, I like to find powder stashes between Schnaxl and the Screw but today it was too windy. I tried Schnaxl, which had not been groomed (I do wonder if Aussies know what Schnaxl means….), but since Freedom was not operating, I had to cut halfway across back to Blue Cow t-bar. The next run was Parachute—which was, for once, open—but could not be called ‘enjoyable.’

Heading down Schnaxl below the Freedom Chair (which was on wind-hold). | Image: Julia Schneemann

After a coffee stop at Basecamp (best coffee on the mountain), I headed back to Blue Cow via the Carpark Chair and spotted Gary the local Guthega wombat. I decided to give the Brumby T-bar a go. It was a gamble as it was the only lift operating in Blue Cow (beginner conveyors aside), but luckily, it was not busy. I like hiking to the top from the top of the chairlift, as the back bowls between Mogul Matts and Sling Shot are quite protected. I was not to be disappointed and found some freshies which I only had to share with a Perisher Winter Sports Club instructor.

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Sunday was shaping up to be legendary, so not surprisingly, everyone and their dog was making their way to the mountains, seeing the Perisher car park full by 8:30 a.m. and the Bullocks Flat car park full by 10:30 a.m.

It had snowed all the way down to the skitube at Bullocks Flat. | Image: Julia Schneemann

Since Ridge Chair did not operate on Saturday, and I felt the majority of skiers would start their day at Perisher’s Front Valley, I headed back to Blue Cow on the skitube instead. Once mountain ops dropped the rope, it was a stampede to the Summit Chair, and I made about the fifth chair up to the top of Excellerator. We did laps of Ridge Chair until the crowds gathered and then decided to give Zali’s a go (named after alpine ski racer Zali Steggal). While Zali’s was nice, I was actually wondering how Kamikaze was skiing, so after getting off the Summit Chair, I veered to Kamikaze—a short double black diamond run to the side of Zali’s. The top entry was sheets of ice, but the second entry to Kami was chalky perfection. While it was very moguly, the moguls were soft and easy to hop through. Best of all, there was hardly anyone going down Kamikazze—naturally, I was hooked. Since Summit Chair had no crowds, we decided to lap Kamikaze until it was lunch time.

While I had to pack up and head back to Sydney, I left with a happy smile on my face, having had the best laps of Kamikaze I have had all season.

So if you are wondering if September might be too late to head down for a ski, the answer is: No! It is the perfect time this year. The snow is great, the days are getting longer, and I expect the resort will not be busy. Having spoken to several lodge owners in Perisher, the unanimous verdict was that there are plenty of bookings available for September. The way the season is going, skiing should stay great for several more weeks!

Good morning! Happy first day of Spring, though it certainly doesn’t feel like it!

After 67cm of fresh snow from the recent storm and -5°C temperatures overnight, winter looks like it’s here to stay. We’re in for another gorgeous day on the slopes with clear bluebird skies, light west-northwesterly winds and a mild top of 5°C.

The storm left behind a quality cover of dry, packed powder across the resort. Our grooming team has laid fresh corduroy on 87 runs, and it’s feeling silky smooth for your first turns this morning.
— Perisher Resort Communications

So, what are you waiting for?