Thredbo, Australia, Conditions Report: Blue Bird Perfection

Report from Friday July 18

It’s no secret: the Australian ski season is off to a fantastic start. With the entire mountain open at Thredbo, the choice is yours: carve down the long main runs for some vertical, or stick to the upper bowls serviced by t-bars.

While Thredbo boasts the biggest vertical drop in the country, I tend to prefer the quieter t-bar-accessed runs higher up. Skipping the queues at the popular chairlifts and Australia’s only gondola is the key to finding peaceful powder. So instead of chasing vertical, I chased untouched stashes up high near Antons and Sponars.

After waiting out a long line at Gunbarrel, I found my own slice of paradise at those t-bars: no queue, great snow. I made my way through Michael’s Mistake, Albert’s Amble, The Tunnel, and Ego’s Alley. Ego’s had the best snow, so I lapped it until it was time for a coffee break at Black Sallees.

Some lovely tree runs with soft snow below Black Sallees. | Image: Julia Schneemann

Refueled, I dipped into some tree runs—Bushranger and Bunny Walk—before reconnecting via the Merritts Gondola to meet friends for lunch at Merritts Mountain House. A few mellow laps on Cruiser rounded out the day, before a final descent down Dream Run to Friday Flat. I had a quiet laugh at the top corner of Dream Run, where the snowgums were dotted with Southeast Asian tourists snapping snow selfies after riding the gondola up for snow play.

It’s great to see everyone enjoying the snow in Australia—be it on skis or snowboards or with sleds and snowball fights. The Merrits gondola, which opened in 2020 during the middle of the Covid pandemic, certainly has transformed the resort, providing easy access to foot passengers.

Thanks, Thredbo, I will be back!