snowaction.com.au

For the Australian snow community, the arrival of August usually means one of two things: squeezing the absolute last drop out of the domestic season, or letting your mind wander to winter in the Northern Hemisphere. If you fall into the latter camp – or if you just really love melted cheese and fine wine -and you just love winter- or talking about cool faraway places, there is an upcoming evening in Sydney that deserves a permanent marker on your calendar.

WORDS: MANUELA BERCHTOLD 2 x OLYMPIAN, MOGULS As a retired Winter Olympian in mogul skiing, I can vouch for the importance of overall strength and conditioning to help you be at your best and avoid injuries. Here are some tips on strengthening your legs, core and upper body. When you are on snow, your legs are constantly working. Whether you’re carving turns on groomed snow, standing in a lift queue, or powering through rough terrain or conditions, your legs are the foundation of everything.

If a close friend came to me today and said, “I want to try backcountry skiing or riding, but I don’t know where to begin,” this is what I would tell her. First of all, don’t wait until you have the perfect gear or you’re at the perfect level. You don’t need to be an expert. You don’t need the lightest setup. You just need curiosity, patience, and respect for the mountains. Backcountry skiing or riding is not just skiing or riding without lifts.

Photo credit Brendan Reeves Daisetsuzan National Park is a hikers paradise in the summer. There are multiple locations to base yourself to experience this high Alpine landscape change from Alpine white into brilliant greens, oranges and yellows with local wildlife and fantastic views of the region.

Queenstown ski resort The Remarkables will become New Zealand’s largest, with a proposed $150 million-plus expansion into the Doolans Basin. About NZSki NZSki is New Zealand’s premier ski company and the owner and operator of Coronet Peak and The Remarkables in Queenstown, and Mt Hutt in Canterbury. Together, the three mountains offer world‑class alpine experiences and play a vital role in regional tourism and local economies.

Perisher Ski Resort has joined the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program, marking a significant step toward creating a more inclusive and supportive experience for all guests. The globally recognised Sunflower program offers a simple and discreet way for people with non-visible disabilities to indicate they may need additional understanding, time or assistance.

For all those people thinking there’s nothing to see or do in Perisher, after hours… please keep thinking that… so we maintain a little elbow room at the bar. For anyone who considers themselves a Perisher die-hard, we know its after-skiing scene holds its own, so if you want to know what we know, here’s a few reasons we keep coming back year after year.

Until recently, I’d never heard of Andermatt, let alone considered it as a European ski destination. But that’s an upside of the Epic Ski Pass, it nudges you beyond the big name resorts into places you might otherwise overlook. And Andermatt turned out to be a charming discovery. Tucked into the Urseren Valley in central Switzerland, Andermatt sits at a dramatic meeting point of alpine passes where storms funnel in from multiple directions, delivering reliable snow and frequent powder days.

Expectations for conditions this season: Coronet Peak opened to the public with its new Snow Factory two weeks earlier than last year on 29 May. We haven’t yet opened the Remarkables or Mt Hutt, or the upper mountain at Coronet Peak, as we wait for colder snowmaking temperatures and natural snow, which is all starting this week with 10-20 cm of natural snow expected combined with excellent low (-6C) snowmaking temperatures.

“Still chasing winter, just doing it differently, why more older skiers are refusing to hang up their boots”. I’m at the stage of life when some of our old ski buddies are giving up the winter sport they once relished, citing dodgy knees or creaking hips, or even metallic ones. But as my husband and I cruise through our sixties, pleasingly, with all our original body parts still intact we’re keen to give this skiing business a red-hot crack for as long as we can.