Readying for snow season

It’s less than 60 days until the King’s Birthday long weekend festivities that mark the official start of the snow season at Mt Buller Mt Stirling resort.

Mt Buller celebrates the major milestone of 100 years of skiing this winter.  The early pioneers from that first group of skiers with the Ski Club of Victoria would be amazed to see the changes since their inaugural Mt Buller ski trip that started it all in July 1924.  

Guests this winter will enjoy the reassurance of yet another Snow factory adding to the snow cover.  Mt Buller was an early-adopter of this game-changing snow technology in 2017 and the latest investment brings the count of Snow factories at Mt Buller to five.  

The new SF220 Snow Factory will sit at the top of the Northside Express on Burnt Hut adding to the cover in this popular beginner zone.  With more snowmaking assets the resort now has even greater flexibility to make snow exactly where it’s needed for skiers, snowboarders and snow players who can plan their winter visit with confidence.  

A new ‘docking station’ has been shaped at the top of Chamois run to host a mobile snow factory ensuring snow is available to support the vibrant culture of moguls and aerials, events such as the ABOM Mogul Challenge and training for winter Olympians in this zone.  In addition to the snow factories the resort has added innovative low energy air guns along some key runs and behind the scenes there is improved automation in the pump house which adds up to a smarter use of energy and water and better-quality snow across the ski area.  A large solar panel installation on the workshop roof is generating 48,000kWh and avoids putting 57 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually.

Buller Ski Lifts General Manager Noel Landry explains, “As we head into each season we challenge ourselves to deliver a better experience for guests, and these investments help us to be smarter in how we make snow, how we groom, farm and maintain the ski area so that snow lasts longer, how we use resources efficiently and work in harmony with our alpine environment.”

Guests this winter are enjoying a better experience online long before they arrive in resort with a completely redesigned website and a helpful ‘My Planner’ tool to tailor and save their searches as they plan a snow holiday. Mt Buller’s website helps visitors plan and bundle everything they want for an ideal snow escape including accommodation, lift passes, lessons, rental, resort entry and even activities such as the Air Zone. 

In other changes around the mountain, skiers and boarders will notice some new access gates as Buller Ski Lifts continues to invest in smarter technology to smooth the journey onto lifts.  There is a carpet lift going in at the Magic Forest to make learning even more fun for the smallest skiers on the mountain and the lights on Chamois run will be shining more brightly for evening events and training.  

Alpine Resorts Victoria Mt Buller Mt Stirling has had a busy summer with projects including improvements to the bus arrival zone in the village and the medical centre as well as maintenance on village roads and sewers.  

This week 15,000 shrubs, herbs and native ground covers that have been propagated from local cuttings and seeds are being planted on the northern face of the Boggy Creek Reservoir.

Visitors are invited to enjoy the mountain bike and walking trails on Mt Buller and Mt Stirling for the final weeks of the ‘green season’.  The new RockWire climb experience off the Mt Buller summit has bookings available until Friday 3 May and will reopen in November.

 The roads to Mt Buller and Mt Stirling are open and vehicle access is available to the Mt Buller village until the start of the gazetted snow season, from the 7 June.