AusLeisure

Mt Hotham has welcomed the Victorian Government’s announcement that the 2020 snow season can commence with a delayed start in late June, just in time for the Victorian school holidays.

Mt Hotham Alpine Resort Management Board Chief Executive, Amber Gardner notes “Mt Hotham has experienced some fantastic early snowfalls, so we’ve been eagerly awaiting news on whether the winter 2020 season would proceed.

“We are excited about the Premier’s announcement and look forward to celebrating the season opening with our mountain community at the end of June.”

While the Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend traditionally marks the start of the snow season, this year it will be a low-key affair, as Mt Hotham continues to plan for scaling-up in June in accordance with Victorian public health guidelines.

Those looking to travel to Mt Hotham over the Queen’s Birthday weekend and until the ski field operations commence will be required to pay a resort entry fee of $35 per vehicle, and will also need to carry wheel chains to enable safe access. Resort entry passes must be purchased in advance online to allow for a contactless entry into the resort and effective capacity management as required.

During this period, the ski field will be closed to downhill skiing and snowboarding. Mt Hotham’s toboggan slope will also be closed and tobogganing will not be permitted in the resort.

However, the resort’s cross country trails will be open in alignment with recreational trails around Victoria, albeit under a reduced grooming regime and with limited Ski Patrol support. A limited intra-village transport service will also be available.

Gardner added “from Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend until the official launch, we will maintain a very limited level of winter operations to ensure that Hotham is well prepared to scale up in late June. During this time, we ask that people in-resort respect public health guidelines and remember what it’s taken to get to this point.” 

Once ski field operations commence at Hotham, full resort entry prices will be charged. The Mount Hotham Alpine Resort Management Board is currently working with operators to determine the operational details about how the season will be implemented in line with the public health guidelines that will apply at that time.

Further information regarding the official opening and the broader resort offering available at that time will be released via the Mt Hotham website and social media channels.

Image of Mt Hotham courtesy of Visit Melbourne

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