What’s new in Thredbo
Early starts and off-piste adventures are key components of the NSW resort’s steady evolution.
It’s 6.30am and the Snowy Mountains are blanketed in darkness. A light illuminates the ice crystals blasting from a snow gun at the base of the Supertrail, one of Thredbo resort’s longest and steepest runs. Despite the early start, there is plenty of banter among the small group of skiers gathered. A large snowcat (groomer) pulls up, and we hand over our gear and pile on to bench seats. Thankfully, our ride is enclosed as the temperature outside sits at minus 7C. We steadily scale slopes until arriving at the top of the resort, Australia’s highest lifted point, Karels T-bar at 2037m. For first-time skiers to Thredbo, making it to Karels is a rite of passage. Kids love ringing the community bell that echoes down the mountainside, while adults soak in the views of the valley and are reminded of the beauty of this small but beloved corner of Australia.
This morning, it’s the grown-ups ringing the bell as we watch the sun rise over Jindabyne Lake in the distance, spilling golden light down the Alpine Way to Thredbo. We’re mesmerised by the pastel pink glow washing over the “great white beyond”, but it’s too soon to venture there. First, breakfast.
We reboard the snowcat and cruise down to Eagle’s Nest, Australia’s highest restaurant. Inside, long tables are piled with pastries, fruit and yoghurt, and a fireplace is aglow. We are promptly asked for coffee orders, and handed plates of bacon, eggs and sourdough. The service is faultless and worthy of this exclusive and new Sunrise Sessions tour.
“It’s absolutely fantastic to be able to do this on the back of a couple of tough years,” says our guide, two-time Winter Olympian Jono Brauer.
With appetites sated, it’s time for the highlight of the morning: first tracks. This is when skiers and snowboarders break the ice on the smooth corduroy of the Supertrail before resort lifts officially start turning. No matter where you are skiing in the world, first tracks programs are always special. Some resorts in North America make it all about skiing, with lap after lap until lifts open to the general public. Thredbo has put its own spin on the experience by including a sunrise viewing and breakfast. It’s open to non-skiers too; they simply return to base via the Kosciuszko Express chairlift.
After a couple of exhilarating runs, I leave the group to meet Alex and Jo, my two guides on a beginner backcountry tour. Decked out in bright yellow and magenta, there’s no way these women would get lost in a white-out. I’ve hired a splitboard (a snowboard that converts to skis and back again) for an experience I’ve been longing to try for several years. For advanced skiers, back-country – venturing beyond Thredbo’s resort boundaries – is “the new black”. It offers something exciting and challenging beyond resort runs.
With two other guests, Alex and Jo lead us up the chairlift and past Karels into a landscape where smooth granite points skywards like shards of white chocolate atop a birthday cake. The rocks are coated in rime ice, formed when cold water freezes upon contact with something below zero degrees.
Alex gives her respect to the traditional land owners, the Ngarigo people, and then we “transition” our boards and skis, which involves taping sticky nylon “skins” to the undersides of our gear and, in my case, repositioning my bindings. We begin climbing, achieving traction on the snow thanks to the synthetic “hair” on our skins. It feels strange to glide forward and uphill but I soon get the hang of it. Instead of looking at my feet, I start to enjoy the vistas of rolling peaks and untouched snow. We pass a couple of other groups, some on skis, others on snowshoes. As Alex gives us a safety pep talk, we remove our skins (a process that’s a lot easier than I expected) and get ready to ride.
“Everything’s more high consequence in the back-country, that’s why we mellow it out,” she says. “We don’t need to impress anyone.” With no one in sight and no sign of anyone having gone before us, it’s a peaceful downhill run, slicing across glistening snow that has been softened by recent falls. Afterwards, we munch on caramel slice from Valley Terminal before being taken through basic avalanche-equipment training. We take shovels, probes and beacons from our backpacks and learn how to use them in a mock search and rescue. Although the information isn’t new to me, it’s great to have a refresher and I’m inspired to sign up for official training. All too soon our tour starts winding up but not before we hike a few more hills and find pockets of fresh snow in the off-piste but in-bounds Golf Course Bowl. It’s exactly what I’ve been longing for. Our final run is down Thredbo’s fierce Funnel Web, a trail renowned for its steep pitch and moguls.
Although back-country tours have been offered in Thredbo for a few years, the two seasons lost to Covid mean they’re still relatively unknown. They’re part of an array of fresh high-end experiences more commonly found in northern hemisphere resorts that are helping Thredbo to reposition itself in Australia’s ski industry. This season, visitors have been nibbling on canapes and sipping champagne at Kareela Supper Club, a Saturday-evening offering that coincides with the spectacular flare run and fireworks. Also new are the family-friendly Bavarian-style feasts at Merritts Mountain Haus on Friday nights.
Thredbo Resort general manager Stuart Diver says the changes are about giving visitors “exceptional experiences that are beyond the ordinary, where our guests can create long-lasting memories”. On the horizon are a year-round Alpine Coaster to replace the bobsleigh, upgrades to Merritts Mountain Haus and snow-making facilities, and lift replacements. Rest assured, however, the resort’s European charm remains. Repeat guests can still find their favourite timber lodges, such as Candlelight with its famed fondue dinners, only now they’re sitting alongside more sophisticated accommodation, including the sleek Bellevarde Apartments. Skiers and boarders can continue to enjoy the popular intermediate runs off Antons T-bar, and access the black trails under the Cruiser chairlift. And they can now start their day on the slopes before the village wakes up, and then duck off into the back-country for an experience Australian skiers have been longing for.
In the know
Thredbo Alpine Hotel is one of the older accommodation options in the village but it’s in prime position and is cosy and comfortable; rooms from $395 a night. More luxurious lodgings include Rock Pool Lodge , from $1399 a night; Bellevarde Apartments, from $4000 a night (minimum five nights); and The Peak, from $375 a night (minimum three nights).
The Introduction to Backcountry Tour goes for six hours; from $199 a person (adults only), including avalanche pack and back-country access pass. Splitboard hire is $165; snowshoes and touring skis also available.
Jennifer Ennion was a guest of Thredbo.