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Charlotte Pass
Nestled deep in the Snowy Mountains NSW, Charlotte Pass is Australia’s first
ski resort and still the highest – a great destination for a family holiday.
Must see and do
Try night skiing on Tuesdays
and Thursdays.
For adventure skiing, take the
Kangaroo Ridge chair, head left
and ski the trees above the lodges.
Sample the après-ski action in the
Pulpit Bar at The Chalet.
Enjoy a celebration dinner in the
Chalet Restaurant.
Photographs
above left to right: Johnnies Plains, Charlotte
Pass (Mark Watson); Skiing off a cornice (Mark
Watson); Kosciusko Chalet, Charlotte Pass
(Mark Watson); Snowboarding (Mark Watson)
A natural choice
At a base elevation of 1,765 m, Charlotte
Pass is the highest ski village in the country.
On a clear day, the view from the top of the
Kangaroo Ridge Chairlift over the Main Range
is simply breathtaking. And if you’re looking
for natural snow cover, you won’t find better
anywhere in Australia.
Adding to its air of isolated magic, Charlotte
Pass is the country’s single snowbound resort.
Just a short distance from Mt Kosciuszko itself,
in winter the resort is only accessible by oversnow
transport aboard a Snow Cat from the
Perisher Valley Skitube Terminal.
Altitude, not attitude
Set at the bottom of a bowl that slopes down
from Mt Guthrie, there are just 12 club lodges
here plus the Kosciusko Chalet, and every one
of them is a ski-in, ski-out facility. Just put on
your skis or board at the front door and head
for the lift line.
And speaking of lift lines, this is something else
that sets Charlotte Pass apart – there aren’t
any. Although a very small number of day
visitors do make it from Perisher via over-snow
transport, the resort is essentially confined
to those who are staying at Charlotte Pass
overnight. In other words, you’ll be sharing the
mountain with an absolute maximum of only
600 people.
Chances are that within a couple of days you’ll
get to know most of the lift operators and ski
instructors on a first-name basis.
Charlotte Pass is also great for parents
who want to ski by themselves. Its small
and secluded nature means children are
safe and within sight at all times.
The oversnow access and the pedestrian-only,
vehicle-free and totally snowbound village
create a special atmosphere that takes you
right away from the crowds – an experience
that many compare with a tropical island
resort. There’s also no mobile phone coverage,
which is something you’ll probably appreciate
if you’ve ever had to fumble a ringing phone
with chilly fingers.
Snow sports school
If you’re aged somewhere between 5 and 105,
Charlotte Pass has a class that can sharpen
your ski or board skills – either individually
or in a group. The school’s expert instructors,
most of them overseas-trained, are certified
and qualified in the latest teaching techniques,
and group numbers are kept to a minimum of
around 10 people. Private lessons can be prebooked
or organised on arrival.
It’s been proven that one-on-one lessons
are the best way to accelerate snow-sport
skills for young children, helping them lift
their abilities and confidence to a new level
so that they ski more safely and have more
fun in the snow.
At Charlotte Pass, all skiers are allocated
classes on Monday morning for the weekly
ski package, and on Saturday morning for the
weekend package.
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Snowy Mountains NSW