so last week of nsw holidays now matches vic holidays in 2021 in the first week of July, when it is usually the week after vic holidays end. This ruins my plans for a quiet week on the slopes. It's also not been a good time for snow that early in the season the last few years. How busy is it during the school holiday period usually? I really haven't had much experience of big crowds on the snow, having only skied Thredbo and Perisher in sept/october and Perisher this year during covid restrictions. Very keen to see Falls creek but not keen on big queues. Cheers.
2nd week of vic school holidays is often the busiest week of the season. if it's a good season it's not too bad. if it's a poor session with few runs open then it can be pretty crazy. it's not the best week of the season, but it can be good
Mid week XC skiing at Falls Creek and the BHP is often very quiet ,even in August. I always find a parking spot at Windy Corner day parking for Nordic skiers during the week.
NSW and VIC holidays at same time will create a lot of demand. Being a pessimist, I would assume there will still need to be some covidsafe density limit. So I don't think the problem will be crowds, but if there is not much snow, the ticket reservation could be an issue (although hopefully a lot less of an issue than this year). I'd actually be happy if crowded slopes was an issue, would have meant that we nailed this covid thing!
Hi Tom, yes absolutely right that big crowds would be good news for Australia, and I think all of Victoria will be on the ski slopes after the year we've had this year if it's possible. So I think you're right and we should hope for massive crowds! I'll make a booking and give it a shot anyway. We're keen to see the victorian slopes and we'll do something else if it's too busy (like Mister Tee's non stop XC ski obsession or just walking around if the snow is no good).
Fingers crossed for a good season next year. Apart from any Covid related restrictions, the biggest issue when the VIC and NSW school holidays overlap is the amount of terrain open. In a good year, the crowds are ok. In a poor year with only Drovers/Towers running, then the lift lines are pretty bad
i in really bad years they have opened early in school holidays. I've skied till 9:30ish and then called it quits
This year they let everyone catch the early lifts / first tracks. I don't think that it will be repeated (actually, based on the USA capacity thread I think Epic pass holders will get clear priority for everything next season). So @Noah I think if you have EPIC everything should be ok. However, if like me, you have some skiing friends or family without EPIC you may want to keep accommodation as flexible as possible. EDIT:Having said that, I don't think anyone had a bad word to say about accommodation providers, I know that where I stayed handled it and communicated really well.
Some very sad news in my email just now Dear Falls Creek Community, As you may be aware, local ski racing legend Steve Lee, suffered a debilitating stroke on 6 September this year. It was 18 hours before Steve made it to hospital from Falls Creek after being discovered on the floor of his home. The amount of time that had elapsed between the stroke occurring and medical assistance meant that the news was not good. Last week the reality of Steve’s condition begun to set in. The rehab team have confirmed that Steve will need 24/7 care for the rest of his life. Whilst the family hold hope for recovery, they are now planning for the harsh reality that Steve will need much more monetary support than we could ever have imagined. Further from the extensive medical costs that will follow him through his life, he will need modified living arrangements, disability vehicles, ongoing occupational therapy and many more things that our beloved Steve most definitely never budgeted forever needing. While the government, through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) may cover some basics, we are aiming to give Steve life choices & he really needs our help. To aid in this, Foodworks have added Steve Lee to their 'Spirit of the community' scheme (Number 1096), which is now active in the Mt Beauty and Falls Creek stores. The Spirit of the Community scheme allows shoppers to donate their points to a community organisation or cause of their choice. Every quarter those points are converted to cash and donated proportionally. We encourage you to allocate your points to Steve to help him in his long road to recovery. Foodworks will donate the accrued amount directly to his go fund me page each quarter (the next being in November). In addition to allocating your shopping points, you may also donate directly to Steve's cause #steveleefightback by clicking the button below. https://asf.org.au/communities/snow-australia/steve-lee-fightback/
We are staying in Bright and will head up to Falls Creek for a day - probably Nov 19. Are there any food places open in summer to grab lunch up at Falls Creek village?
Go to The Mt.Beauty Foodworks supermarket and buy stuff for a picnic lunch e.g. Helga's rubber wraps, dip, fruit, cheese etc.. You will enjoy that more.
Check here and double check with the actual place you may be interested in: https://www.fallscreek.com.au/whatsonguide/
what emkae said weekends better than mid week. MTB trails are open but commercial ops associated with that don't start till Nov 20 and will be a bit restricted. none-the-less that should encourage more businesses to open on weekends
To some extent, being away from the slopes should help. IMHO during the day at least, people will put up with a lot of expensive crap in the name of convenience. If you are a bit out of the way then you need another selling point - either cheap or good I guess. So location, price, quality - choose any 2
Will be going up to Falls on Saturday to do some walking. I assumed that one goes to the general car park and starts from there. Apparently there are small car parks along the road from where other walks start? Can anyone recommend a couple of good walks, about an hour return that arent in the really steep category please?
not sure if you mean an hour in total. narrows it down a bit I don't know what's happened since the fires. Faithfuls Hut is in a lovely spot easily accessed from from Buckety Plain campground. A round trip (returning via Buckety Plain) is best, but might take a bit long. Just strolling down the firetrail to the hut and back the same way would be well under an hour. Mt Cope from Mt Cope carpark. It's not particularly steep but 360 degree views on a clear day My favourite short walk is the Cope Hut/Wallace's Hut loop but that is longer - still only 5k or so. Take the pole line from Cope Hut carpark (not the road) to Wallaces, then the trail to the aqueduct and follow that back to a track up to Cope Hut. Ropers Lookout from the dam wall is probably about an hour. it's flat then steepish but with very well built stairs (or they were anyway) A nice walk from the village itself if you have someone to pick you up is the packsaddle track that runs parallel to the road, from FC entry to Howman's. and I rather like just walking on the aqueduct in the village area. If you park at the entrance to the nordic bowl, it's dead flat as you walk back to the village, crossing some of the ski slopes. it goes all the way to wishing well but that's probably an hour each way. Alternatively, park near Milch on Schuss St and take the very short climb to the aqueduct and just walk to the nordic bowl (more tranquil) and back or to wishing well and back (seeing more ski slopes)
Easy walk - drive out to either Cope Hut or Wallaces Hut carpark, a bit over 10 km past the dam wall. Nice loop walk which includes a bit of single track between the two huts (runs a bit off the BHP road) and the aqueduct. No steep hills but you cannot avoid some uphill. Possibly a tad over an hour for slow walkers. You visit or go past 2 huts and the Rover lodge. Views east on the aqueduct are great. Fantastic snowgums also around Wallaces hut. Never done it but I hear the walk out to Ropers lookout is not bad either. Starts a the carpark on the other side of the dam wall I think. A little steeper and maybe a bit out of what you have asked. Walk up to Mt. Cope. Take your time to the summit. Good track and stunning views but it will be up. The last bit is granite but easy to scramble up. It will also be all down coming back. About an hour return. Starts easy and then moves to moderate with only a little which some would call steep. This would be based on what a person who is not fit would think. The walk starts at the next carpark past the Cope Hut carpark so you could have a look beforehand. Down from Falls you have a nice waterfall walk. Easy walk but some steps at the end. About half hour return. Walk starts opposite the carpark near the bridge where the lines change to orange (on the white line section still). You may see lyrebirds and echidna. Bogong Village is just before this and you can walk around the dam. Easy walk also.
I know there was fire in the buckety area and around macnamara's. any idea if walking to faithful's would just be too sad still? I think it's my favourite hut, such an idyllic setting beside the creek
The fires were not as bad in that area and I think it would still be OK but not been down there this year because of, well everything. We did walk out from Langford West along the aqueduct and then off track to Raspberry through the burnt out area but it will recover. The fire did not seem to burn that hot. Buckety Plain camp area seems pretty good but the fire did burn up to and not into Raspberry.
Also can't find a full article but the State Gov announced yesterday Elsewhere in the state, $15 million will go towards works on the popular Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing hiking trail
Good for some and not so good for others. Depends on how they spend it and what it means for existing campsite users.... @Sadie - this topic previously had a lot of heat attached to it on the forum and as it’s not really primarily a Falls topic maybe if discussion on this balloons out here it might be good for posters to direct their conversation on the topic elsewhere.
It was briefly discussed as part of the stimulus package for regional Vic. As one who has been extremely vocal on this topic, I would agree further discussion could go here https://www.ski.com.au/xf/threads/f...er-plan-what-a-heap-of-horsepoo.81005/page-12 I will give the topic a bump. The article was in the Age. https://www.theage.com.au/national/...5gcbj8UCp-oYbrSsSne3Q6MMB7Ok0XK3-piokbg8ynuGc The existing Falls to Hotham walk is already marketed and could be a good thing for both if given more support. Cedarwood support people doing this walk already and others could get on board also. The existing walk does not include hard roof accommodation but there are glamping options. Everest sports runs tours on it but will not be including the Diamantina spur option so he said.
it's arguable whether this would have a net effect on numbers. it's money that they are chasing, monetising a walk that has always been there while pissing off many of the people who are keen walkers
Was just looking at some old maps and noticed a fair few runs have disappeared. Does anyone know what happened to the old ‘Le Plunge’ run in the Maze? Used to be a great run, but just noticed today it is gone. Also noticed a fair few have disappeared around near the Eagle chairlift.
IIRC, all just allowed to grow over, except one which is a skidoo track for safe separation I think Le Plunge was rarely safe and gave ski patrol a headache. no idea why they didn't maintain stiletto, adrenaline and eagle rock. the latter actually had snow making on it
From my knowledge I think some of it could have been to do with a head-on intersection into Broadway which led to some collisions. But I could also just be making things up.
maybe, for eagle rock but IIRC stilleto and adrenaline joined into the Ys which is not such a problem for broadway. killing the summit home trail (forgot to mention that one earlier) was probably mainly about the broadway intersection
Yep summit home trail must have been a killer, especially with people trying to make it up to the village access trail.
