Thredbo Development - bang a gong and get it ON!

[climberman]

http://beta.afr.com/p/business/property/thredbo_facelift_to_attract_more_OGIlxnrohUWUEeyXiJKpFP

Australia's leading ski resort, Thredbo, is in line for $135 million facelift with a new chairlift, a major hotel revamp and a new city centre to attract more visitors in summer and winter.

Village operator Kosciuszko Thredbo has been quietly presenting plans for the new lift, an upgrade of the Thredbo Alpine Hotel and a town centre redevelopment to a number of business owners in the village since before the start of the 2013 ski season......

 

[melty68]

Thredbo has always been a great place to visit either skiing,bushwalking or to climb to mt.koszckiousko {i,m not fluent in polish}and partying.Im not sure if more development will enhance its appeal...all good to me.

 

[Ian D]

So in summary:

- $20 million for new chairlift:
Will run from Village Terminal to up near Karels along the approximate line of Ramshead but going higher. Will offer access to Golf Course Bowl area.

- Major Thredbo Alpine Hotel revamp

- Town centre redevelopment

- Redevelopment and enlargement of Valley Terminal

- More "buildings" near Friday Flat to better cater for first timers.

 

[MisterMxyzptlk]

Thredbo is by far and away most likely to succeed as an all-year destination with modest (by NBN standards) investment
Snow, golf course, MTB, walking, reliable watercourse, pretty,easy access
Just needs a touch of Intrawest type thinking (not TOO much!!) and its future would be assured ,rising snow lines or not), IMO

 

[kiter]

Any idea when the new chair is planned to go in .when it's ready I'll be back for sure.

 

[snowduck]

Should extend the boundary out to Spencers Creek, and have the new chairlift terminate there.

Take the present time : only the Basin Run open at Thredbo, due to close to bugger-all snow.

Report indicates Spencer's Creek has <drum roll>..... 114 cms !!!!

It's the new mecca of skiing in NSW. Claim it now Thredbo, before Perisher, Charlottes or Selwyn annex it.

 

[Angus_McCrory]

Thredbo is by far and away most likely to succeed as an all-year destination ....

Thought it was already pretty successful as an allround destination. Try getting accomodation there over Christmas or Easter.

 

[Arne]

"if you build it. They will come"

 

[skiflat]

Thredbo's main village could do with a revamp

It feels old

The hotel definitely needs a revamp

New chairlift = GOOD

Shame that the new chair will be a few years away still

 

[Telemark Phat]

Chair should start at Tower 10 rather than valley Terminal

 

[MisterMxyzptlk]

Thredbo is by far and away most likely to succeed as an all-year destination ....

Thought it was already pretty successful as an allround destination. Try getting accomodation there over Christmas or Easter.

So you think 20 weeks a year is all-year?
Maybe

 

[Angus_McCrory]

Unless a major city it isn't going to get 52 week occupancy. The nature of tourism.

 

[MisterMxyzptlk]

Chair should start at Tower 10 rather than valley Terminal

makes sense from an intermediate and above perspective TP, but I think they are looking into the ever warming crystal ball and will want a chair that deposits everyone into the Basin
Probably cheaper than above zero snow making at Friday Flat

 

[MisterMxyzptlk]

Unless a major city it isn't going to get 52 week occupancy. The nature of tourism.

Un upgraded golf course
A waterpark
Upgraded village centre
Accommodation upgrade
Would lift occupancy signficantly
Are you saying Thredbo doesn't need to do anything because what they are doing now is working?

 

[skiflat]

Mid-Load needed

 

[Angus_McCrory]

...Are you saying Thredbo doesn't need to do anything because what they are doing now is working?

For some places there will always be in-between seasons where they are not an attractive proposition. My beach house is booked solidly from December to March and thorough Easter if early. For the rest of the year it is sporadic. At these times maintenance gets done. Try booking a bed in Jackson Hole (Teton Village) after the ski season finishes; no chance, closed for business to do maintenance before the start of the climbing and flyfishing season.

 

[Piste Again]

Mid-Load needed

One at tower 10 for sure. The less people crowding around to load at the Valley Terminal the better.

Any maybe another somewhere in the Basin. A lot of people will probably stay in the basin/karels area once they get up there, and the basin T-bar is pretty busy at times already.

 

[rugbyskier]

There's a chair at Tignes that is basically two chairs in one, servicing a beginners area and also providing a link back to Val d'Isere. The Ramshead replacement could work like that if Milk Run was modified to become a second Friday Flat, with higher level skiers using the transition station to access the Basin and higher runs.

 

[rugbyskier]

I went searching to see if there were any photos or videos that would show how the two in one chairlift at Tignes (the Bollin-Fresse chairlift) operates, and lo and behold there's a YouTube clip from our very own CarveMan

 

[skiflat]

Well $20 Million for a chairlift, you'd assume it will do something special....

 

[Telemark Phat]

Cool Chair!

 

[Rover]

I went searching to see if there were any photos or videos that would show how the two in one chairlift at Tignes (the Bollin-Fresse chairlift) operates, and lo and behold there's a YouTube clip from our very own CarveMan

so every second chair goes the whole way up?

 

[CarveMan]

Yup.

At the bottom there are two queues, and two 'loops' for the detachables to come around, and each chair coming into the bottom station alternates between the two loops. One is clearly signposted for the beginners and that's the low exit, and intermediate/advanced skiers go all the way up.

Problem is that it would cost a shiteload of cash, and we're our own worst enemies in Australia crying out for massive infrastructure that we see overseas, and then whinging when the ticket prices go up to pay for it.

 

[skiflat]

There is something like that in Cervina too, but can't find anything with a quick Google..

 

[Yardsale]

Oh mah gerd... pretty much every chair in Australia needs to be like that... but in reverse (with a mid load option).

 

[PiedPiper]

HMM which Chair in Cervinia is like that?
I have skied at both Tignes and cervinia, never saw anything @ cervinia that was like that?

just interested?

 

[Annabuzzy]

Chair should start at Tower 10 rather than valley Terminal

100% agree. Indeed, I thought that was the plan. There's no point funnelling everyone to the valley floor with a higher base on the new lift. Aside from dispersing skier traffic it would also provide a better option when conditions are more marginal late season. It'd be much easier, surely, to snow make down to Tower 10 and Kosi mid station than all the way to Valley Terminal?

I knew the Alpine Hotel was headed for an upgrade and VT clearly needs an upgrade. I thought the village centre was ok though. Maybe it'd be better to have the village centre closer to VT though so it attracts après and skier traffic. Where its located means usage is restricted to après traffic. Closer to the hill and you could have more bars, cafes and restaurants, which would increase vibrancy.

 

[LMB]

HMM which Chair in Cervinia is like that?
I have skied at both Tignes and cervinia, never saw anything @ cervinia that was like that?

just interested?

DEFINITELY at Tignes, I caught that one in January quite a few times. It was really funny when the people in front of you realised that by changing to the shorter queue they actually ended up on the 'wrong' chair

And I seem to recall (albeit hazily) a chairlift with two queues at Cervinia - could have been Valtournenche, but I reckon there is one there, yes.

Would be an excellent solution for Thredbo.

 

[cin]

i would think that its better to have it run from the bottom but also have a mid load point at tower 10.
Best of both worlds

 

[Annabuzzy]

It would be good, but they have that on the Kosi chair and I've not once in hundreds of days skiing Thredbo including I'd guess at least 50 of those days in September /October (I just finished 5 days there) seen them load from mid station. Apparently since the lift isn't detachable at mid station they have to run the lift super slow to use it. I guess the answer is therefore to make sure any new mid station is detachable but is the expense justified? I feel no compelling desire to ski the extra 100m vertical to the valley floor. There are thousands who no doubt feel the same way. A lift loading at tower 10 will still relieve congestion at Kosi simply because maybe 40% of present traffic will instead catch the new lift. It might even make that dog leg below tower 10 to Kosi vaguely enjoyable - if you can get it with space to move its fun but at present every skier from Jonno Brauer down to erratic turning intermediates tgrough to first timers is funnelled into that space with disaster just being begged - imho.

I'm pretty sure btw Thredbo already have approval for a lift from tower 10.

 

[Dos]

It would be good, but they have that on the Kosi chair and I've not once in hundreds of days skiing Thredbo including I'd guess at least 50 of those days in September /October (I just finished 5 days there) seen them load from mid station.

I'm pretty sure btw Thredbo already have approval for a lift from tower 10.

They opened Kosi mid station in early September this year for about a week before they closed the Supertrail completely. Kosi Express became Kosi Quad

I don't think Thredbo has got any approval for that replacement lift. I haven't even heard that they submitted any application for such lift.

 

[CarveMan]

Buller has a midload on the detachable Horse Hill Chair.

When there's snow they lower it and use it whenever possible, but it sure slows it down.

 

[gareth_oau]

all this talk of new chairs, tower 10 etc.

someone draw some pictures. ideas!!

 

[Annabuzzy]

Around 10 years ago they announced the new lift from tower 10 to Karels/GCB area. I recall KNP had issues with tree removal for lift pylons, which I felt was ridiculous given the revegetation Thredbo were pursuing on the super trail. I thought though at the end of that process Thredbo got approval but I don't know that for sure.

 

[FilMakowski]

The mid station was open when we were in Thredbo second weekend of September. Probably because there was no snow below it so was the only way for skiers to load onto the lift.

 

[Dos]

The mid station was open when we were in Thredbo second weekend of September. Probably because there was no snow below it so was the only way for skiers to load onto the lift.

Exactly. Not enough snow to ski down to the village.

 

[NIFF]

IMHO some of that dosh would be better spent on making the Kosi mid station detachable. When they open Kosi mid station, because chairs aren't detached, they have to run the chair at half speed. That makes for a very long slow ride, & that's why they rarely do it.

I remember when Kosi was installed, the rumour was that they were too cheap to do it then, & that it was big mistake.

Aside from the obvious reason to open mid station ie cover is poor below mid, another compelling reason is that often the snow level is around that height, & its dumping snow above mid & pouring rain below. If mid was open, one could ski nice fresh snow down to mid station & hop back on without having to ski slush to the village & getting soaked in the rain.

As to whether it's technically & economically feasible to add a detachable mid station to Kosi post construction, I have no idea.

 

[chunky]

all this talk of new chairs, tower 10 etc.

someone draw some pictures. ideas!!

Surprised VSG hasn't pulled out the Crayola yet!

 

[VSG]

VSG has been in the north of the globe for about 6 weeks.

My take on the proposal.

and the news release: http://www.afr.com/p/business/property/thredbo_facelift_to_attract_more_OGIlxnrohUWUEeyXiJKpFP

"....... Mr Diver said. It will run from the Village Terminal to “somewhere in the region†of Karels, Australia’s highest lifted point. “We’re looking at various options, obviously it would go on a similar alignment to the existing Ramshead chair, but it would go higher,†he said.

The new chair will provide greater access to the resort’s Golf Course Bowl, a tree-lined valley favoured by skiers and snow boarders chasing deeper snow and steeper terrain."

 

[Piste Again]

The new chair will provide greater access to the resort’s Golf Course Bowl, a tree-lined valley favoured by skiers and snow boarders chasing deeper snow and steeper terrain."

It'd also make it a lot easier to access the under-utilised runs up around Karels - they could handle a lot more traffic but not many people make the effort.

 

[VSG]

True.

 

[Untele-whippet]

Tobogganing and tubing, a permanent mogul course and a new terrain park for 2014.
Kids are now up to 17 years old.
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=a73281ce02c1a6649ea4cf69f&id=4318dc858d&e=31e77d6f3f

 

[climberman]

Some excellent deals for tickets on during sochi as well

 

[gareth_oau]

Tobogganing and tubing, a permanent mogul course and a new terrain park for 2014.
Kids are now up to 17 years old.
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=a73281ce02c1a6649ea4cf69f&id=4318dc858d&e=31e77d6f3f

its taken them a long while - good to see they have a sharp marketing team working for them.

Unfortunately my kids are no longer kids

 

[Bato]

New park

 

[Dos]

but I think they are looking into the ever warming crystal ball and will want a chair that deposits everyone into the Basin

Kosi Express can already do that.

 

[crackson]

The new chair just simply must be called the Lhotsky.

The man deserves some respect after having his effort stolen by Strezlecki.

 

[crackson]

It would be brilliant if the Lhotsky and the Kosi chair ran near parallel and the Lhotsky went higher.

 

[MisterMxyzptlk]

Kosi Express can already do that.

oh yeah...sure, I meant it has to go left and end up as high as possible above the bowl and be able to potentially service the Golf Course Bowl

 

[tbnext]

Vsg's map is simplistic perfect. That karels area is my equal fave with the boundary and Anton's. But a mission to stay and ski. A lift from the Kosi base to South of karels is expensive but perfect. Plenty of green terrain ( makes it economically viable) but plenty of the rest.