Mountains vs Price
Oh yes!
Last year on Mt P, there were these stragglers and the groomers had come out.
We were waiting at the top and serious almost got groomed in…
We got a deadset serious radio call reminding us NOT to go on the groomed snow. It made for a creative run home.
Running a business here is the most expensive place in the world.
just wondering where you got that information?
I should say “one of” since mostly I made it up after listening to politicians.
Aussie high rents, wages etc…
It’s the main excuse Apple and many internation businesses give for charging us more for products than other countries.
I suspected listening to the pollies may have had something to do with it because it sounded flat out like horse dung to me!
Australia is doing just fine. It is a bit expensive in some places for sure, but nothing close to the most expensive in the world.
I’ve heard of a few business owners over here who would love to be able to go and set up shop in Australia because it is less regulated and cheaper.
I actually havent poached groomers.
I do it every chance I get!
The lunchtime grooming at some resorts in Europe is wicked! I remember one run where we must’ve ridden for at least a couple of kilometres in totally untracked, freshly groomed snow. In some sections, it was easily the fasted I’ve ever been on snow. But that wasn’t ‘poaching’ as such, as it was the middle of the day and it was expected to be ridden.
Heaps of times, however, I’ve waited at the end of the day after lifts have closed, purely for the chance to score some clean cord. You’ve just got to be in the right place at the right time.
The best end of day run I’ve ever had was one springtime at Whakapapa. We caught the last T-bar up at the end of the day, and hiked up towards the volcano crater for about an hour.
It was all about the way the sun would hit that section of snow in the late afternoon. Everything above the T-bar was completely untracked because it was rock hard all day, only thawing out late in the afternoon when the sun got to it for long enough. It made for a relatively easy hike up, as the snow wasn’t too soft and deep - and while hiking, you could tell by feel when the snow was getting ready to ride.
We would have hiked for longer, but as the only noise we could hear for most of the hike was our own breathing and the sound of crunching snow underfoot, we were able to easily hear the sound of voices in the distance somewhere above us (they must’ve come in from another direction) - and even though we couldn’t see them, we could hear they were getting ready to ride. So we scrambled to get going first, and to say it was well worth the effort is a massive understatement!
Every single turn was untracked - we didn’t even cross each other’s! Not too deep, but soft and steep - and mega fast with heaps of super long radius full-speed turns.
As amazing as the ride back to the top of the resort was, it got even better! It turned out that we’d emerged at the exact spot the groomers used to access the higher areas - so we got to ride untracked cord ALL the way to the base. “Epic’ doesn’t even come close.
The golden hour! <3 that light in the mountains.
Fresh groomed tracks are fun especially the point that no one is around. Don’t have to worry about hitting some one and the edges dig in with ease. Lovely!
Living in Brisbane makes the proposition in aust ridiculously low value despIte the urge to support local. we have looked into it a couple of times for a family trip, and each time we end up in NZ for the following reasons:
1) total cost is higher in aust yet only receiving a more inferior package, meals, accom etc
2) for the same money for 3 star equivalent accom, we can get 2 bedrm suite in 5 stars in NZ
3) meals are severly limited and expensive in any of the aust ski resorts which is not comparable to say queenstown
4) snow quality
5) variety of other non snow activities
6) everything above simply adds value to the overall holidaying experience
We could only come up with a Pros:
1) ski in ski out option
The golden hour! <3 that light in the mountains.
Fresh groomed tracks are fun especially the point that no one is around. Don’t have to worry about hitting some one and the edges dig in with ease. Lovely!
I’ll think of you when I go up a chair at 7.30 in the morning 
(its my fav time of day too! and i am not a morning person)
and welcome VHILW
Come and introduce yourself here.
and welcome VHILW
Come and introduce yourself here.
Thank you for the welcome.
At your request…...done 