Hotham runs vs other resorts
Hi all,
A group of us have just booked in for Hotham in late July as a new field to try - hopefully the snow will be good.
I’m a fairly solid blue run boarder who enjoys going off piste. My question relates to a lot of what I’ve read about Hotham specifically, and how the blue runs are supposedly more “dark blue” than other resorts in Aus.
Having been to Whistler in Jan, how do they compare to Whistler’s blue runs? Are they on a par? My understanding is that Canada’s blues are typically a bit more difficult than what the Aus resorts rate theirs. I noticed some of the blues at Whistler (and definitely on Blackcomb) for example make a lot of Aussie blues like Shakey Knees, Little Buller Spur etc look like green runs.
Thoughts?
Can’t comment on OS, but there’s a good range of blues to keep you happy. A lot of the Heavenly Valley area is blue, and if open, so is the Orchard area. Easier blues are Sun Run, the main Slalom Gully trail and Milky Way into (a bit steeper) Lower Imagine and Snake Gully.
Hotham has enough hidden off piste runs to make you happy, especially if snowing hard. They won’t have the length of Whistler, but will do in terms of where you can go and what you can find at Whis, at least a lot closer than anything in Buller or Falls.
The runs a little steeper there. It’s a good zone for Victoria.
Compared to Canada? Not sure never been to Canada but comparing to Europe not even close to the steep face on a blue run and the runs are very short. Different thing completely it’s like comparing a water melon to a grape to size of mountains and terrain.
Hotham doesn’t have the length of Canada but on a good day it’s pretty darn amazing!!! On a shit day it can be horrible too. The steepness factored with icyness turns it into some sort of hell zone!! My worst ever run in Oz was the bottom of orchard after an overnight freeze. The top was fun, the bottom I’ve tried to erase from my mind with little success!
If you are comparing to other Australian resorts, Hotham is steeper on the most part.
Buller has some good steeps if you are prepared to hike out a little. Fall Creek, the summit area is rad when its on.
Hothams vertical is over less distance than the NSW resorts. i.e in, at Hotham you drop 400 meters (ish) over about 1.5 to 2K’s (again ish)
Whereas other resorts have similar vert, but you cover 3 to 4 k’s to do it.
Make sense?
HOTHAM IS WHERE THE COOL KIDS HANG OUT!!!!!!
If you are comparing to other Australian resorts, Hotham is steeper on the most part.
Buller has some good steeps if you are prepared to hike out a little. Fall Creek, the summit area is rad when its on.Hothams vertical is over less distance than the NSW resorts. i.e in, at Hotham you drop 400 meters (ish) over about 1.5 to 2K’s (again ish)
Whereas other resorts have similar vert, but you cover 3 to 4 k’s to do it.
Make sense?
Thredbo is 4-5km vertical if it’s top to bottom. Perisher’s longest run is 3km and most runs won’t be any more than 1.5 - 2km either.
And that 1x 3km run is 2 runs put together with a big giant flat area in the middle!
Thredbo’s vertical is 695 mtr.
Vertical is measured from the bottom point directly up to the upper most height.
Its not measured over the surface of any given run.
Thredbo
Perisher
I thought Perisher would of had more vert to be honest.
Sorry, I did mean longest run lol.
Perisher hides it a lot in their side to side runs which still take a while.
I thought Perisher would of had more vert to be honest.
Yeah I certainly thought it would have have been 400+ but I guess that explains a lot of the traversing and flat spots at Perisher!