The Gift That Keeps Giving

Mount Hotham, Victoria

This year has seen some records broken in Australian weather. The tropical Gold Coast resort of Surfers Paradise recorded its first EVER sub zero temperatures during the crack of dawn. Sydney has also been really cold, rivalling Wintery days of my homeland. However with the last few weeks, the clouds and low temperatures have fallen away. The sun is once again shining and I've been able to lose my jacket whilst wondering the city streets. This week though, I couldn't wait to be cold again. The destination and reason: Mt Hotham, Victoria - snowboard riding.

As I left my final client in Bondi Junction, I got a call from Az asking if I was gonna be late (as per usual), fortune was on my side as I stepped straight on a bus that would drop me at the end of my road. Pretty soon, Todd had joined us and we had his car packed with our boards, clothes and supplies.

We were united with Wedgie, Alison and Rog but just had one Lowen to arrive... Human tetris on YouTube helped pass those final moments of city confinement. Then the fun started... 6 hours driving to Albury, with the most amazing bouts of 20 questions you'd come across, and err Maccas... Luckily, at some point around the time we crossed the state border of New South Wales to Victoria, I fell asleep in the back for around 2hours (a rarity for me) and combined with the other 5hours sleep I got in a bed at Wedgies parents place, I was set for my first days riding.

So after a ridiulously early start, we arrived at Mount Hotham at around 9ish, parted with "I don't want to think about how much" for a 3day lift pass and set about cutting some new lines. Initially, I was pretty disappointed with the snow quality. It's not that there wasn't much of it, more so that it had rained the day before and made it all incredibly wet and slushy - like the stuff you see packed around fresh fish at the local mongers. So after the least enjoyable days riding I can ever remember (all aside from a day of rain in Austria 05), I wasn't hopeful of much for Hotham.

Luckily, we brought a good party to Victoria and the mood wouldn't be dampened by a bit of rain. Myself and Aaron kicked off the long weekends cook fest with some chicken fajitas. Several beers each later, the physicality of the day and the extended travel meant every one was soon crashed out.

A second days riding didn't offer much hope first off. The lower temps had given the pistes a bullet proof sheen which would finally soften up after lunch and allow for some fun, though still not much. The sun was out for a while though, and my riding mood most definitely improved. A late arvo whiteout would provide the best find of the day though. Todd and myself headed where there were no people. Skiers right off the Heavenly Valley lift descended a short way under the cloud line, and a clear lightly covered gulley awaited.

Rog and Todd stepped up to the wheels of fire and prepared one of the most memorable meals of all time... Goulash. Several hours of cooking time ensured everyone was pretty well 'relaxed' by the time the food was served up, it finally arrived and was gobbled up by everyone around the table. It wasn't the last we'd experience of the wonderful delights of goulash though. uh uh.

Day 3 - a dump! a whopping 10mm of snow meant there was at least something to cut out the icy sounds booming up with every turn, and finally, we could start to appreciate the terrain that Hotham had to offer. Snowmaking was now full steam ahead too, and so it was technically snowing all day long.

That wasn't the only dump that started the day off though... on their first visit to the little boys room, certain members of the party were once again re-united with the familiar smell of last nights goulash... and one member in particular would be sniffing that oh so distinctive, pungent smell all day. On just about every lift. And just about everytime his jacket puffed out some air - that smell would be there to haunt he and all around him... for the next 36hours. He wasn't impressed, nor was the poor woman that had to share a room with 3 croaking guys for 4days... ah, heck, why talk in the third person eh!?

So back to day 3's riding... and, well, it made me realise just how great a resort Hotham really is. By far the best of the 3 Australian ones I've been to thus far, the terrain is varied and interesting with something for all snow sports lovers... except maybe air quality (during my stay in the village). By late afternoon, our lift tickets were dwindling to an end, and we just had to make the most of the heavily falling snow as it made the pistes and back country great fun to ride in. That snow continued to fall, on and off most of the night... until the early hours.

Most of the gang headed out to Jack Frosts, though we soon moved on the General Store as we'd heard there was some kinda band playing a gig there. And indeed there was, though what the guy singing was like, I have not much recollection... as the night slipped into morning just as the twanging guitar strums slipped into a bangin' DJ set. I'm thinking it was about 3.30am when Todd and I made it back to our rooms; heck we didn't have to get up for anything the next day!?

7.10am day 4, I start to stir. I'd fallen asleep in the clothes I went out in the night before (always nice). I felt like a small rodent had taken up residence in my head...

7.14am day 4, Lowen, who had been sensible enough to boycott the previous nights musical frivolities looks out the window of our room and notices the 15cm dump of snow. He comes back past my bed and says "I'm off for a ski". I says "really?". "Yup". So within 90 seconds, I'd whipped on my board riding gear and was out that door quicker than a round of jagers being emptied.

With no valid lift passes, we'd have to be careful... and the fact we had to vacate our rooms by 10am. This meant 2 things. We'd have to go hard and fast to make this early morning jaunt worthwhile and I'd just have to deal with the overriding feeling in my head and gut.

Fortune favours the brave they say. I'd say I was pretty brave since I coulda blown chunks at any moment. But instead was blown away by this quality snowfall... this quality snowfall that we would have to rape and pillage, before leaving it to the sleepy heads that still had time left on the mountain.

Myself and Lowen duly left our mark on several runs, and managed to not get challenged by any lifties... our conscience' were clear after the amount we'd paid for lift passes... and it was now time to wrap up our time on the mountain.

9hours back in a car to Sydney, via Wedgies folks place, who put up an awesome mid trip meal... and I was dreaming of snowy times ahead... though this time - 5months ahead. Time to get some gym time in.

Thanks again to everyone involved... see you in the video; coming soon.