Winter in the Northern Hemisphere is slowly coming to a close. The snowline is receding and so are people’s clothing choices here in the Alps. T-shirts and shorts are making their first brave appearances, a sure sign that spring has arrived and winter 2018/19 is retiring. That doesn’t mean it’s over though.
Our instructors here at ES may be teaching their last lessons of this European winter, but before too long they’ll be clipping back into their bindings on the other side of the world. In fact chasing continuous winters is something many of our snowsport instructors do.
Maybe you’re not done with skiing either? If you’ve got the bug you could follow your favourite ES instructor to Australia, New Zealand or even Argentina this year. The winter over there starts around mid/late June and lasts right through to September.
So who in our team is going where?
NEW ZEALAND
Treble Cone Oli Dewulf Peters (ES Verbier) and Eddy James (ES Zermatt)
Turoa Harry Patterson (ES Zermatt) and Emma Farrington (ES Verbier)
Coronet Peak Claire Abraham (ES Zermatt)
AUSTRALIA
Mt Hotham Matt Barnaville (ES Verbier)
Mt Buller John Craig, Beth Lloyd and Chloe Nicholls (ES Zermatt)
Thredbo Sebastian Smith (ES Zermatt)
ARGENTINA
Did you know?: ES Directors Julian, Hannah and Martin have also worked Southern Hemisphere seasons!
What’s the skiing like in Australia and New Zealand?
Australia, famous for its white sandy beaches, abundant wildlife, coral reefs and wide open outback. It may not be the first place you think of when it comes to skiing and for that you’d be forgiven. There are however a number of ski resorts that come to live between the months of June and September. But how does it compare to the Alps?
Well for one let’s forget mountains. Ski fields in Australia are based amongst rounder-topped, rolling hills. Many are tree covered but think less pines, more gum trees. That’s not to say that they don’t get snow. This may not be the best destination for powder lovers but there are plenty of pistes to go round. Mt Buller for example has over 300 hectares of skiable terrain with 22 lifts, the largest lift network in Victoria. There’s plenty of on mountain accommodation too – making a smooth transition on to après.
Wildlife wise you’re most like to see a wombat than a chamois.
New Zealand fits more of an Alpine image for many. Anyone who has seen Lord of the Rings will recognise the imposing, sweeping landscapes. With ski resorts on both the North and South island, visitors can expect impressive views as they descend the slopes. NZ skiing enjoys higher altitude skiing than Australia and good snow too. Most resorts have accommodation off mountain, making travel up to resort a little longer than in Australia.
There are also a dedicated few who live in Zermatt all year round. With its Glacial skiing our Zermatt ski school can offer lessons all year round! Why not pay them a visit for a summer holiday and ski?
Interested to find our more? Contact us and we can help you find your perfect summer skiing solution!
