MT BULLER
Ski & Snowboard Resort Review
Mt Buller, VICTORIA , AUSTRALIA is the closest ski and snowboard resort to Melbourne with challenging terrain and breathtaking views.
Mt Buller Skiing and Snowboarding Terrain
The terrain at Mt Buller ranges from fast steep chutes to mogul runs, long intermediate groomed tree lined cruisers and gentle wide beginner trails.
Advanced Skiing and Snowboarding
In good snow conditions advanced skiers and snowboarders have a lot of terrain available to them at Mt Buller.
Accessed via the Summit Chairlift, Fannys Finish and the Fast One are the steepest and most challenging chutes on the mountain pushing skiers and snowboarders to the limit. From the top of the Summit turn right and head past the top of the Grimus Chairlift for some ungroomed powder on Ridge Run.
Federation is one of the most well known advanced runs at Mt Buller; it is long, steep and covered in huge moguls. There is an added pressure to ski or snowboard the moguls really well with the chairlift running directly up the middle, you have an audience from top to bottom who are known to give a score from 1 to 10 for any slip ups and crashes! Bloody Hell is a short challenging mogul covered trail branching off the intermediate trail, Little Buller Spur, leading down to the base of the Federation Chairlift.
Powder hunters should head to the ungroomed Powder Keg which is accessed from the top of Family Run. It enables access to ungroomed treed areas eventually ending up at the base of the Wombat Chairlift.
The Bull Run Bowl is probably the most challenging area of the entire mountain with large moguls on the steep Sun Valley, Wood Run and Plug Hole.
For tree skiing and snowboarding head to Cow Camp and Village Run both serviced by the Tirol T-Bar.
Intermediate Skiing and Snowboarding
Intermediate skiers and snowboarders love Mt Buller; they are very well catered for. Long wide cruising runs like Little Buller Spur, Wombat, Family Run and Standard are groomed nightly.
The upper summit area all have intermediate trails, the Summit Slide a particular highlight for its long length.
Beginner Skiing and Snowboarding
The main gentle, sloping, wide beginner run at Mt Buller is Bourke Street. It is the meeting place for the Mt Buller Ski and Snowboard Schools. Bourke Street is serviced by the Blue Bullet 1 Chairlift and the Blue Buller 2 Chairlift which once confidence grows transports skiers and snowboarders up to Baldy, another gentle sloping wide run leading back down to Bourke Street and the village base.
Burnt Hut is a beginner run which services mainly day trippers to Mt Buller, who arrive on the day tripper chairlift, the Horse Hill Access Chairlift. The Mt Buller Ski and Snowboard School also has a meeting point at Burnt Hut. Day Trips to Mt Buller
Mt Buller receives many day trippers throughout the winter season. There is a day car park ¾ of the way up the mountain with the Horse Hill Access Chairlift giving direct access onto the mountain. Ski tickets can be purchased at the base of the chairlift and ski and snowboard hire is available in the Burnt Hut day lodge at the top. Ski and Snowboard School at Mt Buller
The Ski and Snowboard School have lessons for all ages and ability held by experienced and professional instructors. They have a Discover Program for first timers which concentrate on basic skills like stopping and turning as well as children’s lessons from ages 3 and up, group lessons, private lessons and specialty clinics run throughout the year.
Mt Buller Night Skiing and Snowboarding
Every Wednesday night and Saturday night Bourke Street is lit up from 7pm until 10pm for night skiing and snowboarding. It is generally not crowded so if you do it it is a good opportunity to fine tune your skills.
Mt Buller Terrain Park and Halfpipe
Mt Buller has a terrain park located on the summit with a variety of kickers, and jumps; a separate rail park is located on Blady while the well maintained halfpipe is located by the top of the Bull Run Chairlift.
The World Cup Aerials Championships are held at Mt Buller every year causing an international sensation as the best aerial champions from around the world gather to compete. Other Activities at Mt Buller
Mt Buller has many activities available off the skis and snowboard; guided snowshoe tours, telemarking, tobogganing, snow tubing, cross country skiing, and scenic chairlift rides. The La Trobe University Campus has a climbing wall, indoor badminton courts and even a cinema! The Breathtaker Spa and Retreat offers massages, facial and beauty treatments.
Shopping at Mt Buller
A good but small selection of shops are scattered throughout the picturesque village at Mt Buller. There are ski and snowboard equipment and hire stores, fashion boutiques and a supermarket and liquor store. Nearby Mansfield has larger selection supermarkets and shopping
Mt Buller Restaurants
The evenings are always busy with a wide variety of excellent restaurants; Pension Grimus is Mt Buller’s most famous restaurant with delicious Austrian food and excellent service. The owner Hans Grimus is a local identify and if he takes a liking to you he will offer you some of his snuff tobacco – be ready for it, it has a powerful kick!
Uncle Pat’s is a great family restaurant serving inexpensive pizza, pasta and Asian cuisine with a welcoming atmosphere. For a quick bite the Pancake Parlour can’t be missed serving every type of pancake imaginable, they even serve a bacon and egg one for breakfast!
Mt Buller Nightlife
The nightlife at Mt Buller is as good as the skiing and snowboarding! The Kooroora Hotel attracts hundreds of party goers each night wanting to drink and dance the night away. They have regular live bands playing as well as DJs and themed nights throughout the season. The Arlberg Hotel is Kooroora’s biggest competition with similar nightlife. Throughout the week Kooroora and the Arlberg seem to take it in turns with the big crowds alternating from one to the other.
For a quieter night many of the hotels have small cosy bars with great cocktails. The Loft at Breathtaker has comfortable large leather couches and a happy hour each night while the Moosehead Tapas Bar at the Abom has an open fireplace and an extensive international wine list.
New for 2008 at Mt Buller
Australia's first six seater high speed chairlift the Holden Chairlift has replaced the old ABOM and Blue Bullet Chairlifts. The Holden Chairlift will carry 3,200 passengers an hour and cover the 1,100 meter distance from Helicopter Flat to the top of Baldy in just 3.7 minutes. Removal of the old Blue Bullet 2 Chairlift will widen the skiing and snowboarding terrain in the Baldy area.
Additional snowmaking guns have been installed throughout the resort as have automated guns on Little Buller Spur which will automatically operate when conditions are correct.
More About Mt Buller
Your Mt Buller Ski & Snowboard Resort Reviews
Robin Lee, Australia. Feb 2006 Mt Buller is great because it is so close to Melbourne. The major drawback is that is gets very crowded at the weekends and unless there is heaps of snow and all the lifts are running, you can spend a lot of time queuing. When there is plenty of snow, the runs are terrific - Bull run and Federation areas especially. Wombat and Little Buller Spur are wonderful for intermediate skiers and the lifts can handle quite big crowds. If you can manage to ski at Buller midweek, you can go all over the mountain and have a wonderful time.
C. Young, Australia. Jan 2006 I have always been a "Buller" gal! My family are all members of a lodge and from a very young age I have always spent a couple of weeks at Buller every winter holidays. It has changed a lot over the past 25 years. It used to be owned by 2 separate lift companies, known affectionally as "blue" and "orange". We always skied blue, and I didn't even though there was a summit (which was owned by orange) until the companies merged and became one!!!! Since then the snowmaking, the new lifts, the new lodges and hotels have really put Mt Buller on top of the list for Australian skiing. Ok, about the skiing now;- the best area on the mountain has to be the Bull Run, Wood run and Standard area, you can pick your way down through the moguls, cruise down the groomed Standard, or get some air off the Bluff. It's also sheltered on a typical cold windy Buller day, at least until the chair lift gets to the top and you have the 45 second dash across the windiest run in the world - Skyline!! Federation is also great if you want enormous moguls and to be watched by those on the chairlift. Little Buller Spur has been ruined by adding the Wombat run next to it, you can't ski right down to the bottom of the chair anymore and it's always packed with lessons and beginners. The Summit is a fast groomed run, you can whip up and down really quickly. The Boggy Creek area would have to be one of the most challenging, you can go off piste and find some deep snow and good trees to tackle. For kids and beginners the ski school is great, the famous Bourke street is where everyone spends the day on there bums and loves it! Now for the downside; be prepared because after a good snowfall management will not open the entire mountain until the weekend, they would rather still charge midweek visitors full price and close the best areas saving them for the crowds on the weekends. If they are going to save the best areas for the weekend WHY do they still charge full price and only offer half the mountain to ski on, I think it is a real scam. One last thing, why why why did they change hands at Koflers, it used to be famous for the delicious hot chocolate and gourmet food, then last year when I went in for lunch absolutely staving I ordered a ham and cheese croissant and a hot chocolate and it was slop, what a disappointment! Back to the good things - Off the runs the apres skier must have drinks at the Loft bar at Breathtaker, they have a happy hour when you can get cocktails at half price! For those waning fine dining and top standard food go to Pension Grimus for a truly european experience, just watch out for the owner Hans and his snuff box!!! After dinner party on at Kooroora, they have DJs or a live band every night and 'everyone' goes there.
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59
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25 |
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Trails
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Halfpipe |
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1 |
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1 |
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Resort
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