Mount Baw Baw Alpine Resort

This article is about the ski resort. For the mountain, see Mount Baw Baw.

Mt. Baw Baw Alpine Resort
View from the summit of Mt. Baw Baw
View from the summit of Mt. Baw Baw
LocationMount Baw Baw
Nearest major cityMelbourne
Vertical107 metres (351 ft) AHD
Top elevation1,567 metres (5,141 ft) AHD[1]
Base elevation1,460 metres (4,790 ft) AHD[1]
Skiable area35 hectares (86 acres)[1]
Trails15+
Longest run750 metres (2,460 ft)
Lift system7 lifts[1]
Terrain parks3 (snow dependent)[1]
Websitewww.mountbawbaw.com.au

Mt. Baw Baw Alpine Resort is an Australian downhill ski resort located approximately 120 kilometres (75 mi) east of Melbourne and 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of the Latrobe Valley in Victoria. The Alpine Resort is an unincorporated area which is surrounded by the Baw Baw National Park and the Australian Alps Walking Track passes nearby. The summit of Mount Baw Baw (1567m) falls within the boundaries of the resort and is accessible by lift or walking trail. The resort is also a base for cross-country skiing on the Baw-Baw Plateau.

The resort is the closest downhill ski resort to Melbourne and takes 2.5 hours to reach.[2] Road access to the resort is via the Mount Baw Baw Tourist Road (from the west) or the unsealed South Face Road (from the east).

In 2018, Mt. Baw Baw became the second ski resort in Australia to operate a TechnoAlpin Snow Factory[3] capable of producing snow in any outdoor temperature.[4]

Ski runs

The Mt Baw Baw alpine resort has 7 surface lifts which provide access to its 15 ski runs and toboggan areas: Maltese Cross T-Bar, Summit T-Bar, Big Hill Poma, Painted Run T-Bar, Tank Hill Platter, Hut Run Platter and the Magic Carpet. The resort categorises 25% of runs as beginner, 64% intermediate and 11% advanced.[5] Mt Baw Baw is considered an ideal resort for novice downhill skiers and boarders and for families. The resort also provides access to over 10 km of groomed cross country ski trails.[1]

Climate

Mount Baw Baw has a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc). The mountain summit receives more annual precipitation than most places in mainland Australia, with frequent and heavy snow between May and October but can occur at any time of the year (as well as a persistent snowpack). Frequent, heavy cloud cover and strong winds mean that minimum temperatures rarely drop below −5 °C (23 °F), whereas maximum temperatures are frequently at or below 0 °C (32 °F); the mountain is often shrouded in low cloud or mist in winter, thereby reducing diurnal range. The mean afternoon relative humidity of 80%, is extreme (especially for a mainland Australian region).

Summers are cool with temperatures rarely rising above 25 °C (77 °F); summers can also be very cold, with a maximum temperature of just −0.4 °C (31.3 °F) recorded on 25 December 2006, and 1.0 °C (33.8 °F) on both 11 Jan 2012 and 16 Feb 1998. During the 2009 Victorian heatwave most of the state saw highs of above 45 °C (113 °F), while the temperature on Mount Baw Baw's summit reached a comparatively cool maximum of just 31.3 °C (88.3 °F).

Climate data for Mount Baw Baw (1997–2022); 1,561 m AMSL; 37.84° S, 146.27° E
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 30.9
(87.6) 		31.3
(88.3) 		26.2
(79.2) 		20.6
(69.1) 		16.2
(61.2) 		12.6
(54.7) 		10.0
(50.0) 		13.1
(55.6) 		16.6
(61.9) 		21.2
(70.2) 		26.0
(78.8) 		27.7
(81.9) 		31.3
(88.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 17.6
(63.7) 		16.4
(61.5) 		13.9
(57.0) 		10.0
(50.0) 		6.4
(43.5) 		3.5
(38.3) 		2.2
(36.0) 		2.9
(37.2) 		5.7
(42.3) 		8.9
(48.0) 		12.3
(54.1) 		14.7
(58.5) 		9.5
(49.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 8.8
(47.8) 		8.1
(46.6) 		6.3
(43.3) 		3.9
(39.0) 		1.5
(34.7) 		−0.6
(30.9) 		−1.6
(29.1) 		−1.5
(29.3) 		−0.2
(31.6) 		1.7
(35.1) 		4.2
(39.6) 		5.9
(42.6) 		3.0
(37.5)
Record low °C (°F) −2.0
(28.4) 		−1.0
(30.2) 		−2.2
(28.0) 		−5.7
(21.7) 		−5.0
(23.0) 		−7.0
(19.4) 		−6.6
(20.1) 		−8.5
(16.7) 		−6.3
(20.7) 		−6.4
(20.5) 		−4.5
(23.9) 		−3.1
(26.4) 		−8.5
(16.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 93.9
(3.70) 		94.8
(3.73) 		107.5
(4.23) 		137.8
(5.43) 		122.6
(4.83) 		151.2
(5.95) 		162.7
(6.41) 		181.2
(7.13) 		161.9
(6.37) 		152.4
(6.00) 		164.6
(6.48) 		136.5
(5.37) 		1,797.2
(70.76)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 12.3 11.9 13.8 14.9 15.3 15.7 19.5 19.9 16.0 17.0 15.8 14.6 186.7
Average afternoon relative humidity (%) 71 73 75 81 83 88 89 87 85 82 77 73 80
Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology; Mount Baw Baw

Ownership and operation

The resort is operated by Alpine Resorts Victoria who are responsible for management of all 6 Victorian ski resorts.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "About the Resort". Mt. Baw Baw. Mt. Baw Baw Alpine Resort. 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Mt. Baw Baw". Mt. Baw Baw. Visit Victoria. 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Early Start To Snow Season Possible". HIT. HIT. 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  4. ^ "Snow Factory". HIT. TechnoAlpin. 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  5. ^ "2017 Visitor Guide" (PDF). Mt. Baw Baw. Mt. Baw Baw Alpine Resort. 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
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