Nutcracker Ski Club

This is Part Three in a series for first time visitors to the snow on what to wear up on the mountain. See Part One and Part Two.
In the previous post of this series I wrote about what kind of conditions to expect at Mt Buller and why some items of clothing just aren’t appropriate. In this post I’d like to write about what kind of activities, aside from skiing, that you can do at Mt Buller and why skiing Gear isn’t the only equipment that you’ll need.

There’s a lot more to a mountain resort than just skiing and snowboarding. Mountain Resorts are communities, people live their lives there, yet you don’t see these people just skiing the whole time and wandering around looking like that’s all they do! I love going to Mount Buller because it means that I can get away from the city and relax. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what I’m doing because there is always something to do.

During the snow season I plan a minimum of three trips, two weekend trips for a mini getaway and a full week so I can really get some skiing done. On the weekend trip I try and maximise the amount of skiing that I do so alot of my time is spent on the slopes. But on the week long trip I plan to do a number of things, not just skiing alone.

For my week long trip, I ski three days and then have a day off to rest and enjoy the rest of the mountain. I also plan for the unexpected, such as days that I don’t feel like skiing and days where the fog is so thick you can barely see in front of you, called “Whiteout’s”. These are the times that you need to have a back up plan of things to do otherwise you will get bored quickly.

Be realistic towards the limitations of your body if you are having an extended stay at the Mountain. Skiing and snowboarding require a good level of fitness in order to ski non-stop for two+ days. If you don’t exercise often, expect your muscles to get sore, your body will become tired from the constant activity and you’ll want to have a rest and do something different. A back up plan is a good idea to prevent boredom.

Another thing to consider is how will you be getting around the mountain when you aren’t skiing?

Mt Buller has a free intra-Village shuttle bus that runs daily from 8am-6pm, and until midnight on Saturdays. Outside of that service the options available is to get a cab, which is expensive, or to walk. I’ll tell you now that walking around in your snow boots is not comfortable for long periods of time, they are designed to be used for skiing, not walking, so don’t rely on them, you will need something to walk in.

So say to yourself before you start purchasing clothing, “What do I plan on doing up on the Mountain?”.

Some of the activities to do when you aren’t on the slopes could be

• Drinking hot chocolates and coffees at the local cafes

• Relaxing with a quiet drink at one of the bars

• Eating out at one of the many restaurants

• Taking a long walk around the village and surrounds

• Indoor Rock Climbing (yes, Mt Buller has this available)

• Sightseeing/Walking around the Mountain.

Not all of these activities require skiing or snowboarding equipment, but they will require specific clothing.

For example if you want to go for a walk you’ll need footwear other than your ski boots, but you’ll need to buy some sturdy that’s designed for the snow. Most footwear is not designed for walking in the snow and can be very slippery. Sneakers definitely don’t cut it. Sneakers are made for sport, and consist of leather and breathable materials. Your feet will get wet quickly, and you’re arse will hit the snow often!

This is the line of thinking you will need to have.

I have discussed why types of conditions to expect in a previous post, so take these conditions into consideration when buying snow apparel and understand that you may be doing something else other than skiing!

Now that we’ve discussed what clothing will be suitable for the snow conditions and the activities we are going to be doing, the next step is to make sure that you can get everything into your suitcase and up to the resort.

The next post in this series will be about getting to your destination and the limitations you may face which could influence what clothing you do and don’t take.

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