This is Part Five in a series for first time visitors to the snow on what to wear up on the mountain. See part One, part Two, part Three and part Four here.

In the previous post of this series I wrote about two ways you can get to Mt Buller and what limitations you can come across when deciding what to take on your skiing holiday.

In this post I’d like to give you an idea of what I believe are the clothing essentials for the snow and how to work the clothing to suit the conditions without having to pack the entire winter wardrobe!

Ok, this is the ‘money’ post. You now know what the conditions are like, what you can do other than ski, and the ways to get you to Mt Buller. So, what clothing should you take with you, or considering purchasing, for the snow?

Snow Clothing can be an expensive investment to make, but ski clothing will last you many seasons. I would not recommend that you go out and buy absolutely everything I’ve listed if you are a first timer. What happens if snow is not your thing? You would have spent a decent portion of your pay packet on clothing that you won’t get a chance to wear again.

A great option for your first time is to hire your ski clothing. That way if you don’t plan on going again you have not wasted your money. If you catch the snow bug after that, then go and kit yourself up for next time. I’ll give you a tip about hiring at the end.

I’ve listed below what I believe are the essentials to have with you at the snow. I’ve listed from most important to least. (When I say least important I mean that you can get by without it).

Ski Jacket

Ski Pants

Snow Boots to walk in. (Waterproof and thermal insulated are best)

Gloves. (Waterproof for skiing, woollen or similar for walking around)

Goggles or Sunglasses. (Snow reflects the sun so tinted goggles or sunnies are handy)

Socks (highly recommend “Explorer” Socks from Big W, Coles or Target)

Beanie

Scarf or neck warmer

Thermals

On top of those essentials, I would pack in some extra items to wear with your ski gear and when you aren’t skiing.

I would include some long sleeve tops, a couple of t-shirts, a jumper, a pair of jeans, squish in some uggies if you can spare the space and something for when you are settling in for the night at the lodge and not going anywhere.

It’s not a fashion parade, just be comfortable!

How do you put this all together for the conditions?

For skiing, layer the long sleeve tops or t-shirts underneath your ski gear.

On colder days layer with the long sleeve tops to keep you warm when you are on the lifts. You won’t notice the cold when you’re skiing as your mind will be on getting down the slope and the exercise will be enough to keep you warm. Wear a neck warmer and beanie to keep the chill off your face on the lifts.

On sunny and slightly warmer days, reduce the layers or wear a t-shirt underneath. You can sweat under your clothing if you’ve worn too much. Hopefully you’ve selected ski gear with side and underarm vents that you can zip open when you get hot. Wear a scarf if you wish, and take a beanie just in case.

Remember that skiing is exercise and your body will warm up, so adjust for a little bit of body heat! You definitely won’t be stationary for too long!

For when you aren’t skiing, mix and match the jeans and ski pants with the ski jacket. Layer underneath as appropriate. You can accessorise with different scarves and beanies if you want to have different looks. If you want to take another jacket with you, make sure it will keep you warm. Remember, if it doesn’t keep you warm at home, it won’t keep you warm at the snow.

If you do not plan on buying snow boots, take something that has a chunky tread on the sole, like hiking or walking boots. Be tentative when you first walk out on the snow in them, just to be sure that you’ll get around ok, even if it is slowly.

If you agree that hiring is the best solution for you for the first time, you can get a good deal if you decide to include ski clothing with your equipment hire. Hiring on the mountain means you don’t need to think about packing it in your luggage so there’s more room for extra clothes if you want!

At Mt Buller I recommend hiring from Duck Inn. Duck Inn is just down the road from the Nutcracker Lodge, the staff are friendly and their prices are competitive with other hiring outlets in the village. I hire my ski equipment every time and I have never had an issue with the equipment at Duck Inn.

Once you’ve tried skiing and you think you’ll be doing it again, I would suggest investing in some of your own ski gear. This is something I will write about in a separate post, as this is a lengthy subject with numerous avenues.

One item that I didn’t have in my list, but is worth considering is a Ski Helmet. When I went skiing last year I noticed that more often than not I was the only person not wearing a helmet. Apart from the safety factor, some of them have ear flaps that keep your ears warm! It’s up to you if you want to try one, it certainly isn’t compulsory.

I hope this series of posts have shed some light on what to consider when taking clothes to the snow with you, as well as offering some useful tips on how to get to Mt Buller and what you can do when you’re there.

If you decide to drive your car to Mt Buller, would you drive all the way to the Mt Buller village car park, or would you consider leaving the car at the bottom of the mountain? Getting up the mountain in the car may not necessarily be the best or cheapest option when you reach Mansfield or Mirimbah. You can also catch a bus up to the village. So what options are there? In the previous post I discussed the different ways to get to Mt Buller in the car. In this post I’ll look at a couple of options that will get you to Mt Buller Village.

Option One: Taking your car to the Village Car Park.

You would think that if you take your car, as opposed to the bus, it would be cheaper and easier than having to wait for the bus? Well, not exactly.

Unless you have a permit, you cannot take your vehicle to the lodge door. You will need to leave your car at one of the designated car parks surrounding the resort village. From there you can either walk up yourself or you can catch a taxi.

The other thing to think about with driving is that it is a requirement, by law, that you carry snow chains for your car with you during the ski season. If you don’t have chains you will need to hire them. When it is snowing on the summit road, you will be prompted to get out of your car and put them on. Have you driven with chains before? Do you know how to put them on? Personally, I’d rather not have to deal with it.

When you reach the base of Mt Buller, Mirimbah, you will be required to pay a gate entry fee. After going through the gate entry you will arrive at the village car park which is 1.2kms from the village. From there you can either walk up to the village or you can catch the taxi. The taxi service at Mt Buller will meet you at the car park and transport you and your luggage to your lodge. But the Taxi is not complimentary. A taxi fare will include your transport to your lodge, two items of luggage plus skis, poles and boots or board and boots. Any additional luggage is charged $5.50 per item. Two items of luggage might sound like a lot for one person, but if you are staying at a self accommodating lodge, such as Nutcracker, for a week, you need to consider bed linen, food, drinks as well as your clothing.

What is the approximate cost for taking your car up the Mountain?

So, if you are staying for the weekend, arriving Friday night and leaving Sunday afternoon, you will need to consider the following based on two adults.

• $34 Day Entry Fee
• $24 extra to leave car overnight for Friday and Saturday
• $33 chain hire for 3 days – Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
• $68 Taxi fare ($17 per person each way)

Total $189

Adding two children will add $20 for the taxi ($10 per child)

Option Two: Taking the bus.

This is my preferred option. What I like about taking the bus is that it takes you straight to the village. There is no need for chains, no waiting for taxis in the cold and the bus price is all inclusive. Plus you can take what you need, within reason (don’t go packing 5 suitcases!), and you only have to walk 500 meters or so from the village to your lodge.

There are two ways that you can use the bus as a means of getting to Mt Buller.

The first is to leave your car at Mansfield and catch the bus at the bus depot. The service will take you from Mansfield straight to Mt Buller village. The second is to drive to the base of the mountain, Mirimbah, leave your car there and take the bus service to the village.

What will the price be compared to the car?

I’ll base the prices as I did above, so arriving Friday night and leaving Sunday afternoon, and based on two adults:

• $100 return from Mansfield
• $88 return from Mirimbah
• $0 Parking at Mansfield or Mirimbah

Total $100 from Mansfield and $88 from Mirimbah

Adding two children is an extra $68 from Mansfield or $58 from Mirimbah

Conclusion

Although taking the car all the way to the Mt Buller village car park is probably the most comfortable, it’s not necessarily the cheapest. If you add into the equation the petrol cost and if you are hiring a car, it’s almost a no-brainer. For me there is far less hassle when you catch the bus up to the village. In the next post I will look at the other method of getting to Mt Buller from Melbourne, and my recommendation if you are planning a longer stay at Mt Buller: The Bus.

If you are thinking about heading up to Mt Buller there are two ways of getting yourself up on the mountain- Bus and Car. Driving the car would have to be the best method; it’s flexible and convenient, whereas the bus requires a bit more discipline. However, there are varying options to consider when going in the car. It’s not as simple as hopping in the car and just following the signs till you get to the resort village.

In this post I’m going to look at three routes to get to Mt Buller.

Which Way To Go?

There are many varying ways to get from Melbourne to Mt Buller. Which route you chose depends on what kind of trip you want to have, your level of driving experience and the time you have available for driving.

Although there are many routes, the most used routes are via the highways leading to Mt Buller – the Hume Highway, the Melba Highway and the Maroondah Highway. These are the easiest routes to follow and will get you to Mt Buller in roughly three hours.

I will give a brief run down on these routes and suggest a couple of stops.

1. Hume Highway

The Hume Highway provides the easiest route as there is little navigation to be done. This is ideal for first time travellers and possibly the quickest of the three.

From Melbourne, head up the Hume Highway and turn off at Seymor. The Goulburn Valley Highway will take you through the town of Yea and then the ‘base camp’ town of Mansfield.

From Mansfield it will take another 20 minutes to reach the base of Mt Buller and a small stop called Mirimbah. At Mirimbah you can either continue on up the mountain to the village car park or leave the car at the Mirimbah car park and catch the bus to the village.

(There are pro’s and con’s for each which will be discussed in a later post.)

2. Melba Highway

The next way of heading to Mt Buller is via one of the two minor highways. The Melba highway is very scenic, but the road is not as free flowing as the Hume Highway, so some initial navigation from Melbourne is required.

I prefer this route when I travel to Mt Buller; it has lovely scenery and fantastic stops if you want a leisurely trip. The Melba Highway also passes through the Yarra Glen winery region, perfect opportunity to buy a local bottle to enjoy up on the mountain!

The Melba Highway is accessed from Melbourne by taking the Maroondah highway via Ringwood and Lilydale. Outside of Lilydale you will come to a fork in the road where you can either chose to continue on the Maroondah Highway to Healesville or turn off onto the Melba Highway and head to Yarra Glen. Take the Yarra Glen option. From Yarra Glen it will take you roughly an hour to get to Yea. Turn right at Yea and head to Mansfield (please read ‘Hume Highway’ for Mansfield to Mt Buller)

3. Maroondah Highway

The Maroondah Highway is, in my opinion, one of the loveliest highways in Victoria; it runs through a lush alpine rainforest and many quaint towns. Unfortunately, in February this year, a large portion of the area was destroyed by savage bushfires that claimed lives, houses, wildlife and vegetation. It is incredibly devastating to view and I ask that you please respect the privacy of those affected when travelling through the area. The fires are still very much in the front of people’s minds and will remain so for some time to come.

However, if you feel compelled to stop, make sure to spend money in the affected communities even if it is just to buy a coffee, soft drink or a light snack. Every bit helps to rebuild their local economy and livelihood.

The Maroondah Highway can be accessed from Melbourne via Ringwood and Lilydale. Once out of Lilydale, continue on the highway to Healesville instead of turning off to Yarra Glen as stated above. Drive through Healesville and continue on towards Marysville.

A strong word of warning that this section of the Maroondah Highway is affected by snow and icy conditions during ski season. This is a high accident prone area, especially for motorbikes. If you do decide to take this route, please drive carefully and within your limits.

Once through the Yarra Ranges National Park you will drive through the small town of Narbethong. Continue straight along the highway towards Alexandra. The section between Healesville and Alexandra will take roughly an hour, depending on other traffic and the conditions at the time.

From Alexandra drive towards Yarak. You will merge with the Goulburn Valley Highway which will take you through to Mansfield. (please read ‘Hume Highway’ for Mansfield to Mt Buller)

4. Driving from Interstate or Country Areas.

Not everyone who heads to Mt Buller comes from Melbourne, Mt Buller is also hugely popular with country and interstate visitors. For people coming from those directions, the best method of travel is via the Hume Highway. And those coming from South East Victoria are best to travel via the Melba or Maroondah Highways.

Recommended Stops

From experience there are three stops that I would recommend to break up the trip; Yea for the Hume and Melba Highway and Alexandra and for the Maroondah Highway. All three directions will pass through Mansfield.

Yea is the perfect “halfway” mark on the trip when travelling on the Melba or Hume Highway. The public toilets are located in the main street opposite the shopping strip. The toilets are always well maintained and cleaned. There are a few shops and a bakery if you are after a small snack.

Alexandra is a great town to stop and have a rest if travelling on the Maroondah Highway. The Public Toilets are located in the Rotary Park in the main strip. Alexandra has a variety of shops if you are looking for a light snack.

Mansfield is pretty much ‘base camp’ for Mt Buller and the last major town before you head up to the mountain. I strongly advise that you fill the fuel tank here if you think you need to. You will need to hire your snow chains here if you don’t have them already. Mansfield have numerous ski hire places, and you can pre-purchase your lift tickets if you need them as well. Mansfield has all the usual amenities and shops. If you are staying up on the mountain for an extended stay, or at self contained accommodation like Nutcracker, Mansfield has a major supermarket for grocery purchases. Most items are just that little bit more expensive in the resort village, and the supermarket there is limited with choices, so take advantage of the cheaper prices and availability in Mansfield. Mansfield is also a good opportunity to have another toilet stop. Public Toilets are locate near the round-a-bout and are clean and well maintained.

In the next post I will take a look at the options to get up to the Village. Should you take your car, or use the bus service? Each option has pro’s and con’s that may influence your decision.

This is Part Four in a series for first time visitors to the snow on what to wear up on the mountain. See part One, part Two and part Three.

In the previous post of this series I wrote about what kind of activities, other than skiing, that you may do at Mt Buller and why some items of clothing just won’t be appropriate for these activities. In this post I’d like to write about the limitations that you can come across when deciding what to take on your skiing holiday.

Mt Buller is about three hours from Melbourne. There are currently two methods of transport to get to Mt Buller – Car and Bus. Both of these methods can have limitations depending on how much you can bring with you during your stay.

This can have an effect on the amount, and type, of clothing you can take with you.

Let’s start with option one: Taking your car.

You would think that if you take your car, as opposed to the bus, you would be able to fit more in the car and hence take more with you. Well, not exactly.

Unless you have a permit, you cannot take your vehicle to the lodge door. You will need to leave your car at one of the designated car parks surrounding the resort village. From there you can either walk up yourself, which can be strenuous with the luggage, or you can catch a taxi.

The taxi service at Mt Buller will meet you at the car park and transport you and your luggage to your lodge. The cost for this service is Adult $16.00 one way, Child $9.50 one way. The fare includes two items of luggage plus skis, poles and boots. Any additional luggage is charged extra.

Two items of luggage might sound like a lot for one person, but if you are staying at a self accommodating lodge, such as Nutcracker, for a week, you need to consider bed linen, food, drinks as well as your clothing.

The other thing to think about with driving is that it is a requirement, by law, that you carry snow chains for your car with you during the ski season. If you don’t have chains you will need to hire them.

When it is snowing on the summit road, you will be prompted to get out of your car and put them on. Have you driven with chains before? Do you know how to put them on? Personally, I’d rather not have to deal with it.

I use option two when I head to Mt Buller: Taking the bus.

What I like about taking the bus is that it takes you straight to the village. There is no waiting for taxis in the cold and the bus price is all inclusive. Plus you can take what you need and you only have to walk 500 meters or so to your lodge.

There are two ways that you can use the bus as a means of getting to Mt Buller.

The first is to take a Bus Coach from Melbourne. The service will take you from Melbourne straight to Mt Buller village. Plus the price includes complimentary tickets for a taxi so you don’t have to walk to your lodge. This is ideal if you plan on having an extended time at Mt Buller.

The second is to drive to the base of the mountain, Mirimbah, leave your car there and take the bus service to the village. This is perfect if you are only spending a weekend at Mt Buller. You do not get complimentary taxi tickets in the fare, but at least you can walk it from the village.

With catching the bus there is no limitation on luggage, but I would assume it’s within reason, so don’t going packing 5 suitcases!

The point I am trying to achieve is that you not only need to chose the right clothing the conditions and understand what clothing you’ll need for what you are doing, but that you will also need to be savvy with your packing and optimise your baggage space.

The next post in this series will include what I believe are the top essential items of clothing to bring with you to the snow and how to work the clothing to suit the day-to-day conditions.

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.

This is Part Two in a series for first time visitors to the snow on what to wear up on the mountain. See part One here.

In the last post I gave an introduction as to how the clothes you take with you to the snow can determine whether your experience at the snow is good or bad. This article is the beginning of things to consider when deciding on the type of clothing to take with you on your Snow Holiday.

When first timers think of a snow holiday at Mt Buller they will most likely first think of the white stuff. Snow!

While Snow is the predominant feature, the conditions in the Alpine region are very diverse and change constantly. Apart from snow, the conditions you can expect to experience are:

• Cold Temperatures
• Wind Gusts and Wind chill
• Sleet
• Rain
• Fog
• Snow Storms

Right now the temperature at Mt Buller is 1.7 degrees Celsius. Taking wind chill into consideration it’s probably closer to feeling like -4.5. And we are still 3 weeks away from the start of Ski Season. These temperatures are also during the day so expect the temperature to drop well below zero at night time.

In terms of what to wear in these conditions, we are looking for maximum warmth, and protection, without looking like the Michelin Man!

Snow is a very beautiful sight to see, but have a go at walking on it in sneakers and track pants and that ‘beautiful sight’ may be short lived! Snow is slippery to walk on. And when it melts it turns into slush. Combine this with rain, sleet or snow, and it can compound the conditions further. So when you begin deciding on what to take with you up to the Mountain, remember that you’ll need footwear that doesn’t make you go ‘a over t’ all the time and clothing that can keep you dry!

Another factor to consider is the wind. On days where a cold front is moving in, the wind can pick up quite considerably and adding wind chill to the temperature. In this case we would want clothing that shields us from this and keeps us warm.

As a guide, before you put something into your suitcase, ask yourself “Would this keep me warm and dry here at home?”. If the answer is “No” then it is a definite “No” for the snow.

On the flip side when the snow seasons heads into Spring, the weather will consist of many sunny days. Being closer to the sun at higher altitudes, it can get quite hot under your ski clothes when out on the slopes, on top of that the snow melts quicker and can become more slippery and slushy in areas.

Your line of thinking should cover all conditions. You need to find a balance.

Later in the series I’ll list what I think are the essentials to bring with you and how to work them to suit all conditions while you are up on the Mountain.

One thing you can do now is start monitoring the snow conditions and become familiar with what to expect.

7 Day weather forecasts are a great idea for planning ahead so you get an idea of what to expect when you get there.

Having some good background knowledge of what weather you will be travelling into is a great start for choosing the right clothing to wear.

The next post in this series will be about mountain resorts and the types of activities you will or may do that can determine what clothing you take.

I was reading a popular fashion magazine on the weekend and came across an article relating to fashion for a mountain/snow getaway.

What they were suggesting was a choice of cotton tracksuit pants, nylon blend hoodie, gloves, scarf, snow boots and a handbag. Will this be practical and keep you warm in snow conditions? No Way!

Sure, you might look great in a pair of $200 fashion designed track pants, but you’re butt will be shivering before you get 100 meters from the snug warm Lodge! Being this cold, you may not venture outside for the rest of your time and the chances of you having a great snow experience are very slim. Also, cotton track pants aren’t generally waterproof so you will end up with wet legs and bum out in the snow!

I’m feeling cold and uncomfortable just writing that sentence.

So, you end up wasting $200 on track pants that don’t keep you warm and dry, and you’ve wasted your well earned, and expensive, holiday up on the mountain staying indoors. Would you consider going up to the snow again after that? Highly Unlikely. And that would be a shame.

What you take up to the mountain to wear can make all the difference to your snow experience.

It prompted me think about my first time at the snow and what I thought was going to be appropriate clothing for the conditions. From that first experience, and others holidays to the snow since, what advice I could impart to first timers heading up to the snow this year?

This is a very simple guide aimed at first timers to the snow. I’m certainly no expert in snow clothing and I won’t go into depth about brands and clothing technology, that might be something you can research for yourself, but at least you will have an idea of what to expect, how to dress for the conditions and how to have a good experience at the snow without getting cold and catching one in the process!

I’m never cold up at the snow, so I can’t be doing that bad ?

Over the next few days I will post a series of articles on this subject. I will take into consideration all the aspects of going on a snow holiday – what conditions to expect, what activities you may do up on the mountain and the type of clothes you will need to consider. I’ll try to include a couple of examples that you might want to consider purchasing.

For those of you who are seasoned snow bunnies and have any suggestions or comments you’d like to add, they are greatly welcome. As I said, I’m no expert, this is what works for me, others may have different ideas and they would be more than appreciated.