Media Room
PERISHER’S $19 MILLION SNOWMAKING INVESTMENT AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS PRODUCING 620,000 CUBIC METRES OF SNOW
7 September 2009
Perisher's three-year $19 million investment in automated snowmaking culminated this year, with a $5.7 million expansion covering the very popular beginner and intermediate Happy Valley area and top to bottom on Towers Run on Mt Perisher, one of the resort's favourites amongst advanced skiers and boarders, has proven to be a tremendous success, in many ways.
Sixty-eight new energy efficient, fully automated fan guns and lances were commissioned in 2009, making a total of 271 snow guns now installed across Perisher Valley, Blue Cow and Smiggin Holes resort areas.
53.4 hectares of terrain for all standards of skiers and snowboarders are now under snowmaking coverage, enabling season-long consistency for guests to Perisher, enhancing their holiday experiences.
“Perisher’s snowmaking infrastructure and increased capacity now rivals many international alpine destinations; allowing guests more certainty when booking their snow holidays that we can provide a quality snow product at all times of the season,” said Peter Brulisauer Perisher’s CEO. “Feedback from guests has been very positive, it’s made an incredible difference particularly to the iconic Towers Run and Happy Valley areas which opened in early June on an excellent top to bottom cover. Best of all the new system is incredibly energy efficient and the water is recycled through the Snowy Scheme back into the catchment” continued Mr. Brulisauer.
Over the 2009 winter season Perisher produced a massive 620,000 cubic metres of snow a 53% increase on 2008 and the biggest snowmaking production in Australia. Combine this with Perisher’s greater natural snow reliability, 1245 hectares of terrain and 48 lifts to choose from and it’s easy to see why Perisher is Australia’s most popular ski resort.
Long time avid skier and lodge member Brad Sewell from the NSW Central Coast, who’s been coming to Perisher for more than 40 years, said that he was surprised at the consistent quality of the snow produced from the new automated guns and doubly impressed with the quantity that could be made at any one time. “In all my time skiing at Perisher, I’ve never seen Towers look so good day after day. Each morning when I’ve hit the run early, it feels like it’s brand new again, also the nearby off-piste where the snow guns reach has been fabulous,” said Mr Sewell.
Snowmaking now covers popular resort areas including: Front Valley, from Mid Station of the Forester Quad Express through Yabby Flat and Goats Gully back to Front Valley, Snowy Trails, Happy Valley, Towers Run in Perisher Valley; Tube Town; the carpets and Captain Cook J-bar at Smiggin Holes; Early Starter, Road Run/Boot Hill, Zali’s, Road Run to Roller Coaster and Excelerator runs at Blue Cow; providing a diverse array of skiable terrain for all snow riding ability.
“Perisher’s increased snowmaking capacity has allowed not only side to side, but also top to bottom coverage, with the ability to lay down an increased depth of snow. It’s not just a veneer, it’s a seriously thick coating of snow that we can produce each night that we operate,” said John Palmer, Perisher’s Snowmaking Manager.
The work has not stopped yet, in the future Perisher plans to increase snowmaking coverage to 110 hectares, aiming to have all trails linking the four ski areas covered from the seasons start to finish. All additional snowmaking will be automated ensuring every opportunity, that conditions allow, is maximised efficiently. Perisher also plans to fully automate all of its existing snowmaking over time. The result, skiers and boarders will be able to ski to and from each of the four areas, all season long, and have more consistent runs to choose from!