Established in 1930, Charlotte Pass is Australia’s oldest ski resort, earning it the nickname, the grand old lady of the mountains. It is also the highest ski field in the country at 1,765 meters. Its fans and critics affectionately call it “The Pass.”
The resort offers a unique alpine experience, with its dynamic terrain offering something for everyone, from beginners to advanced skiers and snowboarders.
Charlotte Pass is a great winter playground for thrill-seekers traveling with their families. It offers a quiet and more intimate alpine atmosphere, no lift lines, and a great car-free village. Beginners and families also love the safe environment and gentle slopes.
The snowfield also has expansive and uncrowded slopes, a friendly and personalized service, and some of the finest on-mountain winter accommodation facilities. Revelers also get treated to splendid views of the alpine landscape and awe-inspiring peaks of the Kosciuszko mountain.
At only a modest 123 acres, the resort is smaller than its neighbors in New South Wales. However, visitors flock to Charlotte Pass more for its charm and great experience.
The resort has a great alpine village that is pleasant and car-free. During the winter season, it becomes winter-bound and is only accessible via oversnow transport. The 8-kilometer snowcat ride is also an exciting and scenic way to get to the resort.
Non-skiers will also delight in other snow activities at the resort including snowshoeing and tubing. The resort is also one of the few Australian resorts whose runs are flood-lit and you can ski at night for extended fun on the slopes.
You’ll find great accommodation facilities including chalets in the village as well as on-mountain accommodation. As the ski village is car-free during the winter season, you’ll find ample free accommodation at Bullock Flatts Ski Tube off Alpine way. From there, you can board the Swiss-designed ski tube to the resort.
Services
Mountain Features
Resort Features
Charlotte Pass Ski Field is estimated to be open
Between the dates of June 04 2022 and estimated to close on October 02 for the 2022 season.
Ski life Services at Charlotte Pass open as early as 8:15 AM and the last to close is at 5:00 PM.
Charlotte Pass Ski Resort’s terrain is a modest 123 acres of skiable slopes. It has the steepest vertical in all of the Australian resorts at 200 meters. The official stats for the resort’s 25 trails are:
As you plan your visit to the resort, it would be helpful to check the terrain map above. This helps you figure out which sections of the resort you can ski at. For example, if you’re a beginner, you can check out which trails are marked green on the map.
The green runs represent areas with gentle slopes and beginner-friendly ski lifts and amenities. Charlotte Pass’s beginner runs are great for novice snow lovers looking to learn to ski and snowboard. There are both private and group ski lessons, but families can also learn together. Otherwise, there’s a great childcare and kid’s ski school where parents can leave their kids as they search for more challenging terrain.
If you’re an intermediate snow lover, you’ll find plenty of mellow blue runs off Pulpit Bar. Here, there are drawn-out groomers as well as some tree skiing opportunities. Due to its high altitude, the slopes get great snowfall and the riders get a thrill winding through the snow gums.
Advanced riders will also appreciate the challenging pistes on the higher parts of the resort, especially those off the Guthries high-speed poma. In addition, if you’re a confident advanced rider or an expert skier or snowboarder, then head over to the Guthries Chutes for adrenaline-spiking terrain.
Guthries also offers great sub-alpine and tree skiing adventures, located on off-piste terrain. The area has chutes and a boot pack, The tree skiing opportunities are located behind the lodges and are well spaced.
The Charlotte Pass snow grooming crew maintains a small terrain park mostly suited to kids and teenagers. However, if you’d like to try a more challenging terrain park, then you can visit Perisher or Thredbo ski resorts.
Lifts at Charlotte Pass
Charlotte Pass has great lifts that allow fast and convenient access to the 25 trails. The resort has fewer lifts than Thredbo and Perisher, though it is a great opportunity for novice riders to gain experience.
Lift tickets are relatively inexpensive at this resort compared to other Australian resorts. What’s more, the resort’s isolated location means fewer crowds and therefore fewer lift lines.
The resort has 3 T-bars, 1 surface lift, and one 3-seater chairlift. The named lifts include:
It is easy to get a ski pass to Charlotte Pass. You just need to visit their website and order your pass online. After you click the link to the online shop, you can create your account in quick easy steps and book your lift ticket. The resort only issues Consecutive Day tickets.
Please note that the lift tickets are only available for on-snow visitors (single-day) only. If you intend to stay overnight, you can purchase the DayTripper pass. This pass also includes lunch and oversnow transport. However, the resort does not guarantee the availability of the DayTripper pass and it’s best to pre-order online.
Like most ski resorts you will still need to check in at the base camp to get the pass which you’ll use to scan at the lifts.
If you order your pass in advance, you may get great discounts depending on the time. The discounts especially apply on multi-day tickets. A single-day pass gives you access to all of the resort’s lifts which allows you to access virtually every corner of the mountain.
A key perk of the Charlotte Pass resort is that children under the age of 4 years ski for free. After you present the child’s proof of age, you’ll be issued with an all-mountain ski pass.
Curious to know what the snow is like today at Charlotte Pass?
The following is a live webcam feed of the slopes at Charlotte Pass. We’ve curated the best views to show you the current live snow conditions from around the resort. The live snow cam keeps you up to date with current snow conditions from almost every corner of the resort.
Being the highest ski resort in Australia, Charlotte Pass gets the most natural snow throughout the winter ski season. Its high elevation also guarantees snowfall consistency, with the higher parts of the mountain receiving the most snow.
The resort is transformed into a winter paradise during the Southern Hemisphere winter. It receives an average seasonal snowfall of about 4 meters. This is often accompanied by a snow depth of about 2 meters when the snow conditions are at their peak in August.
To account for seasonal dips and add to the natural white stuff, the resort has an artificial snow-making capability. The experienced grooming team does a great job of moving around the snow and ensuring that all the runs are well-maintained.
In the following live graphic, you can see the currently estimated snow depth for the Charlotte Pass resort.
Knowing the projected weather conditions at and around the resort can help you plan your trip better.
The following graphic shows an updated forecast for Charlotte Pass Ski Resort’s weather.
Charlotte Pass Ski Resort’s unique combination of reliable snow and accommodation options offers a unique winter escape experience. The resort is especially family-friendly with excellent accommodation options fit for thrill seekers traveling with their kin.
Most of the on-mountain accommodation facilities are ski-in/ski-out, where riders get to hit the snow right from their lodges. Some require a minimum number of stays such as week-long or minimum nights. The accommodation facilities are clustered around the base of the mountain.
The most popular place to stay is the magnificent Kosciuszko Chalet Hotel, which is built right at the heart of the resort. Opened in 1930, the hotel is one of the oldest in Australia and shares the nickname ‘Grand Old Lady of the Mountains.’ Some great ways to spend your off-slope time include cozying up by the fire as you sip hot chocolate. You can also head over to the Kosi Bar and Bistro for a filling lunch before you head right back up the slopes.
Another great lodging and dining location is the Stillwell Hotel which is right next to the chairlift. This old-school hotel offers rooms for two guests as well as rooms for people traveling with their families. Guests get incredible views of the resort and the mountain.
Other splendid places to stay and dine include:
Charlotte Pass Ski Resort’s unique combination of reliable snow and accommodation options offers a unique winter escape experience. The resort is especially family-friendly with excellent accommodation options fit for thrill seekers traveling with their kin.
Most of the on-mountain accommodation facilities are ski-in/ski-out, where riders get to hit the snow right from their lodges. Some require a minimum number of stays such as week-long or minimum nights. The accommodation facilities are clustered around the base of the mountain.
The most popular place to stay is the magnificent Kosciuszko Chalet Hotel, which is built right at the heart of the resort. Opened in 1930, the hotel is one of the oldest in Australia and shares the nickname ‘Grand Old Lady of the Mountains.’ Some great ways to spend your off-slope time include cozying up by the fire as you sip hot chocolate. You can also head over to the Kosi Bar and Bistro for a filling lunch before you head right back up the slopes.
Another great lodging and dining location is the Stillwell Hotel which is right next to the chairlift. This old-school hotel offers rooms for two guests as well as rooms for people traveling with their families. Guests get incredible views of the resort and the mountain.
Other splendid places to stay and dine include:
Charlotte Pass is located in the Kosciuszko National Park near Mt. Kosciuszko. It is nestled within Australia’s Snowy Mountains in New South Wales.
The resort is about 41 kilometers west of Jindabyne and about 8.5 kilometers from Perisher Ski Resort. The difference between getting to Charlotte Pass and Perisher is that Charlotte Pass is all snowed out during winter and getting to it requires riding the oversnow (a 45-minute ride to the resort).
The closest airport is the Canberra International Airport, where you’ll find an array of transfer options. There are also many connecting flights from Canberra to Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne. You’ll also find daily flights connecting Canberra with Adelaide and Perth.
After parking your car at Bullock Flatts, you can take the Ski Tube from the station which takes you right to the heart of the car-free Charlotte Pass village.
Charlotte Pass is located in the Kosciuszko National Park. It is part of Australia’s Snowy Mountains and can be accessed from Canberra and Jindabyne via a ski tube.
The Charlotte Pass Ski Resort receives a seasonal average snowfall of about 4 meters. As the highest elevated ski field in Australia, it has the most consistent snowfall among the country’s ski resorts.
The resort features about 123 acres of skiable terrain. Although the resort is smaller than most Australian ski resorts, thrill-seekers flock to it for the charm, fewer lift lines, and a splendid alpine winter experience.
Yes, you’ll find ample parking at Bullock Flatts where you can park your vehicle overnight or for a few days at a fee. During the winter ski season, the Charlotte Pass village is car-free. Once you park at Bullock Flatts, you can take a ski tube up the mountain to the resort.
Yes, Charlotte Pass is a great beginner-friendly resort where novices and children can learn to ski. You’ll find both private and groups ski lessons, where families can also learn together.
Yes. When driving in Australia’s alpine regions, the local administration requires that you carry fitting snow chains for your vehicle.