The Snow Gauge

Running the rule over the ski & snowboard industry since 1995

Flight hack: how to get cheap snow airfares

Posted by on Sep 27, 2016

how-to-get-a-cheap-flight-understanding-airline-ti-01

I spent some long hours toiling away on flight comparison site Skyscanner and came up with some very interesting information for those thinking about a northern hemisphere ski or snowboard trip this winter.

I’ll leave it for some other time to extol the virtues of various ski resorts across the globe or compare the prices of various accommodation or lift pass prices. Here, purely and simply, is the dirt on flying from Australia to the US, Canada, Japan or Europe – when to go, when to avoid and where to save a buck or two. Other points include:

– The sneaky time to get to the States (in school holidays)
– Why Europe actually represents awesome flight value
– How to save real money if you are prepared to stop off
– Some Japan hacks too.
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North America season outlook: why forecasters could be having a lend

Posted by on Sep 18, 2016

Weather guessing

If you’re in North America or going there for the 2016/17 season, it’d be pretty normal right about now to be asking the question: which states are going to get the best snow?

As someone who travels from the southern hemisphere most years the question burns a little more for me right now than say someone from San Francisco, Salt Lake City or Squamish.

So, much like I did around this time last year I spoke to Joel Gratz – founding meteorologist and CEO of Open Snow, the premier powder forecasting site used by 1.5 million skiers and boarders in the US.

His answer threw me completely.

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New Zealand: frustrating as all hell

Posted by on Sep 8, 2016

The Remarkables

Remarkable – just not open, that’s all. Pic: The Remarkables Facebook

If you ever needed a torchlight shone on the best and worst thing about skiing or snowboarding in New Zealand, mark September 8 down as Exhibit A.

Almost two feet of fresh snow. Superb mountains. A picture perfect place to base yourself in like Queenstown.

And the resort that is supposed to take you to heaven?

It’s closed.

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Anatomy of a perfect storm

Posted by on Jul 13, 2016

 

Early goods at Mt Hotham. Pic: Mt Hotham
Valley boy. Pic: Instagram @buryperi Rider JAke Shanahan @_jacobra_
Night Falls. Pic: Chris Hocking
Digging in at Perisher. Pic: Perisher
Thredbo – the storm before the calm. Pic: Sean Duncan Instagram @seanbfunkin
In deep at Falls Creek. Pic: Chris Hocking

There may have been bigger storms but the consensus is that there haven’t been too many drier.

When it snows in parts of Canberra and Goulburn, NSW and Woodend, Lancefiled and Gippsland in Victoria – that generally only means epicness in the alps.

There were reports of up to 85cm in 24 hours and while some are scoffing in their windblown Weaties, we speak to those who were there for the rundown on a dump to remember.

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The secret tragedy of mountain towns

Posted by on Jun 15, 2016

Rotting snow

When the snow goes things can be tough for mountain workers

They’re meant to be places of much envy with a lifestyle that so many aspire to.

For a season, or a complete lifestyle change, mountain towns in theory offer it all minus the beach and city.

Skiing and snowboarding in the winter. Biking, hiking and fishing in the summer. Partying – if you want to, sure.

But in a disturbing and must read article National Geographic lifts the lid on the reality behind many mountain towns.

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