Mount Mawson, in the World Heritage-listed Mount Field National Park, is a mere ninety minutes’ drive from Hobart and includes Tasmania’s steepest serviced ski runs. This is a great place for skiing and snowboarding. It is good value for money, with some of the cheapest lift passes in Tasmania. On top of this, you are presented with magnificent views. This more than compensates for the fairly basic facilities you can find here, and you have a total of four kilometres of slopes to enjoy.
It is around 1250 metres above sea level that the skiing areas appear. During the season, which runs from July until the middle of September, Mount Mawson gets a pretty consistent level of snow cover. That said, it always pays to check what the conditions are going to be a day or two before your visit so as to avoid disappointment.
Here’s a little money-saving offer you might come across here. On days when the snowfall is rather on the disappointing side, or at least it is forecast to be, the ski passes are sometimes sold half-price. This is a thoughtful gesture of the organisers, as nobody likes to pay for a whole day on the rare occasions a run is skied out by mid afternoon.
As for getting to the top, you have three of the ‘nutcracker’ type of rope tows and they can be reached from the car park after a roughly thirty-minute walk. Nutcracker rope tows, if you are not familiar with them, require an additional tow belt and this can be hired on the mountain itself. They may take a bit of getting used to when compared with the standard T-bar or disc drag lift, but you’ll probably get the hang of them. Two of the tows are categorised as intermediate, based on the most widely accepted standard, while the third, called the Rodway, is designed for experts. In the beginners’ area there is also a small surface lift. The icing on the cake is that this one is free of charge, which is good news for those of you new to the sport.
Cross-country skiing on Mount Mawson takes you through padani forests, found only in Tasmania, across rugged landscapes sculpted by the Ice Age with an ever-changing appearance. You can see the Tasmanian wilderness in the south-west, columns of fractured dolerite and the occasional mountain hut to remind you that you have not travelled back in time to the pre-human era. Seriously, you do get a sense of time standing still here if you do the cross-country routes and you would be forgiven for thinking you were the first person ever to set foot in the area as you do a few laps of the famous Golden Stairs.
Owing to the warmer conditions and relatively low altitude of the Tasmanian mountains, it is not all that common to encounter powder snow. However, there are occasions when you find that perfect dusting when the temperatures are around minus three and there has been a recent snowfall. When this happens, you have some particularly enjoyable, silky powder runs such as on the Jeep Trail.
Something else conspicuous by its absence is snow-making machinery. The idea is to let nature do its thing and only introduce infrastructure when absolutely necessary, so its snow fences which keep the runs well covered. These were originally put up in the nineteen seventies and have recently been replaced with better, longer-lasting versions.
When it comes to facilities, expect the basics such as toilets and shelters. Visitors are advised to bring their own food and the Mount Mawson resort is one of these places in Tasmania where you really need to be carrying cash rather than relying on electronic payment. At the time of writing, work is underway to replace a heated shelter which was damaged beyond repair a few years ago. A temporary structure serves a good enough purpose for the time being and everyone is looking forward to when the construction work on the new one is complete.
Driving: With the exception of a handful of hardy souls, everyone who visits Mount Mawson for the skiing comes here by car. The final approach is what you would expect in the mountains, namely a gravel road. For this reason, tire chains are an absolute essential. Make absolutely certain that your car is roadworthy before you begin your journey and fill up the tank with fuel. This is a part of Tasmania where, as a trade-off for the untouched beauty of the natural environment, there is not a petrol station to be found for miles around. You should also bear in mind that no no-emergency breakdown service operates in the area either.
Definitely working in the area, and doing sterling work at that, are the volunteers from the Southern Tasmanian Ski Association (STSA). They are the people who run everything at this small club field.
It is thanks to them that this non-commercial resort functions during the winter, with an overall laid-back vibe that can be felt, whether you are here with the family, visiting with friends or coming here by yourself. The volunteers ensure that the snow has been sufficiently shunted and ploughed so that the lifts are trouble-free, on top of a hundred and one other tasks that make your stay such a pleasant experience.
In summary, Mount Mawson is a pleasant alternative to the more commercial ski resorts. The overall feeling of being at one with nature, the tremendous views of untouched, undeveloped wild landscape and the generous four kilometres of skiing routes all add up to a thoroughly enjoyable adventure. The not-for-profit team running the show ensure everything runs smoothly so you know that you are in safe and capable hands. Yes, it is a bit basic compared to many other resorts, and expect a bit of a walk between parking and using the lifts, but when you are out in the snow skiing or snowboarding then that will be far from your mind.
