When you bring your skis or snowboard to Ben Lomond, you can expect an amazingly scenic adventure in a relatively uncrowded place. The second highest peak in Tasmania, the summit of Legges Tor, can be found here, in a region of over sixteen thousand beautiful hectares of almost completely undeveloped countryside.
The Ben Lomond Plateau is the second of Tasmania’s main skiing areas. As tends to be the rule in this state, there is a trade-off between the fantastic sights of being surrounded by nature and a fairly basic state of infrastructure when it comes to getting you to the top. Three of the standard T-bar drag lifts and four Poma lifts do the job of delivering you to the start of the runs, so you have quite a choice available. When snow conditions are at their optimum, you have a whopping six kilometres of downhill runs to enjoy, with the difficulty level ranging from beginner to intermediate.
Lift passes are limited to the availability of skiable terrain and the number of lifts in use. As you can imagine, when the snowfall has been less than ideal, some routes have to be closed. What this all means in practice is that you are strongly advised to book your lift passes online, in advance of your trip. There are on occasions opportunities to purchase a pass by simply turning up and asking if any are still available, but this is more by luck than judgement. To avoid disappointment, it is better to get this part of your skiing day sorted before you even start packing the car to come here.
The village where the skiers gather, a kilometre and a half above sea level, has everything you could need from ski hire, here in the hands of private firms, to places to get an all-important hot chocolate between downhill trips. Some accommodation is available here, but it is a members-only thing so don’t expect to turn up unannounced and expect a bed for the night. That said, the folks here will be more than happy to talk about membership and its privileges. What is absolutely essential to bear in mind is that the whole resort is within the National Park, meaning an entry pass needs to be purchased so that you can have access to all of this.
Cross-country skiing has its fans on the Ben Lomond Plateau. The trails which hikers and birdwatchers take in spring and summer months transform into an adventurous pathway through dolomite columns and sweeping vistas of snow-covered landscapes. If you are one of those skiers who has been put off the cross-country variation due to the extra energy needed, this is where you really ought to give it a try. The effort is well rewarded by the assault on the senses that meets you as you wind your way though an almost untouched piece of Tasmanian beauty.
The Ben Lomond Link Track is a nice and easy kilometre-long track which will give you a good feel for this type of skiing. Fancy something more challenging? At the end of this journey, the more challenging Summit Pass Track awaits. This is your chance to journey through a mixture of alpine vegetation and rock scree between Carr Villa and the Alpine Village. The five-kilometre route is one of the scenic delights of Ben Lomond which will probably have you coming back here a season or two later to see it in all its blooming glory.
Snow shoes come into their own if, instead of skiing, you prefer to hike the same trails which teem with a myriad of plant and animal life during the warmer seasons. For those of you seeking that extra adrenaline rush, there is even tobogganing to participate in.
Getting here
From Launceston it should take only a little over an hour to reach the ski resort by car, while the journey from Hobart it is roughly three and a quarter hours.
Driving to Ben Lomond involves negotiating Jacob’s Ladder. This stunningly beautiful track is a series of six switchbacks that allow you to climb at a gentler gradient than would otherwise be possible. As you can imagine, tackling a mountain road like this involves a certain degree of preparation so here are the absolutely essential first steps.
Bring tyre chains, no matter what type of car you are driving. This is an essential part of getting up and down Jacob’s Ladder. If you have never fitted chains to your wheels before, get familiar with it well before the day of your trip here. If you can get any practice at all at driving in chains, this will certainly put you in good stead.
The speed limit of thirty is there for a reason. However tempted you might be to put your foot down, take it slowly and your patience will be rewarded by saving the extra time of a trip to the casualty department.
Your car needs to be in fully working condition, with a full tank of fuel. As mentioned earlier, there is a lack of major infrastructure in the Ben Lomond region and that includes petrol stations – you won’t find one for miles. As for breakdown services, they too are conspicuous by their absence. In an actual life-or-death emergency, it is possible for the cavalry to come to your aid, but very much at your expense.
That of course is not to put a downer on your trip, only to underline the importance of being prepared and approaching a journey to an almost untouched mountain region with a fair dose of common sense. Once you reach the car park at the end of your drive, there is a seasonal shuttle bus which carries you the remaining distance to the snow line.
All in all Ben Lomond is a relaxing, generally crowd-free place for the moderate skier. While the facilities are good rather than luxurious, the attraction is definitely in the wild country you are skiing in.
