Hotham Alpine Resort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hotham Alpine Resort |
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Mary's Slide ski run
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| Location | Mount Higginbotham, Mount Hotham, Mount Loch |
| Nearest city | Melbourne |
| Coordinates | 36°59′S 147°8′E / 36.983°S 147.133°E |
| Top elevation | 1,861 metres (6,106 ft) AHD |
| Base elevation | 1,450 metres (4,760 ft) AHD |
| Skiable area | 320 hectares (790 acres) |
| Runs | 72 |
| Longest run | Spargo's, 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) |
| Lift system | 14 lifts |
| Lift capacity | 24,485 passengers/hr |
| Terrain parks | 4 (snow dependent) |
| Snowfall | 300 centimetres (120 in) |
| Snowmaking | 25 hectares (62 acres) |
| Night skiing | Wednesday & Saturday |
The Hotham Alpine Resort is a popular ski resort in Australia. It is found in the snowy Victorian Alps in Victoria. The resort is built on the slopes of Mount Hotham.
The village at Hotham is very high up. It sits at 1750 meters (about 5,740 feet) above sea level. This makes it the second highest ski village in Australia. Only Charlotte Pass village in New South Wales is higher.
Hotham Alpine Resort is a special area of Victoria. It is surrounded by the town of Hotham Heights. You can reach the resort by driving on the Great Alpine Road. It is about 226 kilometers (140 miles) northeast of Melbourne.
Who Runs Hotham Resort?
The Hotham Alpine Resort is managed by the Mt Hotham Resort Management Board. It is also run by Vail Resorts. Vail Resorts bought the resort from another company called Merlin Entertainments.
Vail Resorts' company, Mount Hotham Skiing Company (MHSC), has a special agreement. They lease the land from the Victorian Government. A smaller company owned by MHSC also runs the Mount Hotham Airport.
Skiing and Snowboarding Fun
Most of the skiing at Hotham is on one side of a big valley. The area also connects to the Bogong High Plains. Hotham Alpine Resort has a huge ski area. It covers 320 hectares (about 790 acres).
There are also 35 kilometers (21 miles) of cross-country trails. These trails go through beautiful tree-lined areas. The resort has a total of fourteen ski lifts. The longest ski run at Hotham Alpine Resort is 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) long.
Hotham has many runs for all skill levels. About 20% of the runs are for beginners. Intermediate skiers and snowboarders can enjoy 40% of the runs. The other 40% are for advanced riders. One of Australia's toughest runs is here. It is called Mary's Slide. Hotham also has Australia's only biathlon range. A biathlon combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.
Ski Lifts at Hotham
As of winter 2013, these ski lifts are working at Hotham:
| Lift name | Length | Elevation | Skiers (per hour) |
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| Big D Quad Chair | 396 m (1,299 ft) | 64 m (210 ft) | 2,400 |
| Blue Ribbon Triple Chair | 710 m (2,330 ft) | 271 m (889 ft) | 1,600 |
| Drift T-Bar | 370 m (1,210 ft) | 88 m (289 ft) | 1,285 |
| Gotcha Quad Chair | 472 m (1,549 ft) | 140 m (460 ft) | 2,400 |
| Heavenly Valley Quad Chair | 845 m (2,772 ft) | 314 m (1,030 ft) | 2,400 |
| Keogh's Quad Chair | 383 m (1,257 ft) | 128 m (420 ft) | 2,400 |
| Orchard Quad Chair | 573 m (1,880 ft) | 154 m (505 ft) | 2,400 |
| Playground Double Chair | 614 m (2,014 ft) | 199 m (653 ft) | 1,000 |
| Roadrunner Quad Chair | 671 m (2,201 ft) | 153 m (502 ft) | 2,400 |
| Summit Quad Chair | 595 m (1,952 ft) | 98 m (322 ft) | 2,400 |
| Summit Trainer Poma | 132 m (433 ft) | 22 m (72 ft) | 500 |
| Village Quad Chair | 800 m (2,600 ft) | 275 m (902 ft) | 2,400 |
| Pup's Playground Magic Carpet | 17 m (56 ft) | ||
| Harry's Hideaway Magic Carpet | 50 m (160 ft) |
You can find a list of all 30 lifts that have ever been at Hotham on the Australian Ski Lift Directory.
Weather at Hotham
Hotham Alpine Resort gets a lot of snow and rain. It has the most yearly precipitation of any resort in Victoria over the last ten years.
The weather at Mount Hotham is cold all year round. This is true for most of the Australian Alps. It often gets temperatures below freezing. Mount Hotham is one of the only places in Australia that has never recorded a temperature above 30°C (86°F).
Even in mid-summer, you can find snow and temperatures below zero. However, it rarely gets extremely cold. A temperature below -10°C (14°F) has only happened once since 1990. This is because of frequent winter clouds and the mountain's open location.
Mount Hotham has short, cool summers and long, very cold winters. This gives it a subpolar oceanic climate. It also has influences of an alpine climate.
| Climate data for Mount Hotham (1990–2020); 1,849 m AMSL; 36° 58′ 36.12″ S | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 28.2 (82.8) |
28.1 (82.6) |
24.4 (75.9) |
17.3 (63.1) |
19.8 (67.6) |
11.6 (52.9) |
8.7 (47.7) |
10.7 (51.3) |
13.7 (56.7) |
19.0 (66.2) |
23.6 (74.5) |
26.3 (79.3) |
28.2 (82.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 16.6 (61.9) |
15.9 (60.6) |
13.1 (55.6) |
8.5 (47.3) |
4.6 (40.3) |
1.5 (34.7) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
0.5 (32.9) |
3.5 (38.3) |
7.6 (45.7) |
11.3 (52.3) |
14.0 (57.2) |
8.1 (46.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 8.2 (46.8) |
8.0 (46.4) |
5.9 (42.6) |
2.7 (36.9) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
−3.6 (25.5) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
0.8 (33.4) |
3.8 (38.8) |
5.9 (42.6) |
2.0 (35.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −3.7 (25.3) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
−3.6 (25.5) |
−8.2 (17.2) |
−7.4 (18.7) |
−9.1 (15.6) |
−8.8 (16.2) |
−10.4 (13.3) |
−9.2 (15.4) |
−8.4 (16.9) |
−6.8 (19.8) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−10.4 (13.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 97.0 (3.82) |
110.3 (4.34) |
106.8 (4.20) |
95.0 (3.74) |
118.2 (4.65) |
130.4 (5.13) |
131.3 (5.17) |
141.4 (5.57) |
135.3 (5.33) |
122.7 (4.83) |
148.4 (5.84) |
110.0 (4.33) |
1,446.8 (56.95) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 10.6 | 11.1 | 10.6 | 10.9 | 13.1 | 14.3 | 19.6 | 17.3 | 13.7 | 12.5 | 12.1 | 10.7 | 156.5 |
| Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology; Mount Hotham | |||||||||||||
