
Australia's highest lifted point at 2,037m, 672m vertical and 5.9km runs in the Snowy Mountains. Open June to October on Ikon Pass.
Thredbo holds more vertical than any other ski resort in Australia — 672m from base to summit — and with it the country's longest ski runs, a highest lifted point of 2,037m via Karel's T-bar, and the longest single descent at 5.9km. The resort spans 1,186 acres within Kosciuszko National Park in the NSW Snowy Mountains, serving 53 runs across terrain that runs steeper and more sustained than anywhere else on the Australian mainland. The terrain profile skews intermediate at 67%, but Thredbo's expert zones — Golf Course Bowl, Bushranger and Michael's Mistake — are consistently rated the most demanding in-bounds terrain in the country.
The resort was established in the mid-1950s by Tony Sponar, a Czech-born ski instructor who had trained at St. Anton in Austria and deliberately chose Thredbo for its long fall lines and potential for a European-style village at the base. That founding vision has shaped the resort's character ever since — a compact, walkable alpine village along the Thredbo River, operating as a year-round destination with a summer mountain bike park and direct trail access to Mt Kosciuszko at 2,228m, Australia's highest peak. Thredbo is part of both the Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective networks.
Thredbo spreads 53 runs across 1,186 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 67%, with 8 beginner runs to find your feet and 9 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
The 2026 season at Thredbo runs from 6 June to 5 October, a four-month window consistent with the NSW alpine season calendar. Average annual snowfall reaches 2.5 metres, and the resort's south-facing aspect combined with a base elevation of 1,365m supports reliable coverage through the core July and August period. The snowmaking system covers the majority of front-side terrain including Friday Flat, High Noon and the Supertrail, providing early-season and thin-cover insurance across the resort's key corridors.
August typically delivers peak natural snow depths, while September is well regarded for longer daylight hours, firming spring snow and quieter lifts. A Thredbo Ikon Pass connects the resort with Mammoth, Steamboat, Niseko, Coronet Peak and The Remarkables, among others in the global network. The Saturday night Flare Run — in which skiers descend the Supertrail carrying flares — runs on selected evenings during the season and has become one of the signature events on the Australian alpine calendar.
Thredbo sits within Kosciuszko National Park in the Snowy Mountains of southern New South Wales, accessed via the Alpine Way through Jindabyne. The village is approximately 500km south-west of Sydney, 170km from Canberra and 35 minutes from Jindabyne — the main accommodation and services hub for the region. Unlike Perisher, Thredbo is directly accessible by car with day and overnight parking available in the village, though the Alpine Way requires snow chains on the approach during winter conditions.
Canberra Airport is the most practical flying option, with a 2.5-hour drive to the resort. Sydney Airport is approximately six hours by road. Regular coach services run from both Sydney and Canberra to Jindabyne and Thredbo throughout the season. In summer, Thredbo operates as a mountain biking and hiking destination, with the Merritts Gondola providing lift access to over 40km of marked trails and a 10km walk from the resort to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko.
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Thredbo's season typically runs from June 6 to October 5, roughly 121 days, weather and conditions permitting.
Thredbo has about 1,186 acres skiable across 53 runs.
Thredbo operates 14 lifts in total.
Thredbo averages around 98 inches (8.2 feet) of snowfall per season.
Lift tickets for Thredbo can be purchased directly from the resort online, or in person at the ticket office. See the full pricing breakdown on the lift tickets page.

Sundance Mountain Resort's back mountain is finally getting a proper lift. The Electric Horseman Express opens for 2026-27, unlocking a new bowl next to Bishop's Bowl and three expert gladed chutes across roughly 105 fresh acres - on top of the Storyteller ridge run that debuted in preview form last season. It's Sundance's biggest expansion since 1985, and it turns a three-lift slog into a single six-minute ride to Bearclaw Summit.

Nassfeld is putting €13 million into a new 6-seater chairlift, the Tressdorfer Almbahn, connecting Sonnleitn with the Tressdorfer Alm from December 2026. It replaces three ageing drag lifts and will run through summer too, from June 2027, moving up to 2,500 people an hour on the roughly three-minute ride. It's the latest step in Carinthia's largest ski resort building out a genuine year-round offering, following last year's Gartnerkofelbahn gondola.

Italy's Stelvio Glacier has pulled the plug on summer skiing from August 15. It was the last lift-served ski option left standing in continental Europe, and now there's none. Operator SIFAS pointed to persistent heat, storms, and a snowpack that simply wasn't refreezing overnight anymore. The cable car keeps running. Whether skiing comes back later this summer depends on the weather turning - and right now, nobody's promising anything.

Firefighters saved every base building at Maverick Mountain, Montana, but the resort's sole chairlift didn't survive the Sand Creek Fire. Owners Erik and Kristi Borge say the lift is "most likely" out for the 2026/27 season after flames tore through the mountain on August 8. The wildfire has since grown past 27,700 acres with zero percent containment. It's a gutting result for the tiny, one-lift operation near Dillon - though the lodge, groomers and equipment all made it through untouched.

Fairmont is bringing its second Japanese property to Niseko, and this one's got history. The 165-room resort will rise on the site of the stalled La Plume project, which collapsed into bankruptcy in 2025 before J-Will Partners bought the site for redevelopment. Set between Mount Yotei and Mount Annupuri, it's slated for an early 2028 opening - putting it in play for the 2027/28 season. Expect two restaurants, a spa, onsen bathing, and a kids' club, a short drive from Niseko Village and Hirafu.

Saas-Fee is closing its glacier to summer skiing from Monday, August 10 - the second major Swiss resort to shut in under two weeks after Zermatt suspended operations on August 1. Persistent heat and warm nights that won't let the glacier refreeze are behind the call, per Saastal Bergbahnen. That leaves Italy's Stelvio as the only glacier ski area open in the Alps. Reopening could come as early as August 17, though nothing's confirmed - and racing teams are already looking south instead.

Silvretta Montafon wants to retire one of its most distinctive lifts. The plan: a single 10-person gondola running direct from Schruns to 1,870 metres, replacing both the two-stage Hochjoch cable car and the 1985 Kropfen chairlift in one move. Capacity jumps from 620 to 3,000 people an hour, and the mid-station transfer disappears entirely. The public hearing lands August 27, 2026 - construction hasn't been confirmed yet, though lift databases are pointing to 2027.

Dolomiti Superski's general assembly has unanimously re-elected Andy Varallo for a third consecutive term, running through 2029. Alongside the leadership renewal comes a bigger shift: a Smartpass that puts your ski pass on your smartphone, more AI in guest services, and an expanded Dolomiti Supersummer program. The 46-year-old Alta Badia cable car entrepreneur says the region's marketing is moving beyond skiing alone, toward positioning the Dolomites as a year-round destination.