Locals have exposed the grim reality of Australia’s ski slopes as unusually warm weather batters the country’s east coast.
The mountains are now muddy, slippery and almost bare, instead of covered in powder snow as in previous weeks.
Those who recently snapped photos of Thredbo Alpine Resort’s popular Supertrail provided a ‘reality check’ to tourists hoping to squeeze in another weekend of snow.
In the photos shared on the Facebook group ‘Snowy Mountains Uncensored’ there is little to no snow visible. Large areas of bare ground and brush dominate the area.
Ski and snowboard fans were devastated by the update. Many had planned to go for the weekend, but had already spent hundreds of euros on ski passes and accommodation in advance.
Many wondered whether it was worth hitting the slopes at this time of year.
This comes as the country experiences its highest winter temperatures ever recorded, while the country struggles with an unexpected heat wave.
The news quickly caught the attention of both locals and tourists, who were disappointed that the season appeared to be ending prematurely.
The photos shared on the Facebook group ‘Snowy Mountains Uncensored’ show little to no snow, with large swaths of bare ground and brush dominating the area.
“What a joke,” someone wrote.
“It was a very sad season,” said another.
“Go to Japan or don’t bother,” warned a third. “Too bad, thanks for the update.”
“It’s more or less spring now, the sun is starting to shine, the snow is melting. These are facts. Stop whining,” another bot added.
Despite the unusually warm weather, Thredbo Resort is still open for skiing and snowboarding.
A Thredbo spokesperson told FEMAIL that the resort has been providing fantastic snow conditions over the past two months. Although the recent warmer weather and rainfall has had an impact on the mountain, there are still several lifts and trails open for guests to enjoy.
Thredbo’s purpose-built Friday Flat beginners’ area is currently open, providing the ultimate terrain for learning to ski or snowboard.
The Cruiser area also remains open, offering access to a number of popular family-friendly trails including Walkabout, Ballroom and High Noon, as well as Australia’s only Halfpipe, which is open to all.
With snowfall and colder temperatures expected in the coming weeks, Thredbo is aiming to open as much terrain as conditions allow.
It is not the first complaint to be made on the Australian slopes this year.
Earlier this year, an Australian father was shocked to see how expensive ski lift passes are today compared to 34 years ago.
Michael Atkinson has been skiing all his life and visits Perisher ski resort in New South Wales every year.
He said a ride to a taxi cost him $46 in 1990, when he was 14, but now customers have to pay $249.
The father of two, better known as @outback_mike Online, he describes in detail how he used to stock shelves at Woolworths for $7 an hour and could save up money for one shift after a seven-hour shift.
Now his 15-year-old son, who earns $17 an hour, must work twice as much to save enough money for one pass.
“And it’s not inflation because I’ve put it into an RBA inflation calculator and it should cost $107 today. If you add VAT to that, because that came later, it should cost $118,” he said in the video.
‘Adjusted for inflation, the ski pass should cost $118. It’s more than double that. Absolutely insane.’
However, some skiers criticized the father’s calculation, noting that he was comparing a child’s pass from 1990 to an adult pass from 2024.
At Perisher, a child pass costs between $95 and $124 if you pre-order it, and up to $136 for a same-day pass. This is more in line with its GST and inflation calculation.
However, Perisher counts anyone 15 and over as an adult. Adult day passes cost between $172 and $226 if purchased in advance – up to $249 for a same-day ticket.
Day passes to Thredbo were cheaper everywhere, with tickets for teenagers costing up to $112 per day.
Mr Atkinson told FEMAIL the expensive hobby is becoming increasingly “unaffordable” for the average Australian.
“I think it will widen the gap between rich and poor,” he said.
The avid traveller says he will never give up skiing, despite the cost, and that it is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of the price increase.
The disappointed father highlighted the price difference in an Instagram video that has since gone viral and has been viewed more than 2.8 million times.