WERE you lucky enough to get overseas for a summer 'snow fix'?
After last year's stop–start lockdown laden "season interruptus", so many Mt Hotham and Falls Creek skiers and snowboarders were looking forward to an overseas jaunt for some blessed snow relief.
Sadly for many, the dream of heading to Japan remained just that, a dream.
With borders remaining closed all we could do was watch and wonder what may have been as parts of Japan recorded some of their highest ever annual snowfalls.
Places like Lotte Arai recorded over 22 metres of snow for the season and a base depth of over five metres.
To say it caused a few issues with lift infrastructure is an understatement but oh the possibilities!
Anyone that chanced their arm in January or February and headed to Austria or eastern Switzerland would have been rewarded with loads of uncrowded powder days in what was otherwise a difficult season for much of the Alps in Europe.
After a great start, a warm and dry period in the western and southern Alps (France and Italy) from January to March was somewhat demoralising, with some deep snowfalls from early April onward providing a cold comfort, consolation prize to those that lamented an otherwise highly anticipated season.
This correspondent was lucky enough to spend much of the northern winter in Austria following the snow and visiting 38 different ski areas*.
With some COVID related travel issues still present (but not inhibiting), skiing during cold, deep snow blizzards where one was all alone on a chairlift was not uncommon.
Catching up with friends and family throughout Austria was a bonus too, including an incredible off–piste adventure day with Hotham ski instructor and Higher Education owner, Nic Higginson.
Relatively unknown resorts with skiable verticals up to 1500m provided absolutely fabulous conditions.
Places to put on your powder–day hit list include Gargellen, See, Nauders, Kappl, Zauchensee, the Pass Thurn sector of Kitzbuhel plus Kaunertal Glacier.
Larger resorts that impressed us greatly included Silvretta Montafon and Serfaus–Fiss–Ladis.
In Switzerland, the usual suspects of Engelberg and Lauchernalp had the most consistent snowpack with upper bases still over three metres deep in mid–April.
A brief trip across the border allowed for skiing some fabulous Swiss resorts including the unknown (but huge) Meiringen Hasliberg, plus the Jungfrau's Grindelwald, Wengen, First and Mürren–Schilthorn.
Away from the Alps, Georgia in the Caucasus, plus the Balkans (think cat skiing and ski touring in North Macedonia) had stellar seasons which lasted deep into April.
Similarly, Norway experienced prime conditions heading all the way into May.
Backcountry ski tourers in the Lyngen Alps and Finnmark were sliding down to sea level almost with the midnight sun.
These locations provide extraordinary ski experiences for he more adventurous amongst us.
In the US and Canada the season was mixed, with dry conditions for much of the time, but with the Pacific North West and western Canada having the most consistent season.
Much of the USA experienced a good start in November/ December, followed by a long dry mid–season, finally topped up by loads of late season snow.
By mid–April, the snow magnet of Mt Baker in Washington state had nearly 16 metres of snow fall for the season.
For everyone back in Oz, we will be more than satisfied with an average snowfall year of three metres but hoping for more...lots more!
It is going to be a blast regardless. See you on the hill.
*Footnote – Chris is 'Powderhounds Europe' on the website www.powderhounds.com where you can find unbiased info about the best ski resorts and snow experiences in the world. He spends his time in January and February flitting about from European resort to resort testing out their powder day potential so you don't have to guess where is best when you decide to go.
