By CHRIS EPSKAMP

THE cold wave of snow washes across your face, leaving one breathless but in ecstasy.

And then again and again, turn after turn, perhaps proving that not all white powder addictions are bad for you!

Skiing and snowboarding deep, dry, untracked powder is the pinnacle of the sport.

The float, the wave, the face shot, the perfect line..... Entire seasons or overseas trips can be made or broken on just one big powder day.

In the Australian Alps, Mt Hotham ranks as the best in the land for powder seekers.

Even so, scoring some requires a touch of good luck, and a healthy dose of good management.

Addictions can be strange; tough to manage.

They drive one to acts of madness that most people baulk at.

Travelling by car for eight hours to get one day of delicious powder skiing during the fiercest storm of the season is not deemed sane by most people, but powder chasers are not ‘most people’.

Skiing powder in Australia can be as good as anywhere in the world on its day.

Mt Hotham offers the best of it.

And even in a ‘sub–optimal’ season, there is always at least one or two cracking ‘pow’ days.

Most Australian skiers will be aware of the pleasures of skiing deep powder in Japan or the fabulous resorts in the USA and Canada, but many have ‘forgotten’ the joys of skiing Europe.

Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Georgia ……… the list goes on.

From the glaciers of the high alps, tiny village–based ski hills to the sprawling mega–resorts that cross international boundaries and endless freeride backcountry, Europe has it all and more.

But with the COVID pandemic putting the brakes on overseas travel and even our lifts turning on occasions (damn!), we need to make the most of our own limited powder days.

Being caring, sharing kinda people, we think everyone should get a piece of powder in their lives.

So here is this powder–addicted skier’s top 10 tips for scoring the goods (..... deep powder goods that is!) and the perfect Mt Hotham powder day.

1. Be flexible, i.e. able to take a leave a day (or two) from work at very short notice.

2. Know the snowpack and terrain. How much snow is on the ground already and what does the next storm mean? Is it just going to be a veneer on a non–existent, glacial or thin base; or is it the cream on top? We are hunting the cream!

3. Watch the weather and hit the road when any cold storm of 20 to 30cm potential is bearing down. But ask deep powder connoisseur and Powderhounds.com founder Greg Doyle, and he will say some his greatest days at Hotham are on what we call a ‘Doylie–10’ day. A mere 10cm of dry snow on a cold base with a blue sky!

4. Be on the hill or in a nearby valley the night before the storm hits.

5. If extreme winds or big 24hr snow totals are forecast, use the Omeo approach if travelling up to Mt Hotham at night. Everyone on the hill loves it when the Harrietville approach is closed on a powder day, but if you are one of those waiting down in that valley, disappointment reigns supreme!

6. Get up and out early. The early bird gets the worm, and if you snooze, you lose or at least will need to push further to, and beyond the boundaries to find it. Remember there is at least one big powder run you can do at Hotham without the need for a lift (or skinning). Not too many places in the world one can do that!

7. Ski and ride the storm. Unless a super–cold few days follow, waiting for the storm to clear can render the powder in the resort tracked out or turned to various forms of porridge, elephant snot or something equally less pleasant. On the upside, everyone will thank you for giving away your first tracks!

8. If heading into the awesome Hotham (or Falls Creek) backcountry, have the skills, knowledge and equipment to do it safely and respectfully.

9. For an awesome steep, big vertical descent on a cold, south–aspect slope, go and ski or ride the...........

On second thoughts, rules 9 and 10 need to be learnt for yourself.

Didn't think we were gonna tell you exactly where to score your hit did you?

Suffice to say that the bests powder are earnt.

And if you can’t manage to score a powder day, spending time on snow on the slopes of Hotham, Falls Creek and the surrounding backcountry peaks is a wonderful training ground for developing skills, staying fit, enjoying the outdoors, and developing a snow passion that can lead to amazing ski adventures both at home and overseas.

Enjoy the chase, share it, laugh, whoop and yip when slashing your fresh powder line at Hotham………