The 2026 ski season is almost here, and we can't wait to get back into the mountains! This post will give club members a taste of what's in store from the club over the coming season. Whether it’s your first taste of the backcountry or multi-day alpine adventures, we hope to have a range of trips to make it a cracking season.
There is no need to sign up to this trip to get involved, but please join the ANUMC Skiers WhatsApp group.
Feel free to invite your friends to join the WhatsApp group, but they will need to be ANUMC members to join club trips.
Please post any questions, comments or ideas on the WhatsApp chat! The more the chat group is active, the more trips you’ll have the opportunity to join – especially trips organised at late notice (including private trips).
Notional ski trip calendar
June or July – Gear familiarisation day
For people who have never used backcountry ski equipment and want to feel comfortable before tackling an objective (Dead Horse Gap or Thredbo Top Station)
July – introductory backcountry ski day trips
Example locations: Dead Horse Gap to South Ramshead, Thredbo Top Station to Kosciusko lookout, Guthega to Gills Knobs
Late July to season end – intermediate/advanced backcountry day trips
Example locations: Thredbo Top Station to Twin Valleys, Guthega to Guthega Trig and Mt Tate, Thredbo Top Station to Twin Humps
Late July to August – introductory snow camping trips
Example locations: Thredbo Top Station to North Ramshead, Guthega to Tate Flats
August to season end – intermediate/advanced snow camping trips
Example locations: Guthega to Blue Lake (combined skiing/ice climbing trip), Thredbo Top Station to Seamans Hut, Guthega to Mt Twynam, Charlotte Pass to Caruthers, Guthega/Charlotte Pass to Western Faces
If you are a beginner downhill skier/boarder
It is critical that you are honest with yourself and the trip leader about your downhill skiing/boarding abilities.
If you are a beginner downhill skier or boarder, then backcountry skiing/boarding is NOT YET FOR YOU. We welcome your enthusiasm, and we’d love to include you in club activities, but until you have a minimum level of downhill skiing/boarding ability it is not safe for you to venture into the backcountry.
To join "beginner" or "introductory" backcountry ski trips, you must be a confident enough skier/boarder to get down most terrain, even in poor conditions. In practice that means you must be able to:
- Ski blue (intermediate) runs in the resort with confidence
- Ski parallel at all times
- Adapt your technique to different terrain and off-piste conditions
The level of skill needed would require at least several weeks of resort skiing, hopefully including ski lessons. Having skied just a few days in your life, especially if it was years ago, will not be sufficient.
The better your downhill technique is, the more you will get out of your backcountry experience. By contrast, if you don’t have sufficient confidence on the downhill, you may not (yet) have an enjoyable or safe time in the backcountry.
The ANU Snowsports Club runs regular resort trips for all levels if you are looking for a group environment to improve your downhill skiing before heading into the backcountry.
If you are an experienced downhill skier/boarder but have no backcountry experience
If you meet the minimum requirements describe above, then you are welcome to join a beginner club ski day trip! If you’ve never skied in the backcountry, you must start with a beginner club ski trip before progressing to intermediate or advanced trips.
Beginner trips will involve spending time to get familiar with your ski gear and developing concepts important for safety and comfort in the backcountry. These trips will not involve epic goals and day-long grinding ascents.
However, a basic level of fitness will still be required – you will likely be ascending several hundred metres in a day with unfamiliar gear and a moderately heavy pack.
If you have some backcountry skiing/boarding experience
If you have already done at least several days skiing/boarding in the backcountry, and you feel confident on both the downhill and uphill sections, then feel free to join intermediate club ski day trips. If you are not known to the trip leader, you will need to accurately describe your skills and experience so the trip leader can decide who can most appropriately join their trip.
If you have lots of backcountry skier/boarder experience
If you have spent many days skiing/boarding in the backcountry, then please consider organising or co-leading a club ski trip! If you haven’t led a club trip before, feel free to get in touch with the Skiing Officer (details available on the club website here, or you can use the ANUMC Skiers WhatsApp chat group).
Even if you don’t want to lead a trip, you can still use the WhatsApp chat group to float ideas for future trips and find likeminded people.
Snow camping trips
Snow camping trips take you deeper into the backcountry and let you reach terrain that simply isn't accessible on a day trip. We run both beginner and advanced snow camping trips through the season, so there's a pathway whether you're spending your first night out in the snow or you're a seasoned hand looking for a bigger objective.
Snow camping asks more of you than a day trip, so before joining you'll need to meet a few requirements:
- You must meet the same downhill skiing/boarding criteria as our day trips. Carrying a heavy pack makes skiing considerably harder, so solid downhill confidence is essential.
- You must be comfortable hiking with a heavy pack (15 kg or more) over multiple days. Winter loads are heavy once you add a tent, sleeping system, food and group gear, and you'll be carrying it over snow.
- You must have recent camping experience. Snow camping is not the place to learn the basics of living out of a pack, so we expect you to already be comfortable with the fundamentals of camping before adding winter conditions on top.
Beginner snow camping trips focus on getting you set up for a safe and comfortable night out, building on skills you've developed on day trips. Advanced trips head further afield with more committing objectives and longer days.
If you're not sure whether your experience is a good fit, get in touch with the trip leader or post in the WhatsApp group. Being honest about your skills and experience helps the leader put together a safe trip that everyone enjoys.
That's a taste of what the 2026 season has in store. Trips will firm up as the now (eventually) arrives. There will be lots of trips organised at relatively short notice once conditions are suitable, so the WhatsApp group is the best place to stay in the loop.
We're looking forward to getting out there with you. See you in the mountains!