Lake Mountain

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lake Mountain
A ski trail at Lake Mountain with recent snowfall
Elevation	1,482 metres AHD (4,862 feet)
Location	Victoria, Australia
Range	Great Dividing Range
Coordinates	37°30′S 145°53′E
First ascent	Unknown
Easiest route	Short hike from carpark

Lake Mountain is a cross-country ski resort in Victoria 90 km from Melbourne. It is the most popular ski resort in Australia in visitor numbers due to its proximity to the populous city of Melbourne, mainly from casual visitors.

There is no actual lake at Lake Mountain, the area was named after George Lake, who was the Surveyor-General of the area including the mountain. The Lake Mountain Alpine Resort is situated in a saddle between Lake Mountain and Echo Flat and provides access to a 37km cumulative trail network through the surrounding Yarra Ranges National Park. It is an exclusively cross-country skiing resort, but the majority (80%) of the visitors to the resort throughout the year are a family demographic, with family groups being the main constituents. There are up to seven toboggan runs, though two main runs, which are open to the public. The first and most popular is directly adjacent to the Lake Mountain Alpine Resort Day Visitor Centre, while the second brachiates off of the first for a longer and somewhat steeper slope. Snowboarding is not permitted.

The centre was opened on the 12th of June, 2004, a public holiday celebrating the Queen's Birthday. It cost $3.7 million along with the refurbishment and restructuring of two other buildings, a toilet block & visitor's locker room area, and the Ski Patroller's Centre, the main area for the coordination and first aid treatments employed by the Ski Patrollers.

It has several other facilities, such as two fully equipped conference centres and a liscenced cafe' bar. The Heights Bar and Cafe' remains open all year round, to accommodate bushwalkers and bike riders.

In 2005, the Ski Patroller's Centre was equipped to operate as "Snow Gum Lodge" during the off-season, generally available between November and May, for secluded and private overnight stays. It is the only accommodation on-mountain.

Web Cams

Links