After two years of construction, Thredbo Resort has launched its new Merritts Gondola, just in time for the resort opening on Monday 22 June. The gondola replaces the previous Merritts double chairlift and is the only alpine gondola in Australia.
Voted Australia’s Best Ski Resort in the World Ski Awards for three consecutive years, Thredbo says the new Merritts Gondola investment will further enhance this position, replacing the Merritts double chairlift and quadrupling capacity on the snow.
The New South Wales resort has also invested this year in a new car park, improvements to its Dream Run including snowmaking, an expanded grooming fleet, and has continued to introduce new sustainability measures all of which the resort says will “contribute to delivering an enhanced experience for visitors to Thredbo.”
The new cabin-style Gondola is similar to those found in Europe and North America. It represents the culmination of two years of planning and development, delivering a new crucial inter-mountain link.
Here’s how it all came together…
Stuart Diver, General Manager of Thredbo Resort said: “The investment being made in Thredbo is really exciting to see, and I have no doubt Thredbo customers will agree,”
“Snow lovers will be thrilled with easier access to the Cruiser area and the Friday Flat beginners’ area, and with the improvements, we have made to the popular Dream Run, including a new automated snowmaking system.”
Stuart Diver, General Manager of Thredbo Resort
“The launch of the Gondola is a huge event for Thredbo and the entire community who have worked so hard to make this happen. It is a remarkable engineering achievement thanks to the tenacity and depth of knowledge and expertise at Doppelmayr, the world’s leading manufacturer of ski lifts.”
What difference will the new Merritts Gondola make?
- Easier access for Village guests of all abilities to the Friday Flat and Cruiser area.
- Fast turnaround access from the Gondola Mid-Station to the Top-Station for intermediate and advanced ski and snowboarders accessing the popular Dream Run and its surrounding tree runs.
- Easier access for foot and scenic passengers to the Merritts Mountain House.
- Reduced pressure on the Kosciuszko Express and Gunbarrel Express chairlifts.
Thredbo is impressively Australia’s first snow resort to have all major resort operations powered by 100% renewable energy together with Red Energy and Snowy Hydro.
New environmental initiatives for 2020 include sugarcane pulp food packaging (certified compostable and sustainable) and a closed-loop organics recycling machine, doubling Thredbo’s food waste recycling capacity.
In addition, Thredbo has undertaken an extensive rehabilitation native planting project and used repurposed materials in the construction of the new Friday Flat car park retaining walls.
Clearly, the 2020 snow season will look a lot different this year with social distancing measures in place, reduced capacity on the snowfields and a range of other health and hygiene measures to ensure COVID-19 safety.
The appetite to visit the snow this year though appears to know no bounds with Thredbo’s website crashing last week after an estimated 25,000 people tried to book lift tickets at the same time.
Find out more: www.thredbo.com.au