Roundhill Ski and Snowboard Terrain

Roundhill Ski Field is essentially made up of three areas. The learners’ area is conveniently located adjacent to the car park. Above the day lodge is the T-bars area that has a few intermediate runs, one green run and the terrain park. These two areas form the “old” part of the ski field that covers 60 hectares and provides only 255 metres of vertical drop. The “old” Roundhill has no advanced terrain.

The third lift accessed area was created in 2010 with the installation of the Heritage Express Ropetow. This has changed the mountain stats substantially in relation to vertical, size and the spread of terrain for different ability levels. This black run area consists of a wide face that is super long and is guaranteed to obliterate the thighs! The trail map has a few runs marked on it, but in reality the trails are not sign-posted and the area is just a big off-piste playground.

Roundhill Lifts

The “old” part has a T-bar, a platter lift and a couple of short kiddie rope tows. There is also a new T-bar that operates on “busy” days (some weekends), which opens up a blue run and some easy off-piste terrain.

Roundhill are chuffed that the new ropetow is incredibly long and is reportedly the longest in the world at 1.47km. It’s questionable as to whether this should be a source of pride. In our opinion it’s too long, especially for inexperienced nutcracker riders. If the nutcracker slips on the rope just a fraction, it’s a gruelling ride to make it all the way to the top. However considering the continuous pitch of the slope, it wouldn’t have been possible for Roundhill to put in progressive ropetows.

Other than the great terrain, the ropetow also has lots going for it. Firstly it’s brand new so the pulleys are lovely and novices are less inclined to pull the rope off. It’s also really easy to get onto as the ropetow goes downhill initially. The rope sits on the left of the skier or snowboarder, so goofy snowboarders will find it easier than regular/natural footed riders.

If you don’t know what a nutcracker ropetow is, or how the hell you’re supposed to ride one, check out our hints and tips on the nutcracker ropetow page.

Lift Tickets

The lift tickets for Roundhill are reasonably priced and discounts are available for use of the platter lift only and half days (after 12:15pm). Roundhill is also covered on the Chill pass.

Roundhill Snow and Weather Conditions

Roundhill is not blessed with an abundance of snowfall and only receives about 2.3 metres on average per season. The ski field does well out of easterly storms whereas westerlies are more common.

The elevation of the “old part” is only 1,600 metres, although temperatures are still reasonably low and the T-bar area is somewhat protected from the direct sun. Consequently the snow is reasonably well retained, and they have man-made white stuff to top up the cover.

The ropetow goes up to an impressive elevation of 2,133 metres, but the “Who’s Your Daddy slope” (as I like to call it!) is subject to melt-freeze cycles. It's a west facing slopes so the morning snow conditions may be hell-ish but after 1pm the slope may soften delightfully, particularly on the north facing parts of the little ridges. A lot of effort goes into avalanche control via blasting and the like, but it’s still worth wearing an avalanche transponder, especially if travelling beyond the resort boundary.

For the Beginner

Roundhill only has a small area for beginners, which in some respects is good, but the variety is somewhat limited. The dedicated beginners’ area is free of speedsters that may intimidate those trying to master some basics. The slope is very wide and gentle, and not particularly long.

The next progression is a reasonably big jump to the green run off the main T-bar. It’s somewhat steep for a green run, but it has plenty of width.

Roundhill Intermediate Ski Terrain

The “old” ski area is rather small and there are only a handful of blue runs so there’s not huge variety for intermediates. The slopes are beautifully groomed, and considering the distinct lack of crowds, you’ll probably still get fresh ‘roys at lunch time.

Intermediates can also start practising their off-piste skills in the various areas between the groomed runs.

For the Family & Kids

The Roundhill ski terrain is well set up for families with small children. The compactness of the ski area means that you can easily keep track of the family, and the ability to park the car on the edge of the novices’ slope is a huge bonus. For the really wee ones, the cute little fenced off area is also great.

Terrain Park

“Central Park” is serviced by the T-bar and has hits for various ability levels including jumps, rollers and boxes. The novices’ area also has a few little baby jumps for a bit of fun.

Advanced Roundhill Skiing & Boarding

The new “Who’s Your Daddy Slope” is a long broad continuous slope with plenty of pitch. Other than a few little gully indentations, the slope is pure fall line skiing. Traverses to either side of the ropetow provide a multitude of lines. This is rather delightful but may result in a bit of déjà vu. Some sources cite that the terrain has chutes, but this is not true unless you call tiny grooves in the slope a chute.

A traverse to the skiers’ far left crosses the resort boundary where freshies generally abound. Egress is via a small creek crossing to get back into the resort near the platter lift.

For the Powderhound

The distinct lack of skier traffic at Roundhill can be incredibly beneficial to powderhounds, with fresh lines likely to last for days. We visited Roundhill 10 days after a snowfall and there were still an abundance of freshies. Sure it wasn’t powder, but fresh creamy lines still make a powder hound’s tail wag a lot!

The ropetow also provides access to some amazing backcountry touring terrain.