A frosty good time

A frosty good time

AS the old saying goes, what happens on the mountain stays on at the mountain.

However, the annual Frosty Fruits Ski Trip August 21 -26 was just so much fun and games (and much more) that sticking to this tradition would be worse than keeping your pants on at a sauna.

With over 40 people/snow queens from all over Australia descending on Mt Hotham (aka “Australia’s gayest mountain”) for a five-day extravaganza of on and off-snow activities, the conditions were ideal, frocks outstanding, tantrums kept to a low and entertainment and hospitality done to perfection.

With attendees boarding and skiing and covering all levels from snow virgins to powder hounds, the trip was just as fun on the snow as it was off. There really was never a dull moment during the entire five days of madness, partying, dining, serious hangovers, oh and let us not forget the skiing, too. Hats off to Mt Hotham management who not only allowed us to take over the place, but went above and beyond to make sure that we felt really welcome at the bars, restaurants and accommodation venues.

Before I divulge the world’s worst-kept secret (the off-slope activities), perhaps I should first focus on the skiing. We were really lucky to have been part of what was considered Australia’s best ski seasons in years, and all areas of the Hotham Ski Resort were open for the duration of the trip. This meant that it was not only fun but also easy to spend an entire day roaming between the various slopes (and watering holes) of Hotham which covered everything from leisurely green runs to the horrifying cliff hanger black diamond runs.

What’s really great about Hotham is that it is completely hangover-friendly. What this means is that you can walk outside your accommodation any time in the morning, up about 50 meters and be on the slopes ready to roll/ski. Being so close also meant that having an afternoon lala consisting of a spa bath, and quick browse of the apps and websites is totally achievable before hitting the slopes again for the lazy afternoon ski. For those who were not so fond of an entire day of skiing, there were a couple of fab day spas that featured plenty of first-class pampering and opportunities to rest and soak the calve muscles too.

So, the off-snow activities. Firstly, hats off to Frosty Fruits Management who ensured that every meal was looked after, our luggage was carried to and from our chalets and that we ski bunnies of various experience always knew where to turn up to have the latest and greatest in wines, food and entertainment. A highlight from the hospitality department was the Friday night Nordic Feast (much like a giant Christmas in July) and the T-Bar Tranny Trivia Night on Saturday which almost ended in tears as teams tried to boost their chances of winning the highly sought after prizes  the marketing intern and a resort manager  by purchasing answers to questions. The tears soon turned to joy as these two highly sought-after prizes not only stripped down to their underwear and table hopped the entire room but more importantly, the night raised over $1300 for Merlin’s Magic Wand Charity, Hotham’s designated charity.

With Grindr, Hornet, Scruff and Manhunt (have I mentioned them all?) constantly running in the background as one would expect during the taking over of a mountain by a gay ski group, most of us just couldn’t be bothered. There wasn’t even time for snow fights or snowman building. Outside the group, the next nearest person on those apps was usually 40 odd kilometres away in another resort. The Hotham Heli Link which was available at $170 each way, seemed like a glam way to travel for a shag but also a little silly given the fun we all had together anyway.

It’s quite hard to pick out the highlight of a five day ski trip consisting of 40-plus great people at Australia’s gayest mountain, but one thing that stands out was the instant camaraderie amongst everyone. Whether it was discussing sleeping aids for the trip back, the latest Doctor Who series, who was wearing what or which group member had the biggest on-piste tantrum for the day, the Frosty Fruits Ski Trip 2014 was a blast.

At next year’s event, hopefully we’ll build a snowman.

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DISCLAIMER: The author of this piece was a guest of Frosty Fruits.

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