Hotham Alpine Resort
The Hotham Alpine Resort is an Australian ski resort, located in the Alpine region of Victoria. Set on the slopes of Mount Hotham, the ski resort comprises an alpine village, situated at an altitude of , making it the second highest resort village in Australia after Charlotte Pass village, in New South Wales. Hotham Alpine Resort is an unincorporated area of Victoria surrounded by the locality of Hotham Heights in the Alpine Shire. Road access to the resort is via the Great Alpine Road, located approximately west of and south of . Hotham Alpine Resort is located approximately northeast  of Melbourne. Ownership and operation. The resort is operated by Mt Hotham Resort Management Board and Vail Resorts, who purchased the asset from Merlin Entertainments. Vail Resorts' operating company is Mount Hotham Skiing Company (MHSC), that was granted a lease from the Government of Victoria via the Mt Hotham Resort Management Board. A subsidiary company of MHSC operates the Mount Hotham Airport. Skiing. Most of the skiing is based on one side of a large valley, and the area connects to the Bogong High Plains. Hotham Alpine Resort features of ski area including of tree-lined cross-country trails and  a network of fourteen lifts. The longest run at Hotham Alpine Resort is . Hotham features an abundance of runs for skiers and boarders of all standards from beginners (20%) to intermediates (40%) and advanced (40%). The resort is home to one of Australia's most difficult runs, the steep "Mary's Slide". It is also home to Australia's only biathlon range. Lifts. winter, the following ski lifts are in operation: A list of all 30 lifts that have operated at Hotham over the years is at the Australian Ski Lift Directory. Climate. Hotham Alpine Resort holds the record for  the highest annual precipitation of any Victorian resort over the past decade. As with most of the Australian Alps, Mount Hotham's climate is, compared to the bulk of Australia, cold throughout the year; with particularly cold maximum temperatures, and Mount Hotham is one of very few areas in Australia that frequently records maximum temperatures below freezing. Mount Hotham is also one of the only places in Australia to have never recorded a temperature above . During the early 2009 southeastern Australia heat wave, whilst most of the state sweltered above , the mountain's peak temperature was a mild . Snow and  sub-zero temperatures can be recorded throughout the year, even in mid-summer; however, due to frequent winter cloud and the mountain's exposed position, a temperature below has only once-occurred since records began in 1990. Owing to its short, cool summers and long, very cold winters, Mount Hotham yields a subpolar oceanic climate ("Cfc") with alpine climate ("ET") influences.