We Tried It: Perisher's New Women-Only Ski Weekend Is the Ultimate Winter Escape from Sydney

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We Tried It: Perisher's New Women-Only Ski Weekend Is the Ultimate Winter Escape from Sydney

After a decade-long hiatus from skiing, this female-led programme at Australia's largest alpine resort proved to be the perfect way to rediscover the magic of the slopes.

Following a fairly modest start to the NSW Snowy Mountains season, the night of July 28 delivered a stunning blanket of fresh powder — by the time we arrived, Perisher was sitting pretty with over 80cm of snow cover. I'd signed up to trial the resort's debut Women's Ski Weekend and, having not clipped into skis for ten years, I'll admit to a flutter of nerves. Those nerves evaporated the moment we hit the slopes on July 30, with a blazing blue sky overhead, not a breath of wind, and the full moon sinking behind the ridgeline. Beyond the pristine conditions, the days spent inside Perisher's snow-globe bubble, guided by one of the resort's phenomenal female coaches, reignited a childhood passion I'd almost forgotten. By the trip's end, I had fully rediscovered the joy, freedom and adrenaline that had drawn me to the mountains in the first place — with noticeably sharper technique to boot.

The journey from Sydney clocks in at around six hours — we broke ours up with an overnight stay in Tarago, a stretch session at Jindabyne's Centred Health Pilates studio, and a hearty three-course dinner at the Man From Snowy River Hotel. The formal programme kicked off with a welcome breakfast at Perisher Valley Hotel's Snowgums Lobby, where we linked up with our coach and the rest of our squad of ski sisters.

Our coach was Veronika Larson, a Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance trainer who spends her northern winters coaching at Whistler. With an intuitive read on each skier's quirks and potential, she was the ideal guide: warm, endlessly patient, and armed with pinpoint personalised feedback. Having only taken up skiing at 30, Veronika gets what fear feels like — and how life-changing it is to have someone genuinely believe in you. Within the first hour we were charging down pitches I wouldn't have dreamed of attempting on day one. Across both days we clocked roughly six hours of on-snow coaching, moving across the resort's sprawling terrain. The programme caters to lower-intermediate through to advanced skiers and boarders, offering movement analysis, tailored instruction and priority lift access — which translates to more skiing and less queuing. Lunch is included daily, giving everyone a chance to swap war stories over generous plates of chicken parmigiana before heading back up the mountain.

Day one wrapped with skiing's most sacred ritual: apres. Happily exhausted, we gathered at Snowgums Lobby Bar for celebratory glasses of Champagne. If you're travelling solo, the retreat format is brilliantly social — you're grouped with women who share your passion, and there's frankly nothing more bonding than chasing someone's tracks down a glittering mountainside.

Day two brought another full day on snow under Veronika's watchful eye, including a ride on the ski tube down to Blue Cow — a separate hub within Perisher Resort — where we carved fresh runs ranging from wide, buffed-out groomers to enchanting trails threading through snow gums.

For Sydney-based skiers, Perisher ticks every box. At roughly five and a half hours' drive from the CBD, it's a genuinely doable weekend snow destination. As Australia's biggest alpine resort, its four interconnected areas mean terrain for every ability level and new pockets to explore each day.

Off the mountain, there's plenty to keep the stoke alive. The apres scene is lively — particularly on Saturday nights when the resort runs twilight skiing — and the village is dotted with cafes, restaurants and lodges. Our top picks include Sundeck, the Man From Snowy River Hotel and Perisher Valley Hotel. In need of recovery? The Mountain Spa at the Man From Snowy River is a hidden wellness gem, with warmly lit treatment rooms, a hair salon, an anti-gravity yoga studio and a recovery suite loaded with compression boots, high-tech massage chairs, a sauna and a cold plunge. We road-tested everything, but the standout is the two-hour recovery suite session at AU$99 — and with opening hours from 7am to 10pm, you can easily squeeze it in around your journey home.

We stayed at the Man From Snowy River Hotel and adored it: a charmingly retro, impossibly cosy base mere steps from the lifts, with a superb dining room (dinner is included, and the three-course menu changes daily) and an adjoining pub that's a bona fide local institution. Other strong options include Marritz Hotel for its indoor pool — floor-to-ceiling windows framing the slopes make for a surreal swimming experience — and Corroboree Lodge, an alpine bolthole radiating the sort of don't-make-me-leave warmth that only a beloved family-run spot can conjure.

There are few places where stepping outside your comfort zone feels quite as rewarding as it does on snow. One flawless run can leave you grinning ear to ear; the next can have you questioning every life choice. But when you're surrounded by a crew of women cheering you on rather than racing ahead, the mountain feels infinitely less intimidating. That's the philosophy behind Perisher's Women's Ski and Snowboard Weekend: a two-day programme created by women, for women, that pairs elite coaching with ample opportunities to connect — both on and off the slopes. After the inaugural August edition sold out at lightning speed, a second weekend has been added for September 12–13, 2026, giving more Sydneysiders the chance to sharpen their skills before the season winds down. The package covers two full days of coaching, a welcome breakfast, two lunches, Saturday afternoon Champagne and bespoke instruction throughout. Lift tickets are sold separately. August 15–16 is fully booked; spots remain for September 12–13, with 2027 dates yet to be announced.