Steep and cheap are guaranteed. Hitting Craigieburn when it's deep takes a bit more finesse. For straightforward access to amazing terrain, Craigieburn Valley has to be one of the best ski fields in the world. Long runs, steep faces and tight chutes are standard issue here. Craigiburn does cop a fair bit of wind, and the terrain is difficult to control in high avalanche conditions, so it can take a bit longer to open after a major storm. That said, if you get your timing right a good day here will leave you smiling for a long time to come.

The key here is getting the conditions right. Given the sustained difficulty of the terrain and the club field preference for ungroomed snow, bad conditions at Craigieburn can be downright diabolical. But most of the time the skiing here is really good, and occaisionally it's profound. There really are so many options for good lines, and there aren't many ski fields where you can ski this kind of stuff within a patrolled and controlled environment. Outside the ski area boundaries there are a range of good hiking options on various aspects with good fall line vertical.