Eiger Chalet: The Lodge that Helped Shape Perisher

On a clear winter morning in Perisher Valley, snow-covered ridgelines stretch across the horizon, the wind carving patterns through wide alpine bowls while skiers trace quiet lines down the slopes. Today the valley hums with chairlifts, modern facilities and thousands of visitors each winter. But sixty years ago, it was a very different place.

Published June 2026, words Mandy Lamont photos The Velvet Glove

In the early 1960s Perisher was still an emerging frontier of Australian skiing. A handful of lifts served the mountains, the roads were unpredictable in winter, and the valley held only a scattering of small lodges. Among the first of those lodges was Eiger Chalet, a place that would help shape the culture of skiing in Australia.

The Eiger story begins with Garry Fischer and his wife Marjorie, who first visited Perisher in 1960. Standing in the valley beneath the sweeping Snowy Mountains landscape, they saw something others were only beginning to imagine; a destination that could one day rival established ski areas around the world.

At the time, such a vision required both optimism and determination. Infrastructure was limited, the alpine environment was demanding, and winter tourism in Australia was still developing. Nevertheless, the Fischers secured a government lease and began building what would become the Eiger Chalet; inspired by the great alpine lodges of Europe and brought to life in the heart of the Snowy Mountains.

In its earliest seasons the lodge welcomed only a small number of guests each week. Skiers travelled long distances, often navigating unpredictable winter roads before arriving at the warm glow of the chalet. Inside, the atmosphere was intimate and lively. After long days skiing the slopes, guests gathered for shared meals, the day’s stories and the kind of spontaneous conversations that often happen in mountain lodges.

Over time the chalet expanded, eventually hosting around fifty guests per week during the winter season. Its restaurant, the White Spider, became a favourite gathering place for skiers across the valley. But beyond the accommodation and dining, Eiger Chalet offered something more valuable: a sense of belonging.

Staff, visitors and owners formed a close-knit community bound together by the rhythm of mountain life; early mornings, changing weather, deep snowfalls and evenings spent sharing stories by the fire. Later, Uwe Boehm joined as a managing partner, helping guide the chalet through new stages of growth while maintaining its welcoming character.

Over the decades, the valley surrounding Eiger Chalet evolved dramatically. New lifts expanded the terrain, visitor numbers grew, and Perisher gradually developed into Australia’s largest ski resort, incorporating the resorts of Blue Cow, Smiggins and Guthega. Yet through all these changes, the chalet remained closely tied to the pioneering era that shaped the region, a time when Australian skiing still carried the spirit of exploration.

In 2012 Glenn Frost noticed the Eiger was for sale. For the Frost family, it carried a sense of familiarity. Glenn had managed club lodges in the 1970s and the family had spent many winters skiing in Perisher, often ending the day at the White Spider Bar. Eighteen months later Glenn and Jenny Frost, together with their daughter Hayley Gooley and her partner Adrian Gooley, purchased the business.

For Hayley and Adrian, both passionate skiers/snowboarders and high-school sweethearts, the move marked the beginning of a life in the mountains. After their second season running the lodge, they were married. Twelve seasons on, they are raising two young daughters, Vivienne and Mimi-Rae, in the rhythms of alpine life.

Today Hayley and Adrian operate the almost seventy-year-old lodge with the support of Glenn and Jenny Frost. With 30 rooms, an à la carte restaurant seating eighty guests and one of the liveliest après-ski scenes on the mountain, the Eiger continues to thrive as both accommodation and social hub- the local swill.

Live music fills the bar from four to six in the afternoon every second evening throughout winter, and every night during the peak of August, drawing skiers together at the end of the day. Yet despite its energy, the philosophy behind the chalet remains simple.

“We focus on creating a family-friendly chalet with a homely feel and exceptional service,” Hayley explains from the Keller Bar, a cosy space that doubles as a private dining room or quiet retreat.

“The building has charm and character. Our job is to make everything else warm, clean and comfortable, provide great food and genuine hospitality. That’s why guests keep coming back year after year.”

Over the past decade the Frosts and Gooleys have navigated everything from packed seasons to pandemic uncertainty. In 2022 the chalet was at full capacity from opening weekend through to closing. Now with young children in the mix, priorities are shifting.

“We’re here for the lifestyle and to spend time with the kids,” Hayley says. “At times I’m probably in over my head,” she admits with a laugh. “But I love it. This is where I’m meant to be.”

Her favourite ski partner these days is four year old Vivienne. “When she asks to go skiing, I drop everything,” she says. “Even though it takes longer to get ready than the ski itself.”

Located just 100 metres from the Quad Express chairlift and a short walk from the Ski Tube, the Eiger offers rare ski-in, ski-out convenience combined with traditional alpine charm. Timber interiors, a warm guest lounge, wine and dine options, a traditional sauna and panoramic mountain views make it feel both storied and welcoming.

From its founding by Garry Fischer, through the Boehm years, and now under the care of the Frost and Gooley families, the Eiger endures as a symbol of the pioneering spirit that helped build Australia’s ski culture. Whether guests are returning for their fifteenth winter or stepping into snow for the very first time, it remains what it has always been: a place where alpine stories begin.

eiger.com.au