Heavy vehicles visiting Victorian Alpine Resorts in winter can encounter challenging conditions requiring special equipment and driver training. For buses and coaches with 13 or more seats this training is mandatory under VicRoads Regulations. This applies to declared hazardous roads during the snow season, normally June to September, and is especially applicable to Mt Baw Baw, which has the steepest access road of any alpine resort in Australia.

From 2017 Mountain-Top Experience has been approved by VicRoads to provide Hazardous Area Authority Bus Driver Training courses. Our expertise in this area is based on our Advanced 4WD Driver Training Courses since 1999, which are widely regarded as the highest quality in Victoria, together with previously having operated Mt Baw Baw Transport Service and Experience Bus Hire and Charter businesses. Due to the challenging nature of the Mt Baw Baw access roads, our HAA qualification is expected to exceed the requirements of any other Alpine Resort in Victoria, NSW or Tasmania (except Mt Hotham, for which VicRoads require separate training). Our principal trainer is Dr Ron Camier who is a qualified engineer and trainer/assessor, and whose aim is to make the course enjoyable as well as educational.

For the coming snow season we have two-day residential courses based at Mountain Rivers Tourist Park, Rawson, at prices which include discounted motel accommodation and discounts for each subsequent participant on the same booking. These courses usually are at the start of the season, and prior to school holidays, and should be particularly convenient for charter companies, school bus groups, emergency service vehicles and delivery trucks from Gippsland and Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

• Introduction, driver licencing and accreditation, fatigue management, resort regulations
• Mt Baw Baw roads, terrain hazards, village familiarisation
• Bus and equipment, trailers, passenger management
• Chain fitting, usage
• Snowbound road ascent techniques, traffic negotiation
• Snowbound road descent techniques, accident avoidance, skid recovery
• Black ice
• Alpine parking
• After-trip cleaning
• Written and practical testing

• Motel classroom slide show, vehicle/chain familiarisation, optional dinner at local pub, Canadian/Alaskan ice road video critique.
• Pre-checks, drive South Face road/radio commentary, entry ascent/descent, timed chain fitting, lunch at Mt Baw Baw Village.
• Drive Mt Baw Baw Tourist Road/radio commentary, entry ascent/descent, timed chain fitting.
• Drive South Face road, entry ascent/descent practical tests, written knowledge test/discussion, certificates, lunch at Rawson.
• Vehicle cleaning/checking (tar and salt), further re-testing as required.

• Own coach or bus (with maximum two trainee drivers per vehicle)
• Driver: Heavy vehicle licence (VicRoads), Driver Accreditation Certificate (Commercial Passenger Vehicles Vic), National Driver Work Diary.
• Driver equipment: warm/waterproof clothing, head-torch, nitrile gloves.
• Bus equipment: Wheel chains (diamond pattern), plastic sheet/small tarp, wheel chocks, portable warning devices (safety triangles), UHF radio and pre-start checklist.