The search for Mr Srawn is scheduled to begin again in February or March, privately funded by the Srawn family who have already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the hunt.

In the hope of finding Mr Srawn, they've paid for helicopters, search dog squads, specialist drones and hiking equipment, on top of meals and accommodation for the volunteers.

The 25-year-old Canadian and Bond University student went missing in Kosciuszko National Park in May 2013, after he went for a hike in fine conditions.

His disappearance triggered a large-scale land and air search over two weeks, before the search was abandoned on June 1 due to heavy snow.

NSW Police Monaro Local Area Command superintendent Rod Smith said police continued their search in November and December last year, but were once again unable to find any trace of the missing Canadian.

The family has been running its own search and rescue campaign, hiring specialist Martin Colwell as well as flying volunteers in from Canada to continue the search.

The family was also offering a $100,000 reward for anyone who found their missing relative.

All up, the search has cost the family up to $400,000 dollars, forcing members to sell a car as well as property in India and take out a second mortgage on a house.

"We spent so much that we thought we’d get an outcome [on] the second round [of searching] we funded," a family spokeswoman, Ms Srawn, said.

Unfortunately private searches in June, July, November and December last year found no trace of Mr Srawn.

Ms Srawn said the family was waiting to hear back from emergency services, who had said the search could possibly begin again in three or four weeks.

"We’re just waiting on the email from them," she said. "They have been great and they’ve told people to keep a look out."

Meanwhile, she said Mr Colwell would be returning with a team of 20 to 30 people later in summer to continue the search and some of the volunteers were becoming emotionally invested in the search.

Ms Srawn said this had been the hardest time of their lives for the family.

"Every day you wake up and you have to sink it in again. You forget while you're sleeping. It's been a nightmare," she said.

"We're being optimistic and hoping he made it down, we keep saying 'No find is almost as good as well'. But we'd like this to come to an end either way. We'd like a definite answer."

Funds can be donated to the search for Mr Srawn at the family's website, prabhsrawn.wordpress.com/.