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Good manners in the mountains

Anyone who spends time in the high country will have seen the exponential growth in visitors during ski season in recent years, especially since the covid times. Resort car parks full, mayhem on the roads, rubbish along the access roads, overcrowding. This is our new reality, so it’s worth thinking about how we can make it work.

Firstly, we should admit that change can be hard. We love these places and are used to the way things are. Suddenly the roads are busier, the car parks and ski runs are full, even the usual campgrounds are busy with people.

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An Icon at Risk: current and emerging threats to the Victorian Alps

Snow Gums (Eucalyptus pauciflora) are the classic alpine tree of the High Country, generally growing at heights between 1,300 and 1,800 metres asl. Anyone who has visited the Australian High Country will know – and probably love – these trees.

In recent decades, wildfire has been devastating huge areas of the Snow Gum forests, with significant fires in the Victorian High Country in 1998, 2002/3, 2006/7, 2013 and 2019/20. More than 90% of Snow Gum habitat has been burnt at least once in the last 20 years.

The species can survive fire. However, climate change driven fire seasons are leading to more frequent fire, which is causing more death of trees and changes to forest structure. In some instances, localised collapse of Snow Gum woodlands is now being observed. As climate scientist Michael Mann describes it, we are now seeing climate change play out in real time.

We must ask whether we are now seeing the start of the collapse of Snow Gum woodlands, one of Victoria’s iconic vegetation communities.

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The Australian backcountry festival returns this August

From the Australian backco0untry festival organising committee:

We are returning to Mount Hotham for the ninth edition of Australia’s favourite celebration of human-powered snow adventure. For the weekend, the Australian Backcountry Festival will once again transform the Victorian High Country into a vibrant hub of alpine exploration, learning and community spirit. The festival welcomes back show-shoers, cross-country and telemark skiers, alpine ski tourers, split-boarders, snow campers, mountaineers and alpine-curious newcomers to our beautiful snowgum-lined slopes.

August 28 – 30, Mt Hotham and surrounds.

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‘Build the culture, share the knowledge, and revere the mountain’

If you spend a lot of time in the mountains, you will have seen the crowding that has been building since the covid days. You will know those places that you used to have to yourself now full of people. The Buller summit ridge or Mt Higgi at sunset, the trails in and out of resorts, the vast numbers of people congregating around huts (like Federation hut on a prime weekend in summer). Its good and hard at the same time.

Good to see new generations enjoying and exploring the mountains. Hard because as humans we hate change. And the fact is that our wild areas are coming under pressure from greater numbers of people, many of whom don’t know the manners and behaviour that’s needed to care for these places.

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Snow gum surveys at Mt Stirling

Snow gums are the iconic vegetation species of the Australian High country.

They are beautiful, vital for biodiversity and tourism, help hold snow pack which is released into river catchments, and hold deep cultural value for many people.

However, we are now seeing the beginning of ecosystem collapse across these forests – drought, dieback and successive fires have altered the structure, composition, and condition of snow gum woodlands dramatically.

During August 2026 we want to invite resort and mountain loving communities to join us for a couple of hours of citizen science to better understand the health of local snow gum forests. One of these surveys will happen at Mt Stirling alpine resort on saturday August 1.

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Snow gum surveys happening from Mt Stirling to Thredbo

Snow gums are the iconic vegetation species of the Australian High country.

They are beautiful, vital for biodiversity and tourism, help hold snow pack which is released into river catchments, and hold deep cultural value for many people.

However, we are now seeing the beginning of ecosystem collapse across these forests – drought, dieback and successive fires have altered the structure, composition, and condition of snow gum woodlands dramatically.

Between now and the last weekend of August (29 & 30) we want to invite resort and mountain loving communities to join us for a couple of hours of citizen science to better understand the health of local snow gum forests. This can happen anywhere that snow gums grow naturally. This will involve walking (or possible skiing or snow shoeing) through an area of forest and recording the health of individual trees.

Continue reading “Snow gum surveys happening from Mt Stirling to Thredbo” →

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Backcountry film festival screening July 16

The Backcountry Film Festival is a winter institution in Melbourne, screening each year since 2011. The program celebrates the power and spirit of humans in winter.

The 2025-26 winter season is the 21st anniversary of the Backcountry Film Festival! This year showcases a dynamic lineup of short documentaries and ski films that transport audiences straight to the heart of winter. Adventure, love, travel, ski culture, ice, pain, friendship, and DEEP POWDER—you’ll find it all as the festival brings these powerful stories to towns around the world.

Wolf of the Willows in Mordialloc will be re-screening a selection of films from the main festival on the evening of Thursday 16 July, 2026.

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As we wait for the snow, support your local business

As expected early winter hasn’t exactly delivered deep powder days (yet!). But the mountains are full of people ready and waiting to work and local businesses who have been preparing for months and bringing in lots of stock.

So until the snow starts in earnest, please do what you can to support your on mountain workers and businesses. Visit the hills as you would, and be ready to diversify, as these businesses below are doing.

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Citizen science in the resorts – how healthy are snow gums?

Snow gums are the iconic vegetation species of the Australian High country.

They are beautiful, vital for biodiversity and tourism, help hold snow pack which is released into river catchments, and hold deep cultural value for many people.

However, we are now seeing the beginning of ecosystem collapse across these forests – drought, dieback and successive fires have altered the structure, composition, and condition of snow gum woodlands dramatically.

Over the last weekend of August (29 & 30) we want to invite resort and mountain loving communities to join us for a couple of hours of citizen science to better understand the health of local snow gum forests. This can happen anywhere that snow gums grow naturally. This will involve walking (or possible skiing or snow shoeing) through an area of forest and recording the health of individual trees.

Read on to find out more.

Continue reading “Citizen science in the resorts – how healthy are snow gums?” →

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Hiking the Australian Alps Walking Track

The Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT) is one of the premier long distance walking trails in Australia. While the distance (around 650 kilometres) is impressive, it is the fact that it passes through so much remote country that makes a full crossing such a feat.  Unlike many long hiking tracks around the world there are only a small number of points to easily get off the track or to resupply, and this adds to the pre planning and commitment required to walk across Australia’s highest country.

Mountain Journal often features stories from people who have walked the track. This reflection from Jon Miller represents a trip based on an unusual SOBO (south bound) journey. Unlike many people, Jon and his friend Cath walked from the ACT south into Victoria.

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Campaign launch: Protecting Snow Gum Country

A campaign plan to gain federal (EPBC) listing of snow gums as threatened.

Snow gum woodlands and forests are a key vegetation community across the higher mountain country of south eastern Australia and the highlands of lutruwita / Tasmania. There are 6 subspecies of Snow Gum, but the most widespread is Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. pauciflora.

While they are largely protected, a range of threats remain that impact on snow gums (including expansion of ski resorts, invasive species, and impacts from recreation activities). There are also two threatening processes are causing an existential threat to snow gum communities: the spread of dieback and more frequent and intense fires.

Friends of the Earth invites you to join the launch of our new campaign to gain protection of snow gums through federal listing on Wednesday June 17.

Continue reading “Campaign launch: Protecting Snow Gum Country” →

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‘The mountains and valleys endure’. A crossing of the AAWT.

The Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT) is one of the premier long distance walking trails in Australia. While the distance (around 650 kilometres) is impressive, it is the fact that it passes through so much remote country that makes a full crossing such a feat. And it has an epic 28,000 metres of elevation gain during the length of the walk. Unlike many long hiking tracks around the world there are only a small number of points to easily get off the track or to resupply, and this adds to the pre planning and commitment required to walk across Australia’s highest country.

Mountain Journal often features stories from people who have walked the track. What struck me about this reflection from Geoff Law was that he paid deep attention to the environment as he passed through the mountains. In a time of climate change there are existential threats to many animal and plant species, but as Geoff also notes in this story, ‘this landscape has been battered by fires, roads, logging and intrusive tourism developments. But the mountains and valleys endure. The ecosystem as a whole survives.’

We hope you enjoy this story.

Continue reading “‘The mountains and valleys endure’. A crossing of the AAWT.” →

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My favourite mountain – The Twins

We recently asked MJ readers to write about their favourite local mountain, why they are special, and why they matter.

Here is the second installment: from Mick Webster. His reflection is on The Twins, a lovely double mountain just south of the Great Alpine road, close to Mt Hotham.

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My Tidbinbilla

We recently asked MJ readers to write about their favourite local mountain, why they are special, and why they matter.

Here is the first one we have received: from John McRae, who was a park ranger in the ACT for 17 years. His reflection is on Tidbinbilla.

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