Once a year we produce the Mountain Journal magazine. It is distributed through mountain and valley towns from Melbourne to Canberra each autumn. 2024 will see the fourth print edition, and will be back from the printers in the next couple of weeks and distributed after that.
In the meantime, please enjoy this PDF of the magazine MJ4.
Articles from the magazine will be added here as they are posted on the website.
CONTENTS
Introduction
News from Home – environmental news from lutruwita/ Tasmania and the Australian Alps
Around the Fire – chats with mountain people
Mountain Culture
Off track – crossing the Australian Alps. A hidden peak in lutruwita/ Tasmania
Introduction
What even happened last year? Another mild summer, no big fires, then truly dazzling amounts of autumn snow, a great start to winter, then, nothing. Rain and warm temps and misery and the snow pack was gone, not to return. An early end to the season in many places, especially the lower resorts. Then another mild summer as we headed in 2024 – a bit different to the El Niño scorcher we had been expecting.
Yes, this is the new reality. Climate systems turned on their heads. Wild floods up north, while more than 14 million hectares burnt across the Northern Territory just during our spring. Erratic winters and wild swings of weather. Buckle in, because it’s not going back to ‘normal’ any time soon. Then there are the wars raging across many parts of the planet.
And yet, the world can still feel right. Those long autumn days and a slow wander across a snow plain, the light rich, the air cool, the distant peaks calling. We are blessed to live in a safe corner of the planet with beautiful hills and forests, rivers and high plains. The freedom and safety to explore. Let us be grateful, as we work for a better world for all.
It’s time to listen to Traditional Owners: With the wonderful news that logging in native forests on public land in the east of Victoria ended on January 1, 2024, there is a huge opportunity to protect these forests for the long term. As the government considers what to do next, it is essential that environmentalists, recreationists and anyone with an interest in the high country listen carefully and respectfully to the wishes of Traditional Owners.
What do you reckon: this year’s magazine has a number of longer stories. Please tell us what you think, and what you would like to see in next year’s magazine.
News from Home – environmental news from lutruwita/ Tasmania and the Australian Alps
For Wild Places Hilary McAllister describes the development and role of the trail running group For Wild Places. Story here.
Control of Kosciusko’s feral horses makes progress Linda Groom, Volunteer Co-ordinator, Reclaim Kosci Campaign, Invasive Species Council describes what is happening in Kosciusko national park.
Logging impacts on mountain forest areas in Lutruwita/ Tasmania. Liam Oakwood reports on the scale of logging in areas next to mountain ranges in southern lutruwita/ Tasmania. As he notes: ‘In the shadow of the mountain ranges of the deep South a steady defence of life on Earth is being mounted’. https://themountainjournal.com/2024/01/31/logging-impacts-mountain-areas-in-southern-lutruwita-tasmania/
An update on the campaign to see Lake Pedder restored. https://themountainjournal.com/2024/01/27/2024-is-a-pivotal-year-in-determining-lake-pedders-future/
Around the Fire – chats with mountain people
Kelly Van Den Berg‘s journey to a life outdoors: from South Gippsland to the Yukon.
Mountain Journal 
March 20, 2024 at 9:45 am
Appreciate the effort of putting the Mountain Journal 4 together. Very excited to hear of the possibility of Pedder being restored and extend a big congratualtions to Linda Groom and the Save Kosi group for all their hard work in keeping the issue of the feral horses in KNP at the political forefront.
Look forward to seeing more articles.