This is a listing of ways to get information about safe travel in the mountains – websites, groups, the best apps, etc. It will be updated from time to time. This version: FEB 2026.
Please send updates to: cam.walker@foe.org.au
Staying safe in the mountains and learning new skills
Mountain Sports Collective (MSC)
If you ski, ride or snow shoe outside the resorts, then you need to be a member of MSC. MSC is a not for profit that supports winter backcountry recreation in Victoria and NSW. Their free Backcountry Conditions Reports provide daily observations and forecasts of all likely alpine hazards including weather, ice and avalanche, throughout the Australian snow season. MSC has also coordinated the installation of Avalanche Training Centres in Mt Hotham (VIC) and Thredbo (NSW). If you’re new to the backcountry, these 10 Tips are a great place to start.
https://mountainsafetycollective.org/
The Snow Stack
Tyson MIller is an independent snow-weather commentator with decades of powder chasing and forecasting, and produces very informative season forecasts.
https://tysonmillar.substack.com/
Avalanche Aware is a USA-based free, accessible starting point for anyone interested in heading into snow-covered mountains.
https://www.avalancheaware.com/
Heading to the northern hemisphere to ski or ride?
Alex and Owen from MSC prepared this comprehensive guide to get ready and stay safe if you’re heading outside the resort boundaries.
https://mountainsafetycollective.org/blog/northern-hemisphere-backcountry-preparation
Outdoors Victoria
Outdoors Victoria (OV) is the peak body for outdoor education and active outdoor recreation in the state and advocates for and supports more Victorians to get active outdoors.
It’s website offers links to outdoors clubs you can join, information to training and outdoors careers, and lots of outdoor education resources.
https://bushcraftsurvivalaustralia.com.au/
ExploreSafe
ExploreSafe is an Australian outdoor safety initiative designed to help people make safer decisions when bushwalking, hiking, and exploring natural environments. It focuses on practical preparation, risk awareness, and trip planning, particularly for people new to the outdoors or returning after a long break. The resources are written for Australian conditions and aim to build confidence while encouraging responsible outdoor recreation.
LotsaFreshAir
Since 2012, Caro Ryan from LotsaFreshAir has been loading this site up with practical how-to’s and where-to’s, to help us have better adventures, fall in love with the outdoors and want to protect it. From beginner guides to packing lists and trip reports, or how-to’s for subjects like how to deal with periods in the wild, gear choices or learning navigation, LotsaFreshAir is loaded with high quality info, delivered with a warm, friendly and chatty tone.
LotsaFreshAir FREE Packing Lists
https://lotsafreshair.com/shop/
Wild Wise Australia – Australian hiking advice to the Chinese community
Wild Wise Australia – a new WIP initiative from Chinese born Australian outdoor guide and instructor.
LotsaFreshAir – Anatomy of a Search (article originally published in Wild Magazine)
https://lotsafreshair.com/how-do-we-search-for-a-missing-hiker/
LotsaFreshAir – What to do if you get lost?
https://lotsafreshair.com/what-to-do-if-you-get-lost-hiking/
Getting started with snow camping in Australia
https://mountainsafetycollective.org/blog/getting-started-with-snow-camping-in-australia
Walking with children
https://bushwalkingmanual.org.au/trip-planning/bushwalking-with-children/
What to do when there is a lightning storm
https://bushwalkingmanual.org.au/weather/lightning/
What to do in a bushfire
https://bushwalkingmanual.org.au/emergencies/bushfires/
Bushfire awareness and safety for hikers
https://www.trailhiking.com.au/safety/bushfire-awareness-and-safety-for-hikers/
Hot tips on bushfire safety for hikers from Banff film festival
https://banffaustralia.com.au/hot-tips-on-bushfire-safety-for-hikers/
How to build a Leave no Trace camp fire
https://lotsafreshair.com/how-to-build-a-leave-no-trace-campfire/
Cleaning the dirt and mud off our tents and shoes is a really key way of stopping the spread of invasive weeds and disease or fungii in our precious natural areas.
Feminine Urination Devices (FUDs or STP – Stand to Pee)
https://lotsafreshair.com/best-fud-for-hiking/
Human waste in mountain environments.
People burying their poo is a growing problem in alpine zones, especially on the Main Range of the Snowy Mountains. As the NSW Parks Service say, ‘do not bury your waste in the snow. Once the snow melts, your waste is an unhealthy and unsightly affront to everyone’s wilderness experience. Please dispose of bagged waste appropriately in bins, do not place in flushing or pit toilets.
Apart from carrying your waste out, a sensible option is also to pl;an your trip so you can can near a hut which has a toilet.
https://theaustralianalpsnationalparks.org/experience/caring/use-a-toilet-or-take-a-walk/
https://theadventuregene.com/category/articles/skills/leave-no-trace/
Online guides & resources
The Victorian Backcountry companion
We are passionate about the Victorian backcountry. The goal of this Companion is to share some ideas on where, when and how to enjoy the very best of what the Alpine National Park has on offer in the winter season. The Companion is here to progress all levels of participation in the backcountry from first earned turners to the well seasoned shredders. We hold firm to the belief that sharing knowledge helps everyone make better decisions out there. Enjoy and we hope we see you out there.
https://www.victorianbackcountry.com/
Bushwalking Victoria walk safely guide
Safe bushwalking starts with simple habits: prepare well, make good decisions on the track, and know how to respond if things go wrong. These Essentials are drawn directly from the Bushwalking Manual, Australia’s key guide to safe bushwalking.
https://bushwalkingvictoria.org.au/walk-safely/
Tour guides, outdoors companies and clubs operating in the Australian Alps and lutruwita/ TAS
[A listing of businesses and not for profits that offer supported adventures in the mountains/ wild country – please add brief blurb – max 3 sentences, plus all relevant contact details]
Alpine Access Australia
Kickstart or take further your backcountry adventures | Gain valuable skills & knowledge | Get back safely with the passion to do it all again! Alpine Access offers avalanche skills training and backcountry education in the Australian Alps.
Website: https://www.alpineaccess.com.au/
Email: alpineaccessaust@gmail.com
Gippsland Adventure Tours
https://gippslandadventuretours.com/
Blizzard Academy
Blizzard Academy is Australia’s leading alpine education provider, delivering avalanche and mountain education tailored to Australian conditions. Based in the alpine regions of NSW and Victoria, Blizzard Academy also runs single and multi-day trips and contributes to industry forecasting and professional development.
Website: https://www.blizzardacademy.com
Email: kyle@blizzardacademy.com
Instagram: @blizzardacademy
App: Download the Blizzard Link app to connect with the Alpine community and support safer planning.
Alpine Guides & Avalanche Courses
This guide is put together by MSC and lists ‘companies that are highly experienced in alpine guiding and providing backcountry education in the Australian mountains’.
https://mountainsafetycollective.org/guides
Zorali outdoors club
Outdoor brand Zorali has a ‘club’ that offers a wide range of supported trips across a range of activities, including bushwalking, bikepacking, birding, hike and paint trips, snow shoeing, community walks, even offering an introduction to forest bathing (look it up). They have trips in many parts of the country.
https://www.zorali.com/pages/outdoor-events
Bushwalking Victoria
Joining a bushwalking club is a great way to get outdoors, stay active, and meet new people. Most clubs welcome beginners and offer training and support. Annual membership is affordable, typically $35–$60.
https://bushwalkingvictoria.org.au/clubs-directory/
Bushwalking NSW
https://www.bushwalkingnsw.org.au/
Peak body of bushwalking/hiking clubs in NSW with over 66 member clubs throughout NSW.
https://www.wildernesssports.com.au/
https://www.snowymountainsbackcountry.com.au/
Apps
While there are many dangers in relying too heavily on applications and online tools, they can be incredibly useful. Here are some that we love.
Whatever you do, don’t rely on AI for safety guidance!
What3words
The “what3words” app is a free service that divides the world into 3-meter squares, giving each one a unique three-word address to identify precise locations. It is useful for places that lack traditional street addresses, like a mountain top, where you’ve twisted your ankle and need help. If you share those three words, an emergency dispatcher will be able to goive your exact location to a rescue crew.
https://what3words.com/products/what3words-app
Footpath
This is a great app that covers trail networks, including informal networks, in great detail. There is a free version and can be accessed while you are away from phone coverage.
Outmap
‘The ultimate travel planner that brings all your destinations, hiking trails, points-of-interest, and photo-spots together in one easy-to-use adventure hub.’
Windy
This is a professional weather app, created for water and wind sports: sailing, surfing, fishing, etc but incredibly useful if you’re somewhere remote in teh mountains and wondering what direction that weather will come from.
This is a ‘near real time’ disaster app that can give you great situational awareness about how close and how big fires and other events are. You can configure alerts in order to be notified when an incident is detected or escalates.
Emergencyplus
https://www.emergencyplus.com.au/
https://lotsafreshair.com/best-apps-for-hiking/
Events
[listing of public events where people can learn skills/ meet people / build their capacity to get out safely]
The Australian backcountry festival
The Backcountry Festival exists to foster a grassroots, community-driven gathering that welcomes skiers, riders, and outdoor explorers of all levels. It champions low-impact recreation, environmental stewardship, and education, ensuring that the backcountry remains safe, thriving, and accessible for future generations.
It happens in and around Mt Hotham, over the last weekend in August each year.
https://www.backcountryfestival.com.au/
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