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Mountain Journal

Environment, news, culture from the Australian Alps

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Cam Walker

I work with Friends of the Earth, and live in Castlemaine in Central Victoria, Australia. Activist, mountain enthusiast, telemark skier, volunteer firefighter.

Review: Mountain Ash: Fire, Logging and the Future of Victoria’s Giant Forests

David Lindenmayer is the renowned specialist on the critically endangered Leadbeater’s Possum and the Mountain Ash forests that are their home. He has collaborated with other researchers to produce a book which looks at the possums future in light of fires and logging.

While it is expensive (almost $60) it is an incredibly important contribution to our knowledge about these forests. It is available from the CSIRO.

The following review was written by Alex Mullarky, and originally published on the Wild Melbourne website.

Continue reading “Review: Mountain Ash: Fire, Logging and the Future of Victoria’s Giant Forests” →

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A ‘MCG’ sized oval at Dinner Plain?

There has been a long planning process around how the alpine village of Dinner Plain should be developed. Most businesses struggle with the extremely seasonal nature of the tourist trade, and residents can struggle because the small number of permanents makes it difficult to sustain basic services like the supermarket through out the year.

Continue reading “A ‘MCG’ sized oval at Dinner Plain?” →

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Appreciating the Home Range

As a keen skier and walker I love to visit some of the higher ranges around the world. But having done lots of overseas trips I figure I’ve consumed well beyond a fair share of carbon, and tend to stick close to home for my adventures nowadays.

Continue reading “Appreciating the Home Range” →

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Splitfest 2016

The Australian Splitboard gathering will be held for the fourth year in the Snowy Mountains next winter.

August 21 – 23, 2016.

Chuck it in your diary. It will start with the usual gathering at the Banjo Patterson Inn in Jindabyne on the friday night. Facebook page available here.

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Summer of Citizen Science and Forest Defence

Goongerah Environment Centre (GECO), based in a mountain valley in far east Gippsland, is organising two weeks of ‘citizen science’ and a range of activities intended to protect the native forests of the region.

It runs from Friday, December 4 until Friday, December 18.

Continue reading “Summer of Citizen Science and Forest Defence” →

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Line up for the 2015/16 Backcountry film festival

We now have the line up of films for the next Backcountry Film festival. Nine films featuring skiing, boarding and climbing, spread over several continents.

You can find the details here.

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MountainGrass music festival

The Mountaingrass festival is an institution, having been around for more than a quarter of a century. It is held in Harrietville. The dates for 2015 are November 20 to 22.

Continue reading “MountainGrass music festival” →

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The Buffalo Stampede

The Buffalo Stampede is a ‘SkyRunning’ race event that will be held over three days in April 2016 on a variety of courses near Bright.

SkyRunning events are held around the world. This will be the third time Bright has hosted it. There are a range of options, from kids races, a 12 kilometre event to the top of Mt Porepunkah and Apex Hill, plus a 42 kilometre Marathon and 72 kilometre Ultra Marathon. The Ultra follows a course from Bright to Mt Buffalo and back. There is also the option to join the Grand Slam, three days of running which sees participants cover 142 km and 9,000 metres of ascent.

You can find further information and sign up here.

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Mt Wellington road to be heritage-listed

Anyone who has been to Hobart has probably been up Mt Wellington (kunanyi), the charismatic mountain that sits over the city. The road up the mountain allows you to get from sea level to an alpine environment with incredible views with just a short drive.

While there is an ongoing fight to stop a cable car which has been proposed for the mountain, the mountain top itself is largely undeveloped. Hobart City Council has just started a process to include Pinnacle Rd as a heritage-listed item in the Hobart Interim Planning Scheme 2015.

Continue reading “Mt Wellington road to be heritage-listed” →

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Mount Stirling? Let’s get it right.

Mountain Journal has previously reported on the proposal to build a new road from Mt Buller to the Mt Stirling ring road. This has been pitched as being a safety issue, to allow a route for people to escape from Mt Buller in the case of a fire blocking the main road.

But given that this road would also travel through a (longer) section of dense forest, it is quite unlikely that the road would serve this purpose. The money needed to build the road would be better spent on upgrading fire fighting infrastructure around the Buller village.

The issue refuses to go away. Charles Street provides some history behind this proposal and an update on the current state of play.

Continue reading “Mount Stirling? Let’s get it right.” →

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Dinner Plain Mile High Trail Run

22 Nov 2015 – 22 Nov 2015

The Dinner Plain Mile High Trail Run is set in the picturesque alpine village of Dinner Plain, at 1569 m the course takes in a range of run distances from entry level runners to the more experienced trail runner, offering opportunities for mum, dad and the kids to get out and experience this pristine alpine environment.

Continue reading “Dinner Plain Mile High Trail Run” →

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Paradise Music Festival

Paradise Music Festival is a 3 day music, camping and BYO festival held at Lake Mountain Alpine Resort in Victoria in early summer.

The following comes from the organisers:

“Now entering it’s third year, Paradise will again be held at the enigmatic location it has become known for, amidst the Victorian alpine forest, at Lake Mountain Alpine Resort. Close to Marysville, the festival site has overlooking views of the Victorian Alps and Great Dividing Range.

Continue reading “Paradise Music Festival” →

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