Next winter, Squaw Valley Ski Corporation, who have two resorts at Lake Tahoe in California, plans to source all its electricity from solar and other renewable sources. This will make it the first ski resort in the USA to power its operations without fossil fuels.
Continue reading “Lake Tahoe Resort to run on 100% Renewables”
This winter we will be co-hosting a backcountry gathering.
It has grown out of the World Telemark Day gatherings that have been happening at Mt Hotham in north eastern Victoria each September.
This year we have moved to Falls Creek resort and broadened the focus to cover all forms of human and gravity powered backcountry travel, including telemark skiing, split boarding, cross country, snow shoeing and alpine touring.
Continue reading “Australian backcountry festival. September 1.”
The campaign for the Emerald Link park in East Gippsland aims to protect the more-or-less intact ecosystems that run from the coast to the mountains. A long distance walking trail is an integral part of the proposal. The proposed Sea to Summit Forest Trail would create a network of walking tracks linking the coastal town of Bemm River and the existing Wilderness Coast walk to the summit of Mount Ellery, the highest mountain in far East Gippsland.
Continue reading “A new long distance walking trail for East Gippsland”
The following update comes from Goongerah Environment Centre (GECO).
Conservationists are continuing to blockade an old growth forest logging operation at Granite Mountain in remote East Gippsland today. The blockade was established on Monday January 22nd, and has halted logging in the contentious area for seven consecutive days. Fifteen people are maintaining a presence on the site today, one person is positioned in a hammock suspended from a tripod structure that is blocking the access road to logging operation.
Continue reading “East Gippsland old growth forest blockade continues for second week”
The biannual Outdoor Retailer trade show in the USA is an enormous event. This year it has relocated to Colorado in protest at the state government of Utah supporting moves by the Trump administration to gut protection for federal conservation reserves. This shift marks a growing willingness to act to protect wild lands.
Continue reading “Outdoor industries ‘taking on global warming when our country isn’t’”
A new campaign has been launched to create a continuous park from the coastline of East Gippsland to the mountains, which will be called the Emerald Link.
Continue reading “The campaign for East Gippsland’s Emerald Link.”
Mountain Journal often covers developments in the snow industry relating to climate change – both in terms of the expected impacts of global warming on snow and resorts, and positive responses by resorts to reduce their emissions.
As we know, action here in Australia by resorts is sketchy at best and most are still in denial about the reality of the change that is coming.
This recent piece by Bob Berwyn from Deutsche Welle (Germany’s international broadcaster) looks at the limitations of relying on artificial snow making as a buffer against climate change. Looking mostly at Europe, the key message is really just common sense – it will be the lower altitude resorts that will be hit first. That’s directly applicable to the reality that Australian resorts face given our low elevation mountains and moderate latitudes.
Continue reading “‘Ski resorts cling on against climate change’”
Finding the Line is a ski ‘film about fear, it’s paralyzing grip on humans and how it affects our decision-making’. It stars Australians Nat and Anna Segal. They were filming last winter on the western slopes of the Snowy Mountains as part of the production.
‘Fear. Unless you’re insane, it’s a very natural and necessary part of life in the mountains. Fear can keep us alive and finding a way to understand and either overcome or bow to our fears is where much of the adventure lies.’
The film is now finished. It is having a launch in Whistler this week (this has a great background to the film). Stay tuned for details on the Australian launch.
More info available here. This site will have details on screenings as they are organised.
You can watch the trailer here.
Image: GUY FATTAL PHOTO / FINDING THE LINE
This is another great guide to north east Victoria. Like the Walk and Trails guide, the Bright and Surrounds cycle guide provides a fantastic introduction to all types of riding in the area from Myrtleford to Mt Beauty and Falls Creek to Dinner Plain.
It includes easy, family friendly riding, road riding options and the many shared trails (including the popular Rail Trails) plus details on Mountain bike riding. It is produced by the Alpine Shire. You can get free copies in local tourist information centres or download it as a pdf here.
The backcountry film festival is going to be great this year. We will have shows in Melbourne (March or April) and Bright (July) and probably NSW.
There is a great line up of films (details here), eight in total, covering a range of continents and aspects of backcountry skiing/ riding and snow culture. Stay tuned for full details closer to winter.
Another year has zipped by. We had a great winter, mild summers without big fires, and lots of changes going on in the mountains. Here’s the annual reflection. Thanks for coming along for the ride.
The Adventure Travel Film Festival ‘showcases the best adventure travel films and talent from Australia and overseas’.
‘The Festival is a three-day event guaranteed to appeal to adventurers, armchair travellers and dreamers alike. The festival will be brimming films and inspirational talks, featuring celebrated local and international adventurers, covering everything from trekking, motor cycling and four wheel driving to kayaking, climbing, cycling, long-distance horse-riding and much more’.
It will be held in Bright, on February 9, 10 and 11.
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