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Plan launched for forest park in Strathbogie Ranges

There has been a long running campaign by local residents to see the Strathbogie Ranges in north east Victoria protected from logging.

Since European occupation, 74% (177,600 ha) of native forest in the Strathbogie Ranges has been cleared. Less than 2% of the Strathbogie Ranges is permanently protected in reserves. The 24,000 ha Strathbogie Forest is the largest block of public land in the Strathbogies, but only 870 ha (3.5%) has permanent protection.

With a state election on the horizon, locals are ramping up efforts to get the forests protected in a new reserve.

Continue reading “Plan launched for forest park in Strathbogie Ranges” →

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Logging stopped near Baw Baw plateau by community blockade

Members of community group Forest Conservation Victoria have established a peaceful blockade near Mt Baw Baw in threatened species habitat which is currently being logged. A person is suspended in a tree sit 25m off the ground, preventing logging in high conservation value forest.

The area of forest marked for logging contains many large hollow-bearing trees that provide critical habitat for threatened species, such as the Greater Glider, and high levels of wildlife diversity. The Gliders, as well as a Koala, have been identified within the logging coupe by citizen scientists and this has been reported to the Department of Environment, Land Water and Planning, who have failed to respond.

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Winter Dreaming revisited

Back in 2008, Stephen Curtain released ‘Winter Dreaming: an Australian Alps freeheel film’. It was a telemark ski movie which was filmed largely in the Snowy Mountains and a number of spots in north eastern Victoria, including the iconic eastern face of Mt Feathertop.

Ten years on, Stephen revisited some of the footage from the Feathertop scenes and re-packaged it into a 10 minute film called ‘Winter Dreaming. The backstory, Feathertop backcountry and beyond’ for the inaugural Victorian backcountry festival, held at Falls Creek in September 2018.

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Controversial Walls of Jerusalem camp approved by federal environment department

The new federal environment minister, Melissa Price, has approved a controversial proposal to allow ‘helicopter tourism’ and a small commercial operation inside the Walls of Jerusalem national park in Central Tasmania.

Having a new federal environment minister is an opportunity to hit the ‘reset’ button on particular issues that come under the minister’s jurisdiction. The decision to approve this application can only be seen as a disappointing early move from the new government under PM Scott Morrison.

The minister’s department considered ‘that the proposal is not likely to have significant impacts on any nationally protected environmental matters’. However the proposal includes plans for 120 helicopter flights a year on to Halls Island inside the park.

The final stage in the approvals process rests with the Central Highlands Council.

Continue reading “Controversial Walls of Jerusalem camp approved by federal environment department” →

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The 2018 Victorian backcountry festival

Thanks to everyone who made the effort to come along to the inaugural Victorian backcountry festival (BCF). More than 200 people attended over the two days, with more than 20 sessions being held, including clinics, tours, skillshares, presentations, and a film festival.

BCF grew from the world telemark day celebrations that have been happening at Mt Hotham the last 5 years. After deciding to bring it to Falls Creek, the idea morphed into an ‘all things backcountry’ event which would aim to bring together some of the backcountry (BC) community and offer an opportunity for ‘first timers’ to get involved. We focused on many forms of human powered winter adventure – including cross country, snow shoeing, alpine touring, telemark and splitboarding.

Continue reading “The 2018 Victorian backcountry festival” →

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World Telemark Day at Perisher, Sept 8 and 9

The NSW WTD will happen on September 8 and 9 at Perisher resort.

Telemark Association Australia (TAA) invites you to Join the Telemark fraternity for a day, or two, of Tele shenanigans.

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World telemark day at Falls Creek – Sept 2 – free tele clinics available

The southern world telemark day will be held on Sunday September 2nd, as part of the Backcountry festival. It has been moved to Falls Creek this year. The backcountry festival aims to celebrate all forms of BC human powered adventure, including telemarking, cross country, alpine touring, snow shoeing and split boarding.

Full details here.

Facebook page here.

Great addition to the program for Sunday, September 2, 2018

Marking World Telemark Day

Ben Jackson is a Telemark Trainer for the APSI and a Telemark member of the APSI demo team. The demo team attends Interski, a world congress for snowsports instruction every four years, with the next congress in Bulgaria in March 2019.

To help celebrate world telemark day on Sunday 2 September at Falls Creek Ben will be available to present on snow telemark clinics in the resort. The whole idea is to promote APSI, and telemark instruction from Australian snowsports schools as a way to help improve people’s telemark skiing.

There will be 3 clinics running for 2 hours each on the Sunday.

Two of the clinics will be targeted at intermediate telemarkers. Topics covered will be:

  • Stance and balance using the telemark movement.
  • Blending good telemark movement whilst making turns on gentle slopes
  • Fluidity and the telemark movement.

A more advanced clinic for 2 hours will show:

  • Greater ski performance using the telemark movement on steeper groomed terrain.  Examples include creating more edge to carve and create grip and speed control.
  • Skiing ungroomed terrain such as bumps and crud.

 

Please note you will need a lift pass and your own gear for these sessions.

 

Ben is kindly offering these sessions for free. You’re most welcome to offer him a tip to help offset his costs of getting here from NSW.

To book in please email Ben and specify which session you would like to attend. snowyben@gmail.com

Time line

9.30am – 11.30am: first intermediate clinic

11.45am – 1.45pm: 2nd intermediate clinic

2.30 – 4.30pm: advanced clinic

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Will instagram ruin the outdoors? Or save your weekend?

A while ago, Outside magazine asked ‘Is Instagram Ruining the Great Outdoors?’

The gist of the question was whether our tendency to tag beautiful areas on social media was likely to drive more people to that area, and hence increase environmental impacts. “The great outdoors is all over social media. On Instagram, the hashtag #nature has been used more than 20 million times. Attach a geotag to your photo of last weekend’s campsite, and your followers can tramp to the exact same spot.

Some nature lovers worry about the downside to this: Is Instagram funneling hordes of people to places that can’t handle this crush of admirers? Are those filtered, perfectly tinted pics sending a message that people can always go where they want, when they want, and how they want?

Continue reading “Will instagram ruin the outdoors? Or save your weekend?” →

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‘Assisted migration’ for species under threat from climate change?

As temperatures rise and the world’s climate rapidly changes, many plants and animals may not be able to relocate fast enough on their own, and habitats and species could be lost. In Australia warmer temperatures are expected to increase the length and severity of bushfire seasons, which will also cause changes in the distribution of many mountain species.

For instance, increased fire frequency may lead to the loss of alpine ash forests, unless there is human intervention.

Continue reading “‘Assisted migration’ for species under threat from climate change?” →

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West Ridge Mountain Fest 2019

Australia’s first mountaineering and ice climbing festival. In planning for 1-4 August 2019 at Mt. Buller.

There are already workshops and social events being planned. Check the facebook page to stay in the loop as this festival develops.
Continue reading “West Ridge Mountain Fest 2019” →

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New film from Teton Gravity: Ode To Muir

‘Respect the exposure’ suggests Jeremy Jones as he and his buddies climb some seriously steep terrain in the Sierra Nevada.

Teton Gravity’s newest film Ode To Muir “pairs professional snowboarder, adventurer and founder of Protect Our Winters Jeremy Jones with two-time Olympian Elena Hight as they embark on a 40-mile foot-powered expedition deep into California’s John Muir Wilderness. Their journey balances the challenges of winter camping, grueling climbs up the Sierra’s biggest mountains, and aesthetic first descents with personal reflections on the importance of the natural world and those who first traveled it generations ago, and sharing perspectives gleaned from what it truly means to explore a great American Wilderness”.

Continue reading “New film from Teton Gravity: Ode To Muir” →

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Drink local.

Whenever I head into the Ducane Range in the southern end of the Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair national park, I always stash a couple of beers under some rocks in the river at Narcissus hut, where the hikers ferry drops you. There are few things better than a swim and a cold beer after four or five days of camping, hiking and climbing in beautiful mountains.

I have to confess that the best beer I ever drank (so far, anyway) was at Uncle Buds hut, at about 3,400 metres in the central Rockies. It was my first overnight trip in winter in Colorado. It’s a long approach around a lake, then a long climb up a ridge, and it was a perfect, mild sunny winters day, but slow going as we broke trail through fresh snow. We got to the hut and Donny produced some beers, including a classic US dirtbag brew, a PBR, and we sat on the verandah looking at the highest peaks in the state as the sun slid behind Galena Peak. We skied some insanely good powder the next day, but that’s another story.

There’s nothing quite like a beer after a long days ski, ride, hike, climb or paddle. And of course, if you’re out bush or in the hills under your own steam, that means cans. Which recently got me thinking about the environmental impact of cans vs bottles.

Continue reading “Drink local.” →

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