Search

Mountain Journal

Environment, news, culture from the Australian Alps

Open Search
Tag

backcountry

The Australian Backcountry festival starts today!

Now in it’s 8th year, the BC Fest returns to Mt Hotham, and this year we are blessed with incredible snow.

While the tours are all booked out, there is still a huge amount to do, including three great social events (tonight, saturday and sunday).

Head to the website to see the full schedule.

The festival is a 100% volunteer community event.

I will post some photos here as the weekend unfolds.

ABOVE: I will be leading a snow shoe tour into the Boiler Plain reference area on sat am. After massive burnoff of snow cover the current storm has delivered an incredible (albeit unconsolidated) base just in time for the festival.

Friday AUG 29

4pm. To make things interesting, the snow base is very unconsolidated – which will make for interesting touring conditions, there is a lightning storm on its way, and the Great Alpine rd between Harrietville and Hotham has been closed to all traffic.

Checking out the snow shoe tour route.

Saturday August 30

ABOVE: snow shoe tour to Boiler Plain.

ABOVE: backcountry brews workshop.

ABOVE: the party at the Hub at Wire Plain.

 

0

Spag-Bol and Snow gums

Mt Howitt, in the Victorian high country,  is a wonderful destination at any time of the year. The easiest way in, of course, is the lovely trail from the Howitt Plains. The hardest direct approach is up the west spur from the Howqua River. In winter the options are more complex and way more committing. While you look across the Howqua valley to the metropolis that is the ski resort at Mt Buller, the ridges from The Bluff to the Howitt plateau feel wonderfully remote, and the A frame hut at Macalister Springs can feel like you’re at the heart of the Victorian high country. Weather, route finding and snow conditions can be variable and difficult. Heading to ‘Mac Springs’ in winter remains a classic hard trip for anyone who is committed to backcountry touring.

This winter, three friends, Hunter Williams, Oliver Huzzey, and Rainer Cook Tonkin, made the trip in to Howitt on old gear bought second hand on marketplace and with homemade ski crampons. In true backcountry tradition, it pushed them out of their comfort zones, providing a mix of misery, hard slog and elation.

Continue reading “Spag-Bol and Snow gums” →

2

A winter visit to Boiler Plain

A Reference Area in Victoria is a ‘tract of public land containing viable samples of one or more land types that are relatively undisturbed’. The Boiler Plain Reference Area near Paw Paw Plain on the Brabralung trail that runs between Mt Hotham and Dinner Plain is, sadly, after recent fires, no longer ‘relatively undisturbed’, but it is rarely visited. This tour, happening as part of the 2025 Australian Backcountry Festival will visit Boiler Plain, allowing participants to see this remote area on skis or snow shoes.

Continue reading “A winter visit to Boiler Plain” →

0

Mission to Mt Pinnibar, June 2025

Mt Pinnibar is a remote and lovely mountain in north eastern Victoria. It’s quite a journey to get to, and a decent ski in from the gate which is locked in winter. The last time I tried to get in there I found myself in a logging coupe that cut across the road, where previously damaged alpine ash was being logged over again. Beyond the coupe, the road was blocked by an enormous tree that had been placed there by the loggers, which necessitated the most epic 28 point turn I have ever had to do.

I do find the access roads (there are a couple of options to get in there) a bit intense in mid winter. In these brief piece from Trevor Staats, originally published on the Australian backcountry facebook group, Trevor does note the need for all the ‘backcountry safety gear – wheel chains, shovels, recovery straps, air compressor, chainsaw, and more’. Continue reading “Mission to Mt Pinnibar, June 2025” →

1

Completing the Trilogy: All.I.Can, Valhalla, Fire on the Mountain

Geez, the world is grim right now, isn’t it? Wars and genocide grind on, authoritarian ‘leaders’ seek to take over democracies, removing basic human rights that have taken decades to secure. The climate crisis continues to escalate, while the large fossil fuel companies and their allies block meaningful action.

But, of course, the world is still an amazing place, full of beauty and goodness. Sometimes that’s what you need to focus on, so you can deal with the other stuff.

Skiing makes me happy. It is one of the great joys in my life. And I love the culture that exists around a love of winter and snow. One of the many manifestations of mountain culture is, of course, the genre of skiing and snow boarding films. Many are joyous celebrations of the mountains, of deep powder, freedom, connection and community.

Continue reading “Completing the Trilogy: All.I.Can, Valhalla, Fire on the Mountain” →

1

Ski in party at Mt Stirling

From Friends of Mt Stirling:

Join us for a weekend of connection, community, and conservation at King Saddle Hut, Mount Stirling!

We’re teaming up with Friends of the Earth Melbourne (FoEM), long-time campaigners for the protection of the Victorian Alps, to bring you a weekend immersed in nature and collective action.

Together, we’ll walk through beautiful alpine bushland, learn from local ecologists about the current and emerging threats facing these fragile ecosystems, and explore ways we can care for Country—supporting both biodiversity and community well-being.

 

  • Kick off the weekend with a shared potluck dinner on Friday night—bring something delicious to contribute!
  • Bring your camping gear, warm clothes, dancing and walking shoes!
  • Hear from those working to protect and manage sustainably this area.
  • We will be organising some music for the Friday night for around the fire.

Bring along a friend! We hope to see you there.

 

This event is taking place on First Nations land. We acknowledge the Traditionals Owners and pay our respects.

 

Please be aware that there is an entry fee to enter the Mt Stirling resort, and the location is about a 3 km walk/ ski/ snow shoe to reach. You will need to be self sufficient in terms of camping gear, food and cooking equipment.

Continue reading “Ski in party at Mt Stirling” →

0

Backcountry film festival at Wolf of the Willows

Join us at the Wolf of the Willows Brewery for BACKCOUNTRY FILM FESTIVAL

Thursday 24th of July | Tickets start from $10pp
Doors open 6pm for Dinner | Films start 7.30pm | Duration of films total 2.5hrs

The Backcountry Film Festival is a winter institution in Melbourne, screening each year since 2011. The program is put together by Winter Wildlands Alliance, and celebrates the power and spirit of humans in winter. The festival features 13 films over 2 and a half hours and will be re-screening at Wolf of the Willows in Mordialloc on the evening of Thursday 24 July, 2025.

No allocated seating so get in early to reserve your spot.

You can find tickets here.

0

Australian backcountry festival 2025

The Victorian backcountry festival is back for it’s 8th year. And in 2025, has become the Australian BC Fest.

It will be the same format as usual – hosted at Mt Hotham resort, with tours, workshops, parties, speakers program, repair cafe, and more.

The festival is a 100% volunteer run community festival. The organising committee is working hard to deliver another great festival.

Chuck it in your diary: friday – sunday 29 – 31 August.

Facebook page here.

Website here.

Enjoy. Explore. Protect. Backcountry.

0

First Australian screening of Papsura: Peak of Evil

The backcountry film festival is a pre winter institution in Melbourne. We have been screening the festival each year since 2011. This is a first announcement for the 2025 screening and a call for local backcountry films to be included in the festival.

The festival will happen on Sunday May 11, 2025.

Apart from the program of films produced by the Winter Wildlands Alliance, the festival will freature the first Australian screening of Papsura: Peak of Evil.

Continue reading “First Australian screening of Papsura: Peak of Evil” →

0

Backcountry film festival – May 11

The backcountry film festival is a pre winter institution in Melbourne. We have been screening the festival each year since 2011. This is a first announcement for the 2025 screening and a call for local backcountry films to be included in the festival.

The festival will happen on Sunday May 11, 2025.

Continue reading “Backcountry film festival – May 11” →

0

Do you have a film to include in the 2025 backcountry film festival?

Last winter already seems like a dream. It was so brief (with some moments of absolute powder glory) but gone so soon. Living through the second short season in a row makes us all worry about what’s coming as climate change keeps kicking in (the recently released ‘Victoria’s changing climate report –  available here – highlights the fact that snow pack has been in decline in Victoria since the 1950s).

But to be a skier or rider in Australia is to be an eternal optimist. So we plough on, hopeful that next winter will break the current losing trend.

And, when we can’t get to the snow, there is always the Backcountry Film festival!

Continue reading “Do you have a film to include in the 2025 backcountry film festival?” →

3

Call out for Australian backcountry films

Each autumn, the Backcountry Film Festival comes to Naarm/ Melbourne. Timed to inspire some pre season stoke, the program is put together by the Winter Wildlands Alliance (WWA) in Idaho and is a one night festival featuring up to 12 short films. Last year there were 2 films with an Australian connection.

As well as the WWA package, we like to screen one or two locally produced backcountry films – and maybe that’s where you come in! In the 2024 season we showed local films 36o South and Spring Shralpinism on Sentinel Ridge.

If you plan to make a short backcountry inspired film after this winter and would like to show it to an enthusiastic audience, then please get in touch. Cam.walker@foe.org.au

The 2025 screening will happen some time in April or May 2025.

 

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑