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Heatwave Dreaming

It’s Labour Day Weekend. It’s March and, across the state, outdoor events are being cancelled because of the heatwave (even the Moomba parade in Melbourne!). Much of the state is on high fire risk. There is even a heatwave warning for lutruwita/ Tasmania. It’s a weekend to hunker down and stay out of the heat. And possibly day dream about colder weather and winter adventures.

I recently posted a short video about a group of women who rode their pushbikes through a section of the European Alps, climbing and then skiing/ riding mountains along the way. That got a response from various people including Tom Wainwright, who shared the details on his first trip to the Bogong High Plains, which included a bike ride and ski. They rode to Mt Fainter going along the Fainter Fire Trail.

Continue reading “Heatwave Dreaming” →

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Chuck it in your diary: VIC backcountry festival, Sept 1 – 3

The VIC BC Fest will be happening in and around Mt Hotham resort over three days in early September (1, 2 and 3).

It will look a lot like last year – a great tours program, workshops and skillshares (including more telemark and cross country), the ski in outdoor bar, speakers program, repair cafe, and demo village outside The General in Hotham village. There will also be an on snow camp site attached to the festival this year.

With a new and expanded organising committee, we are getting down to planning another great festival. Stay tuned for details, call out for the program and volunteer guides.

In the meantime, keep an eye on the website and socials.

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POW actions to mark Opening weekend – please join in

We’re ready for winter.

And We’re ready for climate action.

#75by2030

Join our actions over opening weekend (Saturday June 11).

We all know that winter is in trouble. Cold powder and snow pack are in decline. We have a window of opportunity to protect winter. But we need to act now.

Continue reading “POW actions to mark Opening weekend – please join in” →

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VIC backcountry festival cancelled – here’s to 2022!

With the announcement from the Victorian government that the current lockdown will be extended beyond thursday September 2, the organising committee have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 Backcountry Festival at Mount Hotham. Given the extended COVID-19 restrictions, we have no option but to cancel.

We have set the dates for next year – September 2, 3 and 4, back at Mt Hotham.

We are, of course, deeply disappointed to have to make this decision. A huge amount of effort goes into planning events like this and it has been especially hard with a constantly changing situation with lockdowns. Many businesses and individuals have come on board to back the event and we thank the Mt Hotham community for the support and good will they have offered the festival.

Continue reading “VIC backcountry festival cancelled – here’s to 2022!” →

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Protect Our Winters Australia film screening: Purple Mountains

Snowboarder and environmentalist Jeremy Jones embarks on a mission to raise awareness about climate change.

His film Purple Mountains is being screened in Bright as part of the 2021 Victorian Backcountry Festival, which will happen in and around Mt Hotham resort over September 3, 4 and 5. Join festival sponsors Bright Brewery for a free screening of ‘Purple Mountains’ inside the brewery.

Continue reading “Protect Our Winters Australia film screening: Purple Mountains” →

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Victorian Backcountry Festival 2021 Speakers Program Launched

As part of the 4th Victorian Backcountry Festival, we once again have a speakers program. As with other festivals, the program covers a range of mountain-related topics and great line up of presenters.

The program is being hosted by The General and Jack Frost, in Hotham village. It is being held over two days, the saturday and sunday.

The festival will run over three days: September 3, 4 and 5, 2021.

Continue reading “Victorian Backcountry Festival 2021 Speakers Program Launched” →

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Backcountry festival 2021 screening as a virtual event

The Backcountry Film Festival is back for 2021! This annual, pre winter event features a range of backcountry and winter related films.

Because of the difficulty of finding a low cost, large venue in a time of covid restrictions, this year we are running it as a virtual screening.

Please join us for the 2021 screenings.

Continue reading “Backcountry festival 2021 screening as a virtual event” →

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Backcountry Film Festival 2021

The Backcountry Film Festival is a pre-winter tradition in Melbourne, with screenings happening each autumn. Other towns and cities sometimes also host the festival. Sadly, in 2020 the festival couldn’t go ahead as a screening because of the COVID-9 lockdown. Hopefully we will be back to ‘business as usual’ in 2021!

The program is put together by the Winter Wildlands Alliance, who say: ‘We believe in the power of humans and their spirit. Our mission is to manifest that power in communities through stories of activists, adventurers, and the outdoors to inspire and activate’.

‘The 16th Annual Backcountry Film Festival will be screening documentaries and ski movies about athletic pursuit in the mountains, artistic vision, friendship, and how the snowsports community is adapting to a changing environment’.

We hope to screen it in Melbourne in March or April 2021. Stay tuned for details.

There are 10 films in the 2021 season (you can check them out here) covering everything from slacklining in the mountains of Norway, climbing and skiing in Svalbard, doing the “Vallée Blanche” ski route in Chamonix, to gorgeous clips from the Revelstoke backcountry.

Check here for further background on the festival.

HEADER IMAGE: From Life beyond Fear.

LOWER IMAGE From Lost.

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The Winter of Awesome

Now that we know that ski resorts will be open at least for some of the winter we can really get on with our planning. In NSW an announcement on the ski season is expected this week, and the season will start in VIC from June 22. I hope this helps with your planning for trips and events. Here are some events that I am aware of. Please feel free to send in details on others.

Continue reading “The Winter of Awesome” →

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The winter that keeps giving …

With many areas now pushing beyond 200 cm of snowpack (and Mt Buller calling it the best snow since 2004), the rest of August and early September is looking spectacular. Although I’m hearing a few nay sayers suggesting that we have seen the best of winter 2018, the famed Grasshopper is a little more upbeat: ‘We are now midway through the southern hemisphere season with the best part still to come.‘

However, The Grasshopper does also suggest that it will taper off after the next band of fronts: ‘Both climate drivers and models aren’t working in our favour for epic snowfalls during the second half of the season. However, snowfalls over the next week or two will provide ample fresh powder’.

But there is little doubt that winter 2018 has been amazing, especially on top of 2017 – which had been billed as ‘the best since 2000’.

Hopefully we will still be wandering around in the backcountry, finding turns, long after the resorts have closed.

In the meantime, here’s some backcountry style events you may want to get along to.

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Summer events in the Australian Alps

Mountain Journal often advertises high energy events like trail running, road riding, cross country races, etc. But summer is also a good time to relax, take it easy, and chill out with friends. Here are some listings for festivals, low key nature events, and social gatherings that are happening in the Alps over summer 2017/18.

Continue reading “Summer events in the Australian Alps” →

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