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Mountain Journal

Environment, news, culture from the Australian Alps

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Do you have a backcountry film for the 2026 BC film festival?

When it’s blindingly hot outside, it must be time to think about winter and watch some backcountry films. That also means we are thinking about prep for the 2026 Backcountry Film Festival, which will happen in Naarm/ Melbourne this autumn.

The Backcountry Film Festival is presented by Winter Wildlands Alliance (WWA) and celebrates the power and spirit of humans in winter. More than 100 local groups host screenings, mostly in the USA, and the only Australian screening happens in Melbourne.

While we don’t have a date locked in as yet, it will be hosted again locally by RMIT Outdoors Club (ROC) and Friends of the Earth.

While we have a full program of films we will be screening in the program developed by WWA (which features 10 films), we do like to also show a local film. If you have a BC skiing/ riding / touring film that you have produced, we would love to hear from you.

Continue reading “Do you have a backcountry film for the 2026 BC film festival?” →

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One last call to get MJ magazine printed

The annual Mountain Journal magazine is in the final stages of editing and hopefully will be out in time for the snow gum summit, which will happen in March in Jindabyne. Then we will start distributing it across mountain and valley towns between Melbourne and Canberra.

We are stoked by the articles and images that have been contributed. The theme is ‘the mountains are changing, are we ready?’ (details here). We are covering the good and the bad, the environmental, cultural and political changes.

There are stories from many well known mountain folks, including Bridie Lawson, Caro Ryan,  Darren Edwards, Dave Herring, Elyse Kochman, Grant Dixon, James McCormack, Jean-François Rupp, Kelly van den Berg, Lily Begg, Linda Groom, Mick Webster, Pauline Dowling, Peter Campbell, Rolf Schonfeld, Sam Beaver and Stephen Whiteside.

This is one last appeal to see if anyone is willing to assist us in printing the magazine.

Continue reading “One last call to get MJ magazine printed” →

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Can you help us to print and distribute mountain journal mag 2026?

We produce Mountain journal magazine once a year, and distribute 1,000 copies for free in breweries, cafes, gear shops, and info centres in valley towns and resorts between Melbourne and Canberra, plus in mountain huts across the high country. It is intended for outdoors people who love the mountains. The magazine is also produced as a PDF and freely available on the website (here).

We now have a theme for the 2026 edition: managing change in the mountains, which will aim to delve into the complex issues of new people and groups who are now visiting the mountains, and how we can welcome these groups while ensuring everyone has a good and safe time in the hills.

Now we need to find the funds to make it happen.

Continue reading “Can you help us to print and distribute mountain journal mag 2026?” →

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We have a theme for mountain journal 6 & would love your contributions

Mountain Journal magazine theme – 2026

The mountains are changing – are we ready?

Change is everywhere. As the snow line slowly but steadily climbs higher up the mountains, climate change is impacting on winter as we know it. Erratic weather, boom and bust snow cycles, the borderline rain that should be falling as snow. Businesses and mountain staff feel the brunt of these more unpredictable days. Winter ice skating and regular snow on the lower peaks is already fading into the distance as we move into an uncertain century of unprecedented warming. In summer we often face the challenges that come with longer and more intense fire seasons.

Continue reading “We have a theme for mountain journal 6 & would love your contributions” →

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The hut that saved me, and other stories

Mountain Journal started as a website in the summer doldrums of 2010. In 2021, it finally emerged in print form as a covid lockdown inspired project. Since then there have been five annual editions produced. It is written each summer and distributed through mountain areas each autumn and winter.

As we get to the end of 2025, we are thinking about the 2026 edition and would welcome your ideas and contributions.

Continue reading “The hut that saved me, and other stories” →

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Walks, forums, ecological restoration in north east VIC

There are a number of environmental events being planned for mid November in north east Victoria.

In mid November Friends of the Earth will be hosting walks on the Buffalo plateau and the following day Protect Our Winters and Upper Ovens Landcare will co-host a planting day, followed by a film night in Bright.

Continue reading “Walks, forums, ecological restoration in north east VIC” →

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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.

 

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Peak Oil Company: ‘durable clothing and equipment for the Australian outdoors’.

Almost all outdoor gear used to be made in Australia. That is now a rarity, although a couple of companies continue to produce things here (there is a probably outdated list of these companies available here). Outdoor gear advertising is largely synonymous with generic high impact lifestyles – fly here, go there, have the latest stuff, charge that line – rather than being connected to a place or community (sure there are exceptions, but the ‘global brands’ do dominate the market here in Australia).

That’s why small scale, locally owned gear companies are so important (as are, of course, locally owned shops – you can find a list of them here).

Some Australian brands like Snow Gum, One Planet or Mountain Designs, have been around for decades. There are also a growing number of micro brands starting up and one of these is Peak Oil Company, whose primary mission is ‘making durable clothing and equipment for the Australian outdoors, without using petrochemicals’.

Continue reading “Peak Oil Company: ‘durable clothing and equipment for the Australian outdoors’.” →

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Tele Take Over at Perisher

For many years I organised an annual get together at Mt Hotham to celebrate World Telemark Day. We would have up to 35 people meet and spend the day on the mountain. Eventually in 2018, we moved the Tele Day to Falls Creek and it morphed into the first Victorian Backcountry Festival (which has now morphed into the Australian Backcountry Festival, and will happen over three days at Mt Hotham at the end of August.

But the Tele Meetup tradition continues!

Sophie Stud posts in the Australian Telemarks facebook group that there will be another Tele Take Over this winter. She says: ‘A few of you may have made it to last years Tele take over, this year I would love to make it bigger then ever’.

Continue reading “Tele Take Over at Perisher” →

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Good manners in the mountains

Anyone who spends time in the high country will have seen the exponential growth in visitors during ski season in recent years, especially since the covid times. Resort car parks full, mayhem on the roads, rubbish along the access roads, overcrowding. This is our new reality, so it’s worth thinking about how we can make it work.

Firstly, we should admit that change can be hard. We love these places and are used to the way things are. Suddenly the roads are busier, the car parks and ski runs are full, even the usual campgrounds are busy with people.

Continue reading “Good manners in the mountains” →

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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” →

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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” →

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