For the second year, we have produced a print version of a magazine, based on content from the Mountain Journal website. In 2022, the magazine is a collaboration with Mandy Lamont of Lamont magazine. Distribution of magazines across mountain towns and resorts starts on June 7.
While 2022 feels like our first ‘normal’ year since the pandemic started, the ‘new normal’ of climate change has become incredibly obvious over the past few years. After a horror summer over 2019/20, fires burnt in the northern hemisphere through their summer and into winter, with fire authorities in places like California warning that they no longer experience fire seasons, and that large fires can occur year round. In the past southern summer, much of the east coast was hammered by terrible floods, and WA faced an awful fire season. Here in the south the mountains were green, although in lutruwita/ Tasmania a series of fires burnt in World Heritage Areas, sparked by lightning and flourishing in the dry conditions.
A reflection on another year of Mountain Journal can be found here.
After two disappointing winters, where the Backcountry Festival had to go on line, we are excited to announce that planning is well underway for a big gathering at Mt Hotham this year.
The 2022 festival will happen over three days in early September (2, 3, and 4). It has been extended to three days to allow people to attend more tours and workshops.
Continue reading “The Victorian Backcountry festival is back for 2022”
The winter 2022 edition of Mountain Journal magazine will be published as a collaboration with Mandy Lamont of Lamont Magazine, and will be distributed across southern capital cities and mountain towns in early winter. We welcome contributions to the 2022 edition. You can find a pdf of the 2021 edition here.
The theme this year is ‘giving back to the mountains’. We are looking to feature short profiles (400 – 600 words) of people who are doing great things in the hills – ecological restoration, volunteering, campaigning, building community. If you know of people with a connection to the mountains of south eastern Australia or lutruwita/ Tasmania, who would be good to profile, please get in touch (or please feel free to send a story for inclusion).
In particular we would love to hear from firefighters – career or volunteer – who have been involved in firefighting in the mountains.
Continue reading “‘Giving back to the mountains’. A call out for content”
Mountain Journal magazine was produced for the first time in 2021. Intended as an ‘annual’ of key events from the previous year, it has been distributed in mountain huts, info centres, and cafes in and around the mountains of south east Australia (you can find it as a pdf here).
We are just starting to think about content for the 2022 edition (to be distributed in early winter) and would welcome contributions.
Continue reading “Call out for content – Mountain Journal magazine #2”
December 11 is International Mountain Day.
Around the world, mountain environments are threatened by climate change and destruction of natural environments. It is the same here in Australia, where we are starting to see the local collapse of mountain forests – both Alpine Ash and Snow Gum – due to climate driven fire regimes (and, in the case of Snow Gum, dieback caused by a native beetle).
There is much we must do to protect these wonderful environments, including building our capacity to fight fires effectively in mountain areas.
And please join the citizen science project if you’re planning on visiting the VIC/ACT/ NSW mountains this summer.
Presented by Winter Wildlands Alliance each year, the Backcountry Film Festival screens stories of outdoor stewardship, grassroots policy and advocacy work, backcountry adventure, and snow cinema by human-powered advocates, athletes, activists, and outdoor enthusiasts.
The 2021 festival will run from DEC 3 – 13 and features 14 films over two hours.
The festival is shown around the world. In Victoria, Friends of the Earth is the local host.
There are three options to watch it this year.
Continue reading “Three ways to watch the Backcountry Film Festival”
You may have seen that we are now producing occasional print runs of a Mountain Journal magazine. The first one came out in August this year, is slowly being distributed, and available as a PDF here.
The themes of the first edition were First Nation Voices and Living with Fire. Based on feedback, a popular section was the ‘Around the Campfire’ pages, which feature chats with a number of people.
The second edition will also have a focus on fire but coming from the human side of the story. That’s where I hope you might come in.
The Backcountry Film Festival is produced each year by the Winter Wildlands Alliance as a celebration of the human-powered winter experience and a gathering place for the backcountry snowsports community.
The 2022 season is screening early and will be an online festival. You can get tickets here.
However, Bright Brewery will be hosting a screening on Wed, Dec 1.
Continue reading “Backcountry film festival screening in Bright, DEC 1”
Presented by Winter Wildlands Alliance each year, the Backcountry Film Festival screens stories of outdoor stewardship, grassroots policy and advocacy work, backcountry adventure, and snow cinema by human-powered advocates, athletes, activists, and outdoor enthusiasts.
The 2022 season festival will run early, from DEC 3 – 13, 2021 and features 14 films over two hours.
The festival is shown around the world. In Victoria, Friends of the Earth is the local host.
Due to the difficulty of finding a suitable cheap venue, this year we are screening the festival as an online event.
Continue reading “The Backcountry Film Festival is back. DEC 3 – 13”
The Mountain Journal website started back in the summer of 2010. Inspired by great magazines like Mountain Gazette, the plan had always been to produce a print version. But I never got around to it – until now!
The first print edition is hot off the press, and will be (covid lockdowns permitting) surfacing in cafes, mountain huts and public spaces across the Alps soon.
You can read the journal as a PDF here, but if you enjoy print, I can also post you a copy.
Continue reading “Mountain Journal print edition #1 now available”
Mountain Journal started back in the summer of 2010. Inspired by great magazines like Mountain Gazette, the plan had always been to produce a print version. But I never got around to it – until now!
The first print edition is hot off the press, and will be (covid lockdowns permitting) surfacing in cafes, mountain huts and public spaces across the Alps soon.
The aim is to produce an Annual, taking content from the website, including some new content, and covering the key mountain/ environment issues of the year.
Mountain Journal 
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