With continued snowfalls expected this week, we’re looking as if we will have a proper (settled) base across higher ranges and hence an early start to the ‘season’ (yes, ‘ski season’ is just a capitalist construct).
You’re probably planning trips. Here are a few resources that might help:
The Alpine Quest Adventure Race is a navigation-based team event to be held on Australia Day weekend (Jan 25 – 28) for teams of four, who need to stay together the whole time.
It consists of kayaking, mountain biking and trekking legs with some ‘additional challenges’. It will happen out of Falls Creek resort in north east Victoria.
UPDATE. WED August 8, 2018
MSC have issued a ‘High Danger’ warning.
They say:
“The current conditions on the range are about as bad as we have seen in the four year span of running the program. Equal to the various ‘Blizzards of OZ’ in 17 and the various other events of triggered slides swept riders and buried them, and as of the time of writing there have been no incidents. We aren’t out of the woods yet, and that’s the real cut and thrust of this message. This event will linger for the next 48hrs+ so hold the charge, and urge the rest of your immediate pow chasing mates to heed the warning until the snow has settled.”
Additionally, Mt Stirling ski patrol has closed Stanley Bowl:
‘Traditionally Stanley Bowl is considered safe from avalanches. But the conditions we have observed which include a cornice with a large fracture through it are severe enough for us to feel the need to close it’.
Bill Barker from Mt Hotham patrol says:
There is ‘considerable avalanche danger in the back-country again today. There was several reports of skier triggered avalanches yesterday, and the weak layer that produced these still exists today but it is now buried deeper in the snowpack which will result in larger avalanches if it releases today.
Continue reading “Avalanche Warning upgraded to ‘High Danger’”
Mountain Sports Collective has released the definitive skiing and riding guide to Mt Bogong. This is a first edition which will be refined through feedback from users.
It is available for $15 from MSC.
Continue reading “MOUNT BOGONG / A map and topo guide to Ski Touring and Mountaineering”
December 11 is designated by the UN as international mountain day.
In the promo for the day, the UN notes:
“Almost one billion people live in mountain areas, and over half the human population depends on mountains for water, food and clean energy. Yet mountains are under threat from climate change, land degradation, over exploitation and natural disasters, with potentially far-reaching and devastating consequences, both for mountain communities and the rest of the world”.
True. But today I feel like ignoring the (very real) threats to the mountains we know and love, and instead focus on how much the existence of mountains improves our lives.
The Bogong to Hotham Rooftop Run is a 64km point to point ultra marathon from Mountain Creek to the summit of Mt Hotham.
It will be held on Sunday, 7 January 2018.
This is a great program: Parks Victoria (PV) Track Rangers are volunteers who walk and camp along popular tracks during peak holidays in order to provide a presence in key visitation areas and providing hikers with up-to-date park information.
If you have good experience in remote area walking plus appropriate skills and the right personality, it’s a great opportunity to be out in some fantastic country and contribute in a positive way to the management of some of the state’s best parks.
It involves a 4 to 6 day commitment. Full details below.
Continue reading “The Parks Victoria Volunteer Track Ranger Program”
There has been another significant avalanche on Mt Bogong, with a skier being caught in the slide and carried around 80 metres. They are OK.
The following comes from Mountain Safety Collective/ SnowSense.
After a slow start to the winter, we’re getting some serious top up to the base in the backcountry. Whenever you get sun affected snow covered by fresh, there is a chance you will get the potential for avalanche conditions to form on any steeper slopes at higher altitudes. This week there were reports of a ‘monster avalanche’ on Mt Bogong. What makes this concerning is the fact that (as Snowsense puts it) ‘from observations at Hotham and Falls, we had no indicator that Bogong was ready to let rip’.
This highlights the need to check conditions both before you head off and while you’re out in the mountains. Luckily there is a fantastic website to help with this: brought to you by the Mountain Sports Collective.
Through summer and autumn, seven year old Mt Beauty local Mack Hull has been working his way through a series of walks to the top of the 10 highest peaks in the state.
His 10 Peaks Challenge aimed to generate funds for Disabled Wintersport Australia (DWA). DWA assisted thousands of individuals with disabilities to participate in winter sports.
He has now raised more than $1,600!
There is still time to donate to the Challenge: All money raised will go to Disabled Wintersport Australia and can be made to the following Bendigo Bank account.
Mack’s 10 Peaks Challenge
BSB 633000
Acct 160028809
Having finished the Challenge, Mack is now focused on helping out DWA on the snow at Falls Creek this winter.
What a fantastic effort.
There’s a great set of photos of all the peaks on Mack’s ‘Challenge’ facebook page.
Last year Parks Victoria (PV) ran a Volunteer Track Ranger Program in north east Victoria. They received a very positive response from both the people who volunteered and those who were out hiking in the areas where volunteer rangers were present. PV has decided to run the program again this year and is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified people.
Being involved in the program will enable participants to expand their volunteer experience while exploring some of the remote terrains and campsites in the Alpine National Park. This helps Parks Victoria during peak times of visitation.
Continue reading “Parks Victoria Volunteer Track Ranger Program”
There has been a good outcome in the case of the skier who was injured on Mt Bogong, after a rescue yesterday.
The following comes from the ABC.
Mount Beauty police have praised the work of volunteers and personnel who rescued an injured skier from Mount Bogong, in north-east Victoria, yesterday.
The 44-year-old Albury man broke a leg while skiing with friends late on Tuesday afternoon.
Mountain Journal 
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