Spring Turns on Mount Kosciuszko

This season has left me… uninspired. False starts, irritable visitors and sunny days has meant my gaze has been focused eastward, towards the coast. While I have had some great resort days, the Backcountry this year has been frustrating. The days I have managed to get out there I have encountered poor weather with even poorer snow, but great company.

A windy day out on Guthega Trig with Rohan and Mark.

Rohan and Mark up Guthega Trig

Windy transition, Mark is Mr Slow!

A wet day touring on Mount Tate with Damian and Dave. I had borrowed Holly's lovely Lumix camera, unfortunately, these are its last photos.

Damian and Dave heading up Mount Tate

The last photo Holly's camera ever took, on our way back to Guthega, saturated

And finally some nice turns in the Perisher sidecountry before it turned to slop with Belly.

Belly and his new lib tech split, north Paralyser trig

Dropping north towards Guthega

Not to be too negative, its always great to get out in the BC with good friends and sometimes the turns are secondary to the funny things that happen and the conversation.

Anyway, contrast this with the surf!

Ledgy reef on the NSW far south coast

A frame goodness

So when my buddy Peter, aka Fast Rimey, made the trek up from the Melbourne for some BC action I was a tad apprehensive. I had just returned from another trip to the coast and scored some great waves and was considering a day relaxing at home. Nevertheless, we arranged to meet in Jindabyne and drove up to Thredbo. At the Thredbo base there is no snow, however, the liftys gave us the heads up that there was snow at the top so we clicked in for the ride up.

Peter's new Praxis BC

There is snow up there!

They were right, there was plenty of snow at the top, and with a dusting of fresh, it actually looked pretty good. So good in fact, we did a few runs on the Basin, the only lift still spinning for skiing at Thredbo.

Top of Kosciuszko Express looking towards The Basin and Signature Hill

The time came to hit the BC and we made our exit from the Basin top station. Our destination was the southern ridge of Mount Kosciuszko, terrain I had scoped out earlier in the season.

Getting out there

We skied out along the base of Signature Hill and came around the northern Ramshead. It was here we encountered our first of a few interesting backcountry travellers for the day. A group on Nordic skiers (the ski style, not the region!) having a tilt at the Aussie 10, the ten highest peaks in Oz. They were really pushing it and managed a quick hello as they shuffled past.

We topped out at the ridge and got a great view to the west. We could clearly see the Victorian high country and the terrain we were heading to looked tasty.

The Pyramid

Looking west into the Victorian high country

We did a terrible run down the western face of the Ramshead through horrible wind affected ice to Cootapatamba Creek.

Fast Rimey works his way down the dodgy ice 

Kosci cornice

From the creek we transitioned and worked our way up the south east face of Kosci. As we approached the top, a fellow skier dropped in and got some nice turns back to the creek letting out a few hoots, the snow looked great. We had a quick drink at the top took some photos then skied over to a steeper face we had been eyeing off. The drop in was a little intimidating, steeper than anything I had skied for awhile. There was some lingering ice beneath the fresh but I got into a rhythm and enjoyed my run down.

View from the top

 

Me dropping into my first run (courtesy Richard)

My turns

Rimey hitting it

 

Stoked with our first run, we hit the trail and made it back to the top relatively quickly catching up to the lone skier we had watched drop in before and also a snowboarder booting up. We had a quick chat then hit it in fairly quick succession. The run was mellower, but way longer.

Me dropping into second run (courtesy Richard)

 Our work

We had a bite to eat with our fellow BC travellers. The skier ended up being Richard from Richards Report, a buddy of my ski bum father. While enjoying the food hit and sunshine we noticed two hikers approaching. Obviously lost, they asked us how to get back to Thredbo. They were heading towards Leather Barrel Creek and I would hate to think where they would have ended up if we weren't around to get them back on track.

Lucky fellas

Richard and the snowboarder started their climb back towards Thredbo but Pete and I were keen for one more. As we got back into climbing mode a large group of ladies skied down from the Ramshead being guided by K7. We gave a quick g’day then started our climb. About half way up it was evident that the ladies were pretty fit, they were starting to reel us in. I managed to hold them off but Rimey, stopping for a drink had them nipping at his heels for the last 50 metres or so.

Climbing back up for more, you can just see us on the right (courtesy Richard)

They're coming!

 

Rimey maintaining his lead for the final push

We had a chat to the group and took some photos for them. A couple of the ladies were keen to have a look at the face we had skied for our first run so Pete and I guided them over to the intimidating drop in. Not everyone was up for it but one of the girls, Melissa was keen to have a crack. I dropped in first then took some photos of Pete and Melissa coming down. As per the first run, there was some ice beneath the fresh at the top followed by beautiful dry fresh snow lower down.

The ladies and Mount Kosciuszko

Pete drops into the face

 

Melissa carving it up

 

 

We met back up with the rest of the girls who had skied a nice looking line similar to our second run. We transitioned then had a pretty easy climb and ski back to Thredbo finishing with some bonus turns to the lift and a delicious beer at the River Inn.

 

 

 Its a great spot

It ended up being a fantastic day out in the mountains, perhaps my best BC day for the season. I'm reinvigorated and ready for a few more, 2013 isn't over yet!

Early Icey Ski Touring - June 2013

Anyone following the current state of the Australian ski season would be dismayed. We had a great early season fall in May which was unfortunately washed away by heavy run just a couple of weeks later. In the time since, the season has coughed along with the odd dusting and small snowfall. The resorts have been all but unskiable; crazy crowds, restricted terrain and icey manmade snow. Finally having a free Sunday I took the opportunity to head out to the backcountry to see what was going on. I also recently purchased a GPS unit (Garmin MAP 62s) and was keen to log some way points and muck around navigating with it.

I paid my $33 for a one way ride up the Kosciuszko Express from Thredbo Village. It was a beautiful sunny day. However, the snow conditions were terrible, ice and hoar frost. I made my way along the Kosciuszko trail until I hit the Ramshead ridge line.

The ominous looking Mt Carruthers as seen from Thredbo area

South ridge of Mt Kosciuszko, looks like some nice turns there for another day

I dropped down to Cootapatamba Hut. A few hundred metres of icey turns.

Icey turns to the hut

Cootapatamba Hut

It was great to finally make it to the hut in winter.

From the hut, I climbed the southern ridge of Mt Kosciuszko, around 200 vertical metres.

Climbing the south ridge of Mt Kosciuszko

Arriving at the summit I was shocked to come across two guys dressed in jeans and sneakers! Seems they had walked all the way from Thredbo.

A couple of fellas out for a Sunday walk

I had lunch and a cup of tea at the summit cairn enjoying the view.

The Voile BCs are awesome skis for touring the Oz Main Range

Cup of tea at the top of Australia

Nice snowpack, just need some fresh to cover all the ice

I took some more icey turns to Rawsons Pass then continued on to Seamans Hut. Another cup of tea and some chocolate and it was time to start the ski back to Thredbo.

Seamans Hut 2030m

Nice view form the hut!

Looking north towards Mt Townsend

I have to be honest, the ski from Seamans Hut to Thredbo is actually pretty boring. The challenge of maintaining purchase on the ice was also pretty tedious. I stopped for a quick break and ate another chocolate which pepped me up a bit. I eventually came upon Antons T-bar at Thredbo but my day was not over yet.

Did I mention how icey it was? Well yes, it was even icier back in the resort! The ski down the not yet open Antons felt like life and death. A semi controlled side slip down sheet ice with the odd post hole back to bare earth thrown in. When I finally made it back to the open part of the resort, High Noon, things didn't get much better. After spending the day in peaceful silence I was accosted by the school holiday crowds seemingly focused on the only skiable part of the run. To my shame, where I would normally carve some high speed turns, my tired legs and the relentless ice meant I mainly side slipped to the bottom.

School holidays with no snow

Despite the ice it was a great day out. I covered close to 20km and managed to log some of the key huts and features of the Ramshead and Kosci part of the Main Range on my GPS. I also coupled the unit with the Garmin heart rate monitor and got my HR to 170 with an average of 110. No wonder I was buggered, after my summer slothfulness I'm surprised I didn't have a heart attack!

The new GPS is pretty bang on

We are currently experiencing our first big snowfall for the season. Hopefully my next BC adventure will entail powder and not ice!