Ski tour Guthega to Mt Twynam
A trip to the Mt Kosciusko back country is quite an undertaking for us in
Melbourne as it is at least an eight hour drive to get there in good driving
conditions. The effort is well worth it with the great scenery and
opportunities for some good skiing and camping.
This was the second year for me, traversing along a similar route but in
completely different conditions. Last year we had huge amounts of snow that
allowed us to ski well into November. This year the snow was a bit wetter and
not so generous with its cover, however we were still rewarded with lots to
play on and a great few days away from the stresses of work and urban duties.
I wish to thank all the attendees of this trip and indeed for every trip I
have done for providing planning effort, good company and assistance when
needed.. Here is the Melbourne Nordic Ski Club route description brief:
The brief was not concise as we have no idea of the weather and snow conditions
prior to going, nor do we know of what the group "think" is at the time. For
instance we may fall in love with a particular slope or view point, or the
weather could sock in and there is a need to escape. This area is fantastic as
even though it is in a truly wilderness setting there is quite a few exit
options into the adjacent ski resorts of Thredbo, Guthega, Smiggin and
Perisher - provided the weather conditions allow that to happen of course.
Having the right equipment and experienced party members are paramount for a
safe excursion in this region.
The route - courtesy of
OpenStreetMap . (Click on the image to get a bigger map, we traveled from the top
right to the bottom left. )
Last time (see
Ski tour Mt Kosciusko 1990) we drove to a place called Tom Groggin, which is a pleasant camp site
area on the way off the Alpine Way set by a river. The area is also a winter
refuge site for a mob of kangaroos. This time we drove the longer through
journey to Jindabyne so that we can get an early start to our trip proper at
Guthega.
Our start looked good with sunny skies and snow down to the road at Guthega.
Our trip involved invoking that "escape plan" as the weather was forecast to
to be bad on Monday, so we left on Sunday from our camp near Mt Twynam
instead of completing the intended route to Mt Kosciusko and out via
Perisher.
We had some great skiing from Thursday to Sunday though and a somewhat
tempestuous one on the resort at Guthega with a sleepless night in the
Jindabyne caravan park listening to hail, thunder and roaring wind. We were
thankful of weather reports and good decision making by all party members.
The views in this area are glorious. Last year full of snow, this year a balding pate: both great. That panorama, not provided by camera is something, it is with you all the way along this tour.
Ski apparel in the cross-country and bush walking world attracts comment at
times. Why not add to the vitality of nature's vibe with a fashion accessory
to liven things up ?
This hat was also warm and quick to dry so, no complaints in practicality
either. It was nice and warm, the sun bright, so why not get an all over sun
tan ?
What happens on camp, stays on camp or does it? A somewhat cryptic effort in
our club awards night gives me an "Iceman Award" for the hat or was it the X
rated restricted evidence.
Beign new to the sport of cross country skiing, I could not justify nor afford all the equipment. My Macpac Eclipse tent is really a summer tent. We were blessed with good weather so it worked out well. So long as it doesn't snow it's OK for this kind of camping. The sides could bulge under heavy snow loads.
This trip was a great finish to this year's skiing and for me a good release
from a very stressful time with the pressures of work. Snow camping, and
generally enjoying the outdoors is where I belong and I would say that also
goes for my companions .
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