My final semester of uni in 2013 had an unbelievably cruisy timetable that included a four-day weekend…the perfect pre-condition for getting plenty of mega trips in! August saw Mike B., Sarah W., Ross C. and I tackle the 16 hour road journey from Adelaide to Kosciuscko National Park, NSW. I have a lot of inbounds resort skiing experience, but before this trip I had never gone ski-touring in the backcountry. We planned to take food and camping gear with us so we could be self-sufficient for 4 days, which we ended up extending to 5 days for the great conditions. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect: after what had been a very average season we arrived after a week that received upwards of 60cm snow, just catching the tail end of the storm.
When we arrived in Jindabyne, the conditions in the main range were not good. It was still cloudy and raining. We decided to go to Guthega near the north eastern part of the range and start our journey from there.
It took all morning for Ross and I to hire skis from Jindabyne and for everyone to get ready in Jyndabyne. Some friends from NSW also met us, and joined us for just for the first night. The late start meant we could only ski for a few hours before it began to get dark. The conditions were uncomfortable and the going was slow. We eventually found a relatively sheltered area to set up camp only a few minutes from the Snowy River footbridge.
That night after setting our tents up in the rain was very cold and wet. Most of us suffered a sleepless night. I managed to get a good nights sleep, however, by avoiding changing into my spare dry clothes or getting my sleeping bag out of its dry sack until the very last minute when my tent was set up and the water removed with my pack towel.
The next day, our night of discomfort was rewarded with perfect conditions. Whilst the snow was fairly crusty from the rain, we didn’t care as the blue sky and sun meant we could ski in our T-shirts!
The highlight of the trip for me was definitely seeing Blue Lake. One of the only places in Australia where you can go ice climbing, and one of a few lakes on Australia that you can ski on in winter.
After lunch and admiring the beauty of Blue Lake, we said goodbye to our friends from NSW who had to leave and return to Guthega. Ross decided to return to camp with them, whilst Mike, Sarah and I proceeded to ascend Mt. Twynam.
Descending Mt. Twynam in poor visibility conditions was very difficult – navigation was not easy, even with a GPS. We nearly ended up skiing back into Blue Lake, a mistake that caused Mike to lose a ski which got caught only a few meters above a cliff. Mike was not confident to approach the cliff without crampons and an ice axe, so he had to walk all the way back to camp whilst Sarah and I skied back. We were all pretty exhausted.
The next day, Mike got up at the crack of dawn whilst the snow was still frozen and easy to walk on. We had noticed some people from ANUMC were camping higher up in the Main Range, and they had mountaineering gear with them. So Mike ran back up the hill to ask if he could borrow some gear so he could safely retrieve his ski.
In the meantime, Ross, Sarah and I had a lazy morning and got started a few hours later. Before we had even reached the main range, Mike came skiing back down with his ski he had lost the day before! The people from ANUMC had very kindly lent Mike some of their gear, making it possible to get the ski back safely.
After an unsuccessful attempt to try and reach Watson’s Crag via Mt. Twynam (icy, windy conditions made a safe ascent without crampons virtually impossible), the rest of the trip was spent exploring the area around where we had set up camp. We decided to explore the area behind our camp, on the Perisher side of the Snowy River. There was some amazing skiing to be had in the soft snow that was protected from the wind. Deciding it was all too good to be true, we took an extra day off work/uni to stay another day. We ended up staying for a total of 5 days, 4 nights.
This trip changed my perception of skiing and Australian snow. Prior to this trip I was unashamedly snobbish when it came to snow, thinking it wasn’t worth the money and effort unless you had bottomless Canadian-style powder and steep, bold lines to play on. But here, the beauty and silence of the backcountry and the self-reliance that snow camping, touring skis and skins gave us, made for an unforgettable experience. All the parts of resort skiing that typically annoy you are removed from the equation: no ski lift queues, no expensive tickets, no nazi ski patrollers, no greasy overpriced shit food, no dickheads who cut you off, and no competition for first tracks. Plus, there were potential lines out there which were more challenging than anything I’ve ever seen in an Australian ski resort. I realise now that this is what skiing is all about. Sharing good times with great friends, and finding adventure in the untamed wilderness.