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winter mountaineering!!!

toby

9-Mar-2005
9:46:10 PM

Hey folks,
dose anyone ever get to the snow for some winter mountaineering,
Im lookin to get out a couple off times this coming season but gettin it hard to find a partner, Ive never ice climbed but will give it a go i just wanna get out in the snow this year log some hours on the mountain, i can lead climb on rock and have most of my own gear just have to get crampons and a couple of little things weekend trips are good and i have a set of wheels so can drive,
have fun


JBM

10-Mar-2005
12:12:47 PM

Toby-

Planning on being up in the hills at least every other weekend this winter - Buller and Bogong primarily. Nothing too serious but surprisingly fun stuff. Besides if the conditions are in, you can always go for a ski.

Stay in touch and I'll let you know when I get trips organised.

Brad

toby

10-Mar-2005
8:49:30 PM

cheers brad, that would be the bis,,,,got a reploy from a guy called simon he spoke about bogong and feathertop. Being new to this country i need to some more homework on what kind of terrain you guys have over here, and how diff it is to europe,people say it totaly diferent but i guess i just gotta get out there and find out for myself!!!!!!!!. what kind of stuff do you do?


mic

10-Mar-2005
9:29:37 PM

I'll be up for some in Vic over winter... just been buying up some gear thru ebay - quite cheap for all new stuff...Did some ice climbing in NZ a few weeks ago & keen to continue with it


nmonteith

11-Mar-2005
9:14:08 AM

There are full guides to Bogong and Bulla in the gudies section on this website. It is not the French Alps!


mic

11-Mar-2005
1:13:52 PM

NM I've seen your pics on ice climbing in Vic. In a typical Vic winter can you expect to find that stuff here or do you have to be lucky?


JBM

11-Mar-2005
1:47:25 PM

No worries. What sort of stuff do I do? Locally (in Oz) mostly just playing around in some gullies and short mixed pitches. Overseas - WI4+ and Alpine routes up to TD+


nmonteith

11-Mar-2005
2:22:54 PM

The photos you see on this site are good conditions which prob form 20% of the time. Every year will have a few good weeks - but it is really hard to guess when they are! Keep an eye on this site - as people give updates during the winter season. It is all single pitch mixed stuff. We have very limited proper waterfall ice. If you want the most consistant ice head over to NSW and climb at Blue Lake.


JBM

11-Mar-2005
2:51:33 PM

What sort of formations do you get at blue lake? height?


nmonteith

11-Mar-2005
3:02:04 PM

20m or so for single pitch. Some routes might be 2-3 pitches long. Most is easy 'slab' snow/ice with the occaisonal vertical section. Hanging frozen waterfalls don't occur apart from in some small areas - and they are generally very unstable.
Pic below is of Jono Schimdt on typical Blue Lake terrain - photo JohnK


nmonteith

11-Mar-2005
3:03:02 PM

There is a Chockstone gallery!
http://www.chockstone.org/Gallery/BlueLakePics.htm


anthonyk

11-Mar-2005
6:21:39 PM

i get the impression the bogong/buller routes have more of an alpine route feel about them than the ice-cragging type climbing at blue lake, is that right?


Andrew_M

11-Mar-2005
6:42:08 PM

Blue Lake's not bad, but in other parts of the world they drive by BL-style ice by the roadside on the way to the real ice...but we gotta love it, it's ours.

re alpine-style routes in Oz...has anybody tried climbing up from the Gehi River/Lady Northcotes canyon to Twynum via Watson's crags? There are rumours of ice forming on the crags but I haven't found anybody to confirm this...looks quite possible from the topo in comparison to BL...anybody?


Romfrantic

11-Mar-2005
6:53:04 PM

On 11/03/2005 Andrew_M wrote:
>re alpine-style routes in Oz...has anybody tried climbing up from the
>Gehi River/Lady Northcotes canyon to Twynum via Watson's crags? There are
>rumours of ice forming on the crags but I haven't found anybody to confirm
>this...looks quite possible from the topo in comparison to BL...anybody?

I heard the same, just off Watsons Crags facing south-ish...went there on skis to have a look at that side of the Crags last Sept, but maybe was too late in the season for ice then (didn't see any).

Ecowain? you out there? I'm pretty sure I heard it from Ecowain before that there are ice routes by Watsons Crag - would like to know as well.


anthonyk

11-Mar-2005
7:39:19 PM

hmm.. i could be up for checking it out anyway, heading up a route from the geehi river to watsons crags (& twynum?). i think it'd be fun to check out as a climb even if it isn't properly iced up, so long as its not too soft or powdery. maybe snowshoe in and out so you don't have to lug skis up the climb.


Andrew_M

11-Mar-2005
7:48:00 PM

It was probably Ecowain that told me too originally...many many moons ago. It's been on thhe list to do for a few years, but the thought of the bloody drive down there just to find it's a 1000m snow grovel isn't that inspiring...all it needs is a real chance of a vague hint of something technical, if you half close your eyes and imagine hard and don't look at the gumtrees behind you. That would tip the inspiration balance enough to deal with the drive.

toby

11-Mar-2005
11:27:35 PM

Well poeple , now im getting excited bring on the snow&ice, guna organise a long weekend for the winter so watch this space !!!!!!!!!!!!


Paulie

14-Mar-2005
8:26:39 PM

Look into the China Wall on Mt Buffalo also, some really good neve forms in there and the potential for multi-pitch hard mixed routes is there for sure.


JBM

15-Mar-2005
10:23:13 AM

Is there any opportunity to get a few backcountry ski runs in the area as well?


Alex

15-Mar-2005
1:48:13 PM

Yeah theres decent terrain around Blue Lake for some skiing, check some runs here.

There are 22 messages in this topic.