Chasing Weather Windows on Victoria’s Highest Ground – Spring Mission to Bogong
Mountainwatch | Drew Jolowicz
After back-to-back challenging Winters the Aussie snow industry needed a turn of good fortune and this season will be remembered fondly. Starting way back in June lifts have been spinning for over 100 days, it’s now October and the end is near. Not if you like backcountry skiing though. With consistent storms throughout July and August, Australia’s high ground is still holding a solid cover of snow that will be skiable for some weeks yet.
Ask any seasoned backcountry enthusiast what their favourite type of conditions are and sure they’ll say powder. However, a very close second, if not an equal, favourite will be corn snow and the Spring harvest.
After waiting through virtually the whole of September for a decent window to open, finally a workable, all be it tight 48 hours of sunny conditions with light winds popped up last weekend. It was time for Dylan Robinson and myself to launch a mission to Victoria’s highest peak, Mt. Bogong.
Sunday September 28th
Bags packed the night before, my alarm sounds at 5am. It’s late September and it’s light early. A quick re-check of the constantly shifting forecast lands in our favour, time to throw all our gear into my crusty old truck and hit the road over to the Kiewa Valley.
Backcountry skiing in Victoria hits differently compared to NSW. Starting at a lower elevation the approaches are generally longer, requiring more walking with heavy packs to the snowline, especially in Spring. Bogong is no exception and the approach bites hard straight out of the car. The steepest stretch of the ascent is right at the very start of the trail head.
Once Michell Hut is reached about two thirds of the way up the phycological battle is won. Soon it will be skis-on for the final push to the summit. As usual the first part of the trip is arduous making us question our decisions. However, reaching the summit by late morning spirits are raised. The morning sun had worked its magic and it was time to get some laps in Cairn Gully.
Being a Sunday in school holidays we certainly weren’t alone. There were numerous parties up there enjoying the great conditions. Cairn Gully has some of the most sought-after terrain on the Bogong Plateau. A variety of steep, craggy chutes descend from the top and as you work your way along from skiers left to right, the steeper and more consequential, they become.
By the afternoon the snow had softened perfectly, allowing us to get into some of the rowdier lines without fear of hitting ice. After lapping all afternoon, we decided to set up camp close to the summit which meant we were in the go zone for the following day. After the accommodation site was constructed, we then boosted to the top and then over to some west-facing terrain to get a few late-light turns and take in a gorgeous alpine sunset.
Monday September 29th
The day dawns perfect with sunny skies and light winds. With an overnight freeze the snow was solid to start so there was no need to rush. It would be leisurely start after cooking up some campsite brekky.
By 10am the sun had started to do its thing on north and east facing aspects and it was time to go skiing. We’d eyed off a few lines on the very southern flank of Cairn Gully the previous day and with the temps looking favourable for softening we decided to go and inspect. Neither of us had skied these chutes before so this was unchartered territory. Steep and committing, a fall here would not be desirable, and it was only after carefully assessing the snow surface we were happy it was good to go.
The skiing was steep but the snow was perfect and could be trusted to get an edge in. As we looked back up from the bottom it felt really satisfying knowing we had skied terrain we hadn’t skied before. With the peaceful sound of the creek flowing through the valley in the background it was time to make our way back up to the top, pack down camp and begin the journey home.
I’ve never been able to decide which is harder, the ascent to or descent from Bogong. For some reason on this trip (maybe it was the heavy packs) the way down felt much harder on the body. We reached the car right on dark, exhausted, and to begin with neither Dylan nor I had much to say. After beers were cracked and thoughts were gathered, everything began to make sense. We had just scored perfect conditions on Victoria’s tallest peak in one of the few available windows this Spring.
Was it the last trip of the season? Never say never, but if it was, we both agree it was a fitting way to wrap up a great season.
