This is good trip if you have done some resort skiing and would like to have a go at snow camping and backcountry skiing. Please read the trip description and briefly outline your experience when signing up (please also let me know if you have a vehicle and are willing to drive).
The plan is to head up to Guthega in Kosciuszko National Park from where we will don skis and travel ~2km to the camping location near the Guthega River (-36.371246, 148.367863). From here there is plenty of terrain available for skiing such as the old ski tow next to Guthega Pondage and the hills further up the Guthega River Valley (Gills Knob, Mt Tate etc). We will ski in this area Saturday and Sunday before packing up camp and returning to the cars for the drive home. This makes the total distance of the trip ~4km + the distance we choose to ski from the camp.
Please note that this trip is dependent on the weather being favorable (i.e. no blizzards, very heavy snow, high winds etc) though it's usually more calm down in the valley where we will be going. The current forecast (as of 28/07/20) is for partly cloudy skies, moderate winds and maybe a small bit of snow Sunday afternoon (http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/forecasts/perisher.shtml) though this could change as the weather is fairly unpredictable in the mountains. From what I have seen there has been a decent bit of rain so the snow will be worse than usual but hopefully still skiable.
We will have a pretrip meeting Thursday 6pm which you must attend so that you can familiarise yourself with the AT ski gear and hire the gear you require for the trip (let me know if you have your own backcountry ski gear and don't need to hire).
The gear you will need for this trip is as per the recommended gear for ski trips (http://anumc.org.au/activities/skiing):
- Ski gear - AT skis, skins (for walking uphill), boots and poles
- 4 season tent
- Well insulated sleeping mat
- Winter sleeping bag
- Waterproof jacket, pants and gloves (consider two pairs if the first pair get wet)
- Warm jumper, jacket and pants (NO COTTON)
- Beanie
- Warm socks
- Sunglasses and ski goggles
- Sun protection
- Cooking gear (gas stove)
- Food and snacks for two fully days (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- 2L of water
- Toilet paper
- An overnight pack to carry everything in!
----------Most of these items can be hired from the gear store and would cost $10 + $60 deposit (gear store only accepts cash). Please let me know if you are not sure on any of these items ----------------
In line with our Covid-safe policy: do not attend if you're feeling unwell, have flu-like symptoms, have travelled internationally or been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days, or your health is considered high risk. Please indicate whether or not you have the Covid-safe app.
As per trip description, camping next to Guthega River (-36.371246, 148.367863) and skiing like surrounding hills west of campsite