This trip is for people wanting to either learn and/or practise mountaineering skills, as well as do a bit of snow/mixed-climbing in Kozi NP. I hope to cover the following:
1. Self-arresting,
2. Snow anchors,
3. Roping up for glacier travel and walking as a team,
4. Pitched snow/mixed climbing,
And if we have time, possibly:
5. Crevasse rescue - provided we can find suitable terrain to simulate a crevasse,
6. Avalanche victim search and rescue, and/or
7. Building improvised shelters and bad weather camp management.
To be able to come on this trip, you'll need to demonstrate that you've had considerable rock-climbing experience (leading outdoors, and preferably experience in trad-climbing) and prior snow camping experience. If you'd like to come on this trip, please let me know of your climbing and snow camping experience. (If you have any questions or concerns, please get in contact with me and I will discuss things with you.) Depending on experience levels, I may also organise a rope-work session at the climbing wall during the week beforehand - should participants need to pre-practise some of the rope skills.
The exact location of this trip will be decided at a later date when there is a semi-reliable weather forecast. At the moment, I'm considering either around Mt. Twynam/Blue Lake, or up around Rams Heads.
The current schedule is to leave Canberra early on Saturday morning, and return on Sunday evening/night. However, if the weather is good and people are keen, we could leave on Friday night to maximise our time in the snow.
Leave Canberra at around 0500hrs on 06/10/2018. (If weather is good enough and participants are willing, we could alternatively leave at 1730hrs on 07/10/2018.
Depending on the selected location of the trip, snow shoe out to campsite and set up camp.
Practise mountaineering skills and go climbing in local area for 2 days.
Pack up camp of the 07/10/2018 and snow shoe back to the cars.
Return to Canberra around 2000hrs.