Wallace's hut

[Dexter]

Hey all. I've had a bit of a long term dream of photographing some of the cattleman's huts in the snow. I figure Wallace's hut about 10km from Falls creek might be a realistic starting point. I have no skiing experience but a friend from Canada is keen to come along and teach us some cross country skiing. Another mate of mine who's an army officer is happy to go through our map to ground technique to help out. Is this doable with the right prep or still a bit risky? I tend to be cautious and respectful when it comes to the outback. I imagine snow complicates navigation.

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[Xplora]

If you get lost going to Wallaces hut in the snow then you probably should not be venturing past the resort. It is all groomed track over a road and popular with XC skiers. There would be some basic skills you need but navigation would not be one of them. If the weather is such that you cannot see the road then don't go. The bigger problem would be your lack of skills on skis and doing 22km in a day on them. Just think pizza and french fries. Pizza for stopping and going down hill, French Fries for going. A pattern base skinny ski would help and get ready to be abused by those in the lycra brigade for doing the wrong thing and groomed trails.

Might I suggest a few days spent at Dinner Plain practising first. No resort entry and you can hire all the stuff you need. Trails are relatively easy. Camping is possible at JB hut but you will have to share it with a myriad of others. PCV knows all about that and I am sure he will offer some advice shortly. He has been at this XC skiing for a few years now and has only ventured as far as Langford Gap and back in a day but that is not far from Wallaces.

I have a photo of it on canvas about 1.2m wide which my partner took back in 2010. We were fortunate to get there by car after a huge dump and before they closed the road. Next to Craigs hut, Wallaces would be one of the most photographed in the High Country. We were, as far as I know, the first to get Craigs Hut in the snow on sale commercially. It did very well for us but other (more well known) photographers started to take notice of it and copied. You only need a good out of season dump and the photographic effect is almost the same as a metre of snow.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Falls Creek to Wallaces hut is a decent day on XC skis. The reason I have not made it that far is the snow simply ran out after Langford Gap hut, each time I got that far. When the snow cover is good the FC resort grooms it for skate skiing all the way to Wallaces hut and to Cope hut. Skate skiers are fast and VERY fit and travel faster than I do on pattern base classic skis and BC XC skis. I can still ski 20 kms in a day but it is certain that after a shower and a meal I will sleep soundly that night following such a ski day.

https://www.ski.com.au/xf/threads/falls ... -20.87973/

Camping in the snow at JB Plain is good but you will have to melt snow for water or BYO water and BYO firewood for the hut there. Parking can become busy there on weekends.
Dinner Plain has good XC ski trails . Some can become icy esp. the one that sits in the shade and goes around and down past the ski lift POMA run. Going up it Herringbone style could better if it is icy.
Getting lessons is important for XC skiing. Get the right skills and habits from the outset. Falls Creek offers lessons in more normal times at Windy Corner Nordic ski centre without the plague complicating things.
Lake Mtn. is where I started XC skiing and they have lessons there in season , ditto for Mt. Stirling .
Mt. Buffalo has a X C ski school which operates when there is sufficient snow at Dingo Dell & Cresta. Their details can be found on the WWW. The rates are good but you have to rent the gear from Bright, Myrtleford or Porpunkah.
You can rent XC ski gear at Dinner plain or from Omeo too.
As already has been observed , photos with snow and huts etc. look good without needing 1 metre of packed down skiable cover.
I went out to Craig's hut on snow shoes solo one winter and there was full cover from the Mt. Stirling summit area all the way to Craig's hut. It was foggy , cold and felt remote . If anything bad happened then it would have been up to me to get myself out of trouble because the ski patrol do not go there.
Falls Creek ski patrol do patrol the terrain outside the resort but only as far as Watch bed creek AFAIK and have seen.
I have skied out to Edmondson's hut and back to Falls Creek in a day in early spring and that was memorable and scenic.
https://www.ski.com.au/xf/threads/falls ... ser.85813/

Back country activities in the snow should be approached cautiously & with experienced people accompanying you if you are new to this activity. You are in a cold, white and often windy environment which is nothing like January bushwalking.

[Dexter]

Amazing! Thank you both for the detailed responses. I didn't think navigation would really be needed... but looking at it all on a map, and doing it in reality can sometimes be very different I imagine.

Dinner Plain sounds like a great idea to get practice in, and perhaps a few beers at Blizzard Brewery too
I have friends in Omeo, so we could stay there and head up the hill easy enough. I seem to remember there's also a bus. I also know the owner of the skii shop, so should be able to organise some good deals for some gear to hire.

Paidal - A solo trip would scare the crap out of me. It would be a fantastically secluded experience for someone experienced and comfortable with it all though.
I'll definitely read back over all the info again later. I guess I may not get there this winter if I need to build up my XC skills, but you have to start somewhere. Thanks again.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I have done solo snow shoe /snow camping trips up Mt. Feathertop, Mt. Stirling etc. and ski touring up to 20 kms solo over the Bogong High Plains. If you know what you are doing and have all the gear ,skills and fitness( including emergency survival gear such as a space blanket material bivvy bag , PLB, spare gloves etc. )you should be fine.
Nordic skiing solo out to Edmondson's hut , Langford Gap hut etc. is very rewarding esp. if there NOBODY around. It does help if you know the terrain really well in green and white season. Give XC skiing a go. PM me if you are heading out on planks. I am always happy to meet new converts to my winter religion.
The groomed XC ski track from Dinner Plain to Mt. Hotham is a route I enjoy skiing on . It has green , blue and black level terrain( Easy/ Intermediate/ more difficult) and from JB hut and back to Wire plain makes a top day out and good work out.
The Green( easy) XC ski runs in and around Falls Creek are good places to get some confidence , rhythm and refinement of your basic skills. Some sections of the Sun Valley ski route requires some snow ploughing to ski under control and some brief herringbone ( reverse pizza) ascents but overall it is a good morning on planks. The XC ski shelter/cafe` area at Windy Corner at Falls Creek is warm and welcoming and makes a good lunch spot if the weather is rubbish .
If there is a very good low snow fall then some routes on Mt. Buffalo such as the Reservoir road are excellent and easy ski routes for Nordic skiing. Sometimes Parks Vic. groom that route but usually they don 't bother and just groom the Horn road for classic and skate XC skiing.
Start XC skiing this winter. It took me two full seasons to nail the basics and ski Blue runs with confidence and take on some groomed black runs and Back country terrain descents . I wish I had changed to Nordic skiing and given the snow shoes the Tijuana Brass earlier!
I hope to XC ski in Japan when the plague is over. Our Summers are becoming too hot to hike sometimes and the bushfire risk is becoming more acute.

[Xplora]

PCV offers some good advice but I hope he has not scared you too much. Pick your day, know your weather and take some protective clothing. If you are only on the groomed tracks then you will be fine. You will get quite hot on a sunny day so don't think you have to start all geared up looking like the Michelin man.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Yes, XC skiing is a big work out so do not layer up with " Michelin man" attire .Lift skiers stand in queues waiting for the chair lift so they become cold hence the different attire they wear compared with XC skiers.If you get to Langford Gap you could ski along the Aqueduct trail to reach Wallace's hut. Big drifts do form near there and it can become rather windy taking the pole line that roughly follows the BHP road. Allow enough daylight to get back. My turnaround time on XC skis is 1300/ 1pm. Wherever I am that is when I turn around and head back to the car/tent/base.

[Dexter]

PCV offers some good advice but I hope he has not scared you too much. Pick your day, know your weather and take some protective clothing. If you are only on the groomed tracks then you will be fine. You will get quite hot on a sunny day so don't think you have to start all geared up looking like the Michelin man.

No, not scared of giving it a go. But good to have a realistic idea of the preparation that's needed. And yeah, I've spent more time in the snow hot than cold I think... I usually don't feel the cold much as it is, and often find most of the down jackets too warm for me. I've switched to an uberlite macpac down jacket and find that works better for me than the regular down jackets. I think I'm more likely to sweat too much and end up cold when I stop, so I'd make sure I have some light weight layers to peel off easily. I usually carry some dry spare socks when walking, so a pair of spare dry gloves is a great suggestion too.

Yes, XC skiing is a big work out so do not layer up with " Michelin man" attire .Lift skiers stand in queues waiting for the chair lift so they become cold hence the different attire they wear compared with XC skiers.If you get to Langford Gap you could ski along the Aqueduct trail to reach Wallace's hut. Big drifts do form near there and it can become rather windy taking the pole line that roughly follows the BHP road. Allow enough daylight to get back. My turnaround time on XC skis is 1300/ 1pm. Wherever I am that is when I turn around and head back to the car/tent/base.

I did see both Langford Hut, and Wallace's have camp areas. I was thinking of doing it over two days and camping the night at Wallace's, and perhaps stopping for lunch at Langford. 20 odd km in one day might be stretching it for a XC newbie? I would also prefer to get photographs during sunrise/sunset. Is the Aqueduct trail also usually groomed?

[Xplora]

Camping at Wallaces may now be prohibited. People have trashed it over the years and PV are tying to stop that happening. The best way to do that is stop people staying near it. I can't imagine anyone sleeping in it. The fireplace has bee screened off now also. Probably better doing the extra and going to Cope Hut for an overnighter.

[Dexter]

People have trashed it over the years and PV are tying to stop that happening.

How sad. People suck sometimes.

When I looked online it seemed like the campsite was some distance from the hut. But having not been there, I have no idea.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

You probably won't manage 20 km in a day as newbie. You need to get the kick and glide diagonal stride classic Nordic ski technique sorted so you can power on efficiently with your arms and legs swinging like a pendulum . In essence you are gliding on one foot which is a balance and fitness thing mixed with coordination. It is also rhythmic thing which is like meditation when it is flowing. Step turns also require skiing on one foot albeit briefly.

The Aqueducts on the BHP are not groomed( except for Roper's lookout aqueduct ) but that is where Back country XC skis come into their own plus the skills to use them well. They are wider with metal edges, pattern bases and rounded shovel type tips for breaking new tracks. They are heavier but once you get your skills , efficiency and ski fitness dialed in then you will find they are really good. No one single pair of XC skis do everything . BC XC skis do not generally fit into the classic parallel chook footer grooves the groomers make at major XC ski locations.
XC skiing with an overnight pack is tricky. I have not got the hang of it yet. I make a turn and the heavier pack usually causes me to lose my balance. My day pack for skiing weighs about 10 kgs incl. food, water, spare gloves, emergency kit etc.
I do have a sleddy thing with a harness with which to tow my snow camping gear across the BHP .I hope to test it out in 2021. Cope hut is a better bet for overnight camping all year round. Again the aqueduct can be used as a route to reach Cope hut.
The Falls Creek XC ski website has all the ski trails listed and graded according to difficulty.

https://www.fallscreek.com.au/wp-conten ... p-2017.pdf

Some people follow the temporary and permanent pole lines and others[ such as yours truly] often just ski the terrain as the crow flies when the snow cover is sufficient and the weather is favorable.
There are other huts on the BHP that look good with snow on them that would make good photo subjects. Some of them are closer to Windy Corner than Wallace's hut is located.

[Xplora]

If it is a one off trip and now an overnighter, just hire snow shoes and stay off the groomed tracks. You have already learned how to walk. The other trick with photographing huts in snow is to get there before anyone else has churned it up. That means being quick after a dump or being there when it happens. Wallaces is less popular in winter but people still ski out to it. In summer you have to get there at sparrows fart to grab a shot without people in it. I took some friends there once and a bloke had his shot set and proceeded to wait some ridiculous amount of time to for all the other tourists to leave.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Yes, Wallace's hut in summer is to be avoided. If you are walking the AAWT along the aqueduct and make a detour to Wallace's hut it can be a shock to see all those tourists who have walked a very short distance from the car park swarming over Ye Olde hutte.
Meanwhile back along the AAWT /aqueduct tranquility prevails.
Perhaps a snow shoe trek might be the quickest way to get from A to B in white season if you do not ski but learning to XC ski is something I recommend whole heartedly .If you have never snow camped before then try it out somewhere like Mt. Stirling first where the car park is just 5 kms from The Bluff Spur hut.