Minsiter for Water Snow & Ice

[Ent]

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[Singe]

I thought others might enjoy this column from the Saturday Age (click for full article)

WATER Minister Tim Holding has been brought in from the wilderness swaddled in space blankets and embarrassment to the whoop-whoop of rotor blades and the tut-tut of couch potatoes who want to lash him with empty Tim Tam packets.

[Phil]

hear hear!

[corvus]

Ditto

[loric]

do you guys reckon there's a link between the mysteriously vanishing trig points and mr holding.

I smell a rat! Conspiracy i say!

[Ent]

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[rhalleyf]

Being a very keen hiker for over 10 years and a frequent visitor to the Victorian Alps ( all seasons) it has been very interesting in the office discussing this topic. I have walked with the same walking buddy since we started. We have built up a great deal of knowledge over the years and you can always be prepared. It seems the minister was an experienced walker ( but from the media reports I suspect not a frequent snow hiker). I was on feathertop 3 weeks prior to this incident and walked from Hotham to Harrietville. We have been up this mountain many times but we believe that we are properly prepared. The conditions on the mountain were extremely difficult. We had snow shoes (Yowies) but due to the depth of snow on the side of the summits we could not get through to the hut in one day. We ended backtracking and pitching the tent (with snowpegs)and spent a nice evening in -7c conditions with a nice porterhouse steak and mug of red), Next morning we had to climb high knob and it took ages to dig in steps as the snow was iced over.

We could not have done this without the snowshoes -poles- and we even carried ropes.

We arrived at the junction of Feathertop on the Sunday in white out conditions but due to the experience of the day before did not attempt to summit. I would not have summitted without crampons, ice axe and lots of ropes. (its a long slide down either side).

The motto of all of this is:

Check out the weather conditions and be prepared to pull the pin at the last minute.
make sure you have the right gear for the conditions you may experience.
Be prepared to change your goals on the trip but dont vary from your stated plan

If the minister bought a new tent - from my experience a good storeperson usually gets you chatting and if they know their stuff would have suggested snow pegs and snowshoes. (Paddy's or Bogong are good at this) other stores might have sales people but I find that they are not as knowlegable).

Recommendation to the Minister
Change your supplier of equipment
Introduce a system (like NSw is doing) and introducing EPIRB at national parks and police stations ( Trying to confirm this). Compare the cost of the epirb ( at wholesale cost in bulk by the government) against one rescue. It should pay for itself in no time. And the new EPIRBS are not $200. More like $500.
Dont stop going out into the wilderness- its a great place and things do go wrong. - but that happens every day in life. Thats what its all about and lets not go along the path of its dangerous and we shouldnt do it.
Crossing the road is dangerous if you dont take care.

I have used the EPIRB on the overland track once when my buddy got very ill on the second last day of an 8 day snow walk. we were out within 4 hours and he was in hospital within the hour.

Thats my piece- enjoy and might meet you on a peak one day

[north-north-west]

What really gets me goat about this guy is that he put so many people at risk through his recklessness.

So do I, every time I go bush. I go alone, I go without a PLB and most of the time no-one knows where I'm going or when I'll be back. I've had falls, I've gotten lost, I've spent more than one night curled up in a huddle on a hillside waiting for enough light to find my way back out.
*shrug*
But there's no way to guarantee safety. Not for yourself or anyone else.
I agree - he stuffed up. He underestimated the conditions. He's probably never tried to walk in Alpine country in the winter and simply didn't know what he was in for. It was blind ignorance, not criminal recklessness. And the biggest problem with ignorance is that you don't know how much you don't know.

You know that track- it's dangerous even in the Summer.

Yes, I know that track but no, I don't think it's dangerous even in Summer. I've walked the Razorback Spring, Summer and Autumn. In boots, sandals and once barefoot. On the track and off it. And it's an easy walk when there's no snow.

[walkinTas]

I thought others might enjoy this column from the Saturday Age (click for full article)

WATER Minister Tim Holding has been brought in from the wilderness swaddled in space blankets and embarrassment to the whoop-whoop of rotor blades and the tut-tut of couch potatoes who want to lash him with empty Tim Tam packets.

A cowardly age where the supine pontificate through a spray of Cheezels crumbs.

I love it!

[crockle]

It's my experience that the media, at least in Victoria, use the term "experienced bushwalker" to apply to just about anyone who may own a backpack and who is known to have "camped out" for more than a night.

If, for instance, you had walked 1. into Walls of Jerusalem, 2. Douglas-Apsley NP 3. Overland Track - that would make you a VERY experienced bushwalker
Just something i noticed...

[north-north-west]

If, for instance, you had walked 1. into Walls of Jerusalem, 2. Douglas-Apsley NP 3. Overland Track - that would make you a VERY experienced bushwalker

Wow! I'm an expert, by that standard.

People now want their outback served in a flat-screen square metre at a temperature that won't melt their Tim Tams.

Well, I wouldn't mind unmeltable TimTams on my walks, but if one must do without either the TTs or the bush, then it's 'so long' to the bikkies.

By the way, what's a 'Minsiter'?

[jose]

By the way, what's a 'Minsiter'?

One who finds the MINimum space needed to SIT and wait after an ERor of judgement has resulted in a fall?

[BarryJ]

.....................................
By the way, what's a 'Minsiter'?

No brownie points for Observation, Scavenger. You first posted in this thread on 1st September!
Postby scavenger on Tue 01 Sep, 2009 7:45 pm

[north-north-west]

I've held my curiosity (and pedantry) in check long enough.

[wobbly]

I thought others might enjoy this column from the Saturday Age (click for full article)

WATER Minister Tim Holding has been brought in from the wilderness swaddled in space blankets and embarrassment to the whoop-whoop of rotor blades and the tut-tut of couch potatoes who want to lash him with empty Tim Tam packets.

great opinion piece
thanks for linking it Singe

Peter

[tasadam]

It's sad to live in a time when a man is slated for walking alone on a mountain.

Yes, agreed, but on the whole I think he's being "slated" by some not for walking alone, but for being ill-equipped to deal with what happened; and by others for having this happen to a politician - whether it be for the game that IS politics, or because the public expects more from an elected member (unfairly, in my view).

I admire Holding. Not for getting lost, but for going to a place where he could get lost.

That sums it up perfectly.

for some of us, if there is no chance of being lost in the mountains, there is less reason to go there.

How many of us can relate to that? Not that we want to get "lost" as such, but to be isolated enough that one "could".
Well, he called himself a novelist. The rest of it is a novel. Too many cheezles and timtams and air-con coaches to bother with.
Except, maybe,

''There is no outback, any more. New Guinea is the new outback.''

So, people, in reference to that last quote, keep your trap shut OK? Otherwise we'll lose it!

[Son of a Beach]

I've emailed the minister inviting him to tell his story here. However I'm not sure if even after returning to work the email will have made it past his vetting staff. We can only hope.

The email did make it to him, and I received a reply last night, which started with a long section which I'm sure was sent to anyone who emailed him regarding this incident (I imagine he received a lot of emails), and then a personal section at the end.

He said that he will check out this web site, but also said, "I hope you'll forgive me for not rushing to tell my story again - I worry that both the public and I are getting weary hearing about it". I can't blame him for this... must be painful having to keep repeating the ordeal, and getting the same criticisms over again and again, from all sorts of different people.

I warned him that if he did check out this site, he would have to be prepared to read a variety of opinions about him and his adventure (and then told him he should come walking in Tasmania, because that's where all the best walks are ).

[Nuts]

Good idea.... Did you pass on your guide contacts?

[Ent]

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[Robbo]

The email did make it to him, and I received a reply last night,

Thanks for the update, SOB. I can understand a little of what he means...

I guess there must be some advantages to public life, although I can't think of too many.

Cheers

TR

Edit - I'm sure the quote above came from SOB, but it has come up as being from tasadam... ?

[Son of a Beach]

I'm not sure how that quote issue happened but I've fixed it for you, Robbo.