'The Reserve' in Winter

[pazzar]

Pazzar, i'm not really sure whether there is an 'argument', nobody has actually said that they support the captioned image besides Andy.

Please entertain the notion that me making the point had nothing to do with questioning anyone's integrity. I can't think of anyone that has been around the park for a while promoting camping up there in an open forum but it can just be about the one photo and its caption (if you like). The questioning of which was my contribution. Not the act of camping there.

Though I would suggest that if the integrity practiced in remote places is evident by the attitude displayed in this thread then your idea of minimal impact is different to mine.

Nuts, I'm not here to promote camping in fragile places either, although I am sure most of us have before. I don't have any issue with you pointing out that the caption should be changed, and it has. It was posts by others that criticized the decision to camp there in the first place that I am more concerned about. It is easy for us to say that Andy did the wrong thing from the luxury of our homes. We weren't there, we don't know what the conditions were like and whether there were better options that were safe. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

I do hope that if anything comes from this thread, that we have now made more people aware of the impacts of camping in alpine regions and how careful you need to be.

End of discussion.



Love the shot of Pelion East Jimmy! Winterfell anyone?

[PeterJ]

I know the Doris area fairly well and have taken a number of photos from what I refer to as Doris shelf. Most of it is free from sensitive cushion plants and herby grass and the like.
See the photos below.

Massif from Doris shelf

Massif from Doris shelf.JPG (206.88 KiB) Viewed 19591 times

Doris and Ossa from shelf

Doris and Ossa.JPG (273.13 KiB) Viewed 19591 times

[jimmyharris]

"Love the shot of Pelion East Jimmy! "

Thanks Pazzar.

I'm trying to stay out of the "discussion" as I'm relatively unfamiliar with the area (had only walked the Overland Track and climbed Ossa in summer before this trip) but I can say that the weather that day was absolutely terrible and I suspect that I was starting to suffer mild hypothermia after setting up the tents.

I certainly would have voted to camp in a more sheltered area if we'd been aware that one existed on Pelion East no matter how much time it added to the trip the next day.

[pazzar]

Does anyone else have some photos of the Reserve in winter they're willing to share here? Would love to hear about some winter adventures if anyone has some stories to tell!?

Here are a couple of shots from winter trips in the reserve.

From a recent snow shoeing trip to Mt Rufus

Rufus Summit

Taken about halfway up Falling Mountain

Mt Gould

And this is from underneath Mt Gould. After trying to climb a couple of days earlier in miserable rain, we waited while the temperature plummetted and then climbed in knee deep snow instead. This is as much blue sky as we saw the whole 6 days we were out. We climbed Mt Olympus, The Guardians and the Acropolis in worse conditions on this trip.

Du Cane Range

[GPSGuided]

A few more pictures from the trip. The first one is from the day of the now notorious campsite.

Mordor in winter? Send the image to Peter Jackson for his next movie.

[Nuts]

[quote="PeterJ"]I know the Doris area fairly well and have taken a number of photos from what I refer to as Doris shelf. Most of it is free from sensitive cushion plants and herby grass and the like.
See the photos below.

Why would you camp out there In Mid Summer Peter? Surely to the uncaring masses, somewhere around the springs (ie. around the cushion) would make more sense? To the masses, their campsite is only a one-off as is the dump there was nowhere else to leave other than carry. (Same goes for Pelion Gap btw, sorely needs a toilet)

Sorry, I find the lack of any parallel vision either disingenuous or ignorant (sorry, not in a manner of personal attack, just as in 'uneducated'. A hundred visits doesn't necessarily give insight).

I too have spend a fair amount of time up there, as I mentioned to Matt we avoid even stepping off track with groups. You tell me this is not the most sustainable ethic to promote, especially here? Start a discussion to define the rule set about fragile places? Invite every other blog or book author. Please.


Maybe the references to camping on Doris can now be removed mods?

[stepbystep]

The whole Pelion/Du Cane region is so beautiful. Such wonderful shots Andy and Jimmy. Thanks you guys, as well as Pazzar and PeterJ for perspective, cheers for the inspiration to return Andy!

[Nuts]

Oh yeah, nice pics again OP's

[Mechanic-AL]

Hey Andy

Every now and then this forum throws up something really special. And this is one of those occasions. I'm in awe of what you have done!! Love all the shots and I'm SO envious of your whole adventure.

Thanks for putting up this report and I'm eagerly awaiting more.

Cheers

AL

[jimmyharris]

I like this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_eYThe5tsY
I haven't been up there in winter but Mark's video show just how much work your trip would have been
Hats off to you and you team, epic trip. Bugger the arguments about a camp on Doris

I enjoyed that video Scottyk...now I'm on to another one by the same guy but this time a Cradle Mountain traverse . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QmgRiyADCM

[warnesy]

Great shots. Looks like an amazing adventure! Thanks for sharing.

[Strider]

I like this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_eYThe5tsY
I haven't been up there in winter but Mark's video show just how much work your trip would have been
Hats off to you and you team, epic trip. Bugger the arguments about a camp on Doris

I enjoyed that video Scottyk...now I'm on to another one by the same guy but this time a Cradle Mountain traverse . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QmgRiyADCM

Mark is a member of this forum

[jimmyharris]

Mark is a member of this forum

You learn something new every day. Loved the Cradle Mountain video Mark (just in case you stumble across this thread). Andy attempted a traverse during his trip but couldn't make it the whole way without roping up. I'll let him elaborate further if/when he returns.

[DaveNoble]

Looks like a great trip Andy - and nice photos too.

I really can't see any conflict with the forum guidelines with the original caption to the photos. I too, when walking on the track up Ossa, have looked around Mt Doris - and noted many quite good campsites, well off the track - on the plateau near the fagus. The campsites at Pelion Gap, which I have used several times, are very sheltered, but were originally hacked out of the scrub using axes etc. If you are camping in winter - then as long as there is snow cover, then it is difficult to damage sensitive vegetation. I can actually remember on a summer trip, a solo walk in the Du Cane Range, and being hit by a sudden deterioration in the weather. I needed to get out of it quickly and the only solution was to put up the tent. The only place I available, apart from boulders or tarns was on a cushion plant. It was a big one - and I put the tent up on it (with pegs going into the cushion) and then used rocks for more support - and sat out the storm inside for two nights and a day. A few years later, passing that point again - I checked the cushion plant and could see no visible damage to it (Not that I am suggesting people camp on cushion plants).

Dave

[Nuts]

(Not that I am suggesting people camp on cushion plants).

Dave

Well, goodness me, Dave , what are you suggesting?

PS. Maybe do so in another thread and show respect for Andy's decision.

[andyszollosi]

Nuts, I think Dave is suggesting that if an alpine storm was approaching, you would probably put up your tent, no matter where you were.

I nearly spent a night out on the Du Cane Range myself, on the final bit of the traverse just below Castle Crag. Here is how it happened.

I left Mt Massif quite early in the morning, before sunrise. My boots froze inside the tent during the night so my toes were already numb, and the sun hasn't even risen yet. The day was off to a good start.

After a few false leads, I thought I found the right route off Mt Massif in the all encompassing fog. I was wrong, and soon I was scrambling past bus sized boulders with bus sized gaps in between them. The boulders were covered in a non slippery kind of compacted snow-ice. Well, it wasn't too slippery anyway. I had to watch my step since my microspikes broke a week earlier, during the Pelion Circuit.

5 long hours of boulder scrambling later I was on the final climb up to Castle Crag when I reached a dead end. The cairned path ended at an annoying little notch that i could not surmount with my pack.

I searched for over an hour without my pack to see if there was a viable way up that wasn't covered in ice. There didn't seem to be one. My options were becoming: a) camp on the ridge overnight or b) descend off the range and bush bash towards the OLT or c) find a way up.
I choose c).
I crawled underneath a boulder then up the other side, which got me onto a ledge where I could haul my pack up using the para chord that I always carry around with me. It made me wish I packed a bit lighter.

From there, the the top was only ten easy minutes away. I floated to the summit.

[hobbitle]

Deleted

[Nuts]

Hobbite, look I’m sorry for any part that may have upset you. As I said, it wasn’t my intension. Maybe it’s become a reaction, to plow on regardless, what may appear aggressive to some of us could in fact be remarkably restrained for others. I think I stumbled across a switch-off button while moderating.

Anyhow, I’m not sure what in has upset you, this forum is usually fairly restrained besides the odd heartbeat.. if it’s something iv’e said (sounding likely), you can only let me know. Pm if you like, report it with the exclamation mark above ^ if necessary. I’m not sure how long the delete function exists, happy to hear suggestions. Big day ahead but regardless, I’ll hopefully be done responding, don’t ‘leave’ on my account please.


Andy, by all accounts, I don’t take Dave for a fool.
Which is more than I can think of myself, bothering here.
Let's leave it there eh.

[tasadam]

Andy in the foreground and Pelion West in the background during out ascent of Mount Thetis.

Not Pelion West, but Perrins Bluff if my footsteps remember correctly...

[jimmyharris]

Andy in the foreground and Pelion West in the background during out ascent of Mount Thetis.

Not Pelion West, but Perrins Bluff if my footsteps remember correctly...

Yep, you're absolutely right tasadam. I'll edit the original post.

[philm]

Hi Andy

An amazing trip and really great pictures. Looks like a lot of planning went into making the trip a success. Winter is a magic season for the well prepared!
Winter in the reserve is certainly on my list of priorities.

Well done and thanks for posting.

[andyszollosi]

Haha, my solo attempt at the cradle skyline traverse in the snow was pretty interesting, but will save a full account for the trip report I think...

[weetbix456]

Fun looking trip Andy.

[Kinsayder]

Beautiful photographs, Andy, thanks for sharing!

[andyszollosi]

Thanks for the great feedback on the photos everyone, it means a lot!

I've just finished uploading all the photos onto my blog from both this trip and also from my AAWT walk last year.

Please, have a browse if you're interested here: http://mountainsofaustralia.com/gallery/

-A.s.

[FootTrack]

Heya Andy

I agree with everyone else before me - excellent photos! They make me want to visit this area in winter myself .

I tried clicking on your gallery link before and it told me "Oops that page can't be found. It looks like nothing was found at this location. Maybe try a search?" It might be just me, but I thought I would make you aware anyway...

[MickyB]

Heya Andy

I agree with everyone else before me - excellent photos! They make me want to visit this area in winter myself .

I tried clicking on your gallery link before and it told me "Oops that page can't be found. It looks like nothing was found at this location. Maybe try a search?" It might be just me, but I thought I would make you aware anyway...

Probably a problem at your end FootTrack. The link worked for me.

[FootTrack]

Probably a problem at your end FootTrack. The link worked for me.

Bugger I'll have to look into that - I'm no doubt missing out on some good shots! Thanks anyway MickyB.
Edit: Yep, I've worked it out. Clicking on the title took me to that. Clicking on the photo took me to the shots. All good!

[vicrev]

Great stuff,Andy ...congrats......

[andyszollosi]

Thanks for that info, Foot Track I forgot to add the link to the title. Will fix it now!