Ramshead Ramblings - 6-8 July 2015

There are some places in Australia that are as magical in winter as they are in summer.
Ramshead Range is one of these places.
Many people trave along the range in summer to reach Australia's highest peak- Mt Kosciuszko ( 2,228 m), but not many do in winter.

Snowflakes attached to the shrubbery peeping through the minuscule layer of snow

Last year, I camped along this range and in some places we measured at least 5 meters of snow. This year however, due to the atrocious season, we barley measured 5 cm.
Despite the horrible snow cover, myself, Nick Hall and Sarah Collum guided a group of 3 novice venturer scouts with Marcel Muller and Ian Hewitt supporting our trip.

To get to the range there are 2 options:
1. Walk up from Dead Horse Gap- A really nice walk going down, but hard going walking up with a heavy pack.
or
2. Catch the Kosciuszko Express Chairlift from Thredbo to the top of Eagles Nest.
Option 2 was our choice not just because we had teenagers who hated walking up hill, but it cut a significant amount of time off our trip meaning that we would have more time and importantly energy to set up camp.

We set off from Thredbo around 10:00 am and arrived up at eagles nest for the obligatory coffee, hot chocolate and raisin toast.  After the last coffees and final briefings we set out along the Kosciuszko Walking track (which was still clearly visible due to the lack of snow). About 4 km along the track, we verged off to the base of the steep slopes were we found a rock overhang with enough snow around it to build a tent platforms and build walls around the overhang to create our very own deluxe snow cave with built in shelves, water supply and candle holders. exploration of the site revealed that 15 m above our camp areas was an incredible ice face, despite being only 8-9 meters tall, which was perfect for a bit of ice climbing.
After lunch we built a wall out of snow blocks to block off part of our cave from the elements and put 2 tarps over the top.
If you've ever slept in a snow cave you will know how important it is to level out the floor to ensure not only a goods night sleep but any sleep at all!

After eating dinner we went to bed at 7 pm (I know, a group of teenagers going to bed at 7 is strange). We neglected to level our floor during the day so as we lay down we quickly discovered that we would slide down to one end of the cave into the smallest part of the rock overhang. It proved to be a rather uncomfortable and sleepless night.

Nick and myself with our participants enjoying our snow cave

We woke up the next morning and spent around an hour slowly rolling out of bed, packing up our gear and melting down snow for hot drinks and breakfast.
After breakfast we started building our quinzhee.

A quinzhee looks similar to an igloo, but is made in a completely different method. Igloos are made from snow blocks, stacked to form a dome. Whereas a quinzhee is made from a pile of snow which you hollow out to form a cave.

The team building the quinzhee

 After we built the quinzhee we noticed that the slope above the quinzhee would make an awesome slide. So we got digging and carved out a track with crash barriers and all! We spent a good part of the afternoon sliding down trying out every method we could think of including sliding on down the snow shovels.

For the rest of the afternoon we made a coffee run to Thredbo and levelled out the cave. As the sun set we carved objects like hearts out of the snow .

We settled in for the night again and had a far more enjoyable sleep.
We woke up in the morning to view the incredible sunrise whilst drinking coffee.

The sunrise

Early morning sun over the Hilleberg tent

After breakfast and the pack up we spent the morning ice climbing. For a majority of us, this was our first time ice climbing and the climb certainly did not disappoint.

Slamming the crampons into the ice

After a full morning of climbing we had lunch ad slowly headed back to Thredbo to catch the chairlift down.

Another adventure over but once again our 3 day ramble along Ramshead truly captivated me and all who came.

Women’s Sleeping Bag Review- Macpac Latitude 700 XP Women’s model

A good sleeping bag can really make a trip so much more enjoyable. Anyone who has ever been hiking with me will know that I love sleeping and I love a warm sleeping bag.

A few years ago, I started looking around for a new sleeping bag to replace my old sleeping bag. I discovered the Macpac Latitude 700 XP Women’s model. With a comfort rating of -4 degrees Celsius, it makes a fantastic3 seasons bag for Canberra and the surrounding regions but I have also slept comfortably in it on the Larapinta trail in the middle of July where it got down to 2 degrees Celsius some nights.

Technical Specifications:

Weight: 1.3kg

Fabric: Pertex ® Endurance (An ultra-light, super breathable, waterproof and wind proof fabric)

Down weight: 700 g  

One of the best aspects of this sleeping bag is the fabric the outer is made from. Pertex ® Endurance is a fantastic fabric for sleeping bags. Lightweight, waterproof and wind proof yet still breathable ensure that you get maximum protection from the elements without making the bag extremely heavy. Having a waterproof bag doesn’t exactly mean that you can put it out in the rain and it will be fine, it simply prevents the condensation that will drip onto your bag from making the down wet causing it to clump and lose all of its insulating qualities.

As with any sleeping bag, the Macpac Latitude 700 XP Women’s model performs best with the use of a inner sheet, be it silk, cotton or fleece. The inner sheet creates a barrier between your body and the sleeping bag, preventing any grime imbedding its self into the down.

I am yet to find a flaw in this sleeping bag. It is warm, relatively light weight and it is really comfortable. It is however, like most Macpac gear, rather pricey with the recommended retail price $849.99 AUD, but if you buy it during one of Macpac’s frequent sales you can get a significant reduction on the price.

Overall, the Macpac Latitude 700 XP Women’s model is a fantastic sleeping bag for anyone who loves spending time outdoors. I have never been cold in this bag and I hope you are never too.

 

 

 

The Wilderness

7 am. Sunday 27 July 2014- Ramshead Range Kosciusko National Park -3 degrees Celsius  

The air is fresh.

The sun is shining.

I unzip my tent. I look around. All I can see is the clear blue sky and the glistening, fresh white snow.

The view from my tent was perfect.

I zip up my tent and lie back down. I look up and see the shadows of the snowflakes resting on my tent. A reminder of the day before filled with blizzards, strong winds and the cold.

Somehow, the hardships of the day before, the physical and mental struggle, were all worth it.   

I look back on that morning fondly. It was truly the day that re-kindled my love for the outdoors and my passion to share it with others.

I am often reminded of the quote from the pioneering environmental activist John Muir – “Thousands of nerve shaken, over civilised people are begging to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity”

Come join me on this adventure of sharing my adventures with the world.