24/08/1984 – 29/08/1984 Guthega Power Station – Whites River – Dicky Cooper Bogong – Rolling Ground
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo country
Distance: 47km Total Ascent: 2550m Total Descent: 2550m
Participants: Ian Burns, Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), John Meehan
Friday 24/08/1984
Left work straight for John Meehan’s place at Mangerton having packed before work. Departed in my Gemini around 3:30pm picked up hamburgers from Goulburn along the way through for dinner. Arrived Jindabyne about 9:00pm, clear skies the whole way, and grabbed hot chocolates. The clear skies turned to rain past Sawpit Creek, with increasing intensity. We pulled into our Island Bend campsite and were never tempted to get out of the car despite the boots and rear seats being full of gear. After some reorganisation we had a gortex jacket over a partly open window (aiming to minimise condensation inside the car). We managed a very comfortable nights sleep on our thermarests with the seats reclined and using our sleeping bags as doonas.
Day 1: Saturday 25/08/1984 Guthega Power Station – Whites River Hut
This route was reconstructed from memory using Google Earth Pro and GPS Visualizer.
Max elevation: 1719 m
Total climbing: 938 m
Total descent: -551 m
Average speed: nan km/h
The rain had turned to snow overnight, quite heavy as well. We had about 6cm over the car and ground by 7:00am. With little wind about it was sitting nicely in the trees. No sign of Ian.
Had a couple of pecan cookies for breakfast before heading off back to Wilson’s Valley for a telephone. Rang Ian’s Mum, she said he’d just left at 6:00am and would meet us at Guthega Power Station. The chains were on quickly, lots of others drivers performing risky overtaking manoeuvres.
Reorganised gear at Guthega Power station and left Ian’s food package under the car with a message under the wiper. Heading up the road about 11:00am with skis onto snow straight away. There was, however, a lot a sticking and balling of snow under the skis making it unusually hard work. Had worn my older boots to eliminate the blister problem from last trip. The sole on the left hand one cracked, a plastic bag was placed between my socks and boots to keep me going. The wind blown snow was not pleasant on the face but was comfortable in a lifa (thermal underware), T-shirt and gortex jacket. Arrived at Whites River Hut about 3:00pm. Carl, from Canberra, had arrived just ahead of us. Had a late lunch of smoked meat with tomato and cheese on biscuits and a hot milo. We were out again at 4:15pm looking for Ian, the snow seemed a little better, or was it just that we weren’t carrying packs. With no luck by the time we reached the Horsecamp we headed back, arriving on dark. In our absence three guys from Melbourne had joined us. As Ian was in charge of dinners (still under the car) we had to improvise – our chicken, mushrooms and tomato turned out better than the Alliance meals our friends had. All was quiet by 9:00pm, including the local wildlife.
Day 2: Sunday 26/08/1984 Whites River – Guthega Power station return
This route was reconstructed from memory using Google Earth Pro and GPS Visualizer.
Max elevation: 1722 m
Total climbing: 742 m
Total descent: -738 m
Average speed: nan km/h
Considering it’s reputation we were pleased to only be disturbed from our sleep three times during the night by the local marsupials. The rear window of the hut was under snow except for the top 5cm, making it very dark and dingy inside, we weren’t up until 9:00am. The snow depth presented similar problems with the loo, except here it was buried to about three-quarters of its height and the door was left ajar.
Porridge with premixed sultanas for breakfast. Then off again searching for our “lost” companion. We JUST managed to run into Ian, as we were about to head off along the aqueduct when this lone figure bobs up from around the corner of the road below. He had been called back into work on Saturday morning to oversee a computer problem. Anyway he hadn’t seen the note on my car about the food package under the car (all the dinners). In fact, it seems he had walked almost straight over the top of it.
Needless to say we returned to the car (80 minutes) and back up (about two hours) – the snow was still fresh but wet and slow, I took one fall on the way down when I misjudged a creek crossing.
The dinner of minestrone soup with fresh carrot, onion and smoked frankfurts was pretty ordinary. Dessert of stewed apple and custard with Port and Drambuie with the company of the native rodents and half a dozen other people.
Day 3: Monday 27/08/1984 Around Whites River hut
This route was reconstructed from memory using Google Earth Pro and GPS Visualizer.
Max elevation: 1940 m
Total climbing: 398 m
Total descent: -349 m
Average speed: nan km/h
The “rats” (probably now well-feed) didn’t disturb us too much last night so we were pretty casual about getting up.
The weather was overcast and snowing. Spent a couple of hours on the hill just over the creek from the hut skiing in excellent conditions. Powder snow, not too deep and skiing well.
Went for a ski on the hill behind the hut which was very windy and icy underfoot by the first cornice line. So returned to the hut enjoying the powdery snow lower down. Lost a bail from one stock during the descent. This has become a recurring issue. After a longish lunch returned to look for it without success.
Selected a snow cave site along the creek. We started digging with two entrances the blocking one off. John, Ian and myself taking turns at shovelling. John, claiming to suffer a little from claustrophobia, worked outside. We hit a big rock in the general direction we wanted to dig so had to hang a left turn to construct two sleeping platforms. It would have been easier to build on a steeper incline where you could shovel onto a plastic sheet and have the snow slide away by itself.
Ian and John, snowcave behind Whites 27/8/1984
Once complete we retrieved our gear from the hut. John setting up his tent nearby. Preparing dinner was very interesting, especially when coming to a boil, as a total “steam out” ensured so you couldn’t see each other even though we were just a couple of feet apart.
It was several degrees warmer inside the cave and obviously very calm overnight, you had no idea whatsoever of what might have been happening outside. The design proved fairly good but a bit more of an air drainage step down to the outside would have improved air quality, which initially seemed a little stale.
Day 4: Tuesday 28/08/1984 Around South Dicky Cooper Bogong
John rolls into the snow cave and wakes us up around 9:00am, it was still pretty dark inside the cave. Ian was surprised at how long I took to get out of bed. We were not out and skiing until 10:30am. Straight up the hill and nicely carved telemarks back down in superb, ankle deep, powder. Finally, the superb sensation of falling down the hill into turns one after the other. After a few more runs it was lunchtime of crisp breads, pate, smoked meats, etc.
Ian fishing for water behind Whites 28/8/1984
Ian very run down physically from work and a distinct lack of substantial exercise, apart from some indoor cricket, limiting the enjoyment of his skiing. He was also put off a bit by the weather, which continued to snow, nice dry powder quite heavily at times. He and John spent most of the day in John’s tent reading Vic Bein’s skiing and Snowy Mountains Walks books.
I really hammered the slope in the afternoon trying a variety of slopes (up to about 33 degree gradient). Fantastic skiing apart from the occasional visibility difficulty. Made about 14 trips up to the first cornice and return in a four hour solo afternoon session. Neither did I see anyone else out during the day. Tried some wedelning, getting about seven parallels together on a steep hill by facing straight down the fall line, a brilliant sensation. I feel my skiing is finally coming of age, with some help from my heavy Trak leather boots, Skilom bindings and toe plates to properly locate the boots. I have had no problems since putting them on.
Finished skiing as the light faded at 5:30pm. John emerged and joined me for the final run. Ian still catching up on his sleep and reading.
Another hotchpotch mix for dinner, noodles, packet soup, smoked frankfurts and fresh vegetables. Mixed fruit and custard for dessert.
A combination of Port, Drambuie and Tia Maria eased our conversation around to a series of jokes, past trip recollections and other stand out events, such as Ian being lassoed around his feet and sleeping bag and dragged from his tent and up into a tree. A good night.
Day 5: Wednesday 29/08/1984 Rolling Ground – Guthega Power Station
This route was reconstructed from memory using Google Earth Pro and GPS Visualizer.
Max elevation: 1986 m
Total climbing: 458 m
Total descent: -908 m
Average speed: nan km/h
What an interesting night. Between drips falling from the roof of the snow cave and the native marsupial mouse! Several visitations occurred in which the small rat-like creature rustled around our very untidy and unwashed up pots and pans. Eventually getting a good look at it with the torch on the third attempt.
Out about 8:30am to be treated by a gloriously fine and calm day. Only a little morning fog rising from the valley below. It was so good that we had breakfast on our “patio”.
John, Ian and myself skied up to the top of the Rolling Ground. One peak before the Trig on ___.
Snow very badly affected by Sunday and wind. The beautiful powder of yesterday had already been reduced to much slower wetter stuff. On higher slopes wind cowling up to two metres on the lee sides of exposed rocks and trees with rough textured icy patches elsewhere. My two ski tracks and one pole track could have proven puzzling to some.
Telemarking in slow deep snow with one pole (swapped from side to side as necessary) demands a lot of concentration to maintain your balance. A lot to be learnt using this technique, or better still no stocks at all.
Telemarking so trailing knee was dragging through the snow. Turning was significantly better when I just watched my skis and didn’t worry about anything else.
We returned to camp about 1:30pm and packed before heading off down the Aqueduct. the snow was very dry in patches balling up under the skis and making sliding forwards impossible. Down to the cars at 3:30pm after one giant “accident” on a steep section.
“Creek crossing” I managed to stop by grabbing hold of a tree. Shouted out to Ian “STOP, STOP” several times to little avail. He managed to slow down a little and then didn’t have enough momentum to reach the opposite bank, to be left sitting in the creek, the camera was out quickly for that one.
Ian’s missed creek crossing along the Aqueduct 29/8/1984
John headed home with Ian in his Sigma with me left behind waiting for my next ski buddy Greg to arrive late that night. Despite the good snow falls up around our campsite, I was surprise to see much less snow in the carpark and all roads open and clear. I replenished my food supplies and bought replacement and spare bails for the stocks. Snuck in a solo game of squash and shower. Checked out the pub for friends who were down before grabbing a roast pork dish and a beer at the Bowling Club for dinner. At Island Bend campsite by 8:30pm, was surprised to find another tent at “our” site. Most of my gear is still a little damp from two nights in the snow cave, it will be interesting to see how well it dries out.
Sky crystal clear with the synoptic chart showing us currently sitting in the middle of a high, which is forecast to continue throughout tomorrow at the least.
It’s amazing how satisfying these trips are. It must be a combination plenty of quality sleep, fresh air, tasty food, plenty of exercise and fantastic company. Take last night as one example, all the stories and jokes with a few “drinks”. It definitely helps you really connect with people. A very deep feeling of loss is experienced on the completion of a trip, I’d really like for most trips to go into “extra time”.
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