15/09/2012 – 17/09/2012 Spring 8s Snow Camp – Upper Pounds Creek
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo country
Participants: Stephen Davies, Sue Davies, Linda Groom, Peter Conroy, Adam Lilley , Bruce Barnett (Photos), Monika Binder (Leader, Report)
Seven of us set off with our 3-4 day packs from Guthega on a fine sunny day. We were a group with mixed skills and mixed gear (some with plastics/fat skis and some with light touring skis).
Day 1: Saturday 15/9/2012 Guthega – Mount Anton – Watsons Crags tour
Max elevation: 2192 m
Total climbing: 1376 m
Total descent: -973 m
Average speed: 8.49 km/h
Total time: 02:51:11
Day 2: Sunday 16/9/2012 Mount Anton – Watsons Crags
Max elevation: 2186 m
Total climbing: 852 m
Total descent: -853 m
Average speed: 9.58 km/h
Total time: 01:01:11
Day 3: Monday 17/9/2012 Mount Anton – Guthega
Track not recorded
After a short but painful slog up the hill we set up our base camp in the upper reaches of Pounds Creek just below Mt Twynham. Our camp site was warm and protected but, alas, no open water holes in sight.
Afterwards, we went up Mt Twynam for a view and then headed off towards Mt Anton for a bit of a tour and a scout for water. From Mt Anton, some of us telemarked down to Pounds Creek to see if there were any open water holes. Steve Davies spied a great one where the water was deep and easy to reach. We then returned the 1.5km back to base for more lazy snoozing in the sun and snow play. Linda Groom and Peter Conroy entertained us with their word play (climbing at ‘Upindicular’).
That night, we stood around our flat rocky dinner platform chatting and admiring the dustiness of the Milky Way. We speculated at the glow to the north of Mt Jagungal – probably Cabramurra. We could see the lights of Guthega as the groomers did their job.
Adam and Monika looking out at Siren Song Creek.
Bruce Barnett turned up at 8pm having left Canberra late. We were now a party of 8, but not for much longer as, next morning, Linda Groom and Peter Conroy decided to head back because of gear issues – bad stove fuel and Linda’s ski boot displaying an unhealthy divorce at the toe of boot from sole.
The rest of us – now a party of six – headed off to Watsons Crags. We had an early lunch at the little trig at the top of the Crags while a thick cloud rolled through and around us. We then separated into two groups – Adam Lilley, Bruce and myself, who were keen to telemark the steeps of the Crags down to Siren Song Ck and Watsons Creek, and Steve, his wife Sue, and Trevor Carr, who were content to play around on the top and return at a leisurely pace back to camp.
Being down deep below the Crags almost resembled mountaineering country. The soft snow was reassuring for our plod back up; if it were icy we would’ve needed ice axes and crampons given the steepness of the terrain. Back at camp, there was a bit of snow play, a bit of sleeping; and a bit of just hanging around.
We awoke next morning to clag; thick as. And so I suggested to the group we pack up and return to Guthega where we could consider further options. Steve and Sue had decided anyway to return – they were to stay for an extra day – given the forecast of thunderstorms the next day.
So we departed and skied down Pounds Ck, not able to see, until we dropped below the clag. Again the group decided to split – with Adam, Bruce and I telemarking down to lower Pounds Ck and the others staying higher up and taking the gentle ridge down towards Illawong Bridge. My trio then ventured up the creek below East Tate Ridge for a bit of an explore and play.
Adam Lilley skiing on the ridge above Watsons Creek
Then we returned to Guthega to meet up with the other group. There was a bit of pack weighing with Bruce’s nifty weighing gadget. Steve took the prize for the heaviest pack at 22kg. And that did not include his 2kg camera (with GPS). I think it was a toss between Adam and me for the lightest packs at 10 or 11kg. But I was not happy with the weight of my telemark skis/bindings – at 1.9kg each.
The clouds from the north and east loomed dark grey and wet. It started to rain a little. We returned to Jindabyne for a late lunch, coffee and convivial debrief at the Canberra Alpine Club Lodge.
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