Tuesday 14/08/2018 Tjaetaba Falls
Litchfield National Park, NORTHERN TERRITORY
Marranunggu country
Participants: Sue Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Moore
The walk commences at Greenant Creek picnic area which is difficult to spot when driving from Tolmar Falls as there is no sign on the side of the road. Driving back from Wangi Falls there was a sign for the picnic area.
18/4/2018 – 5/5/2018 Manaslu Circuit and Tsum Valley
NEPAL
Distance: 362km Total Ascent: 35,900m Total Descent: 34,800m Time: 123 hours
NB: The GPS tracking results of distance, ascents and descents on this trek with its very deep valleys and surrounding high peaks is highly exaggerated, see my Track Info!
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report), Kaka Dural (Porter), Emily Jayne, Prabin Kumar Karki (Guide), Ralston Keyt, Sarah Keyt, Pawan Nepali (Porter), Ravi Phuyal (Porter), Rosan Rai (Assistant Guide), Wendy Young
At 8,163m the impressive Manaslu is the eighth highest mountain in the world. Meaning “mountain of the spirit” it’s name is derived from the Sanskrit word meaning “intellect” or “soul”. This trek is considered to a less crowded alternative to the more popular Everest Base camp or Annapurna circuit treks.
As with most treks in Nepal, it starts and finishes in Kathmandu. It is mandatory to have a guide on the Manaslu circuit, we had a very positive experience with Kathmandu based Himilayan Encounters.
This trek provides geographical and cultural diversity and when also completing the Tsum valley, provides an insight into remote Nepali village life.
The diversity of the scenery was remarkable over the 18 days of the walk, from subtropical jungle to the desolate and cold Larkya La pass at 5,160m. Stunning alpine scenery, unique remote villages and beautiful Tibetan Buddhist monasteries all combine to make this one of the best treks in Nepal.
11/10/2018 – 15/10/2018 Guthega – Twynam Creek – Mount Northcote – Watsons Crags – Mount Twynam
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo country
Distance: 61km Total Ascent: 3,620m Total Descent: 3,730m
Time: 61 hours
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Caroline Houghton (2 days), Ian Houghton (2 days), Mike Parkinson (3 days), Stephen Poole
5/10/2018 – 11/10/2018 Guthega – Mount Twynam – Mount Anderson – Watsons Crags – Little Twynam – Crummer Spur – Twynam Creek
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo country
Distance: 80km Total Ascent: 5,270m Total Descent: 5,270m
Time: 80 hours Track Info
Participants: Monika Binder (4 days), Melinda Brouwer (4 days), Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Stephen Poole
28/09/2018 – 3/10/2018 Guthega – Pounds Creek – Mount Anderson – Three Rocks Creek – Mount Anton – Mount Twynam
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo country
Distance: 71km Total Ascent: 5,100m Total Descent: 5,100m
Time: 34 hours Track Info
Participants: Damien Aggio (3 days), Marg Baz (3 days), Stephen Davies (Report, Photos), Paul Davis (3 days), Murray Gibbs (3 days), Ian Houghton (3 days), Paul Marsh (3 days), Stephen Poole, Claire Sim (3 days)
Thursday 20/09/2018 Charlotte Pass – Mount Townsend – The Racecourse – Lake Albina
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies and 22 others!
Today a mixed ability group in excess of twenty people, led again by Colin Ridley, set out in an attempt to summit Mount Townsend. Along with our NSW Nordic Ski Club group we had visitors from Victoria, South Australia and Queensland. Sue and I left separately a couple of minutes earlier, heading further up Kosciuszko Road than the main group to take some panoramas of the Main Range. Continue reading
Wednesday 19/09/2018 Charlotte Pass – Mount Guthrie Circuit
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
With the forecast overnight snow not eventuating along with overcast skies and cold wind blowing together with an overnight freeze there was no reason for an early start. So after 10:00am Sue and I departed, traversing across the nearly deserted but still operating downhill slopes to Charlotte Pass. It was cold and felt like more than the forecast 40km/h headwind. Continue reading
Tuesday 18/09/2018 Charlotte Pass – The Foxhole – Wrights Creek
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo country
Participants: Helen Cromb, Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
Tuesday’s forecast temperature was 8C with winds to 70km/h after an overnight low of -4C. Finding somewhere out of the wind seemed the best idea. After waiting a while for the snow to soften after it’s overnight freeze we headed straight up the hill behind the lodge hoping the trees would provide a little shelter. We were still too early for our planned return descent, as there were still plenty of frozen sections in the shade around the trees, so after ascending most of the hill we headed further around towards Wrights Creek in order to find a slope that had seen more morning sun. Continue reading
Monday 17/09/2018 Charlotte Pass – Twin Valleys
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo country
Participants: Margaret Baz, Helen Cromb, Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies, John Fuller, Kathy Husselbee, Jacque Paynter, Stephen Poole, Colin Ridley, Jean, Kevin, Rod, Wayne
A lack of recent significant snowfalls, warmer temperatures early last week and recent overnight minimums of about -10degrees have the cover set hard. With the days forecast of cold winds to 50km/h our options were limited. Hoping that the recent light snowfalls may have accumulated on the lee side of Rams Head Range our party of thirteen led by Colin had decided to head over to Twin Valleys hopeful of some shelter that it may provide and to ski the pockets of snow we envisaged would be found there. Continue reading
Sunday 16/09/2018 Charlotte Pass – Trapyard Creek – Wrights Creek
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
We arrived at Southern Alps Ski Lodge by oversnow transport from Perisher Valley in the afternoon of the previous day after a polar system had injected a mass of cold air and strong winds across the area earlier in the day. We were disappointed that at most a centimetre of snow came with it. So, after some warm weather earlier in the week we were left with a hard, frozen base with patches of fresh windswept snow. Continue reading
22/08/2018 – 27/08/2018 Brindle Bull Hill – Paddy Rushs Bogong – Teddys Hut – Jerusalem Hill
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo country
Distance: 80km Total Ascent: 3150m Total Descent: 3150m
Time: 35 hours
Participant: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report)
A six day solo snowcamping ski tour exploring the area around Brindle Bull Hill, Paddy Rushs Bogong, Bullock Yard Creek, Teddys Hut and Jerusalum Hill.
20/07/2018 – 24/07/2018 Dead Horse Gap – Rams Head Range
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Distance: 41km Total Ascent: 2900m Total Descent: 2900m
Time: 19 hours Track Info
Participant: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report)
This solo skiing trip was my first snow camping adventure for 2018. It provided some great skiing to tune the legs for the season to come and the usual early winter variability in weather along with a couple of amazing sunsets. The greatest challenge though proved to be getting mobile phone reception to confirm my safety and report progress.