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Mt Hotham

What happened after the miners strike at the Cobungra Ditch?

Although most of our mountains are still a wild landscape, largely free of housing and direct development, they are a deeply peopled landscape. In the ‘story’ of the high country, the cattle people have been dramatically over represented in films, books, books and even poetry. First Nations people barely get a mention. The hydro workers have a lot of literature around their story and mining is a distinct sub set of history, although when Australians think of our mining history, I don’ think many connect with mining in the high country.

I spend a lot of time around the Mt Hotham – Dinner Plain area, and mining features in the early story of those places. And there is one story that often intrigues me that doesn’t seem to have an answer. What happened with the miner’s strike near Mt Hotham in 1883?

Continue reading “What happened after the miners strike at the Cobungra Ditch?” →

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The Australian Backcountry festival starts today!

Now in it’s 8th year, the BC Fest returns to Mt Hotham, and this year we are blessed with incredible snow.

While the tours are all booked out, there is still a huge amount to do, including three great social events (tonight, saturday and sunday).

Head to the website to see the full schedule.

The festival is a 100% volunteer community event.

I will post some photos here as the weekend unfolds.

ABOVE: I will be leading a snow shoe tour into the Boiler Plain reference area on sat am. After massive burnoff of snow cover the current storm has delivered an incredible (albeit unconsolidated) base just in time for the festival.

Friday AUG 29

4pm. To make things interesting, the snow base is very unconsolidated – which will make for interesting touring conditions, there is a lightning storm on its way, and the Great Alpine rd between Harrietville and Hotham has been closed to all traffic.

Checking out the snow shoe tour route.

Saturday August 30

ABOVE: snow shoe tour to Boiler Plain.

ABOVE: backcountry brews workshop.

ABOVE: the party at the Hub at Wire Plain.

 

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Australian backcountry festival 2025

The Victorian backcountry festival is back for it’s 8th year. And in 2025, has become the Australian BC Fest.

It will be the same format as usual – hosted at Mt Hotham resort, with tours, workshops, parties, speakers program, repair cafe, and more.

The festival is a 100% volunteer run community festival. The organising committee is working hard to deliver another great festival.

Chuck it in your diary: friday – sunday 29 – 31 August.

Facebook page here.

Website here.

Enjoy. Explore. Protect. Backcountry.

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Nature walks at the VIC backcountry festival

As we get close to the annual Victorian Backcountry Festival, there are still spaces available in a number of the tours and workshops.

There will also be some low key nature immersion tours, which are being offered by Protect Our Winters (POW) and Friends of the Earth (FoE).

These tours are free, but everyone attending the festival should purchase a weekend pass (which costs $31.25).

This pass is valid for the whole festival weekend. It gives you access to festival activities including the Friday Night Launch Party, the Saturday and Sunday evening Speakers Program, film screenings and the Avalanche Rescue Competition.

Continue reading “Nature walks at the VIC backcountry festival” →

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Review: Snow, Fire and Gold

We often see mountain environments as being wilderness: remote and wild country with few signs of human impact or habitation. But, of course, the mountains are a peopled landscape, rich in memory, history and personal stories. Many First Nations stories are now gone, lost with the people who were murdered or displaced. The cattle grazing families who followed occupation tend to dominate popular culture when it comes to the mountains, and most of the others barely get a mention. But there were generations of explorers, miners, loggers, skiers and hikers, hydro workers and road builders, people who built the ski resorts or managed to farm in the higher areas who have also left rich stories. Snow, Fire and Gold written by Stephen Whiteside is a wonderful book about Bill Spargo and Evelyn Piper and their long connection to each other and the mountains around Hotham.

One obvious sign of the human story of the Alps are the huts that dot the landscape. These include old cattle family huts, cabins attached to fire towers, huts connected with government agencies, the hydro schemes, recreation groups, or public infrastructure. They all tell a story of what happened before, or about our enduring connection to place. A rare few hold cultural treasures that speak to other times – the informal museum in the hut at Twilight Tarn in Mt Field national park in lutruwita/ Tasmania is one that comes to mind. Most of these huts were seasonal residences or provided short term shelter for workers or travellers. A rare few were long term homes for people. Spargos is one of these.

You can read the review here.

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VIC backcountry festival 2024

The first Victorian backcountry festival was held at Falls Creek in 2018. It is now a significant annual community event, based at Mt Hotham – and touring the surrounding mountains – and draws several hundred people each year.

The 2024 festival will happen over the last weekend of August (three days from August 30 until September 1). There is a new convenor this year, Ryan Miles, and a larger organising team. It is a 100% volunteer effort, by the community and for the community.

While we are still working out the details, and the format will be slightly different this year, it will be along the same lines as previous years: built around a great program of tours, there will be workshops and events happening on each night – Friday to Sunday – including great speakers and films.

Keep an eye on the website for updates and announcements on ticket sales and the touring program.

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Kelly Van Den Berg. A life outdoors

As part of the Mountain Journal magazine, we publish a series of interviews each edition with people who have had life long connections to the mountains. The section in the 2024 magazine, Around the Fire – chats with mountain people, has some great interviews, profiles and stories, including this one on Kelly Van Den Berg.

You can read the magazine as a PDF here. https://themountainjournal.com/2024/03/19/mountain-journal-magazine-4-now-online/

Print versions will be available shortly.

Continue reading “Kelly Van Den Berg. A life outdoors” →

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VIC backcountry festival powers ahead despite low snow

Despite sad snow conditions, the 6th Victorian backcountry festival will happen over three days in early September.

It will happen in and around the Mt Hotham resort, with all the usual components of the festival that we love – the tours, workshops, repair café, demo village, speakers program and outdoor bar. This year we have two festival hubs – The General, plus the Last Run Bar.

Please register for the festival here (you need to register to be able to book tours). Check below for full details.

Continue reading “VIC backcountry festival powers ahead despite low snow” →

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Forum: Mobilising the outdoors community

The Victorian backcountry festival will be happening soon at Mt Hotham (September 1, 2, 3). Now in its 6th year, the festival offers tours, workshops, a demo village, ski in outdoor bar on a hilltop, repair cafe, avalanche safety courses, an opening night party, films and a speakers program.

You can register for the festival here. The full program will be posted on the backcountry festival home page shortly.

As part of the speakers program, there will be a great event at The General in Mt Hotham village, with presentations on how to turn concern for the mountains into meaningful action.

Continue reading “Forum: Mobilising the outdoors community” →

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Backcountry Festival early bird Registrations open

Now in it’s 6th year, the Victorian backcountry festival will happen at Mt Hotham again over the first weekend of September.

The three day event (September 1, 2, 3) features the normal program that we all love – guided tours, workshops, a speakers program, demo village, repair cafe, and the saki in outdoor bar on a mountain top.

The festival is 100% volunteer run and the committee is working hard to deliver another great event.

Registration for the festival is now open, with an early bird rate of $40 for the weekend. This covers basic and very important costs like insurance for the festival. Registering will mean you receive details of the tour program when it is announced. Registrations after July will be $50, so get in now and save.

You can register here.

https://events.humanitix.com/2023-victorian-backcountry-festival-early-bird-tickets

 

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Winter Kick-Off with ‘Steep Reflections’

There will be a series of screenings of the new Australian backcountry film STEEP REFLECTIONS, happening across a number of towns and resorts in June.

With a warming climate, there is growing concern for the future of snowsports in the Kosciuszko National Park. STEEP REFLECTIONS aims to change your perspective on the Australian backcountry, and create greater awareness around the importance of both mountain safety and our environmental footprint. Follow local guides and freeriders as they showcase the hidden beauty of the Snowy Mountains, taking you to the highest peaks and the steepest slopes, whilst uncovering the harsh reality our winters face if we don’t act now.

Continue reading “Winter Kick-Off with ‘Steep Reflections’” →

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Chuck it in your diary: VIC backcountry festival, Sept 1 – 3

The VIC BC Fest will be happening in and around Mt Hotham resort over three days in early September (1, 2 and 3).

It will look a lot like last year – a great tours program, workshops and skillshares (including more telemark and cross country), the ski in outdoor bar, speakers program, repair cafe, and demo village outside The General in Hotham village. There will also be an on snow camp site attached to the festival this year.

With a new and expanded organising committee, we are getting down to planning another great festival. Stay tuned for details, call out for the program and volunteer guides.

In the meantime, keep an eye on the website and socials.

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