Rsser's accident.

[rsser]

Yes. Camped overnight once on the Bogong High Plains, at Tawonga Huts. Snow fell during the darkness creating a thick silence in the tent. Morning broke sunny and the snow like thick cream had obliterated all footprints and ski tracks around us.

....

New lathe arrived yesterday.

A painless process: about 2 weeks from ordering. The freight company said Friday or Monday; they rang in the morning and specified between 11 and 12 and were as good as their word.

The driver's eyes popped when he saw the dirt driveway but with him pulling the pallet trolley and me leavering the pallet rear with a star post we got it up the gentle slope and slid each pallet in turn up some skids into the shed. The driver was willing to have a go and take suggestions from someone who'd done it before.

I could've been smarter and put the pallet with the stand in last but live and learn.

It's all been a smooth process thanks to Brendan Stemp and Vicmarc.

The DVR XP will have to be sold to make room for the VL175.

That can wait as I'm going .... er ... no I'm not. I'm hopping in the car on Wed. and going round the block. It may or may not have skis in it.

[Sturdee]

If you need a hand Ern, let me know when and I'll see if I can.

Peter.

[rsser]

Thanks Peter.

I'll try the neighbours first.

Once upon a time there were barn raisings; these days, lathe raisings ;-}

[rsser]

Well Falls Ck and the Bogong High Plains are not quite NZ class but it's been an amazing late season recovery, with steady good snow falls over a week or so.

Today I spent on the tows and the conditions were what they call 'hero snow' - ie. you can do anything. Firm base with fresh dry snow on top. Was able to recover last year's telemark form and take it a step further

Yesterday was filthy weather: windy, foggy, driving snow/hail. But a few hours following pole lines was a great restorative nonetheless.

In the gully near Howmans Gap camp is a resident lyrebird and he was in good form. The maggies and currawongs' carrols also cut through the thick snow-flaked air and there was even a black cocky making that inimitable squeaky-hinge door sound.

Tried to load some pics but the laptop card reader can't cope with SDHC cards.

[NeilS]

NZ can wait, Ern. From what I hear they have been having some full on blizzards there this year.... long way to go to be hunkered down in your digs waiting for it to blow over.

Anyway the Bogong High Plains sounds like bliss to me.

Telemark away.

.....

[Manuka Jock]

Ern , you missed out on a bit of excitement in the Aoraki mountains over the weekend

Tasman Glacier drops 50 million tonne iceberg

[rsser]

Good grief.

Soon we'll be able to kayak to the foot of Aoraki!

[Manuka Jock]

Glacier cruises , gondola rides , ice slurry skiing

[kiwigeo]

I was lucky enough to visit The Ball Hut back in the mid seventies before it and the lateral moraine it was built on collapsed into the the Tasman Glacier. Highlight of the stay was sitting outside the hut at night and listening to the glacier grinding along.

[rsser]

Glacier cruises , gondola rides , ice slurry skiing

LOL!

It's a wild place nonetheless you've got down there MJ. Darn, I'm waxing regretful now.

You're quite right though Neil. I had a mate who came from Europe to do the kind of thing I'd signed up for and he spent several days hut-bound when the weather turned bad.

Tomorrow I'll get the skaters on and exhaust myself with a couple of hours on the Bogong High Plains 'road'. Lots of old pharts like me practising there as the big Hoppet race is on next Sat (aka World Loppet). At Howman's Gap camp I met a Cannuck who is a World Loppet master - he's done this international series of races four times! Our version is a mere 42km (and the winner will do it in about 1.75 hours); some of the Euro routes are over 70km and they light the last few km for those who come in late.

[rsser]

I was lucky enough to visit The Ball Hut back in the mid seventies before it and the lateral moraine it was built on collapsed into the the Tasman Glacier. Highlight of the stay was sitting outside the hut at night and listening to the glacier grinding along.

Wow.

And imagine the poor sods in the huts up there when the top of Aoraki collapsed.

[kiwigeo]

Wow.

And imagine the poor sods in the huts up there when the top of Aoraki collapsed.

Mount Cook is a mountain to be reckoned with....it's taken alot of lives over the years. One of my friends is up there somewhere....along with two other fellow students from my Geology Stage III year at Canterbury University.

[rsser]

Ah, sorry to hear that.

Yeah, the guiding company I was signed up with this time employed an upcoming guide but on Ball Pass on ropes two clients lost grip and she went down with them, to oblivion.

Think she now has a peak named after her in Two Thumb Range.

[kiwigeo]

No need for apologies Ern....all three of these individuals died doing what they loved doing best. My friend was the most careful of climbers but an unexpected and rapid deterioration in weather conditions got him.

Still...if mountain climbing didn't have an element of danger associated with it then nobody would bother doing it.

[rsser]

Yeah. That's why I ride a sportsbike. Fast.

The margins of safety are tiny.

Stoked at the end of the day.