High Country in Winter

While it's a pity we can't let natural selection take it's course at times with a few of those who don't go prepared unfortunately these rules have had to be put in place to protect some people against themselves ;-) It's easy to point at the high profile rescues & say what fools they were but there are lots more (many on ExOz) who at some time of their life have done the same things but just got away with it due to some luck.
It's highly unlikely the Minister was either tight nor an idiot rather over confident, under prepared & a little unlucky with the conditions, something almost everyone who has a go at something challenging could be accused of at some point. If you know the facts & have climbed Feathertop you may understand this.
I'm hoping the condtions imposed on Skene will be relaxed a little over the next year with some further pressure on the Shire. To start with their position was close it all together.
Cheers Craig............

Hiya Crackles thanks for your quick reply mate..

"Minister was either tight nor an idiot rather over confident, under prepared & a little unlucky with the conditions, something almost everyone who has a go at something challenging could be accused of at some point"

No map,No GPS,No Radio,No Epirb. Equates to IDIOCY in my point of view full stop it wasnt his first walk...

"'Im hoping the condtions imposed on Skene will be relaxed a little over the next year with some further pressure on the Shire. To start with their position was close it all together. "

Yeah well the road to Skene (I was up there over Easter) is not even a hard road to drive.Ok i get that it could be a bit more difficult over snow season but with the right equip should be ok..

Have you been down the Jeep track,we ran out of time ????????

You look at the intersection at Lazarini Spur Track which has it casualties yet they still havent put a to Licola Sign there to stop this (people in normal cars turning right into the spur track) Go Figure...

But in that area channel 5-8 etc etc are always monitored...

Was a let down that the Abbots Link Track is still Closed...

Cheers

Oh yeah nice pics of you in the snow too...

Yes we've been on the Jeep track a few times (See photo below) although the decent down to the Mt Sunday track can be quite interesting in the wet :-) My neighbour has recovered 2 cars off Lazarini's for RACV that drove until they stopped, both times they were following road Navigators. A sign would be good value, in fact large detailed signs similar to those used at major ski resorts to warn people of the dangers & minimum equipment required would be all that is needed for Mt Skene.
I believe you can thank the wankers from 4x4 Monthly mag for the closure of Abbotts Link after their high profile roll & recovery. When the local coppers have trouble getting in to recover these groups that's when they feel they have no other option than to close it.
Cheers Craig......
"the road to Skene ..... is not even a hard road to drive" It is when the snow's 1.5 metres deep ;-))

""the road to Skene ..... is not even a hard road to drive" It is when the snow's 1.5 metres deep ;-)) "

lmao Hopefully get to do it one day...


"I believe you can thank the wankers from 4x4 Monthly mag for the closure of Abbotts Link after their high profile roll & recovery. When the local coppers have trouble getting in to recover these groups that's when they feel they have no other option than to close it. "

I'll try and search for that info,you wouldnt have a direct link by any chance ?????

"My neighbour has recovered 2 cars off Lazarini's for RACV that drove until they stopped, both times they were following road Navigators"

Your not based at Jamieson are by anychance..Last one i heard was a lady with Dogs in a wagon about 2 years ago now,as i recall she had to sleep in wagon overnight,A guy near my block went with the local Garage owner (Scott) and retrieved it,actually had to drive the wagon all the way down,they put back on the hoist and No damage to there surprises..Lazarini's has had work lately so its not bad...

What a terrible intersection at Lazarinis huh to army track.....Maps show spaghetti tracks...Ended up the top of Snake Divide link track,nice drive back down lol.....We blame it on the lovely young blonde scrubbing spuds by the river ..lol

The Minister had a mobile phone which provided a rough fix for S&R.

His real error was not using crampons.

Hiya Sigmund


"The Minister had a mobile phone which provided a rough fix for S&R"

LMAO what because he wanted to order a pizza after a hard days walkin...

Obviously he was with Telstra (Expensive) and obviously supplied free through work because no other network would work up there ..lol

Sorry guys i give this idiot no room for anything.Not saying a GPS would work,UHF etc etc...But a $12 map and $10 compass would hav done him....Mt Feathertop for crying out loud.I know we all make mistakes but to go hiking without anything...

Government Officials know of this problem in the past thats why they supply free Epirbs to use and return in Parks...

Anyway i'm sure it was debated in de past...cheers

Nav up there's not a prob except in a whiteout and there wasn't one on the day he went up.

He slipped on the ice and snookered himself; crampons would've prevented that.

I'm not defending him. Just getting the explanation right. We wasn't prepared for the conditions and when he found ice should've turned back. He didn't have snow pegs for his tent but could've stayed (put) at Fed Hut.

Free EPIRBs in the Alpine Nat Park - 1st I've heard of that.

Thats cause your getting SOFT in Your OL Age.....

Nearly right Sensible LOL


Wasnt a lot of fun walking 4 miles in it and it was 8 feet thick at the highest point we had to go to.

Boots are never the same after a long immersion in snow either.