Get excited alpinists, Main Ranger Rohan Kennedy went skiing today off Carruthers Pk!
I spoke to Rohan yesterday about his plans to do a Carruthers Pk reccy today & his anticipation was almost palpable. He skied the Mainline from the top of Carruthers after a short downclimb & reported that whilst he skinned from the Snowy River all the way to the peak conditions are very "low tide"! That is to be expected after a snowfall reported by the resorts of 15cm which would be 20+cm in the high alpine i.e. above 2000m. This fell onto bare ground so turns any where other than in the alpine are not available at the moment.
This a normal thing as the first snows in the sub alpine that fall onto the heath are only a thin unsupportive mantle. It takes a few successive falls & some varying temps along with some wind to set up the conditons in the sub alpine. Up higher in the alpine above the tree line the large continuous snow grass stretches & shaley faces will develop a more supportive layer more quickly.
There is some more snow over the next few days so get sorted alpinists!
Now is a great time to do a pre season SHAKEDOWN & check that your gear is in good nic & fully operational! In particular your climbing skins, spring was many months ago so best to suss them now & not be left wanting at the trail head! Do your skis need a wax, is your first aid kit complete, does your head lamp need new batteries, have you got spares, have you got a spare ration in the bottom of your pack (jerky is my go to), what about an emergency shelter, insulation layer or spare pair of lightweight mitts!
How was your shell wear looking when you threw it to the rear of the cupboard when you were looking for you mountain bike shorts & wetsuit! Does it need re-proofing, patching or maybe replacing. If you're a snowshoer be sure to check that your binding straps are all ok.
Anyway Alpinists get excited & get organised. Touring relies heavy on systems & pre trip planning so lay all your gear out & do an audit....now!
Our tour calendar is open so go to our Online Bookings Page or give us a call 0400 349 319 & lets chat about ski touring, splitboarding & snowshoeing!
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