Table of contents for Issue 148, Jul-Aug 2015 in Wild

“The wintry clouds drop spangles on the mountains. If the thing occurred once in a century historians would chronicle and poets would sing of the event...” JOHN TYNDALL In issue 146, I waxed lyrical about bodies of water and their effects on us. That was quite a philosophical treatise. My feelings about this simple molecule were stirred again while watching George Miller’s high-octane reboot of his Mad Max franchise, in which people struggle to live in a world where water is venerated as the most precious of resources. So, as we arrive at the colder months of the year, I’d like to return to the subject of water, but to place it within a more scientific context this time. The specific properties of this relatively simply molecule make water one…

Wild Women Adventure Race 2, QLD, July 11 Australia’s first all-female adventure race will open its second event for 2015. Covering multiple disciplines, this event will take place in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast. dareyouadventure.com.au The Great Adventure Challenge, WA, July 25 Team-based multisport racing that includes mountain biking, trailrunning, kayaking and coasteering as well as a series of ‘mystery tasks’. greatadventurechallenge.com.au Paddy Pallin Adventure Series, NSW, August 1-2 The Lower Blue Mountains leg of this multisport series continues Paddy Pallin’s tradition of events aimed at introducing people to adventure racing. paddypallinadventure.com.au XPD 2015, QLD, August 3-14 Expedition-length adventure. Teams of four compete over a 700km course that includes trekking, mountain biking and kayaking over a 5-10 day period. www.xpd.com.au Adventure Showcase, NSW, August 8 Trek & Travel’s annual…

Winter is the anchoring season. From it buds the spring, burns the summer and baulks the next reticent autumn. It is winter that we may most regret losing to global warming. Already the glaciers and snows are turning to grey water and slush. Where icicles hung from the garden tap there is just a wet patch on the ground. The lace-patterned ice on the pond is missing. Skating has headed indoors. Skiing depends on machines for its snow. And pretty well all the plants on Earth need to migrate further from the equator if they are not to perish. Speaking of which, the pencil pines unique to Tasmania have their stronghold on the lofty Central Plateau where the British settlers destroyed the Aboriginal people by the 1830s. The Tasmanian emu…

Orange-bellied parrot recovery setback The critically endangered orange-bellied parrot population that appeared to have a significant boost late last year may now be in even greater risk of collapse. Of an estimated 30 individuals born during the last breeding season in Tasmania, 19 have contracted beak and feather disease. As juveniles, parrots are more vulnerable to dying as a result of the illness and it’s believed 14 of the 19 diseased birds have perished. With a population of less than 60 adults left in the wild, this species is left acutely vulnerable to extinction. NSW discusses AWC partnership In June, NSW environment minister Mark Speakman announced the state government would enter negotiations with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) to establish cat and fox-free areas in a number of NSW National…

Unpronounceable place-names make Iceland a confusing place, and limited information don’t help. 1.5 times the size of Tasmania, it is mountainous and only sparsely populated. Small patches of lowland forest survive in a landscape dominated by green fields, barren mountains, ash plains, lava fields, lakes and sparse arctic vegetation. Much of the interior is wild and uninhabited. Apart from the Laugavegur, other longer walks include: • The Snæfell-Lonsoræfi walk crosses mountain country on the northeastern edge of Vatnojökull National Park, the largest and highest icecap. With lots of side-trips possible, the 42km track can take from 3-7 days. • Between the beautiful lake of Mývatn (east of the ‘northern capital’ of Akureyri) and Vatnajökull lies the Ódáðahraun lava field. The five-day, 95km Askja trail traverses Ódáðahraun from east to west,…

1001 Walks You Must Experience Before You Die by Barry Stone (Pier 9, $59.95) This guidebook contains a comprehensive list of some of the world’s most beautiful walks. While it manages to fit in all 1001 walks in less than 1000 pages, the descriptions are nevertheless satisfactorily descriptive and also well illustrated, with beautiful colour photography appearing throughout. Collated by series editor Barry Stone, it appears that some preference has been given to Australian routes, with around 50 walks detailed (this figure is only topped by US listings, of which there are a few hundred entries). Each entry includes the location, distance covered, approximate duration and difficulty for each walk, which is then followed with a detailed description. Although this book is described as a companion guide, it’s unlikely to…

LETTER OF THE ISSUE Jeanette wins a Therm-a-Rest TREO valued at $179.95. This camp chair has a realistic seat height and width so that it’s no hassle to get in or out of, while still packing away into its own tripod base. lexander wins a set of MSR Swift™ 2 Walking Poles valued at $219. These adjustable aluminium trekking poles feature breathable straps and foam grips for continuous comfort. OPEN LETTER TO SMOKERS These days few things annoy me (and make me want to throw a beloved snow boot out the window) more than smokers in the snow. As a non-smoker I find that smokers in general are selfish beings blocking door ways to building entries, cafes and openly indulging in their expensive addiction and forcing this onto others unfortunate…

Looking up and seeing the massive wall of snow and ice coming towards the camp was horrifying. Just as realising your only shelter is limited to tents and terrain features. I don’t remember making a conscious decision about where to shelter, I doubt there was really time. I ran into our mess tent and positioned myself half-in and half-out, hedging my bets. I didn’t want to be inside for fear of the tent collapsing on me, but I knew I could not survive being outside. The avalanche hit with elemental force. The air was suffocating, filled with so much snow, ice and rocks. To be honest, I don’t recall much about the avalanche. I was hit by flying objects, on the back on the head, the hands and the face.…

Australian tourist hospitalised by bison A 62-year-old man was taken to hospital after being tossed into the air three times by a bison during a visit to Yellowstone National Park in the US. Officials said the bison had charged the man as he took photos just a few metres away, but it may not have been entirely his fault. According to a Yellowstone spokesperson, a crowd of people had gathered around the animal and it was in a state of agitation by the time the man began to take photos of it. It is understood the injuries he sustained were not life threatening. Inspirational athlete to paddle Murray River David Jacka, who was awarded an Order of Australia Medal this June, has announced plans to paddle the Murray River from…

For many of us, The Man From Snowy River by Andrew Barton ‘Banjo’ Patterson represents our earliest bush poetry experience As evocative and exciting as the poem undoubtedly is, as primary school children we could be forgiven for finding it confusing and, let’s not beat about the bush, boring. But then we probably never saw it performed live, in 15 different accents. That’s where Greg North comes in. “It’s hard to get people to come along to a poetry show, or anywhere that mentions the p-word,” says Greg, “but when they do they usually enjoy it.” After all, poems are only words on paper until they are performed, which Greg does with huge enthusiasm, and he especially relishes school shows because he has the chance to change the lives of…

Wild reader, Brock Mifsud writes: My friend Dan convinced me to go on an impromptu ice climbing trip to Colorado in December 2014. I do some rock climbing in Australia, but had never been ice climbing before. We ended up in Ouray (the ‘Switzerland of America’) at the famous ice park there. With a top temperature of -7 degrees celsius during the day I froze and became an ice climber! This is a photo of Casey – a guy from Seattle that we met in Ouray on the ice. Photographer’s checklist: Snowy scenes • When shooting in very snowy settings, your camera is looking to find the mid tone, or 18 per cent grey in the scene, to give correct exposure. Therefore it will compensate by under-exposing your shot to…

Remote communications have come a long way since the first telegraph line was erected in Australia during the 1850s, yet for the last few years little has changed for outdoor users. For at least the past decade, those heading into the wilderness will tend to pack either an emergency beacon and/or a satellite phone as a matter of course; both of which being considered ‘just in case’ devices. The personal locator beacon fits this mould perfectly, as it is only ever activated in the case of a legitimate emergency, with search and rescue costs generally considered astronomical. On the other hand, the use of a satellite phone may not incur the same one-time costs, but they’re generally considered nevertheless expensive due to sign up fees and call costs. Australia has…

By combining modern 3D modeling with age-old weaving and knitting techniques, researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) hope to create the portable shelter of the future. Yet this structure aspires to be so much more than just a tent. Waterproofed through coatings and additives embedded in the textile’s fibres, it will not only be able to withstand the elements, but its designers intend it to generate energy through solar power. UTS professor of Spatial Design and leader of the Architextile project, Benedict Anderson explained that the shelter is primarily aimed at “natural disaster relief, war zones and commercial applications.” Architextile is currently being funded by an ATN-DAAD (Germanic Academic Exchange Service) Joint Research Co-operation Scheme grant and incorporates expertise from UTS, CSIRO and University of the Arts Berlin.…

In May this year, the coalition government struck a deal with Labor to reduce the renewable energy target (RET), while also including provisions to redefine the burning of native forest ‘waste’ as a renewable energy source. At the time of writing, Australia awaits the outcome of a vote in the senate that will decide whether these changes take place. It may be that by the time this article is read, the safety of our forests continues to hang in the balance, or has been dashed altogether. The issue is acute, as while the proposed changes to the RET will stipulate ‘waste’ from native forests may be burnt, this is a significant weakening of protections for a forestry system that is already in a state of severe decline. Frances Pike, an…

By the end of the century, skiing and winter as we know them will have altered irrevocably. Internationally, climate concerned ski resorts are investing heavily in snow-making technology and renewable energy. Educational campaigns emphasising the impact climate change will have on alpine areas and snowfall are also becoming a standard part of ski resorts, because the impact will be severe. Already in the last 50 years, the northern hemisphere has lost more than 2.5 million square kilometres of spring snow cover, the snowfall most affected by rising temperatures. Climatologists examining the future of the Winter Olympics in light of cancellations at Sochi estimated that of the 19 cities that have previously hosted the winter games, only 10 might be able to do so again by mid-century, and by 2100 only…

My parents built their home way up on the north side of Sydney near what is now Kuring-gai Chase National Park. At the end of our street was bush – and lots of it. As kids, we would run wild, exploring, swimming and yabbying across this extensive ‘playground’, all with the blessing of our parents. Mum and Dad were keen gem collectors and campers. Our school holidays were grand expeditions to far-flung places across the state looking for elusive rocks and minerals, sometimes to the detriment of our family car. One time we had to push the car eight kilometres through the mud to reach Lightning Ridge. As my 17th birthday came around, I happened across a poster advertising a Sydney-based outdoors club – Span Unlimited. From that point on…